The View Outside The Premier League: Fleetwood fire blanks and Pompey players get to know each other

A new football season always throws up some unusual stories on day one but there can have been few beginnings to a campaign quite like Portsmouths. Amazingly Pompey came away with a point from their first League One encounter despite sending out a whole team of debutants. Before he joined the sou...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A final day fanfare for Sky and the Blues

It all came down to this then. It’s been a gruelling journey, epic in its fluctuating fortunes as the favourites for the crown jostled back and forth. Each weekend millions looked on, eagerly cheering their chosen heroes, willing them to put in the performance that would clinch the prize they so ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A mad Mario meets a melodic Manc and the result is perfect harmony

The twin worlds of football and music have not always been cosy bedfellows. Lest we forget the audio abominations that still stain jukeboxes up and down this land: ‘Fog On The Tyne’, that god awful attempt by Ant and Dec to appeal to people other than 12-year old girls during the 2002 World Cup, ...

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The View Outside The Premier League - Reading March On While The Big 'Franchises' Line up in League One

All season Southampton and West Ham United have been the most likely contenders for automatic promotion to the Premier League and the two clubs still sit one and two in the table - but just below them Reading have bolted from the pack to pose a serious threat to their ambitions. A few weeks back Wo...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: QPR’s cautionary tale of success, greed and sweaty men is a real winner for the BBC

In every avenue of the vast road map of life, there have been distinguished comedy legends. The political world has Boris Johnson, Gordon Brown and Margaret Thatcher; in the music fraternity we have all had a good giggle at Keith Richards and Gareth Gates; and let’s not forget Jordan… she doesn’t re...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: No handshake for Evra and no love lost between the partisan pundits at Sky

Think about this for a second. How many times do you think you have seen Luis Suarez’s hand this weekend? Ten times? Twenty? A hundred? I’m sure I’ve seen his wandering hand more than I’ve seen my own two in the past 48 hours, such has been the swirling media-frenzy since he refused to settle his di...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Confusion reigns at City as Coleman fluffs his lines

Have you played Football Manager 2012? You may wonder how a game brimming with data, facts and incalculable statistics comes to contain such a dearth of information. Well, in the early stages of the games development, some spotty oik is charged with the task of finding someone close to each of the 7...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A love-in for O’Neill as marvel Martin ruins Rovers’ day

It was clear at 1pm on Sunday what the overriding theme of the day was going to be on Sky Sports’ Live Super Sunday. Ed Chamberlain, growing more and more comfortably into the role of football anchorman, opened the afternoon’s football coverage by loudly proclaiming, “Sunderland’s new era begins tod...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A test of comedy quizzing is passed with help from the inspiring Irish

Ok, before we go any further let me first congratulate the Irish team on their impressive qualification for the European Championships next summer. There was the inevitable party mood for the second leg of the Republic of Ireland v Estonia match last Tuesday and I’m sure there are not many that begr...

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MK Dons: 10 Handy Facts About FA Cup Opponents Nantwich Town

Nantwich Town are one of those non-league clubs going through the best period in their history. This weekend they appear in the FA Cup First Round for the first time in their 127 year history - over the pastfive years the club keep hitting new heights. In 2006 Nantwich won the FA Vase Final, play...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: ITV begin to repay their debt with a feast of Man City delights

It’s the 12th June 2010. Seven thirty-four on a warm summer’s evening. My friends and I are huddled around my television, just as a million more expectant eyes are doing at the same moment up and down the nation. Then pffft … nothing. A moment’s darkness was followed by some guff about Hyundai cars ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A bad week for JT just gets worse and worse as the news hacks attack!

It’s been a bad old week for Chelsea and England captain John Terry hasn’t it? The on-going racism row between Terry and his accuser Anton Ferdinand has been front and back page news since the incident occurred a week ago and the story shows no signs of halting. Like most I have seen the footage...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Mancini’s Manchester magicians spoil the party… and this column

Why always me? This week I was going to talk to you about the light-hearted Sky Sports knockabout quiz Take It Like a Fan. I was armed with reams of faint praise for the show and was readying my keyboard for a glittering review and even a possible recommendation for you all to check it out. But al...

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FA Cup: Ashington In Sight Of Glory

Its that time of year again. No, not the Champions League group stages or mega games in the Premier League, although thosematches do have some interest, Ill admit. But for many football fans in England - the ones who follow their local sides - its the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup that reall...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Football on Sky is becoming a fairytale thanks to Wilkins the Wizard

So we were repeatedly told that it was the ‘biggest club game in world football’ as Liverpool and Manchester United met at Anfield on Saturday for the ever-intense North-West derby. The fevered atmosphere was apparent at Sky for Live Ford Football Special and there was an almost fairytale mood in ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: You’re On Sky Sports… or should that be Moron Sky Sports?

There are three clearly defined pursuits enjoyed by the average football fan. One, demonstrating the unwavering certainty that they know the best way for their team to play. Secondly, morphing into yob-like tyrants at the very sight of an opposition supporter and lambasting them with vociferous ange...

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The View Outside The Premier League - MK Dons Challenge Looks Strong

With the Championship suspended for international week the spotlight fell onLeague One and MK Dons turned in another impressive performance to bag three points from the long trip to Carlisle. After reaching the play-offs last season Karl Robinsons squad are targeting automatic promotion. For many f...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Middlesborough Start Smoothly

Five games into the Championship season and Tony Mowbrays Middlesbrough are unbeaten and playing good football. For the previous two seasons Boro were expected to make the promotion pace, but forthis campaign the Teesiders started under the radar. Last year Gordon Strachans revolution stalled after...

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Would you like to write for Squarefootball?

Do you live, breathe and sleep football? Do you have a passion for writing and want your views to be read by a potential audience of millions? Then we at Squarefootball Towers would love to hear from you. Whether you follow Aberdeen or Accrington Stanley, West Ham United or Wolfsburg, we can offer ...

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Get on side and sport your colours for Shelter this World Cup

In celebration of this years FIFA World Cup, housing and homelessness charity Shelter are teaming up with Nationwide Building Society, Official England Team sponsor, to launch their fantastic footy fundraiser, Strip4Shelter. Shelter is asking people across the country to replace their regular work ...

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Is This Finally Stevenage's Year?

The New Year in the Blue Square Premier is noticeable for the number of former League clubs jostling for a return to the Football League- seven of the current top nine have enjoyed League status but the team on top of the pile are striving to make it for the first time. To say that Stevenage Boroug...

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Good News At Last For Northwich Fans

The FA Cup can reward struggling teams whose supporters have had to put up with a diet of gloom for many years. This year Northwich Victoria have finally found some luck and after beating Charlton Athletic they will be at home again in Round Two. Home for the Vics used to be the Drill Field where t...

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Ex-League Clubs Fighting Back

Is there life after the Football League? For some clubs like Scarborough andChester Citydemotion from the 92 has been disastrous but most of the teams falling from the League have shown tremendous resilience. This season the departed clubs are making a real fightback. The Blue Square Premier has si...

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Matt Jansen Begins Again At Leigh Genesis

It wasnt just the Premiership season that got under way this weekend. Some of the senior non-league competitions also kicked off and a number of former professionals were in the team line ups but the appearance of an England under-21 cap is always a rarity. Its questionable how many Rossendale Unit...

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Can The Minstermen Add To Stevenage's Misery?

This weekends FA Trophy Final is a meeting of teams from different ends of the Blue Square Premier. Stevenage Borough have been battling for promotion and reached the play-offs to decide promotion to the Football League; York City have battled relegation and squeezed out of trouble in the last ...

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FC United Chasing Yet Another Promotion

As the season reaches the business end, FC United of Manchester are battling to secure a play off berth in the Unibond Premier League and keep alive the chance of taking another step towards the Football League. The momentum continues at the club born from the anti-Glazer protests at Old Trafford. ...

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Glossop North End- Back On The Football Map

Glossop North End of the North-West Counties League have battled into the semi-finals of the FA Vase. For most teams in the lower reaches of Non-League this would be their greatest achievement- but not for Glossop. The small town in the High Peak area of Derbyshire once took their place in the top ...

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York City Revive Memories of Cup Glory

Its a tough life for former League clubs that slip into the Blue Square Premier and few have had it harder than York City. Six years ago Bootham Crescent was nearly sold and the club wound up. The York City Supporters Trust, with help from the Football Stadia Improvement Trust, saved what is now th...

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Follow Kettering And Torquay Again In the Trophy

This weekend the FA Trophy reaches the last 16 stage and among the teams left are Kettering Town and Torquay United who performed so well in the FA Cup. Despite the disappointments of late defeats to high ranking oppenents last Saturday, both clubs are worth following in this competition. Torquay ...

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FA Cup: Blyth Spartans aim to end Allardyce's honeymoon period at Blackburn

The FA Cup has produced a number of shocks this weekend, but if Blyth Spartans were to dump Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn Rovers out of the cup on Monday then that would surely eclipse them all. And if the Blue Square Conference North side needed any incentive to beat the boys from Ewood Park then the ...

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FA Cup: 20 handy facts on Kettering Town

Kettering Town entertain Northern Premier League Premier Division side Eastwood Town on Saturday in the third round of the FA Cup, with both clubs vying for a lucrative draw in the fourth round. The Poppies have seen off two Football League sides in this year’s competition and are currently doing we...

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FA Cup: 20 Handy Facts on Blyth Spartans

Blyth Spartans booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win in the replay over Bournemouth from League Two on Tuesday night (16/12/08). Eighteen-year-old Ged Dalton was the Spartans’ hero thanks to his 89th minute strike which has set up a mouth-watering clash against Pre...

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FA Cup: 20 handy facts on Histon

Histon put themselves firmly on the football map on Sunday by knocking the once mighty Leeds United out of the FA Cup. Matt Langston’s winner booked their place in the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history where they will now face Championship side Swansea City. The club has ...

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FA Cup: 20 handy facts on Barrow AFC

Barrow knocked League Two promotion hopefuls Brentford out of the FA Cup on Friday night through goals by David Brown and Matt Henney. Their reward is a lucrative trip to Gareth Southgate’s Middlesbrough. Here are 20 handy facts on the Cumbrian side and town. 1. Barrow AFC was formed on J...

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FA Cup: 20 handy facts about Eastwood Town

Eastwood Town booked their place in the third round for the first time in their history by disposing of League Two leaders Wycombe Wanderers. Their reward is a trip to either neighbours Notts County or Conference high fliers Kettering Town. Not too many people have heard of Eastwood Town outsi...

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FA CUP: Kettering keen to shoot down the Magpies

Conference high-fliers Kettering Town raised a few eyebrows by dumping Lincoln City out of the FA Cup. On Sunday the Poppies will be hoping to prove it was no fluke as they aim to deal a similar fate to another League Two side, Notts County, and guarantee a fantastic end to a glorious year for the N...

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FA Cup: Histon target scalp of Leeds United

Histon Football Club are a bit of an unknown quantity outside of non-league football but rest assured the whole world will know about them if they manage to beat Leeds United in the FA Cup on Sunday. Steve Fallon’s men, from a little village in Cambridgeshire, have climbed the non-league pyrami...

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FA Cup: Blyth Spartans seek party time in Bournemouth

There’s something quite magical about Blyth Spartans and the FA Cup. No matter what position they are in the league they always seem to produce the goods when it comes to the greatest cup competition in the world. The Spartans disposed of League Two high-fliers Shrewsbury Town in the last roun...

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Big FA Cup Weekend in Oxford

FA Cup 4th Qualifying weekend is particularly exciting for football fans in the city of Oxford as both of their premier non-League teams have home draws and a big chance of making the FA Cup proper. A victory over Hayes Yeading would be a welcome boost for Oxford United who have found life tough i...

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Maidstone and AFC Wimbledon Fans Deserve An FA Cup Place

This weekend sees the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup when the non-League sides are just one victory away from the First Round proper of the competition. One of the standout ties is Maidstone United hosting AFC Wimbledon. The reason is that these are two sets of supporters who deserve a chance f...

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Clough Still Doing It His Way

Nigel Clough's Burton Albion side fashioned a late, late winner over Blue Square leaders Crawley Town this weekend, to move second in the table and put down a marker to all the sides contesting promotion to the Football League. Like his father, Nigel Clough goes about things in his own way. While ...

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The Onward Rise of FC United and AFC Wimbledon

The 2007/08 season ended with a promotion double for the two clubs formed by fans in protest at the actions of the owners at their respective clubs. AFC Wimbledon and FC United each took a step closer to the Football League. For AFC Wimbledon victory in the Ryman Premier play off moves them just tw...

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