History
What is the Copa del Rey?
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning Groundhopper Guides may receive some compensation if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links.) The Copa del Rey, or King's Cup, is the domestic cup competition in Spanish football -- the equivalent of the English FA Cup, or the Coppa Italia or…
Match of the Day: A History and Appreciation
Match of the Day is as much a part of English football culture as Monday Night Football is to that in the United States -- in some ways, even more so, as it largely stands alone in its field, and it even draws us back into the past. Its music is recognizable to probably everyone…
Soccer in the Tokyo Summer Olympics
Groundhopper Guides has a look at soccer in the Olympics: the history, the men’s and women’s fields, and why you did not see "England" represented on either side in the 2020 Summer Olympics (which took place one year late due to Covid) in Tokyo, Japan. Updated August 7 to include full Tokyo 2020 results. History…
Euro 2020: What is It, History, and How to Watch in the US
The summer of 2021 will see, finally, the men's 2020 European Championships played out in several countries -- a year late because of the pandemic. But what are the Euros, how do they fit into the organization of world soccer, and what is the history of the competition? What is UEFA Euro 2020? The official…
Making History: Female Soccer Referees
The past three years in particular have seen many historical firsts in the appointment of female referees to take charge of men's football competitions. Groundhopper Alethea takes a look at the history of women officiating the men's game. (Photo at top: Stéphanie Frappart and her assistants Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O'Neill before the UEFA Super…
Champions League Finals Featuring Two Clubs From the Same Country
The 2021 UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea was the eighth time two clubs from the same domestic league have faced off for Europe’s top team trophy. The UCL, which was previously called the European Cup, was first contested in 1956. It took over 40 years until we saw two teams from…
The Six Best FA Cup Finals Won by a Smaller Club
When Leicester City won the 2020-21 FA Cup title, we took a look at the six best FA Cup Finals where a smaller club won it all. Note that these aren't all "giant killings," because in one case the winning team was a big club just down on its luck, and in another the loser…
English Soccer’s Dramatic Last Day of the Season
The last day of the Premier League season -- indeed, all of English soccer -- is one of the things that makes watching the game so much fun. Let's talk about why that is, and visit a few of the memorable last-day scenarios from years past. When Is the Last Day of the 2021-22 Season? The…
A Captain’s Tale is a Fun Little English Football History Lesson
The full title of the film A Captain's Tale includes the phrase "World Cup," as in fact it's the true story of what some folks call the "first World Cup." That, for me, is a stretch in the extreme, but it's still an interesting story, and the film itself is a fun little jaunt in the…
Interested in Soccer History? Here Are Some Places to Start
As it is the true sport of the world, the history of soccer (football) is immense, complicated, and rather all-encompassing. If you're interested in learning a bit more about soccer history, here are some good places to start. First, we have a whole blog post in which we attempt to describe the history and structure…