The Football History Boys

When considering the top players in football the name Ronaldinho does not instantly spring to mind. However, it was not that long ago that he was the most talked about and recognisable player in the world. His demise was sudden and clear for the world to see and they have not looked back since. Messi, his former teammate and Cristiano Ronaldo have since filled the void. Whilst between them, they have broken pretty much every individual record there is, neither of them are Ronaldinho.   That is not to say that Ronaldinho can be considered a better player, it means only that they are different with different attributes. Messi has the ability to glide past players and posses an uncanny accuracy when shooting and Ronaldo has the pace and ball control to confuse any defender in the modern game, as well as a physique that is the pinnacle of modern athleticism. However, Ronaldinho’s ability to beat a man due to pure skill and trickery is unmatched by any in the modern era. Although there

In February 2013 up in the attic bedroom of our student house,  Gareth Thomas ,  Ben Jones  and  Ollie Jackson  after another prolonged football debate decided it was time we did something about the question, 'Who is the best player in the World?'. Housemate Liam suggested setting out to find the greatest 50 players of all time, this swiftly grew to 100, 150 and 200 before we settled on 250. Our original website  www.top250.webs.com  is still there to answer the debate but we furthered our work to blogging about the beautiful game starting up  www.thefootballhistoryboys.blogspot.com . Missed the last installment? Find it here! 160. Glenn HODDLE POSITION: Midfielder;  NATION: England (53/8);  CLUB(s): Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), Monaco (FRA), Swindon Town (ENG), Chelsea (ENG) CLUB HONOURS: 1x UEFA Cup, 2x FA Cup, 1x FA Community Shield, 1x Ligue 1, 1x Coupe de France "The former Tottenham Hotspur and Monaco maestro is hailed by many as the best creator

Atlético's tribute to Aragonés Josê Luis Aragonés Suárez, the man who laid the foundations to Spain's international dominance, masterminded success with Atlético Madrid in 4 spells as manager and won the Pichichi Trophy for La Liga top goalscorer as a player. Aragonés, known as the Wise Man of Hortaleza passed away on 1st Feburary 2014 but his legacy shall continue to reverberate throughout football history. Aragonés was born in Hortaleza, a district of Madrid and joined CD Getafe at 19 before moving onto Real Madrid . Failing to break into the first team he moved to first Real Oviedo before establishing himself at Real Betis  as a goalscoring midfielder with a graceful touch. In 1964 he joined Atlético Madrid , the club he would play at for the next 11 years making 372 appearances scoring 172 goals. The Independent record how he earned the nickname 'Zapatones' or 'Big Boots' due to his free-kick prowess and in the 1969-70 season he shared the Pichichi Tro

This year will mark 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. After decades of global tensions slowly rising due to the growth of various European armies, the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo sparked the greatest international conflict ever seen. So far, The Football History Boys have looked at the roles played by footballers during the Second World War and in depth at the Royal Air Force's sporting history. The Great War of 1914-1918 was the first time however, that footballers began to answer their nation's call to the front-line of global warfare. To discuss the role of footballers during the First World War, is to first understand how such a conflict began. The nineteenth-century was, in Layman's terms the age of empire - Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and other leading world nations had began to increase their size and wealth by creating colonies across Africa, Asia and the Americas. The era had seen the Crimean, Boer a

In February 2013 up in the attic bedroom of our student house,  Gareth Thomas ,  Ben Jones  and  Ollie Jackson  after another prolonged football debate decided it was time we did something about the question, 'Who is the best player in the World?'. Housemate Liam suggested setting out to find the greatest 50 players of all time, this swiftly grew to 100, 150 and 200 before we settled on 250. Our original website  www.top250.webs.com  is still there to answer the debate but we furthered our work to blogging about the beautiful game starting up  www.thefootballhistoryboys.blogspot.com . If you missed 180-171: Click Here! 170. Phil NEAL POSITION: Defender; NATION: England (50/5);  CLUB(s): Northampton Town, Liverpool, Bolton (All ENG);  CLUB HONOURS: 8x Football League First Division, 4x Football League Cup, 4x UEFA Champions League, 5x FA Charity Shield, 1x UEFA Cup, 1x UEFA Super Cup "When someone mentions Liverpool in the 70s and 80s, you could b