First published in September 2017, Issue Twenty Six contains 23 articles in 7 sections, including Simon Hughes on what fan-owned clubs say about alienation from the Premier League, Priya Ramesh on how Dirk Kuyt helped Feyenoord end an 18-year drought, Manoj Narayan on why last season's champions are facing relegation in a shake-up of Indian football, and Philippe Auclair, Jonathan Northcroft, Tim Vickery and Brian Oliver, among others, look at their favourite stadiums.
First published in December 2017, Issue Twenty Seven contains 22 articles in 7 sections, including: Tom Williams speaking to Gary Lineker about his time at Barcelona and his tempestuous relationship with Johan Cruyff; Toke Theilade on the story of the first American footballer to play in Russia; James Montague on how Miodrag Belodidici escaped Romania to win the European Cup for a second time, Andrew McKirdy on Subbuteo and more.
First published in March 2017, Issue Twenty Four contains 19 articles in 7 sections, including: Anthony Clavane on the decline of heavy industry and the sad logic of Brexit in Yorkshire; Peter Frankopan looking at how in politics, economics and football the role of Asia is becoming more significant; and David Stubbs on the glorious summer of 1996 when all things seemed possible.
First published in December 2016, Issue Twenty Three contains 18 articles in 6 sections, including: Paul Simpson on the end of Ron Knee and Private Eye's relationship with football; Joe Devine talks to David Icke about football's role as an opiate to suppress the masses; and Rupert Fryer with a selection of nutmegs for the ages.
First published in June 2017, Issue Twenty Five contains 18 articles in 7 sections, including: Luke Edwards on why Leyton Orient's slide out of the league matters, Felix Lill and Javier Sauras on the growth of football in Cuba, Igor Rabiner on how Monaco have reinvented themselves and Andrew Lees' personal quest into the life story of Brazilian great Garrincha.
First published in March 2016, Issue Twenty contains 20 articles in 10 sections, including: Robin Bairner explaining why Hampden Park's old goalposts have pride of place in St-Étienne's club museum; the playwright Patrick Marber discusses football, drama, and his football drama; and Nick Miller with the unusual story of how a united Ireland side took on Brazil at the height of the Troubles and almost won.
'A glorious debut' - SUNDAY EXPRESS 'An affectionate homage to classic murder mysteries' - DAILY MAIL 'Recommended reading for a long winter night' - GUARDIAN A snowstorm. A country house. Old friends reunited. It's going to be murder... Torben Helle - art historian, Danish expat and owner of several excellent Scandinavian jumpers - has been dragged to a remote Northumbrian mansion for a ten-year reunion with old university friends. But when some shocking revelations from their host, a reclusive and irritating tech entrepreneur, are followed by an apparent suicide, the group faces a test of their wits... and their trust. Surrounded by enigmatic housekeepers and off-duty police inspectors, suspicion and sarcasm quickly turn to panic. Only by drawing upon all the tricks of Golden Age detectives past will Torben be able to solve the mystery: how much money would it take to turn one of his old friends into a murderer? But he'd better be quick, or someone else might end up dead... This witty murder mystery puts a modern spin on the classic country house whodunnit. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and Janice Hallett. 'A witty repurposing of the Golden Age country house' - FINANCIAL TIMES 'An entertaining whodunnit in the classic Christie style' - MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A glorious feat that intrigues, surprises and delights' - JANICE HALLETT 'A love letter to the classic country house murder mystery' - J.M. HALL
The Blizzard is a quarterly publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Contents of Issue Zero St Pauli ------------ * The Conversion of St Pauli?, by Uli Hesse—Back in the Bundesliga, Europe's most noted counter-cultural club is having to balance its ethos with the desire for a secure financial future Interview ------------ * Guus Hiddink — Philippe Auclair talks to Guus Hiddink about his latest challenge, as coach of Turkey Going Wrong ------------------- * An African Parable, by Luke Alfred—For African teams, it's often after qualifying for the World Cup that the real challenge begins * The Dark Heart of Russian Football, by James Appell—Will winning the right to host the World Cup force Russia to confront the corruption that stains its domestic game? * Double Trouble, by Joel Richards—Argentina's short seasons are fun, but are they behind a culture of short-termism? * How Roy Race Ruined English Football, by Scott Murray—He may be Britain's most popular comic footballer, but Roy of the Rovers embodies everything wrong about the English game Ethics ---------- * Man and Superman, by Gabriele Marcotti—Why football has some questions to answer about the ethics of performance enhancement Stony Ground --------------------- * Matters of Blood, by Andy Brassell—The travails of Corsica's football clubs reflect the struggles of the island and its quest for autonomy "First Time Around", by Michael Orr—As Portland celebrates winning an MLS franchise, memories are stirred of the Timbers' debut season in the NASL Theory ---------- * The Dutch Style and the Dutch Nation, by Simon Kuper—How the Netherlands' move away from liberalism is reflected in its football * Xavi and the Square Pass, by Musa Okwonga—How going sideways became the future * The Search for Space, by Michael Cox—How a theory of political polling explains why New Labour was like Dennis Bergkamp Bosnian Coaching --------------------------- * The Professor of Mostar, by Saša Ibrulj—Sulejman Rebac never won a trophy as manager, but 35 years after his retirement, his influence continues to be felt * The Watchmaker of Travnik, by Vladimir Novak—After six decades in football, could Ćiro Blažević's odyssey be coming to an end in China? Verona ----------- * Verona's Great Romance, by James Horncastle—Recalling the drama of Italy's unlikeliest champions Sausages --------------- * Bangers and Cash, by Philippe Auclair- How Uli Hoeness became a sausage magnate * Garrincha's Swedish Son, by Lars Sivertsen—When Garrincha toured Sweden with Botafogo, memories weren't all he left behind Polemics ------------- * What's Good for the Goose..., by Paul Tomkins—Just because a manager has had success with one club does not mean his methods will transfer to another * Why The Away Goals Rule Must Be Abolished, by Ian Hawkey—The away goals rule is an archaism that is encouraging defensive play * Tradition and the Individual Talent, by Jacob Steinberg—There's more to judging players than goals and medals * How the Champions League is Selling European Football Short, by Ouriel Daskal—Could it be that the commercialisation of the Champions League has not gone far enough? * Dessert Comes at the End, by Raphael Honigstein—Football's administrators must beware killing the golden goose Football Manager ------------------------- * The Heidenheim Chronicles, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously... Greatest Games ------------------------ * Crvena Zvezda 2 Bayern Munich 2, by Jonathan Wilson—European Cup semi-final second leg, Marakana, Belgrade, 24 April 1991 Eight Bells ---------------- * European Cup Upsets, by Rob Smyth—A selection of the European Cup's most unexpected results
The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Eight Contents ------------ Cyprus ------------ * The Wrong Side of the Border, by Jacob Steinberg—After decades of stalemate, Northern Cypriot football may be about to come in from the cold * The Hangover of War, by Cyrus Philbrick—Almost four decades after the Turkish invasion, the shadow of conflict hangs over the Nicosia derby -------------- Interview -------------- * Sepp Blatter, by Philippe Auclair—The president of fifa admits he may stand for re-election in 2015 and reveals his concerns over the Qatar World Cup ------------ Theory ------------ * Mourinho's Cult of Personality, by Roy Henderson—How the Real Madrid manager's charismatic authority fosters loyalty * The Lawnmower and the Teapot, by Iain Macintosh—Barry Fry discusses how to motivate players and how the world of management has changed * The Bicycle Thief, by Lars Sivertsen—Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always been an individual—it's how he fits in ------------ Fans ------------ * But You Can't Change..., by Mike Calvin—How a Watford supporter ended up being converted into a Millwall fan * In the Shadow of the Goldfish, by Gary Hartley—Having lived the dream, Leeds have slowly drifted into a protracted doze * Paying the Price, by Craig Anderson—Rangers' administration and relegation were about far more than a club that couldn't pay its debts ---------------------------------- In Appreciation of... ---------------------------------- * Franco Baresi, by Sheridan Bird—How the great libero staged a remarkable recovery from a knee injury to play in the 1994 World Cup final * Brian Glanville, by Philippe Auclair—The doyen of English football writing discusses the forefathers of modern sports journalism * Ireland's Pioneers, by David Owen—This year marks the centenary of Ireland's first victory over England ------------ Africa ------------ * Eat Them Like Bread, by Jonathan Wilson—Nigeria ended their 19-year wait for a third Cup of Nations but a familiar sense of chaos remains * After the Circus, by Luke Alfred—What was the legacy of the World Cup for South Africa * The Great Administrator, by Tom Dunmore—How Ydnekatchew Tessema led the fight to have African football taken seriously * Bamako Twilight, by Stuart Roy Clarke—Away from the war, football goes on in the Malian capital ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * In Praise of Football, by Alex Keble—For all the commercialisation and scandal, football remains the purest and most demotic of cultural modes * Financial Fair Play?, by Steve Menary—How Champions League revenues can devastate competition in Europe's smaller leagues ------------ Fiction ------------ * The Limping God, part 3, by David Ashton—His football career ended by injury, John Brodie's life is going nowhere until he is sucked into the world of crime -------------------------- Greatest Games -------------------------- * Boca Juniors 2 Real Madrid 1, by Rupert Fryer—Toyota Intercontinental Cup final, National Stadium, Tokyo, 28 November 2000 -------------------- Eight Bells -------------------- * Football on TV, by Scott Murray—Key moments in the history of televising the game
