Archive for the ‘World Football Culture’ Category

Capello, the Mafia, and England

By Brian Phillips • Feb 7th, 2008 • Category: Media, World Football Culture

Capello as mob boss, Capello as fascist dictator, Capello as Roman emperor: Brian Phillips looks at how Capello is being portrayed in England, and asks why they’re so keen on tyrannical rule.



Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur

By Jennifer Doyle • Feb 3rd, 2008 • Category: World Football Culture

If you are lucky enough to visit White Hart Lane on match day, you might hear the Tottenham fans chant “Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur” to the tune of the song popularly known as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Jennifer Doyle looks at the oft-forgotten origins of this stirring tune in 19th century America.



The Loss of Trust in Italian Football

By Vanda Wilcox • Feb 2nd, 2008 • Category: Features, World Football Culture

How deeply has the culture of corruption embedded itself into Italian football? Vanda Wilcox says even children have lost their faith in fair play in football.



Change Needed in the Asian Champions League

By Eric Daams • Jan 29th, 2008 • Category: World Football Culture

In his first contribution for Pitch Invasion, Eric Daams looks at the curious set-up of the Asian Champions League, saying it needs to change to be truly representative of the best clubs in the region.



Selling Tolerance in Football

By Supriya Nair • Jan 25th, 2008 • Category: World Football Culture

Continuing the discussion on this and other blogs over racism in Italian football, we welcome Supriya Nair — aka Roswitha from the excellent blog Treasons, Strategems & Spoils — who considers what it will take for a real stand to be made against it.



Incheon United: Citizen Club on the Rise

By Tom Dunmore • Jan 18th, 2008 • Category: World Football Culture

Since the 2002 World Cup, the K-League has failed to build on the passion Korean fans demonstrated. But a community club has recently beaten the conglomerates, heralding a possible new road for Korean football. Tom Dunmore looks at Incheon United’s success.



Dinner with Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini

By Brian Phillips • Jan 17th, 2008 • Category: World Football Culture

In the wake of this week’s Uefa/Fifa-G14 accord, Brian Phillips sat down with the two men responsible at, uh, a Red Lobster?

Find out what they had for dinner and how they crushed the G14.



Love, Revolution and Architecture: a Year in the Life of the Squirrel Nation, Part Three

By furtho • Jan 8th, 2008 • Category: World Football Culture

Read the final part of furtho’s brilliant three part series on Omiya Ardija, a Japanese team living in the shadow of their near neighbours, the Urawa Reds.



What Needs to Change in Non-League Football

By Dave Boyle • Jan 3rd, 2008 • Category: Features, Non-league football, World Football Culture

We’ve been looking at English non-league football all week, and in something of a call-to-arms, Dave Boyle suggests that more supporters of non-league clubs need to take charge of their own destinies.

The last five years as an AFC Wimbledon fan have immersed me in non-League football. Up to then, I thought of non-League in much [...]