The conflicting emotions experienced by those who followed the England team around France are described by Mark Perryman & Tom Davies
During this world Cup tattoos and beer bellies have been made to symbolize all that is supposedly wrong with England abroad.
An influx of investment is changing football in South America, explain Peter Hudson and Veronica Goyzueta, but it's not necessarily benefitting the clubs on the receiving end
While the conversion of football into big business has raised the hackles of many British supporters, there are few such misgivings in Latin America. The footballing public is largely indifferent, or else open to any change that might improve the stricken finances of their clubs.
After again falling to win promotion, Charles Ross looks at the reasons that Wolves continue to underachieve despite Sir Jack Hayward's financial muscle
"There's been too much sloppiness and too much disregard for money. They've thought the Golden Tit – me – would go on forever. When I see some of the players we've bought who haven't performed, haven't had the commitment, overpaid, got their sports cars… they've let the fans down, let me down…"
Mark Foreman discusses the sheer quantity of football books that are ready to hit the shelves
It was only when I was told that bookshops are expecting over 30 new titles to appear on the shelves in time for the World Cup that the full scale of the football publishing boom hit home. These days it would seem that no player, club or fan’s eye view is too ‘marginal’ (a phrase all too common to anyone with a shoe box full of rejection letters) for big name publishers to print.
USA v Iran may not be the greatest match at this summer's World Cup, but Mike Woitalla hopes it will help to end political hostility
To be considered as soft on Iran has been the kiss of death in American politics since Jimmy Carter’s presidency crashed with a failed attempt to rescue 52 US hostages, who were held for 444 days in Tehran. But Iranians could have felt some relief had Bob Dole defeated Bill Clinton in the 1996 presidential election. Comic relief, that is. Pronounce or spell “Dole” in the Persian language (Farsi) and it comes out as “penis”. (Not that the White House dick has stayed out of the news, but that’s another story).