The Football History Boys

There are plenty of reasons why football has grown to become the world's most popular sport. The game's simplicity means it can be played by almost anyone, anywhere. Its incredible fanbases have helped to create unbeatable atmospheres, but it is arguably in the sport's unpredictability that truly sets it aside. Gareth and I have compiled a list of 10 of the Men's World Cup's greatest shocks. Covering almost 100 years of football history, the following upsets can tell us more than just what happened over the course of 90 minutes.  USA 1-0 England - 1950 This moment, the Miracle on Grass as it has been called, is a TFHB favourite. The moment the English, post-WW2, after missing the first three editions of the tournament, finally decided to join the FIFA World Cup. In 1930, 1934 and 1938, the English (and other home nations) decided that a world football competition was below them, the founders and perfectors of the beautiful game. The danger of letting that crown sli

The greatest goals in football are often judged on the artistry of a single player. Whether it is a situation of a ball that was dribbled from the halfway line, a curling free-kick, a bullet header or a thunderous strike, it always glorifies the individual. Then again, sometimes football needs a reminder of it’s humble origin, teamwork. Malaysian based football writer  @SivanJohn_ , recalls his experience of Argentina's 2006 beauty. On one afternoon in Gelsenkirchen during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Argentina were set to play Serbia & Montenegro (S&M) in their second group game. Surprisingly S&M were a team that arrived in Germany with the most stubborn defence in the European qualifiers, so little did fans expect a hammering. S&M had topped their qualification group, which also contained Spain, by conceeding just one goal in eight matches. However, within the space of 90 minutes, that defence was about to be shredded to smithereens. Argentina, managed by José Pékerma

There are plenty of reasons why football has grown to become the world's most popular sport. The game's simplicity means it can be played by almost anyone, anywhere. Its incredible fanbases have helped to create unbeatable atmospheres, but it is arguably in the sport's unpredictability that truly sets it aside. Gareth and I have compiled a list of 10 of the Men's World Cup's greatest shocks. Covering almost 100 years of football history, the following upsets can tell us more than just what happened over the course of 90 minutes.  Cameroon 1-0 Argentina - 1990 There are not many major tournaments that provide football fans with as much gleeful nostalgia as Italia '90. Seen as a true 'turning point' in world football, the significance of the 14th World Cup should not be understated. Argentina entered the competition as holders and one of the favourites to retain the trophy, boasting a squad brimming with talent. Not only could they seemingly rely upon many

There are plenty of reasons why football has grown to become the world's most popular sport. The game's simplicity means it can be played by almost anyone, anywhere. Its incredible fanbases have helped to create unbeatable atmospheres, but it is arguably in the sport's unpredictability that truly sets it aside. Gareth and I have compiled a list of 10 of the Men's World Cup's greatest shocks. Covering almost 100 years of football history, the following upsets can tell us more than just what happened over the course of 90 minutes.  East Germany 1-0 West Germany - 1974 West Germany have a magnificent history at the FIFA World Cup, winning the competition three times before reunification in 1990, East Germany by comparison, don't. The East Germans qualified on one solitary occasion, 1974, when the competition was hosted by their political and ideological opposites and neighbours, West Germany. Following the end of the Second World War, the Soviet Union controlled th

Having made a splash by reaching the quarter-finals at EURO ’96, Croatia was seen by many as a perennial dark horse when the World Cup in France rolled around two years later. After progressing from the group stage, they would make it past Romania in the Round of 16 before causing the sensation of the tournament, knocking out Germany in the last eight. Handing them a 3-0 loss, it would be Die Mannschaft’s heaviest defeat at the World Cup in 44 years. A semi-final loss to the hosts, thanks to a brace from Lilian Thuram meant they would play the Netherlands for third place, a match they won 2-1, thanks to goals from Robert Prosinečki and Golden Boot winner Davor Šuker. Unbeknownst to all, it would take another two decades for a Croatian team to enjoy such a run again, when the side led by the likes of Luka Modrić and Mario Mandžukić took things a step further, eventually reaching the final. After defeating England in extra time in the semi-final, Croatia would succumb to France for a sec

There are plenty of reasons why football has grown to become the world's most popular sport. The game's simplicity means it can be played by almost anyone, anywhere. Its incredible fanbases have helped to create unbeatable atmospheres, but it is arguably in the sport's unpredictability that truly sets it aside. Gareth and I have compiled a list of 10 of the Men's World Cup's greatest shocks. Covering almost 100 years of football history, the following upsets can tell us more than just what happened over the course of 90 minutes.  Following the series - there will be a poll to determine which match YOU believe to be the World Cup's greatest shock! Italy 1-2 South Korea (a.e.t) - 2002 When the World Cup is thrown into conversation there are certain nations that immediately jump to the forefront of popular thought. Italy boast one of the competition's most impressive records, winning the trophy four times and creating a footballing legacy almost unrivalled aro

Thirty years ago this summer, between 15 and 17 August 1992, the Premier League kicked off. Heralded as ‘a whole new ball game’ by its primary backers, Sky Sports, in retrospect this has been viewed as the re-birth of English football. One surprising aspect might be the number, or lack, of foreign players. Looking at the opening fixtures of 2022/23, well over half of the players – 170 in total – involved are from outside the UK (not to mention managers or owners). This was not the case in 1992, when only 13 foreign players featured in the new competition’s first games. There were none from Africa, South America, Germany, Italy or Spain; not all of them were established internationals and very few ‘superstars’; four of them were goalkeepers. For the record, the first goal by a foreign player in the Premier League was scored by Robert Warzycha on 19 August 1992, for Everton in a 3-0 win at Manchester United. So who were the 13 trailblazers for a new era of English football? Eric Cantona