England Need To Leave Their Complacency At Home

By Shane Thomas

In early 2012, the England men's cricket team was in a pretty good place. They soundly beat Australia a year previous to retain the Ashes, and then followed that up by thumping India 4-0 to become the world's best ranked Test side. They had assumed the mantle of the sport's playground bullies, and travelled to the United Arab Emirates to continue in this vein.

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?

England's Children Taught Their Harshest Lesson

By Shane Thomas

I imagine it's always a thorny issue for a parent when their child hits a stage of near adulthood. One has to take care not to stifle their path to independence, but must also be cognisant of not giving them so much autonomy that they're not yet ready to handle.

It's a difficult balancing act[1], and is a task that Stuart Lancaster can probably relate too. When he goes through the futile but inevitable process of recounting what went wrong against Australia, and this entire World Cup campaign, he'll wonder if his players were the sporting equivalent of a group of adolescents, unable to be trusted to stay home on their own.

(A Belated) World Athletics Championships Review

By Shane Thomas

There were many significant stories to come from the World Athletics Championship in Beijing. So, let's have a look at some:

Creeping Dread

By Shane Thomas

Dread is one of the most ghastly of emotions, due to it being not only debilitating, but persistent. Unlike fury, arrogance, or maybe even jealously, dread lingers. It feels like it has no end in sight. It's like being hunted by a Weeping Angel.

The dread in this case is of the more trivial kind, but still significant enough to worry any athletics fan, as the World Athletics Championships have just begun. The main event of the competition - as is often the case - is the men's 100 metres, with the final taking place on Sunday.

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.