When Saturday Comes | The half decent football magazine

Caucasus calling

Saul Pope looks at a rising challenge to the traditional elite of Russian football, with plenty of money and some famous faces

Since its creation in 1992 Moscow sides have largely dominated the Russian top flight, winning 14 of 19 league titles and taking the lion’s share of second and third places. Lately, this stranglehold has been broken somewhat by Zenit St Petersburg and Rubin Kazan. However, this season two teams from the North Caucasus – the scene of wars and insurgency for much of the last two decades – aim to upstage them all.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Birmingham City 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

A West Midlands derby leaves the home team just about over the safety line, while the visitors are left with the volatile mood swings familiar to anyone who has experienced a relegation scrap. Adam Bate relives the action

I’m meeting an old school friend to go to the game. Although we are both Wolves fans, he lives behind enemy lines – near the Mailbox in the centre of Birmingham. He greets me at the door with a sheepish raise of the eyebrows. No words. We both know this is not a social call. Such is life for the supporters of a team in the midst of a relegation battle.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - The Archive

Professional foul

Employment status is a major factor in non-League success. Andy Ollerenshaw witnessed part-time Altrincham’s relegation

It was relegation decider day for part-time Conference Premier club Altrincham FC. A larger than normal home support poured through the turnstiles to witness the crucial end-of-season encounter with Eastbourne Borough, bringing with them the familiar tensions that saturate these occasions: the nerves, the nail-biting, an atmosphere fuelled by a heady mix of expectation and trepidation. A whole gamut of emotions that would, towards the end of the game, peak in several minutes of high drama.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Plain sailing

Nick House doesn’t mind that little has changed at Torquay Utd’s home ground and thinks plenty has improved in the last 25 years

If 1986 was one of English football’s low points, it’s even more starkly remembered at Plainmoor where Torquay United were in the process of finishing bottom of the pile for the second year running.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Slippery slopes

From Wembley hopes to League Two reality in the space of a year, David Squires tries to make sense of supporting Swindon Town

To locate Swindon Town in the League One table, you need to scroll a long way down; a whole rotation of the mouse wheel in fact. It’s no surprise to see them down there though – with the obligatory “R” next to their name – for the 2010-11 season has been one of almost unrelenting misery.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

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Stories

Caucasus calling

Saul Pope looks at a rising challenge to the traditional elite of Russian football, with plenty of money and some famous faces

Birmingham City 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

A West Midlands derby leaves the home team just about over the safety line, while the visitors are left with the volatile mood swings familiar to anyone who has experienced a relegation scrap. Adam Bate relives the action

Professional foul

Employment status is a major factor in non-League success. Andy Ollerenshaw witnessed part-time Altrincham’s relegation

Plain sailing

Nick House doesn’t mind that little has changed at Torquay Utd’s home ground and thinks plenty has improved in the last 25 years

Slippery slopes

From Wembley hopes to League Two reality in the space of a year, David Squires tries to make sense of supporting Swindon Town