The Politics Of Sport - When A Poppy Becomes State-Sanctioned Remembrance

By Shane Thomas

It's said that Christmas starts earlier every year. It increasingly feels the same regarding the wearing of poppies in November to commemorate Britain's Armed Forces. Two years ago, the cause célèbre was the wearing (or non-wearing) of the "poppy hijab". In 2016, it's football that is the site of controversy, as England played Scotland at Wembley last Friday. To mark Armistice Day, the players wore black armbands with poppies embroidered onto them. This was in deliberate contravention of FIFA regulations, which decree, "political, religious, commercial, personal statements, images and/or other announcements, is strictly prohibited."

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(Guest Post) England's Ongoing Failures

By Sathesh Alagappan

Iceland’s victory over England at Euro 2016 sent shockwaves through the footballing world; the latest episode in a long history of underachievement failure for the England men's national team. The toothless nature of the performance, and the lowly standing of the opponents made this defeat particularly hard to take.

(Guest Post) The Politics of Sport: Divided Ireland - A Footballing Rivalry

By Sathesh Alagappan

For the first time this summer, both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be playing at the European Championships, making it a fitting time to explore the long-running rivalry between these not-so-friendly neighbours.

The Premier League Team of The Season 2015/16

By Shane Thomas

A slight change to how we do things this season. Rather than a singular choice, I'm selecting the best performers in each respective position, and sequentially ordering them in terms of how much they impressed me since August.

The Politics Of Sport - The English Football Hero

By Shane Thomas

"I do love his [Jamie Vardy's] story – in 2012 he was playing for Fleetwood Town in the Conference, so far he’s the leading scorer in the Premier League this season... As football itself becomes more and more predictable; as the unraveling of the powers-that-be who have profited from the game at the expense of the game; a story like Vardy’s is great."

"Wait, sorry. I forgot. It doesn’t matter what any footballer does off the pitch as long as he performs on it. How silly of me."

The Diary Of A Pessimistic Arsenal Fan - Winter Is Coming

By Shane Thomas

One would think I've missed the boat for a doleful piece on Arsenal. After all, the time for pessimistic sentiments should have been in the aftermath of their dismal showing in defeat to Olympiacos last Tuesday. Now the bulk of Arsenal's players go into the international break on the back of thumping Manchester United 3-0. All is rosy in the Emirates garden again. What could there possibly be to worry about?

Premier League 2015/16 - The Top Four

By Shane Thomas

Is it me, or does the gap between Premier League seasons feel smaller each year? Regardless, we're back again, so let's have a close look at the probable top 4 come next May:

The Politics Of Sport - Why Do They Keep Getting Away With It?

By Shane Thomas

The point of a verdict in an inquiry, investigation, or legal proceedings is to act as a full stop. To clear the fog of questions surrounding an issue, remove the anxiety of indecision, and let us breathe because we now know where we stand.

The Women's World Cup - 5 Key Points

By Shane Thomas

At this point, I'd wager those who consider themselves progressive football fans are beginning to forget this summer's Women's World Cup. News of transfer rumours, and scrutinising the upcoming Premier League fixtures are at the forefront of one's mind, while the vicissitudes of the 24 teams in Canada are fading - like the remnants of a fever dream a few hours after waking up. Well, allow me to prolong the fever by enumerating five key take-aways from the tournament:

The Premier League Team Of The Season 2014/15

By Shane Thomas

No long introduction needed here. In a pretty mediocre Premier League season, here's the best of the bunch:

The Diary Of A Pessimistic Arsenal Fan - How Good Was Arsenal's Season?

By Shane Thomas

It's part of the post-match ritual of any final. The losing team's fans trudge off, disconsolate. The winning team's fans stay in their seats, vocalising their joy in the form of odes to the heroes of the occasion. For them, and the players, their work is done.

The FA Cup - Football's American Dream

By Shane Thomas

As the 3rd round of the FA Cup draws to a close, my thoughts have turned to the almost edacious manner of its promotion, especially by the BBC - who regained the broadcast rights from ITV.

The phrase "the magic of the cup" has become a cliche so worn, it represents a pair of jeans that have been in the washing machine so often, that the area around the crotch begins to thin.

The Politics of Sport - Our National Game

CONTENT NOTE: This piece will discuss rape, anti-semitism, and homophobia.

Much has already been written on the topic of footballer, Ched Evans attempting to restart his career after serving a prison sentence for rape. But my focus today isn't on Evans. Both Jessica Luther and Jude Wanga have done that better than I could.

Being Human

By Shane Thomas

Trigger Warning for discussions of misogyny, homophobia, and rape.

I think we can agree that being a professional athlete requires a degree of diligence around one's physical conditioning. And despite this, is often a profession that has enervating effects on both body and mind.

The Politics of Sport - Waiting For Change

By Shane Thomas

"The whole recruitment process needs to be more professional, more diverse, and equality-wise, fairer. We've struggled to do that." - Gordon Taylor

"There is no racism in football... If you are good, you get the job... Football is not stupid to close doors to top people." - Jose Mourinho

Health and Safety Doesn't Matter Here

CONTENT NOTE: Some of the embedded links depict head collisions.

By Shane Thomas

In the aftermath of Chelsea's comfortable 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday, it would be easy for one to focus on Arsenal's propensity to be outmaneuvered by a direct rival yet again, or even the childish altercation on the touchline between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.

The Politics of Sport - Their Game. Their Rules.

By Shane Thomas

It's important to start with this. Malky Mackay and Iain Moody are not demons. They don't walk around, cloaked like pantomime villains, muttering curses under their breath whenever they walk past a woman of colour. In fact, if I found myself in a social situation with them, I wouldn't be surprised to find them agreeable company.

Previewing The Premier League 2014/15

By Shane Thomas

For swathes of last season, Sky Sports proffered the line that it was probably the best season in Premier League history. Beyond shameless self-promotion, Sky made the common mistake of confusing drama with greatness.

That Losing Feeling

By Shane Thomas

While history will likely remember the past year in basketball as the year LeBron James returned home to Cleveland, the 2013/14 NBA season could also be the one in which the sky fell in on the Miami Heat - James' former team.

The Politics of Sport - Brazil 2014. Was It Worth It?

By Shane Thomas

Now that the trophy has been awarded, the media has gone home, and FIFA has packed away their succubus of a circus, a key question remains for the host nation. It's one that often arises when a major international sporting event concludes. Was it worth it?