Daily Archives: August 1, 2022

What is Arsenal? Why are teams called United? What is a Hotspur? A history of English football names


“There are 13 clubs known as United in English football’s top four divisions. Aside from its array of Citys and Towns, ‘the 92’ also include three Wanderers, five Rovers, a couple of Athletics and a Rangers. There are a trio of Albions and just as many Countys. In contrast, as those from a corner of Devon will insist, there is only one Argyle. On top of all those suffixes can be added, among other quirks, an Arsenal and a Vale. There are names to conjure images of elegant stately homes or gleaming palaces of glass, all memories from yesteryear… as well as a day of the week. …”
The Athletic

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Kounde: ‘I waited for Barça as that is where I want to be’

“Jules Kounde is now officially a Barça player and the Frenchman was presented to the world on Monday at an event which took place at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The new blaugrana defender was accompanied by president Joan Laporta and the director of football, Mateu Alemany as Kounde donned the Barça shirt for the first time in public. …”
FC Barcelona

A season of hope: Ukraine prepares for remarkable return of league football

“Five months ago, footballers in Ukraine could not afford to give a second thought to their sport. The horrors being inflicted by Russia’s invading forces left nobody untouched and the act of staying alive, while ensuring the same of their loved ones, was all that mattered. Many players left their clubs for the country’s west, basing themselves in relatively calm locations; some sheltered underground with their families and, in a number of cases, teammates, for days on end. …”
Guardian (July 24)