Pitch Invasion

The history of Black African footballers is long and honourable. They have made a contribution to the professional game in Britain since the very beginnings of the Football League in 1888. The fact of their historical existence, until recently, had been hidden from view and largely unrecognized.

A long lost early home of football sits slowly decaying in a park in Glasgow. We take a look at its glory days and its current ghostly state.

Why the race to the Premier League might be fool’s gold for the winner of last weekend’s Championship play-off.

I forgot about the rest of the internet. Here’s what you should have been reading recently:

• The Big Four, debt and trust [200%]
• We never link to goal videos usually, but Ronaldo did score 42 [Beautiful Game]
• First Division Mexican soccer a stone’s throw from the US [Who Ate All the Cupcakes]
• Trouble in Columbus [Soccer Insider]
• Toronto’s Youth Academy [Globe & Mail]
• Persepolis’ perfect ending

[Guardian]

• Exeter exit the Conference

[SoccerLens]

• WPS to Philadelphia [Kickster]

1600 miles covered to watch the Chicago Fire in MLS’ biggest grudge match of the season. Was it worth it?

It’s a holiday weekend here in the United States, and Pitch Invasion won’t be updated until Tuesday as your editor is off to New York City for various festivities and a football match.
I’ll be at the Chicago Fire game in the Meadowlands against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, so expect a report on [...]

Several English players will appear in the Champions League final this week, contested by England’s two top teams. Yet England will not be at Euro 2008, and part of the reason lies in the confused approach of the F.A. to national youth development.

We all know plenty about Brazilian football internationally; but as Brazil’s 2008 season kicks into gear, get to know the domestic teams historically and geographically by viewing Bill Turianski’s beautiful illustrated map of their domestic game.