Upfront the beautiful game

The room erupts. Not with cheers, but laughter. There are around 400 people at Gateshead’s Hilton Hotel, including Dan Burn, and a joke has just been cracked on the microphone at the defender’s expens

For vastly different reasons, the number 20 took on a special significance for Liverpool in 2025. Firstly, in April, the club sealed a record-equalling 20th English league title, drawing level with fi

For the first time in 17 years, Tottenham actually won a trophy – a first European trophy since 1984, no less. That they did it in the same season as their lowest league finish for 47 years made it al

Many kids come from council estates, but not many came from a council estate in Camden Town, when Britpop was at its peak. It was the ’90s, Oasis were huge and Noel Gallagher would go to the boozer wi

HARDY PERENNIAL

Gascoigne’s promise Despite his talents, Paul Gascoigne certainly ...