Kick Off Merchants Blog
Closing in on a return to football away days
Posted by john smith on
So I have just bought away tickets for what will be my first game for nearly 2 years. Before lockdown, my life revolved around football. I was home and away. Every weekend. I would travel the country with the same group of lads. Beers on a train no matter the time of day. Without football there has been a huge whole in my life. From seeing the same close mates every weekend for nearly 10 years to hardly seeing them at all due to various lockdowns. And it is not just the people you travel with that you miss. Any...
How much has your club spent so far in the 2021 transfer window?
Posted by john smith on
Data correct as of 20/07/2021
Is Southgate still the one?
Posted by john smith on
It seems odd to call for a managers head after he has gotten you to your first final in 55 years. Someone who 3 years earlier took England to their first World Cup semi final in 28 years. On paper, Gareth Southgate has done a fantastic job with England. But there is also a nagging doubt that England might be wasting a generation of world class attacking talent on a manager who is not up to it. Italy won the Euro’s and one key reason behind it is they had the best manager. Roberto Mancini is has won the league...
Why the Champions League is not "Champions only"
Posted by john smith on
We opened up a discussion on Social Media about having pre-qualifying for European Championship and World Cup qualifiers. The conversation led down the route of every nation has “every right to try and qualify for a major tournament”. This was perhaps a misinterpretation of our blog. We were not saying that those countries did not have a right to try and qualify, but that they should face an additional round of qualifying. The discussion then moved on to club football with the argument being made that “every champion should be in the group stages of the Champions League” and they...
Well, what else are you supposed to do at the weekend?
Posted by john smith on
Football is back properly! We are 2 games into the Premier League season and 4 games into the Championship, League One and League Two seasons. By now most of us have been to at least one game; and whether your team have had a good, bad or indifferent start, it has just been good to be back. Back surrounded by mates, some of whom we have not seen in 18 months. Back in the boozers that we only frequent on a match day. And back chatting rubbish to each other. At this point it really does not matter how your...