Jack Smail, Author at Long Reads: Football

Mind the Gap, Mind the Gap, Football League Clubs

October 19, 2020

Football’s governing bodies have come under fire in recent weeks for certain shortcomings regarding providing support to clubs in the EFL, among other things….

Why are Football Fans so Angry?

September 29, 2020

All over the world, but particularly in the English game, football fans have an enormous reputation for being aggressive towards followers of other clubs….

Do We Really Need Stats?

September 7, 2020

Statistics about football matches are rife. There has been a surge in the last few years of new in-depth categories of stats, ones we…

Dismantling the Pyramid – FA Cup Replays

August 21, 2020

FA Cup replays have been scrapped for the upcoming 2020/21 season. The Football Association say this is ‘to assist in easing pressure on the…

Tranmere Rovers – One Game from the Camp Nou

August 11, 2020

In September 2000, Leicester City bowed out of the UEFA Cup in the first round, following a 3-1 ‘away’ defeat to Red Star Belgrade….

COVID-19: A lesson in why we love the beautiful game

August 3, 2020

This year we all learned how much we take football for granted. From August to May, every year without fail, our weekends are devoted…

Friday Night and the Gates are Low

July 21, 2020

In 2015, the Premier League signed an extension to its increasingly lucrative television deal. This expanded the contract to include the broadcast of fixtures…

Football on a Spreadsheet – Points Per Game

July 10, 2020

The way the 2019/20 season has ended in England, for fans outside the top two tiers, is something that will divide opinion for years…

The Merseyside Derby that was

July 2, 2020

Across the footballing world, the Merseyside Derby is a well-known game between Everton and Liverpool. Most football fans will also be aware of Merseyside’s…