A Look Back at 2007 and Forward to 2008
The festive period in British football is remarkably busy. Indeed, a full league programme was played on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day until the late 1950s.
Pitch Invasion is lazier over the holiday period (or rather less well paid), so I won’t be updating this site much until the new year. In the end of year spirit, we will have a reprise of some of the best photos we’ve featured over the year and there should be one or two other treats as well sprinkled randomly in.
But right now I’d like to thank everyone who has helped me out with this blog since it launched in mid-2007. That includes all the photographers who have contributed to the Pitch Invasion pool on Flickr (176 members, 1333 photos), all the commenters (with special thanks to ursus actos for his regular in-depth insight since day one), and particularly everyone who has written articles for the site.
In that spirit, here’s a taster or two from each person to have written for us in 2007. Many of them have their own blogs (listed after their names), all of which come heartily recommended.
- Michael Coroneos asked if Canada has found the beautiful game and looked at Canadian fans in revolt
- Josh Crockett (Behind The Net) supplied the photo for the header at the top, and asked if we’d like some elitism with our soccer
- Furtho (Go! Go! Omiya Ardija and Japanese Non-League football) explored Love, Revolution and Architecture in Japan’s Squirrel Nation (part one; part two; part three coming soon)
- Antonio Gramsci (Gramsci’s Kingdom) considered China’s World Cup bid
- Sam Kelly (Hasta El Gol Siempre) looked at tragedy amongst Argentina’s ultras, and a protest at Racing
- Ian King (200%) explained the Leeds crisis, asking if their fans should have considered doing an “FC United”
- Laurie (The Offside, LA Galaxy Offside) found the joy of Scottish fans irresistible, and explained her obsession with a certain French genius
- Brian Phillips (Run of Play) asked if transfer gossip is the soul of football, and wondered if managers can change the character of a team
- Max Rosenthal explained why he fell in love with soccer in 2006, and wondered what that awful noise MLS was making was
- David Warner (Dave’s Football Blog) felt the pain for his Carolina Railhawks
- Joe Westhead looked at the rise of Liechtenstein, and tragedy in Swiss football
- Vanda Wilcox (Spangly Princess) explained how referees are treated in Italy, and looked at Catania-Palermo ten months on from disaster
- Finally, in pseudonyms, a Polish fan explained a supporters’ initiative to deal with repressive authorities, and an African ultra gave us a first person view of the rise of ultras in Egypt
And one last thing: if you could have one footballing wish granted in 2008, what would it be?
Have a great non-denominational holiday!
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Well, no England at Euro 2008, so one footballing wish from me – a Club World Cup featuring both Manchester United and River Plate. I’m not massively bothered who wins it but it’s a one-wish way of asking for both sides to win their respective continental titles… though I don’t think either one will.
A rather malicious footballing wish for 2008 actually, I want one of England’s Big Four to miss out on a Champions League spot, and I want someone from outside the Big Four to win the FA Cup. I’m not really bothered who. If the football gods could fix it for Chasetown the lift thing thing I’d be eternally grateful though.
A proud and expanding Section 8 backing the mighty Fire to the Double.
that’s all.
All I want is Philly to get a MLS team.
My personal wish/resolution is to finally go to a Fire game. I’m running out of excuses …
My general footballing wish is for Liverpool to win a major trophy, but that one never changes from year to year, haha.
I like Alex’s wish, so that would be good.
I’m always hoping for MLS teams to get their own stadiums, so I’ll wish we can get a finalized deal for KC, and maybe have Kraft wake up one day and realize his team deserves its own stadium, and that construction in Salt Lake and Harrison NJ progress quickly and hassle-free.