“Professor Rogan Taylor is head of the Football Research Group at Liverpool University, the sort of job title that frequently makes people smile and wonder where to obtain the application form, though his academic and historical perspective cut through the emotion of the Hillsborough anniversary.” (The Sport Blog – Paul Wilson)

Dark days ahead for the North East? (ESPN)
“The North East has long been the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of English football, swallowing up the brave souls who dare to dip a toe in its mysterious waters. Time and again, some of the game’s biggest names have tried and failed to bring glory to Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, yet the next month could prove to be the most painful for a quarter of England renowned for it’s passionate football followers.”

Obama Lends Weight to World Cup Bid (NYT – GEORGE VECSEY)
“Having shown his deft touch on the basketball court, President Obama is now testing his prowess in the politics of sport. The president recently sent a video praising Chicago in its bid to hold the 2016 Summer Games. Now he has endorsed the United States’ effort to hold the World Cup of soccer either in 2018 or 2022.”

Lyon: Falling From Grace? (SoccerLens)
“What a difference a year makes; in Lyon’s case, add to that managerial changes. Last year, the club won its seventh consecutive title, and did its first ever double by winning the Coupe de France. Despite being heads above shoulders in Ligue 1, the had club failed to win any Cup titles – Coupe De France & Coupe de la Ligue – during its run of league coronations.”

Ultimate XI: The Game of Their Names (GOAL)
“A soccer player by any other name is merely Fred. Here’s my Ultimate XI of the guys with some of the most interesting names in soccer: some funny, some serious, some palindromes. This time, I’ve limited it to current players culled from the Web sites of UEFA.com, MLSnet.com and footballdatabase.com. There are, of course, some Brazilians on my team (club and home country in parentheses).”