Newcastle issue complaint against Marseilles police for over-zealous crowd control

November 28 – The label ‘English fans – handle with caution’ used to be common across Europe in the 70s and 80s, when aggressive policing was the norm. Supporter behaviour has improved dramatically since those days, but the policing clearly hasn’t kept pace. Newcastle United have become the latest club to see their fans on the wrong end of heavy-handed tactics from the very people meant to keep them safe.

Read more …

Goalkeepers are cool. Hannah Hampton wins women’s player of the year award

November 26 – Chelsea and England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been voted BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2025, a clear sign of how far the profile of goalkeepers has risen in the women’s game. A position that once delivered the line “put the slow kid in goal” is now producing some of the sport’s biggest and juiciest storylines, and Hampton has been front and centre over the last year.

Read more …

Scottish 2026 qualification shakes the nation

November 23 – For the first time since 1998, Scotland is going to the World Cup finals, and the joy of the fans has literally rattled the country. The Tartan Army’s spiritual home, Hampden Park, is known for the ‘Hampden Roar’ and on Wednesday night in their dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark, they celebrated with such force that the British Geological Survey picked it up like a tiny earthquake. 

Read more …

UEFA, UC3 and Relevent shake up Europe’s TV rights market as Paramount enters as major player

November 21 – Claiming ‘unprecedented interest’, UEFA’s joint venture commercial arm UC3 has unveiled a raft of new deals and broadcasters (preferred bidders) for its club competitions in Europe’s top five markets of UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and France.

US media powerhouse Paramount is set to become a major player in the UEFA Champions League in the UK and Germany from 2027. In Spain telecoms giant Telefonica have scooped up rights to all UEFA’s club competitions,

Read more …