How is football's fight against homophobia progressing? The following article from British academics Daniel Lock, Adi Adams and Emma Kavanaugh, attempts to paint a hopeful picture where changing attitudes are finally reaching a "tipping point" where gay athletes and spectators may no longer have to fear harassment and abuse from homophobic elements within the football (soccer) … [Read more...]
Football referees add on more extra time when famous teams are losing!
Football (soccer) enthusiasts suspected it, but now statistics is confirming it. After analysing all the matches of the Spanish league "La Liga" from the 2014-2015 season, two experts in sports science have found that the greater the difference on the scoreboard, the less stoppage time is added to the end of the game. When the score is tighter, however, football referees tend … [Read more...]
What does “hook and ladder” mean?
What on earth does "hook and ladder" mean. It conjures up all kinds of images in my mind. I can see a movie starlet like Elizabeth Taylor snagging her shapely stockinged leg on some kind of metallic object and a stocking ladder climbing purposefully up her glorious thigh as a result. I can see a fisherman trying to cast his line from a grimy old wharf but he continually spoils … [Read more...]
A Dad’s story (or the trials of Spike) – Part 1… parenting a gifted footballer
Lots of sporting parents get excited about their child becoming the "next big thing". Mystery Dad tells us a very different story. What if you had one of those uber-talented kids and you decided to drag him away from the endless possibilities to a place of limited opportunities... a place where he would be unknown and girlfriendless. “You don’t move to Australia to advance … [Read more...]