Outside the Box – Football on TV: The Germans and the Ladies take centre stage in football’s finals weekend

Well, that’s about your lot for this season. After yet another tireless football campaign that has seen everything from retiring Scottish legends to hungry Uruguayan strikers, it came down to the concluding bit of elite business this weekend: the Champions’ League Final. The 58th European Cup...

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The five biggest FA Cup Final shocks

Wigan Athletic became the 43rd team to lift the FA Cup on Saturday thanks to Ben Watsons late header against Manchester City. Before the game, nobody gave them a hope in Hell. And why should they have?Manchester City won the Premier League title last year and have money coming out of every orifice w...

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FA Cup Final: Man City v Wigan - Can the Latics lift the cup?

Manchester City may have relinquished their grip on the Premier League title this season but Roberto Mancini can still end the season as winners if they beat Wigan today in the FA Cup Final. The Latics though, in their first FA Cup Final, will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Wimbledon wh...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Millwall, Chiles and Aguero ensure unedifying scenes all round, but let’s keep the One Direction boys out of it

It was a weekend of football in which the seamier, more ugly side of the game sprang forth. A dispiriting reminder of a time we’d hoped had passed; a nightmarish collage of unedifying horror and depressing folly. Yep, Adrian Chiles was fronting the FA Cup again. Obviously, the game on Saturd...

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Chelsea v Man City: Who will meet Wigan in the FA Cup final?

Chelsea are the current FA Cup holders. This afternoon they take on the 2011 winners and current Premier League champions Manchester City, but who will meet Wigan at Wembley next month in the showpiece final? Between them, Chelsea and Manchester City have won the last four finals and with Wigan wai...

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Wigan Athletic: Wembley woes and Super League talk

Poor Wigan Athletic. In the clubs finest hour the Latics are still getting stick from the media, as theLancashire side hasfailed to sell around 10,000 tickets for todays FA Cup semi-final clash. Regular Squarefootball readers will know Im a great admirer of Roberto Martinezs side.We alw...

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Chelsea, Everton, Man City or Man United: Who will win the FA Cup?

The FA Cup is taking centre stage this weekend and what a game we have instore at Old Trafford when Premier League leaders Manchester United take on the champions of Europe in Chelsea. Its a game where the winners will really fancy their chances of success, but can United or Chelsea really go on to ...

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Manchester United: Can United win the Treble again?

The Premier League title looks like it is in the bag for Manchester United and the Red Devils have a home tie against Chelsea or Middlesbrough in the next round of the FA Cup, but can they go the whole hog and emulate their record-breaking season of 1999 and win the Treble again? Standing in their ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Schmeichel talks us through United’s trip to Madrid while Piers talks down to Owen

For me this past weekend’s football was filled to the brim with acute annoyances and irksome irritations. To start with it was FA Cup Fifth Round and all the best games were on ESPN, and as I’m still too cheap to upgrade it means I had to go without. On top of that, my beloved Leicester didn’...

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The View Outside The Premier League- Luton Stun Norwich, Stead Boosts Bristol City And Liverpool Fall At Icy Oldham

In ornithological terms Luton Town made the Canaries as sick as parrots but the Robins (Bristol City) went bob-bobbing along thanks to Jonathan Stead. The weekend saw FA Cup and league action mixed together and the biggest story was in Norfolk. The stat that Luton Town are the first non-leaguer...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Not-so-safety Hazard means the game’s integrity takes another kicking

There just aren’t enough programmes on TV that include adults kicking children are there? Since the good old days of exploitation and corporal punishment were deemed “unacceptable”, we’ve slowly evolved into a culture in which little toe rags run around doing whatever the hell they please. Sm...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Big Sam Hammers home his credentials as the FA Cup heralds Joe’s return

“On CV, who is there to beat me?” was the question. “Sir Alex?” came the reply. “Arsene; perhaps Rafa?” Not the bullish claims of Mourinho as you might expect. Not the mad rantings of Neil Warnock either. No these were the lofty claims of Mike Bassett… erm, sorry Sam Allardyce on Saturday ev...

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Whose name is on the FA Cup? Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United?

The FA Cup Third Round gets under way this weekend and everyone is dreaming of Wembley. Even the big boys, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United and Spurs will all be looking forward to a sunny day under the arch in May. But who will win the FA Cup this season? Chelsea are the current ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Adrian Chiles and The FA Cup try, and ultimately fail to make the Wimbledons common

We are taught from a very young age that all things essentially fall into one of two categories; good or bad; right or wrong; noble or evil; Gary Lineker or Joey Barton. Except the subtleties, the shades of grey that only creep into our ethics as adulthood tightens its relentless grip, prove...

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The View Outside The Premier League - Dons rock AFC Wimbledon and Bolton struggle

The Championship shared top billing with the FA Cup Second Round this weekend with just a handful of League Two games scheduled. The waterlogged pitch at Barrow that caused postponement signalled that we’ve reached that time of the season when it pays to check the radio before setting out. Bolt...

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FA Cup: MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon is on

Dust off those cliches about the lure of the FA Cup and the ability of the competition to write unlikely scenarios. Two replays on successive nights hasmade the potentialthe tie of this years Second Round a reality - AFC Wimbledon travelling to MK Dons. An overseas visitor unfamiliar to the English...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Ollie gets a Palace welcome and it could be Dons v Dons in the cup

Its a truism of football that managers usually take over teams when they are in trouble and the last incumbent has resigned or been sacked. Thats certainly not the case at Crystal Palace though, where Ian Holloway has inherited a bunch of players full of confidence and fairly fizzing on the park...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A feelgood Focus for Muamba is the highlight of the BBC’s wonky weekend of football

As ever it was a big weekend in the Barclays Premier League. This after another extraordinary week in football with those League Cup games ending in rugby scores, referees accused of all kinds of ungodly crimes, Andrey Arshavin actually being of some use, and even Ashley Cole managing to go ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: An Olympic hangover means Dixon’s debut fails to inspire

It’s been a gruelling few weeks for fans of sport hasn’t it? Ever since Spain cemented their place as football’s frontrunners at Euro 2012, there has been a disorientating vacuum of sport on television and no amount of frantic bashing of the Sky remote has been able to render any nourishment for s...

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Coventry City: Twenty Five years on from their FA Cup glory

Every football club is defined by their history. For Coventry City fans the events of May 16 1987 will never be forgotten, asthe unfancied Sky Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2in a memorable FA Cup Final. The 25th anniversary of that historic triumph is been celebrated at the citys Herbert Art ...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A long time ago in a Stadium far far away, ITV began their FA Cup Final coverage

The 2011-12 football season will probably be looked back upon with a real intrigue in future decades. It has been a long, incident-strewn expedition encompassing an abundance of controversy, drama and despair. It is hard to remember another campaign with more extraordinary talking points. The Luis S...

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Chelsea: Time for the Blues - with Di Matteo - to become one big happy family?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That the most complex data, notion or intricate philosophical muse - which would usually be explained with a lot of weight and attention to detail - can be explained within the stillness of one static picture. It’s a bounded about phrase; a common sayi...

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FA Cup Final: Chelsea v Liverpool - Will Torres break Kop hearts at Wembley?

The FA Cup used to be the showpiece finale of the English football season. A chance for everyone to gather round the telly once last time before heading off on their summer holidays. Not any more. Not only is the coveted final now played on the same day as a league fixture, it is two weeks earlier t...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Failure, hope and horror – just another weekend in the lives of Leicester City and ESPN

Despite the fact it has reached the ‘business end’ of the competition, I have so far abstained from reviewing ESPN’s FA Cup coverage; this is for two purely righteous reasons. Firstly, I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to watch England’s foremost domestic cup competition and I a...

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Bolton Wanderers: Fabrice Muamba and the tweets that never were

In seven or so months of writing for Square Football, I and the site have witnessed it all. We’ve seen the first hand demolition United suffered at the hands of City. We’ve seen the impetuousness of many El Clasico games. We have even seen the hilarious image of Roberto Di Matteo slipping over befo...

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Chelsea: Can Birmingham knock Chelsea out of the FA Cup?

High-flying Championship side Birmingham City take on the mighty Chelsea tomorrow (Saturday) in the FA Cup, but all is not well at the Bridge. Andre Villas-Boas is under severe pressure from Abramovich as their top four chances hang in the balance, rumours of player unrest persist and their winless ...

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FA Cup: Is Tottenham’s name on the trophy or can Arsenal end their trophy drought?

While the FA Cup holders Manchester City and Premier League champions Manchester United have been knocked out of the world’s most-loved cup competition, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur have breezed through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. They saw off Cheltenham 3-0 at the Lane before just edgin...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: A prosperous week for Liverpool in the cups but off the field is a different story

The days leading up to the weekend’s FA Cup Fourth Round ties were not particularly pleasant for many football fans, a week in which the unseemly and murky face of football was glaringly apparent. Many column inches were devoted to the tax-evasion trial of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, as well as th...

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Liverpool: Can the Reds complete a Manchester Double against United?

Kenny Dalglish’s men booked their place in the final of the Carling Cup in midweek with an aggregate win over Premier League leaders Manchester City, but on Saturday they host the Premier League champions and fierce rivals Manchester United in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. Can Liverpool do the d...

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Swindon: I'll Accept Di Canio's Cuffs But Mourn His Spontaneity

One of the better games over the FA Cup weekend was Swindon Town taking on Wigan. The League Two side defeated the Latics with a last-gasp goal; a goal which sent a certain enigmatic manager absolutely nuts on the touchline. And yes, Paolo Di Canio was given a one-match ban for his ‘exaggerated...

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How can the FA and League Cups regain their magic?

I am not sure who had the worst week, Manchester City or the two English cup competitions. A comparatively modest crowd of 36,017 witnessed City’s defeat in the first leg of Carling Cup semi-final. The low turn out even drew comment from BBC pundit and former England striker Alan Shearer. After a w...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Manchester disunited but the magic of the FA Cup is alive and well

The much talked about magic of the FA Cup was present in abundance this Sunday during the huge third round Manchester showdown, in fact there was more magic contained in the 90 minutes than during a Paul Daniels swingers party. Chris Foy’s card tricks, a disappearing City captain and most mystifying...

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Sunderland: Can O’Neill guide the Black Cats to FA Cup success?

Is Martin O’Neill the second coming or is he just a very good manager? The former Celtic and Aston Villa boss has had an immediate impact at the Stadium of Light and has transformed a side that couldn’t score in a brothel to one that is now scoring for fun. The Black Cats have climbed into the top ...

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Manchester City: Can They Compound The Misery For United?

It just goes to show the big boys can be dismissed; a point or even three can be taken from them. City drew with West Brom and lost to Sunderland whilst United made it two defeats in a row against Blackburn and Newcastle. The situations are reversed: usually it is United coming back after a loss,...

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The View Outside The Premier League: Southampton Lose Again While Bristol Rovers Stage Goal of the Season

Saturdays Championship results would have delighted the bookmakers as both Southampton and West Ham United went down to unexpected defeats. Middlesbrough and Leeds United were both beneficiaries as the top two lost, while Doncasters victory threw more gloom towards Coventry City. Nigel Adkins has e...

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FA Cup Second Round: How Many Non-Leaguers Will Reach Round Three?

This weekend is one with the promise of early Christmas presents for a select band of non-league clubs. Twelve are in the draw for the Second Round of the FA Cup with a chance to mix it with the elite if they can progress. It may be a cliche to say they will be dreaming of being paired with Manches...

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Bristol Rovers: 10 Handy facts on AFC Totton

Bristol Rovers could become the victim of an FA Cup giant killing this weekend when they travel to AFC Totton, but how much do you know about the hosts? The Pirates saw off the threat of Blue Square North side Corby Town in the last round, but that was at the Memorial Stadium. This time they are aw...

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Outside the Box – Football on TV: Spain conquered, but Fabio gets a reality check from a Spurs and England legend

I don’t know if you noticed but the greatest footballing nation of recent years popped over during the weekend. You could quite legitimately be forgiven for letting it pass you by though, as the life of an England supporter over recent times has left the vast majority of us bare husks, bereft of hop...

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Plymouth Argyle: 10 Handy Facts on FA Cup opponents Stourbridge

This weekend the Pilgrims host to Stourbridge in the First Round of the FA Cup, but how much do you know about your opponents? Stourbridge started their FA Cup campaign with a 2-1 win at Bewdley in the first qualifying round before travelling to Barwell and easing past them 2-0. Their first home ga...

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Bristol Rovers: 10 Handy facts on FA Cup opponents Corby Town

Bristol Rovers play host to Corby Town in the First Round of the FA Cup this weekend, but how much do you know about the visitors? Corby got their FA Cup campaign off with a 3-1 replay win over Histon at home in the second qualifying round after being held to a draw at the Conference strugglers. Th...

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MK Dons: 10 Handy Facts About FA Cup Opponents Nantwich Town

Nantwich Town are one of those non-league clubs going through the best period in their history. This weekend they appear in the FA Cup First Round for the first time in their 127 year history - over the pastfive years the club keep hitting new heights. In 2006 Nantwich won the FA Vase Final, play...

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FA Cup: Ashington In Sight Of Glory

Its that time of year again. No, not the Champions League group stages or mega games in the Premier League, although thosematches do have some interest, Ill admit. But for many football fans in England - the ones who follow their local sides - its the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup that reall...

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Manchester City: Tevez, Telephones and Tedium

Im not sure whats been worse over the last week or so, the phone hacking scandal or the Tevez transfer saga?Maybe if the News Of The World was still in existence it could report, with its tele-pathic powers, where Tevez will be moving to? If I were a Manchester City fan I would just like to see th...

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Would you like to write for Squarefootball?

Do you live, breathe and sleep football? Do you have a passion for writing and want your views to be read by a potential audience of millions? Then we at Squarefootball Towers would love to hear from you. Whether you follow Aberdeen or Accrington Stanley, West Ham United or Wolfsburg, we can offer ...

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Manchester City v Stoke City: City to win the cup, but which one?

Roberto Mancinis target this season was to finish in the top four and win a piece of silverware. The Italian guaranteed Champions League football on Tuesday night. Today he has the chance to end Citys barren trophy run and write his name into City history.But looking to ruin the billionaires big day...

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Coventry to Manchester, via Birmingham and Stoke: The magic of the cup

The train journey from Coventry to Manchester takes about two hours, but the footballing fortunes of four football clubs along that line are worlds apart. For Coventry City fans the days of Houchen, Bennett and Kilcline must seem a very distance memory. The team managed by John Sillett won the FA C...

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Why is the League Cup less important than the FA Cup?

In an earlier article I backed a change to a British League Cup because the League Cup is less valuable than the FA Cup - heres why its less valuable. The League Cup has less history; in England and Scotland the competition was derived to generate money to help pay for and justify the floodlights t...

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British League Cup makes sense for an undervalued competition

The latest discussion of a British League Cup has been started by an ongoing desire for Scottish teams to be able to regularly able to compete with English ones. This would improve cash flow to Scottish clubs by improved attendances and possibly TV revenue. It would also provide fresh challenges to ...

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Manchester City: FA Cup success or Champions League football? You decide

There’s bound to be a few sore heads on the blue half of Manchester this morning after Roberto Mancini’s millionaires booked their side’s place in the FA Cup Final and ended their city rival’s Treble dreams to boot. It was the perfect weekend for everyone connected with the Eastlands club, but, as t...

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Get on side and sport your colours for Shelter this World Cup

In celebration of this years FIFA World Cup, housing and homelessness charity Shelter are teaming up with Nationwide Building Society, Official England Team sponsor, to launch their fantastic footy fundraiser, Strip4Shelter. Shelter is asking people across the country to replace their regular work ...

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