Tag: BornOffside.net

Egotism, FootballOpinion

Been a Bit Distracted

David Stringer

It’s been a week since I last posted, but I’m intending to write more in the coming weeks.
First of all, there’s been one BornOffside link I’ve not posted. Last week’s Lower League Week was a double edition, focusing on the conclusion to the Football League season, and the Conference playoffs.

This is where to find the Lower League Fortnight – Dramatic Endings Edition

Meanwhile, I’ve been intending to do more in terms of analysis, thoughts on various programmes/films, and general silliness, which hopefully should arrive in some form in the next couple of weeks.
I’ve been working on a script for a deadline next Monday, so after that, I should be able to find the time to write something worthwhile for the blog!

FootballOpinion

Hodgson’s The Choice

David Stringer

I’ve written a piece for BornOffside about Roy Hodgson, who has this week been appointed as the new manager of the England football team.

If you’ve not been following the England national team in recent months, you’ve probably been driven less close to the edge of sanity than me. Here’s a brief rundown of events.

  • In February, Fabio Capello, England’s experienced Italian manager, hugely successful in club football but with a mixed record in charge of England, resigned.
  • The national sporting press immediately responded by assuming Harry Redknapp, the manager of Tottenham where he has done a more than decent job, would be the next manager. The FA said nothing, nothing at all, to confirm this, but the newspaper speculation talked as if it were a formality, only mentioning other possibilities in passing.
  • Harry Redknapp is considered popular with the press – being social and helpful when it comes to sharing his thoughts ahead of matches, potential player transfers, and so on, allowing the press to appear insightful. Unlike Redknapp, Roy Hodgson has managed in various different leagues, and managed three national teams, two of them very successfully – Redknapp has managed only in England.
  • The press have been reporting Redknapp as ‘the people’s choice’ as England manager, despite a number of people preferring Hodgson, Alan Pardew, or Guus Hiddink, among other foreign options.
  • On Sunday, the FA announced that Roy Hodgson had been approached to take the role, wth no other candidates being interviewed.
  • The British sporting press reported this, essentially, as ‘Harry Redknapp Not Offered England Job’, and frankly haven’t been very dignified about it.
  • During Hodgson’s formal presentation to the media as manager on Tuesday, around half the questions he was asked were about Harry Redknapp.

Here are my thoughts about Hodgson’s appointment.

Comedy, FootballOpinion, Review

Things What I Have Wrote

David Stringer

I’m now catching upon links to my articles elsewhere.

I’ve reviewed Paul Watson’s Up Pohnpei for BornOffside. He was a freelance football journalist, working for Football Italia amongst others, when he decided to apply for the manager’s position at the small Micronesian nation of Pohnpei, where the organisation was roughly at Sunday League level.
It’s a really interesting story, and you can read my review of his Micronesian adventure here.

Due to commitments elsewhere, I missed a week of The Lower League Week on BornOffside. Instead, last week I submitted a double dose, The Lower League Fortnight.
The Lower League Fortnight – The Up and Down Edition

I also wrote for The Leaky Wiki about Robin Gibb’s recovery from illness, and the potential it provides for puns:
Robin Gibb Staying Alive

I’ve fell behind with my blogging in recent weeks, but I intend to blog more regularly in the coming weeks – this should keep you going for now.

FootballOpinion

Double Dose of Football This Easter

David Stringer

The latest Lower League Week is now up at Born Offside.

Bath City and Kettering Town have been relegated, Fleetwood Town near certainly promoted, while Darlington and Chesterfield are all but relegated from their respective divisions.
Paul Buckle and the delightful Steve Evans have taken new managerial jobs, while Darlington’s young players are being pushed literally beyond breaking point.

The Lower League Week – In Need of a Miracle

FootballOpinion

Taking Over The Internet

David Stringer

One of the WordPress blogs I follow is PRattleblog, in which Matt Briggs writes about football from a PR point of view.
Myself and @Mark2606 talked with Matt about the impact Twitter has had on football, the results of which are now up on Matt’s blog.

Also, the latest edition of the Lower League Week is now up at BornOffside.
It’s been a colourful week in the lower leagues, with a playground spat breaking out after a match between Bradford and Crawley last Tuesday, and Preston manager Graham Westley accusing his senior of playing for the other side.
That came out wrong.
There’s also the usual kind of stuff – Bury breaking back into form, a good goalscoring week for Ched Evans, and the like.

Come this way for The Bad Things Happening to Unpopular Managers Edition

FootballOpinion

Doesn’t It Feel Lovely to be in a World Where Chesterfield Can Play Swindon in a Cup Final?

David Stringer

 

My latest Lower League Week for Born Offside is now up.

It’s been a busy week in English football’s lower leagues this week – two sets of fixtures, the closing of the loan window, and the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, and a certain Scottish Yorkshireman equalled a club record. I also cover various teams out of form, breaking back into form, and why.

You can find all of the above in the Trapped On The Magic Roundabout Edition

FootballOpinion

Surprisingly, It’s Not Actually Under a Hill

David Stringer

 
The latest Lower League Week is now up at Born Offside.

In it I discuss Barnet FC’s Underhill ground and a potential new stadium; Stockport planing for the future at the expense of the present; unhappy Luton Town fans; League Two managerial sackings; and, after Hartlepool United were awarded the Football League Marketing Campaign of the Year award, I’ve developed a sudden interest in marketing.

Fascinating!

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, I’ve included a snazzy black and white picture of John Prescott. It’s not connected to the article, but sex sells, and I’m not going to apologise for pandering.

Click here for The Clearly Biased Edition

FootballOpinion

Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under The Championship, and I Cover Three Of Them

David Stringer

 

My latest Lower League Week is up on Born Offside.

This column covers the first legs of the FA Trophy Semi-Finals, the race for the Conference title becoming even closer, Stevenage’s league form alongside their impressive cup run, Gillingham’s continued habit of losing high scoring back and forth matches, and Keith Curle continuing his impressive start as Notts County boss. Of course, I’d previously said that appointing Curle was a very bad idea, but let’s not dwell on that.

My face is redder than this lovely lady's.

You can read my latest Lower League Week here

FootballOpinion

A Column In Which I Try To Write About Literally Every Thing That Has Happened In English Football’s Lower Leagues

David Stringer

 

The latest edition of the Lower League Week is now up at Born Offside, and boy, it’s a long one.

"Being long means something's good right?" - Peter Jackson quote*

In it, I rundown all of the biggest events in the lower leagues –  the managerial change at Sheffield Wednesday, Wrexham’s deal with a local university, Bradley Wright-Phillips’ apparent return to form, the Oxford-Swindon derby, Nobby Solano going missing, and a bizarrely dramatic nine goal thriller.

To read all that news in a column that has been described as ‘genuinely bearable’ come this way for the Lower League Week.

*May not be an accurate quote.

FootballOpinion

The Lower League Week – Linked To While Still Topical

David Stringer

My latest Lower League Week is now up at Born Offside, and for a change I’m linking to it on the day, rather than a fortnight after. It’s a radical approach, but I feel it may help keep the blog more timely and relevant.

My reference to Hartlepool's Town End 'rocking like Vanilla Ice' was timely when it was written, but not when it was linked.

My latest column features news on the weekend’s Sheffield derby, Bournemouth’s half time team talk (more interesting than that sounds), Keith Curle’s start at Notts County and Port Vale’s financial troubles.

Just come along this way for this week’s Lower League Week.