Shock as Qatar Hosts a Big Event and Sky Doesn’t Cave In

365 days from today, the World Cup will kick off. This afternoon, the Qatar Grand Prix took place. Like many others who were bored by the Man City/Everton game- I watched a bit of it. What did we learn from it? Lewis Hamilton wore a rainbow helmet and posted “We stand together” on his Instagram…

England Qualify- Cue the Misery

The emphatic confirmation the England were going to the Qatar next year should have been a cause of celebration- but our press always find a way to look anywhere but on the bright side. A mid season slot, guaranteed good weather and the lack of travel mean that 2022 is set up to deliver the…

Qatar Accommodation Briefing

A couple of days ago, I attended an online workshop outlining the accommodation options available at Qatar 2022. With all the matches being staged at venues within 38 miles of each other- this is going to be a very different World Cup. On the bright side, there are no long journeys, but concentrating the whole…

Hungary (h): Anarchy in the UK

Last night was disappointing on the field, although we still look nailed on to top the group, but this was overshadowed by events in the stands. To be frank- it confirmed what everyone who attends England games already knew- the Wembley matchday operation is not fit for purpose. The outbreak of trouble in the away…

Hungary 81- Dark Days are Over

Paul Mariner falls over the ball to score the scruffiest most magnificent goal imaginable- and I was there. For a fifteen year old in 1981, watching England had been a never ending diet of gruel. We were all given red 66 shirts as infants but we’d never seen the 3 Lions qualify for a major…

Andorra (h) The New Generation

As someone who first went to an England match in the 1980s- Wembley on Sunday felt like another country. A country where families of many different creeds and colours can turn up to cheer their team on. The crowd looked like a snapshot of the diverse nation we live in- rather than the sons of…

Hungary Shorts

Huge difference to last Summer. After being locked away for so long- the Euro campaign was a joyous celebration that got people together across the nation. The warmth and relief and the great results meant that good times never felt so good. For the Hungary game- I was home alone with a head cold. Still:…

Stanchion Dreams

Hungary away – June 1981. The ball stuck in the stanchion. An image of hope. Young fans talk about years of hurt- but for us England fans born around the time of the 66 triumph- we’d never even had the experience of seeing our team play in a world cup. That ball in its final…

1953- Year Zero

Next up on the Road to Qatar are Hungary: a team that hold a special place in the history of the England national team. The Match of the Century changed everything. My Grandad was there in November 1953. The ultimate wake up called. The game that smashed the notion of English supremacy. Why a Yorkshire…

FIFA Arab Cup 2021

The FIFA Arab Cup takes place later this year. As well as deciding the champion of an emerging football region- it will be the perfect dry run for Qatar 22. With the same stadiums being used for matches at the same time of year- we will get a sneak peak at the way the Qataris…