The England manager’s job is a poisoned chalice. A first job in international football is never going to be easy but the added pressure of constant media scrutiny, moving to a new country and taking over a transitional side in turmoil following their failure to qualify for Euro 2008 made Fabio Capello’s job a near […]
Phil Hadley
Myths not Legends: Brian Moore
‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers / For he to-day that sheds his blood with me / Shall be my brother …that fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.’ The England dressing room erupts at the sound of these immortal words. Here at Twickenham, the 1995 Five Nations Championship and Grand Slam […]
Legends not Myths: Paul Scholes
Following their recent retirements, fans and the media alike spent hours discussing who was better – Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard? As this familiar debate continued to take place, the greatest English midfielder of his generation was – as he had often been during his international career – pushed to one side and ignored. Paul […]
Myths not Legends: Geoffrey Boycott
Supreme talent and a selfless attitude rarely go hand in hand and there is no greater example of this than Geoffrey Boycott, a man described by Ian Botham as ‘totally, almost insanely, selfish.’ Botham’s words bring to mind the old adage that you can judge a man by the number of enemies he has. From […]
Myths not legends: Sir Alf Ramsey
Sir Alf Ramsey made his name by winning the First Division with Ipswich in 1962 and earned a knighthood by winning the World Cup in 1966. Whilst these successes have made him a legend in the eyes of many they are the only major trophies he won in a managerial career spanning 23 years. He […]
Myths not legends: Ayrton Senna
Few people in the history of sport have been deified like Ayrton Senna. His finest races have become part of Formula 1 folklore – often at the expense of equally good, or better performances – whilst his less redeemable features have been conveniently forgotten. For some, he is undisputedly the finest driver in the history […]
The Extraordinary Case of Jenson Button
There is but a single accolade in sport than transcends the sporting world itself. It is to become one of those rare people who are universally liked by both fans and their peers whilst still achieving great success. Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful football manager of all time but there are many managers […]