History
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 2024-25 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…
10 Famous FA Cup “Giant Killings”
Everyone loves an underdog, and in the FA Cup everyone loves a "giant killing" -- except for the giants, of course. Since knowing something about the "magic of the FA Cup" is essential to understanding the history and culture of English football, let's take a look at 10 of the more famous upsets in FA…
Boxing Day Football Fixtures, Past and Present
Boxing Day football fixtures have been a tradition in England for decades, so let's review some of the more interesting ones for 2023 and then take a look back at memorable Boxing Day games. Boxing Day Football: A Very Brief History December 26 has been known as Boxing Day for centuries, whose name comes from workers…
English Football Documentary Reveals Sir Bobby Robson
Here's an interesting trivia question: Name an individual in English football who was honored by a statue at more than one club. I can think of two. The other one we'll get to, but for now I want my readers to meet Sir Bobby Robson, legendary manager of Ipswich Town, Newcastle United, the English national…
AFC Wimbledon Comes Home to Plough Lane: A Remarkable English Football Story
The story of AFC Wimbledon is one that many Americans won't know, but on the occasion of their return to Plough Lane this week, it's one that I encourage you to learn. (Some of this is drawn from the Wimbledon chapter of our book, The Groundhopper Guide to Soccer in England. Find out more and…
“City!” is a Blast to the Past of English Football
The "behind the scenes" video of a football club has become almost a cliché at this point. But there was a time when that wasn't the case. And if you want to visit that time -- as well as time-travel to a place so long ago that Manchester City was a struggling club -- then…
Movie Review: Remembering Sir Stanley Matthews
One of the things I do at Groundhopper Guides is introduce non-English, mostly American people to the world of English football. As such, I need to tell you about Sir Stanley Matthews. Perhaps you know the name. Speaking to Americans, the best comparison I can think of is a combination of Johnny Unitas and John…
