The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Eleven Contents ----------------------------------------- African Champions League ----------------------------------------- * Firdose Moonda - Following Orlando Pirates’ run to the final of the African Champions League * Colin Udoh, Football’s Only Part of It - To prosper in the African Champions League you have to play the game off the pitch as well as on it * James Montague, In Memoriam - After the tragedy of Port Said, Al Ahly’s seventh Champions League success was far more than a footballing victory * Oluwashina Okeleji, The Triumph of the People’s Elephant - How Enyimba became only the second team to retain the African Champions League * Ian Hawkey, The Flight of the Ravens - The rivalry between TP Mazembe and Asante Kotoko dominated African football in the late sixties * Segun Ogunfeytimi - Images of the passion stirred in Nigeria by this season’s African Champions League --------------------- Interview --------------------- * Martín Mazur, Oscar Washington Tabárez - El Maestro on how he keeps Uruguay overachieving --------------------- Theory --------------------- * Gunnar Persson, Roy’s Swedish Revolution - How Roy Hodgson transformed the face of the Swedish game * Andi Thomas, The Waiting Game - The strange world of the back-up goalkeeper * Uli Hesse, Learning to Press - The tactical revolution that led to the transformation of the German game ----------------------- Identity ----------------------- * Nicholas Hogg, Size 5 - Football, growing up in Leicester and falling out of love with the game * Dion Fanning, Booze Boys - Tracing Irish football’s sozzled relationship with alcohol ---------------------- Referees ---------------------- * Sam Kelly, The Final Whistler - Horacio Elizondo on the strategy of officiating and sending off Zidane in the World Cup final * Alexander Jackson and David Toms, The First Modern Ref - Refereeing a Cup final cost Harry Nattrass his job but he became the greatest official of his age * Ben Lyttleton, The Psychologist - Tom Henning Øvrebø on man-management and that game at Stamford Bridge ---------------------- Exile ---------------------- * James Horncastle, The Lost Legend - Árpád Weisz was one of Serie A’s first great coaches. He was also Jewish. * Igor Rabiner, Closure - Travelling through with Avram Grant to find the graves of his grandparents * Shaul Adar, The Survivor - Emmanuel Schaffer escaped the holocaust and took Israel to the World Cup ------------------------ Fiction ------------------------ * David Ashton, The Handkerchief - Young love intervenes between a goalkeeper and his chance of glory ----------------------------- Greatest Games ----------------------------- * Richard Winton, Dundee 1 Dundee United 2 - Scottish Premier League, Dens Park, Dundee, 14 May 1983 ------------------------- Eight Bells ------------------------- * Michael Yokhin, Unexpected league leaders - A selection of minnows who, briefly, found themselves at the top of the tree

First published in March 2017, Issue Twenty Four contains 19 articles in 7 sections, including: Anthony Clavane on the decline of heavy industry and the sad logic of Brexit in Yorkshire; Peter Frankopan looking at how in politics, economics and football the role of Asia is becoming more significant; and David Stubbs on the glorious summer of 1996 when all things seemed possible.

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Seven Contents ---------------- El Dorado ---------------- * The Ball and the Gun, by Carl Worswick—After a political rival was murdered, the Colombian government set up the world's richest league * The Blond Giant, by Stany Sirutis—Among the influx of foreign players to El Dorado was the Lithuanian goalkeeper Vytausas Krisciunas ---------------- Interview ---------------- * Ivica Osim — The great Bosnian coach reflects on the war, Japan and Alan Mullery's lack of fair play ----------------------------- The Victorian Age ----------------------------- * The First Columnist, by Paul Brown—How an early journalist for the Northern Echo helped shape the modern game * Stiffy the Goalkeeper, by John Harding—Lazy, drunken and corruptible, the first footballing hero of the stage could hardly have been less heroic * Out with a League Team, by Henry Leach—A journalist, writing in 1900, describes his experiences travelling the country reporting on Notts County ------------ Theory ------------ * Don Leo's Odyssey, by Joachim Barbier—From Amsterdam to Madrid to Gaudalajara to Budapest, Leo Beenhakker has never stopped learning * The English Spaniard, by Philippe Auclair—Roberto Martínez discusses his conception of football and the difficulties of addapting to the dark nights of Lancashire ------------------------ The Vanishing ------------------------ * The Strange Disappearing of Leslie Goldberg, by Anthony Clavane—How the right back who became Les Gaunt encapsulated the experiences of many 1930s Jewish footballers * Ten Past Ten and Ten Pastis, by Gunnar Persson—Gunnar Andersson's journey from Marseille legend to homeless alcoholic * End of the Road, by Richard Winton—Gretna's rise was a romantic fairy tale, their collapse provides grimly real lessons for all of Scottish football * Safe as Houses, by Paolo Bandini—Espen Baardsen was a Norway international but at 25 he gave up football to work in finance ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * Breaking the Mould, by Zac Lee Rigg—Last year Johnny Saelua became the first transgender person to play in World Cup qualifying * In Arsene We Trust, by Zach Slaton—However frustrating this season, the numbers suggest Arsenal would be worse off without Arsene Wenger * Dictionary of Received Ideas, by Brian Phillips—A guide to what pundits really mean when they use certain terms * Follow the Money, by Elliot Turner—How Nicaragua's national stadium highlights the problems with Fifa's Goal project * The Third Party, by Sergio Levinsky—A tax avoidance scandal in Argentina could have ramifications across the globe ------------- Fiction ------------- * The Limping God, part 2, by David Ashton—His football career ended by injury, John Brodie's life is going nowhere until he is sucked into the world of crime --------------------------- Greatest Games --------------------------- * Lazio 4-2 Ipswich Town", by Dominic Bliss—Uefa Cup, second round, second leg, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, 7 November 1973 --------------------- Seven Bells --------------------- * Fouls and Fisticuffs, by Scott Murray—A selection of unsavoury incidents we're supposed to condemn

The Blizzard is a quarterly publication put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Contents of Issue One ------------------------- Fortunes of War ------------------------- * Stars of David, by James Montague—The astonishing story of Israel's first national team * The Collaborator, by Philippe Auclair—The treacherous life and traitor's death of Alexandre Villaplane, France's first World Cup captain ------------------------- Interview ------------------------- * Dennis Bergkamp — David Winner talks to Dennis Bergkamp about his greatest goals, the nature of genius and the importance of predicting the future ------------------------- Leeds ------------------------- * Revie-Nixon, by Dominic Sandbrook—How ignominious exits overshadow the successes of a US president and a Leeds United manager * Mind of Peace, by Anthony Clavane—David Peace discusses the inspiration behind "The Damned Utd" and why he won't apologise to John Giles * 44 Days, Later, by Lawrence Donegan—Why Jock Stein lasted no longer than Brian Clough at Elland Road ------------------------- Theory ------------------------- * The First Bilardista, by Jonathan Wilson—How Victorio Spinetto pioneered pragmatism in Argentinian football * The Brain in Spain, by Sid Lowe—Juanma Lillo, mentor to Pep Guardiola, explains his thinking on clubs, coaching and why society is sick ------------------------- Grass Roots ------------------------- * Duels on the Nile, by Paul Myers—A report from Sudan on the second championship for Africans playing their football at home * An Exile at Home, by Scott Anthony—Vasilis Hatzipanagis, Greece's greatest player, explains why he never played a competitive game for his country * Port in a Storm, by Ben Lyttleton—The extraordinary success of the academy at Le Harve * Marsh Attacks, by Simon Hooper—How a Sunday League team gives London's Romanians a sense of identity ------------------------- Denmark '92 ------------------------- * Once Upon a Time..., by Dave Farrar—The fairy story of Denmark's 1992 European Championship campaign ------------------------- Origins ------------------------- * The Sum of their Parts, by Gunnar Persson—The rise and fall of Motala and its football team * When the Kites weren't Black, by Dileep Premachandran—The lost legacy of Indian football * Man and Boy, by David Ashton—Fathers, sons and the grumbling terraces of industrial Scotland ------------------------- Polemics ------------------------- * The Pillars of the Earth, by Simon Kuper—Could it be that the Premier League boom has only just begun? * What's the Point of Football Writing?, by Tim Vickery—There's more to it than getting up late, isn't there? Isn't there? * World's Apart, by Kieron O'Connor—Fifa and the financial legacy of the South African World Cup ------------------------- Football Manager ------------------------- * The Ballad of Bobby Manager: My Autobiography, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously... ------------------------- Greatest Games ------------------------- * Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 3, by Rob Smyth—European Cup quarter-final second-leg, Old Trafford, Manchester, 19 April 2000 ------------------------- Eight Bells ------------------------- * Pre-War Scottish Legends, by Scott Murray—A selection of eight of the early stars of the game in Scotland

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Two Contents ---------------- Le Blues ---------------- * Font of all Knowledge?, by Matt Spiro—The Clairefontaine academy was once the envy of the world, but has it gone stale? * What Makes a Nation?, by Philippe Auclair—The recent French race furore ignores the diversity of France's footballing culture ---------------- Interview ---------------- * Dragan Stojković—Andrew McKirdy talks to Dragan Stojković about his philosophical similarities to Arsène Wenger, his lost years and Japan's development -------------------- In Argentina -------------------- * Óscar Bravo, by Jonathan Wilson—How Óscar Washington Tabárez led Uruguay to Copa América glory as Argentina and Brazil misfired * La Historia de los Piñeyros, by Rupert Fryer—A fictional account of one family's experience of the 1978 World Cup ------------------ The Media ------------------ * The Man who Said it was Magnificent, by Rob Smyth—Barry Davies relives some old memories and discusses the state of modern commentary * The Man who Made Calcio, by James Horncastle—How Gianni Brera shaped the language and style of Italian football * The Man who Ate his Hat, by Scott Murray—The story of Lieutenant Commander Tommy Woodrooffe, the BBC's first football commentator --------------------------------- Back From The Brink --------------------------------- * Football to Remember, by Uli Hesse—How Borussia Dortmund returned from the verge of extinction to win the Bundesliga title ------------- Theory ------------- * Wenger, l'Auteur, by Miguel Delaney—What Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Cimino and the Hollywood of the seventies tell us about Arsenal * Brazil, and the Rise of the Back Four, by Rob Sweeney—How foreign influences led to the evolution of the back four in Brazil -------------- Italia 90 -------------- * A Sentimental Journey, by Gabriele Marcotti—The 1990 World Cup as experienced by a teenage Italian ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * Is Football Still Sport?, by Rory Smith—It unfolds like a soap opera for the entertainment of millions and the profit of a few. What has football become? * Too Fast, Too Furious?, by James Grossi—Why have so many creative players suffered such dreadful injuries in the MLS this season? ----------------------------- Football Manager ----------------------------- * The Ballad of Bobby Manager: My Autobiography, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously... -------------------------- Greatest Games -------------------------- * St Étienne 3 Dynamo Kiev 0 (aet), by James Horncastle—European Cup quarter-final second-leg, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, St Étienne, 17 March 1976 ------------------- Eight Bells ------------------- * Finals Before the Final, by Jacob Steinberg—A selection of eight games that really shouldn't have been wasted on the earlier rounds

First published in December 2017, Issue Twenty Seven contains 22 articles in 7 sections, including: Tom Williams speaking to Gary Lineker about his time at Barcelona and his tempestuous relationship with Johan Cruyff; Toke Theilade on the story of the first American footballer to play in Russia; James Montague on how Miodrag Belodidici escaped Romania to win the European Cup for a second time, Andrew McKirdy on Subbuteo and more.

The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Eight Contents ------------ Cyprus ------------ * The Wrong Side of the Border, by Jacob Steinberg—After decades of stalemate, Northern Cypriot football may be about to come in from the cold * The Hangover of War, by Cyrus Philbrick—Almost four decades after the Turkish invasion, the shadow of conflict hangs over the Nicosia derby -------------- Interview -------------- * Sepp Blatter, by Philippe Auclair—The president of fifa admits he may stand for re-election in 2015 and reveals his concerns over the Qatar World Cup ------------ Theory ------------ * Mourinho's Cult of Personality, by Roy Henderson—How the Real Madrid manager's charismatic authority fosters loyalty * The Lawnmower and the Teapot, by Iain Macintosh—Barry Fry discusses how to motivate players and how the world of management has changed * The Bicycle Thief, by Lars Sivertsen—Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always been an individual—it's how he fits in ------------ Fans ------------ * But You Can't Change..., by Mike Calvin—How a Watford supporter ended up being converted into a Millwall fan * In the Shadow of the Goldfish, by Gary Hartley—Having lived the dream, Leeds have slowly drifted into a protracted doze * Paying the Price, by Craig Anderson—Rangers' administration and relegation were about far more than a club that couldn't pay its debts ---------------------------------- In Appreciation of... ---------------------------------- * Franco Baresi, by Sheridan Bird—How the great libero staged a remarkable recovery from a knee injury to play in the 1994 World Cup final * Brian Glanville, by Philippe Auclair—The doyen of English football writing discusses the forefathers of modern sports journalism * Ireland's Pioneers, by David Owen—This year marks the centenary of Ireland's first victory over England ------------ Africa ------------ * Eat Them Like Bread, by Jonathan Wilson—Nigeria ended their 19-year wait for a third Cup of Nations but a familiar sense of chaos remains * After the Circus, by Luke Alfred—What was the legacy of the World Cup for South Africa * The Great Administrator, by Tom Dunmore—How Ydnekatchew Tessema led the fight to have African football taken seriously * Bamako Twilight, by Stuart Roy Clarke—Away from the war, football goes on in the Malian capital ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * In Praise of Football, by Alex Keble—For all the commercialisation and scandal, football remains the purest and most demotic of cultural modes * Financial Fair Play?, by Steve Menary—How Champions League revenues can devastate competition in Europe's smaller leagues ------------ Fiction ------------ * The Limping God, part 3, by David Ashton—His football career ended by injury, John Brodie's life is going nowhere until he is sucked into the world of crime -------------------------- Greatest Games -------------------------- * Boca Juniors 2 Real Madrid 1, by Rupert Fryer—Toyota Intercontinental Cup final, National Stadium, Tokyo, 28 November 2000 -------------------- Eight Bells -------------------- * Football on TV, by Scott Murray—Key moments in the history of televising the game