Widnes FC is claimed by the quicksand

Widnes FC is claimed by the quicksand

Jul 1, 2025 | Football Writing, The Main Blog

I have written a few times about the frequency with which non-League football clubs are folding; I asked whether the National Leagues System was A Pyramid Built on Quicksand as early as February 2024. The club closest to my heart, Ashford Town (Middlesex) would...
Flag Stopped Play

Flag Stopped Play

Jun 20, 2025 | Football Writing, The Main Blog

A year ago, I wrote about the demise of Clapton FC and the emergence of an alternative club, Clapton Community FC. Clapton Community have been in the headlines recently, following the controversial abandonment of a Cup Final in which their women’s team was playing....
The reality of playing politics with PIP

The reality of playing politics with PIP

May 1, 2025 | The Main Blog

The piece below was written in February 2025 and entered into the 2025 Curae Prize, which is for writers who are also unpaid carers. It hasn’t made the shortlist, but I remain proud of it so am sharing it today (1 May 2025). Congratulations to everyone who has...
Scratching a seven year itch.

Scratching a seven year itch.

Apr 30, 2025 | Football Writing, The Main Blog

One of the greatest players of all time, Diego Maradona once said that “football isn’t a game, nor a sport; it’s a religion” which might at least partially explain why I was sitting on a train to London, alone, last Saturday. Regular readers will already be aware that...
Graduation: where both the MA and friendships became real

Graduation: where both the MA and friendships became real

Apr 1, 2025 | The Main Blog

My name is called, and almost 2,000 people applaud. The Presiding Officer smiles warmly at me from across the stage and I’m suddenly acutely aware not just of my surroundings, but that there are a lot of people waiting to do what I am about to. I take a breath and...