Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

The Te Runga Games

The what games? You may be thinking. The Te Runga Games. Quite possibly the most obscure event many readers would have ever heard of. A competition so remote and so unreported, it’s almost a surprise that the small snippets of available information have made it to the World Wide Web.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

The Forgotten Champions League

The Champions League is the holy grail of club football. The best of the best compete at the top level to be crowned champions. Each continent has its own rendition. Europe has the UEFA Champions League. Africa has the CAF, and Asia has the AFC Champions League Elite. Concacaf has the Champions Cup, and South America has the CONMEBOL Libertadores.

The least-spoken-about Confederation, Oceania, has the OFC Champions League. Teams from the most remote places come together to compete for the title of the best club in Oceania.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

How the Coupe de France is a Global Football Competition

The Coupe de France, a staple of French footballing tradition, is a competition that runs from the top division and down to the depths of the French lower leagues. Much like the FA Cup in England, this competition allows smaller clubs to gain notoriety, financial benefits and exciting ties against the giants of the competition. The Coupe de France however is slightly different, in fact, teams can travel thousands of miles to play a singular cup game.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

A Pentecostal Football Club

Many Christians will follow their religion in their own way, some pray at home, and some lead a lifestyle that aims to do good in life. Many go to church.

What if though, that church started a football team? What if that church went on to finish in the top two of the national league, and qualify to participate in a continental club tournament? This is the story of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Football Club (MFM).

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

The Last Country on Earth Without a Football Team

Now, it is common knowledge that San Marino, despite their recent first competitive win, is found at the bottom of the FIFA world rankings. Usually sitting in 211th place, 210th currently, due to ongoing issues in Eritrea who have withdrawn from football for the time being, with the thought of players seeking political asylum on away trips being the key factor. Is 211th the lowest rank in football though? What if there is a nation that hasn’t played an official game of football yet? Where do they rank? This is the story of the Marshall Islands.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

The Literal Magic of Football

Now, many of you reading this would take one look at the title of this article and jump to a conclusion, that this piece will reflect on some incredible moments that have occurred through the years when watching our beautiful game.

For those who are hoping to read about that, this is not the place to find it. This is a writing on an actual football match that had accusations of witchcraft and juju.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

Football In The Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Most people understand the situation regarding the war and the constant debate between the United Kingdom and Argentina.

The islands are located roughly 300 miles to the east of the coast of Argentina, with the capital being Stanley. The Falklands famously has a large population of sheep and sheep farmers with the bulk of the economy coming through this route of trade.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

The Real Dutch National Team

The Netherlands, a footballing powerhouse over generations, the birthplace of total football, wearers of the iconic orange strip. Producers of great talents, Virgil Van Dijk, Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit.

Mainstays of the Dutch national team all with their own legacies to leave behind. What about the likes of Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Jerrel (Jimmy) Floyd Hasselbaink? All representing Holland over the years to huge successes, but what if you were told that not one of these three is even European?

Read More
Cavan Campbell Cavan Campbell

The Million Pound Appearance Player: Henri Saivet

Who is Henri Saivet? The average football fan would be forgiven for not knowing who this all-but-forgotten footballer is. The more eagle-eyed viewer however might remember the name and his story, particularly his time in Newcastle.

A Premier League and International footballer purchased for a reported £5 million in 2016? Why doesn’t everyone remember Henri Saivet?

Read More
Cavan Campbell Cavan Campbell

Football In Greenland

How can it be that the world’s largest island has a footballing history and culture that next to nobody knows anything about? Greenland, unlike the name suggests, is not very green, in fact, the island is snow-covered and consistently exists with extremely cold weather conditions.

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

Football In Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam, ask your friends, colleagues and acquaintances and see how many of them know anything about this tiny nation. Many probably couldn’t even point it out to you on a map or would even recognise the flag of the nation, so how is this oil-rich country with strong religious ties so unknown to many?

Read More
Football Stories Cavan Campbell Football Stories Cavan Campbell

The Most Dangerous Football League?

Football, an art form played on grass, is a display of sporting excellence respected and enjoyed around the world, a sport which anyone can love. As a writer from the United Kingdom, I see football through an almost romantic lens.

I see the good areas of the game, we all have our favourite teams and players, we discuss with friends and have a laugh at each other’s expense when results go against our own or our friend’s team.

What if it wasn’t just laughs, if it resulted in more than that, unpleasant verbal interactions, physical altercations, violence and in some cases death?

Read More