Alan Campbell on the shockingly bizarre about face on goal-line technology.

The money man behind Spurs loses some pocket money…for him.

A look at Chelsea’s Champions league opponents Fenerbahce.

Rod Liddle on Gretna’s implosion and with a wonderful description ….”the artificial club kept afloat by a man’s ludicrous, market-distorting largesse, trampling over those whose existence is down to hard-core support”……that applies to more than Gretna.

Tony Cascarino on how to take penalty kicks. It seems to me that we are seeing more gutsy penalties – scooped down the middle or just waiting for the keeper to blink. How many of you have taken a penalty in a shoot out, how did you approach it and did you score? Or any goalkeepers with secrets?

I read this article a few weeks ago and now seems an appropriate time to post the link. Israeli researcher Ofer H. Azar compares the action bias of goalkeepers on penalties with business decisions.

Two decades after Wimbledon pulled off one of the greatest surprises in the FA Cup Final two related teams are off to Wembley.

It’s only mid-March but East Fife became the UK’s first championship winning side of the 07/08 season.  Anyone else ever been to Methil? There has been a lot of chatter about lower flight teams winning the FA Cup. East Fife is the answer to the trivia question - which is only second tier team in Scotland the win the SFA Cup?

The Sunday Times takes a trip back to the Chelsea–Leeds FA Cup Final of 1970.

The Times asks who is the most overrated player in Europe?

Jonathan Wilson on the failure of Russian clubs to prosper in the Champions league after CSKA Moscow’s 2005 UEFA Cup victory.

This goes to show that we are stuck with penalty kicks as a way to decide games – God’s will.

The Knowledge in the Guardian has a list of the fastest recorded shots.

Ian Hawkey takes a look at the Real Madrid – Bayern Munich Champions League clash through the eyes of Franz Beckenbauer. 

Michael Grant writes about the decline on Leeds United.

Rob Hughes – scouting for talent.

Gary Lineker on Cristiano Ronaldo.

British players’ behaviour abroad by Tony Cascarino.

And finally the draw for the quarter finals of the FA Cup…..

Middlesbrough or West Brom vs. Manchester United or Reading.
Arsenal or Blackburn vs. Manchester City
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Plymouth vs. Watford

Plymouth lost to Watford in the semi final in 1984 and narrowly missed out on becoming the only Third Division side to make it to the Final.

David James - the Portsmouth keeper - on obesity.

The injuries to Cudicini and esppecially Petr Cech is top of mind. Tony Cascarino still considers the position between the posts to be the safest on the park. There is also a list of severe injuries suffered by goalkeepers. When I started to watch football there were no substitutes and teams would always have their designated outfield player ready to take over if the goalkeeper went down injured.

Dr. Thomas Stuttaford gives an experts view on the Cech injury.

Rod Little on the subject of what does Steve McClaren write in his notebook. As an aside most fans would have noticed Jose Mourinho scribbling away during a game. But according to the excellent biography by Patrick Barclay it is something that only happens in the first half and is for his use at halftime. In the second half Mourinho considers it a pointless exercise.

Brian Glanville looks at the acquisition of Tomas Rosicky and a historical perspective of other Arsenal playmakers.

Mark Hodkinson on something that is bound to resonate with nostalgia buffs. A book is to be published this week on the late Peter Adolph – the inventor of Subbuteo.

And last and certainly least - is the strip that Bolton’s wore on Sunday the ugliest in the Premiership and if not which one is worst? Which team has the worst strip in the Premiership. For those that missed it it is the clour of something you find hardened on a pavement on Sunday morning.

Tony Cascarino tells us what England will have to do to beat Portugal.

Sid Lowe on Spain’s exit.  

Another article from the always enjoyable Sid Lowe. This one is about Maxi’s wooden left leg.

Harry Pearson on why England should revert to a 1-9-1 formation.

A look at Luiz Felipe Scolari by some of the people who know him best.

Gordon Strachan tells us why he thinks Argentina will beat Germany.

The Guardian looks at the legacy of the great Ukrainain coach Valeriy Lobanovskyi has impacted the national team at this World Cup.