By Grant James

UEFA is an organisation of associations who have closely monitored the decline of quality displayed during international fixtures since 2011. They have decided it is time for a transformation, introducing the UEFA Nations League. The UEFA Nations League stems from UEFA’s desire to implicate more “sporting meaning” into national team football, as well as improving its quality and reputation. The first tournament is due to commence in September 2018 after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The UEFA Nations League would see all 55 of UEFA’s members associations’ national teams divided into four leagues, with each league divided into four groups of three to four teams. The leagues are devised on the nations’ ranking and taking into account their recent most results, with League A including Europe’s top-ranked teams and League D containing the lowest ranked. The group winners of League A are then “promoted” to play in the “Final Four Competition,” with the winners becoming the UEFA Nations League champions. In each league four teams are promoted and four teams are relegated to play in the next competition, with each group winner also gaining the opportunity to qualify for Euro 2020 if they fail to do so via the qualifying groups.

Football associations and teams will benefit from the clarity of the international fixture calendar that the Nations League will provide. There will be a clear beginning and end between the UEFA European Championships and the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaigns and vice versa, as well as consistency of revenue.

Coaches and national football associations all over Europe have been in discussions with UEFA about the current situation regarding the friendly internationals. They feel the matches are “not providing adequate sporting competition.” The UEFA Nations League will largely replace friendly fixtures, however the new Nations League format will free up space in the calendar for friendly internationals, especially for higher ranked teams who may want to play opposition from other confederations, as they will be in groups of three teams.

The advantages for national associations and teams are that best European teams have the chance to take part in a new top-level event in the “Final Four Competition.” The tournament offers middle-ranked and smaller nations an alternative route to qualify for UEFA European Championships tournament should they be unsuccessful in qualifying. Nations in the bottom 16 of the rankings are also guaranteed one of the 24 available qualifying slots for the Euro competition, offering the likes of San Marino, Andorra and Georgia a more realistic chance of qualifying as they will be taking part in balanced matches. UEFA have recognized teams do not learn and progress by repeatedly losing.

Supporters more than most realise friendlies fail to provide the same intensity and meaning as qualifiers or tournament fixtures. An advantage of the UEFA Nations League is that it will provide supporters more opportunities to see their country play in more competitive matches, as well as providing a second chance to qualify for the UEFA European Championship should they fail via the group stage. Fans of the top-ranked teams also have the prospect of watching their team lift a trophy should they be successful. Supporters interest in international football as a whole will increase, as there will be a new champion in every odd year of the calendar, as there is in every even year with the World Cup or UEFA European Championship.

The UEFA Nations League will not increase the demands on players and clubs as it will abide to the current agreed international fixture calendar. UEFA are intent on maintaining the balance between club and international football. The new competition should, in fact, decrease demands on players and clubs with less travel for friendly games while national teams will be playing more consistently at their own level. Double-header match weeks will allow players to return to their respective clubs sooner than is currently the case.

To conclude, the UEFA Nations League will completely rejuvenate European international football. With nations playing nations of a similar standing, international football will be as competitive as ever, with the prospect of silverware and qualification to a major tournament only adding to the excitement. Fans of top-ranked teams will be able to watch more attractive fixtures, whereas lower ranked nations have a much improved chance of qualifying for a major tournament.

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By Grant James

Liverpool dropped points from a winning position for the second game running, as West Ham took advantage of defensive mishaps to climb out of the relegation zone with a spirited 2-2 draw.

The home side took the lead after just five minutes through a controlled low strike by Adam Lallana. Liverpool looked confidently on top until the goal scorer needlessly gave a foul away on the edge of the box after 27 minutes. Dimitri Payet buried the resulting free kick from 25 yards, with goalkeeper Loris Karius hardly covering himself in glory as he palmed the ball into the side netting. It was an effort he really should have saved.

The German shot stopper was beaten again 12 minutes later, after Joel Matip failed to clear the danger from a deflected ball over the top. Michail Antonio, who had started up front, latched onto the loose ball and flicked it past Karius with the outside of his foot, putting the Hammers 1-2 up. Karius was less culpable for the goal, but he still should have done better.

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In first half stoppage time Liverpool had strong a penalty shout waved away by referee Mark Clattenburg as Dimitri Payet and Adam Lallana tussled on the by-line. The resulting corner was cannoned onto the bar after a stooping header by Joel Matip, creating panic in the West Ham box. West Ham managed to clear their lines as Clattenburg blew for half time.

Within three minutes of the restart, Divock Origi drew the hosts level after a costly mistake by West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph. Sadio Mané chipped a delightful ball into the box from the left hand side and Randolph misjudged the flight, fumbling it into the path of Origi, who made no mistake from five yards. West Ham have now conceded four goals in the opening five minutes of the last six halves.

Midway through the second half Randolph had atoned for his earlier mistake with a contender for save of the season. Jordan Henderson’s stunning striker was bending into the top corner, but Randolph met it with a magnificent one-handed save to tip it over the bar.

With Slaven Bilic substituting Andy Carroll on against his former club, West Ham had more of a presence up front as he switched to a back five, happy to preserve the point. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp did not make any more substitutions with a sincere lack of firepower and experience on the bench through an accumulation of injuries.

The change of formation did not seem to steady the ship for West Ham, as Liverpool dominated possession and looked threatening going forward. Georginio Wijnaldum was denied by a fantastic block by West Ham’s Havard Nordtviet, as Mané also had a shot blocked by Winston Reid minutes later.

West Ham took advantage of Liverpool’s weary legs and hit Liverpool on the counter attack with five minutes left. The attack came to nothing however as Karius raced out of his goal to punch clear, cutting Andy Carroll’s head in the process.

Liverpool continued to swarm the West Ham half in the dying embers of the game with a flurry of corners and crosses. West Ham dealt with them well and cleared their lines efficiently, securing an excellent draw on the back of a 1-5 drubbing at home to Arsenal.

Liverpool will see the result as two points dropped after losing more ground on Premier League leaders Chelsea. West Ham may also feel slightly disappointed as Darren Randolph’s early mistake in the second half gifted the Reds an equaliser, but would have taken a point before kick-off hands down.

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By Grant James

This is a full match preview of Leicester City’s Premier League clash against Manchester City, hosted at the King Power Stadium on Saturday 10th December 2016 (5.30pm kick-off), refereed by Michael Oliver.

Leicester City and Manchester City return to Premier League action this Saturday evening after poor results in the Champions League midweek. A weakened Leicester team containing eight changes from their previous Champions League encounter, were thumped 5-0 by Porto at the Estádio do Dragão stadium. With qualification confirmed and the group won, manager Claudio Ranieri left several of his first team squad at home ahead of the crucial Premier League fixture that followed.

Central defensive midfielder Namples Mendy is available for selection after six weeks on the sidelines, having undergone ankle surgery. The Frenchman made his first appearance for the Foxes versus Porto since limping off against Arsenal back in August. Captain Danny Drinkwater serves the last of his three match suspension for elbowing Valon Behrami last month, whilst Kasper Schmeichel continues his recovery from injury. Robert Huth has a back problem, but Ranieri still expects the defender to start.

Manchester City are missing three first team players through suspension. Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho were both shown straight red cards in their previous Premier League fixture against Chelsea, with Aguero picking up a four game suspension and Fernandinho three games. Otamendi also misses the match through suspension having accumulated five yellow cards. Vincent Kompany is still out because of a knee injury, while Raheem Sterling is also doubtful because of an injured knee.

After 14 games last season, Leicester City were second in the table, a point behind Manchester City. They had lost one game and had 29 points on the board. This season, the Foxes are two points from relegation with seven losses already to their name. Although, Claudio Ranieri has won seven of his eight Premier League games against Manchester City, with the only draw coming at the King Power stadium last season.

Manchester City drew 1-1 versus Celtic at the Etihad on Tuesday, as Pep Guardiola fielded a largely second string team having already qualified as runners up. However, Manchester City’s home form continues to concern Guardiola and the fans, with only one win in the last six home fixtures in all competitions.

After three draws in their last six games, Manchester City are four points behind leaders Chelsea. However, a good omen for the Sky Blues is that they have not lost an away game to Leicester in the Premier League, with their last top-flight defeat coming in March 1987.

By Grant James

It’s simply remarkable what Slaven Bilic achieved at West Ham United last season. He breathed new life into an ageing team, as well as instilled a fluid, attacking playing style which saw the Hammers beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton – a stunning achievement. In previous seasons, these are the type of games fans wrote off, but Slaven completely changed the mentality of the players and supporters. He has built a team capable of competing with these tough teams and picking up points; I can’t remember in my life time ever having a team or manager able of achieving this feat.

However, this season, the fairytale has failed to blossom. With the club leaving behind their home of 112 years and moving into the sparkling spaceship that is the London Stadium, results have been inconsistent for Bilic’s men. West Ham lost eight games throughout the entire 2015/16 season; they now have that number of defeats in December.

Worryingly, goals have been hard to come by at the new stadium too, with the team scoring more than one goal only once in eight matches. This is not what the fans had come to expect from a Slaven Bilic team which scored the joint fourth highest amount of goals last season (65).

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Nearly all of West Ham’s summer signings have flopped. Now, this isn’t all Bilic’s fault. It’s no secret that owners David Gold and David Sullivan like to penny pinch and this lack of competitive investment in the transfer window has halted the teams progress on the pinch. Loan deals and freebies are all well and good if the gamble pays off, but more often than not it doesn’t and this has been the case this season.

Loan signings Simeone Zaza and Jonathan Calleri have been arguably two of the worst players to don the claret and blue colours, with no goals or assists in 20 games combined. Freebies Gokhan Tore, Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtviet have all failed to make an impact with just one assist between them from 23 games combined. Club record signing Andre Ayew has looked out of place since his £20.5million move from Swansea. He was

signed as the clubs “marquee striker” David Sullivan promised the fans, but has spent most of his minutes on the wing.

With West Ham sitting one point above the relegation zone and bookmakers fluctuating between Bilic being the favourite manager to lose his job, I think the worse thing the club could do is panic and sack him. The Croatian is the best manager the club have employed in decades and he delivered the best season of football I’ve witnessed in my 20 years.

I believe he deserves time to replicate the mistakes made this season and turn the London Stadium into a fortress. It was always going to take time to settle into the new 57,000 capacity arena, like it does when anybody moves house. Two recent spirited draws at Old Trafford and Anfield prove he has not “lost the dressing room” and that he still can get the best out of this West Ham team.

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By Joe Heslop

The English Football association has signed a new Kit deal with sportswear giants Nike worth more than £400 million which will run from August 2018 until 2030.

Nike has supplied Englands kits for the past 3 years, however, the new deal is worth slightly more than previous deals however the deal has not grown substantially due to poor performances at the European Championships earlier this year. England exited the competition in the quarter-finals at the hands of Iceland.

This new deal comes just a few months after it was reported that the deal was in serious doubt as a result of England’s poor display in France in the summer.

Nike is arguably the most well-known sports manufacturer with them making kits for clubs such as Manchester City, FC Barcelona as well as French champions PSG.

The following article will look at what I think are Nike’s top 5 nicest football kits from the past and some more recent. The kits are rated in the form of a top 5.

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France Euro 2016 Home and Away kits

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Brazil Kit 2012

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Barcelona Home kit 2005/2006

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Portugal Away kit 2010

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Manchester United third kit 2008

These 5 kits give an insight as to what England supporters could potentially look forward to between now and 2030 during the kit deal with Nike.

By James van der Dol

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Having had the year of his life in 2016, Henrik Stenson has picked up yet another title to add to his collection this week.

The Open Championship at Royal Troon in July was the Swede’s first major of his career. Stenson also picked up a silver medal at the Rio Olympics, which was then later followed by winning the Race to Dubai. And now he has been named the European Tour Golfer of the Year for 2016.

He said “It has certainly been the best season of my career and to now be voted the European Tour Golfer of the Year for a second time is a fantastic way to bring the curtain down on it”.

The 40-year-old has been a member of the European Tour since 2001, but it has only been in the last three or four years that he has excelled and proven to be one of the best in the world.

Stenson was part of the European team that lost the Ryder Cup to the Americans at Hazeltine National Golf Club earlier this year. He will be out for revenge next time and if he continues his form into 2017, he may climb higher up the rankings and be in the hunt for his second major title.

By James van der Dol

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For the last couple of seasons, the Dallas Cowboys have been more than disappointing in trying to reach their ultimate goal of becoming Super Bowl Champions for the first time since 1996. However, high class performances and a number of fresh faces have seen their 2016 campaign much improved. They hold an 11-2 record, which is streaks ahead of anyone in the National Football Conference.

We are going to look at the five most important players in the Cowboys successful team so far this year.

1. Dak Prescott (Quarterback)

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 The Cowboys found Dak Prescott in the fourth round of the NFL draft prior to the 2016 season. Following the injury to longtime starting quarterback Tony Romo in preseason, Prescott was to begin as Dallas’s number one. He has proved calm under pressure throughout the campaign even since Romo’s return to fitness. He has broken two NFL rookie records and has been a linchpin in the Cowboys successful offensive line this season. If he keeps doing his job to this standard, there is no reason why Dallas cannot challenge for the Super Bowl in the post season.

2. Ezekiel Elliott (Running back)

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The 21-year-old from Ohio State University was the Cowboys first pick in the 2016 NFL draft. The strong and agile running back has been arguably the best player in the entire league this season. He leads the rushing yards table with more than 200 yards gained than anyone else. His quick and aggressive style has gained him many plaudits and he has rewarded Dallas for using their first draft pick on him. If he continues to perform and adds to the 12 touchdowns that he has already scored this season, he can only help in trying to push them towards the Super Bowl.

3. Jason Witten (Tight end)

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Jason Witten has been a Cowboy since 2003. He knows exactly what it takes to be part of a team with such an illustrious history of great players and championships. He has been an ever improving tight end and this year has been no different. With his ability to grab the ball in tight situations and pick up first downs, Witten has been an integral part of what the Cowboys have done this year. A veteran of the sport that still takes pressure off the wide receivers and pops up with important touchdowns at vital times. He often goes unnoticed, but if Dallas were to reach the final stages of the Super Bowl this season, Witten would for sure be recognised.

4. Sean Lee (Outside linebacker)

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After winning the Pro Bowl in 2015, Sean Lee was always likely to have a good 2016 season. The outside linebacker has proved to be crucial in the Dallas defence. He lies second in the overall standings for most tackles in the NFL. The way that he reads the play and his aggressive style has allowed him to dominate other teams’ offensive linemen and running backs. Dallas have only lost twice this season and Lee has been an important part of that statistic. He made more tackles than anyone in last weeks defeat to the New York Giants and if he continues to perform to this standard, then he will go a long way to helping Dallas be successful in the post season and in years to come.

5. Dan Bailey (Placekicker)

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Simply the best. Dan Bailey holds the record for the highest field goal percentage in NFL history and this season has been no different. Nicknamed ‘Mr Automatic’ by some, Bailey has scored vital points for the Cowboys in tight games. Like Lee he has been at Dallas for some time but is still young at just 28-years-old. If he continues with this accuracy the Cowboys will have a sure fire kicker for years to come.

By James van der Dol

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For so long Phil Taylor was the only man in darts, few could get close to the man that helped revolutionised the sport and bring it into a new age. However, his crown has been snatched ruthlessly in recent years by the young man from the Netherlands, Michael Van Gerwen.

Van Gerwen has set the world alight, breaking all sorts of records and beating anyone that lay in his path. At the age of just 24, he beat Peter Wright to become the youngest PDC World Champion and become number one in the world. Although this was his last World Championship, 2016 has been a record breaking year for the Dutchman and the real question is, can anyone stop him?

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For the last two years Scotland has produced some of the finest darting talent we have seen. Both Gary Anderson and Peter Wright have been at the very top of their game. Anderson winning the world title back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. Wright has won multiple other titles and been runner up in the UK Open. Both have stopped Van Gerwen before and will have to do it once more, if they want to win the World Championship in 2017.

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No darting argument would be complete without mentioning Phil Taylor and Raymond Van Barneveld. Since Van Barneveld’s move from the BDO in 2006, he and Taylor have been competing for the top spot in the world. More often than not Taylor has come out on top, but the two will surely prove a big test for Van Gerwen, if they were to meet each other at some point in the competition. Despite both players not performing at their best in 2016, they have good head-to-head records against Van Gerwen and have made him falter on the big stage before.

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A dark horse in this year’s World Championship is Adrian Lewis. The man from Stoke-on-Trent has not been in the greatest form in 2016, but always seems to bring his best to the World Championship at the Alexandra Palace. With his high averages and fantastic doubling, he could really pose a threat to the rest of the field, especially Van Gerwen once the Championship starts on 15^th December.

By James van der Dol

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Following Anthony Joshua’s stunning third round knockout of American Eric Molina on Saturday night, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn announced the news that the boxing world wanted to hear. On 29^th April 2017, Anthony Joshua will be facing off against the former undisputed Heavyweight World Champion Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium for the IBF, WBA (Super) and IBO heavyweight titles.

The 40-year-old Ukrainian has not fought since his majority decision loss against Tyson Fury late last year. After this loss, fans and journalists alike were wondering if that was to be his last fight, in what has been an illustrious career spanning over two decades. He holds a professional record of 68 fights, 64 wins and only four losses. He has knocked out 53 of his opponents therefore gaining one of the best fight to knock out ratios in heavyweight history.

Despite this, 18 months will have passed since he last got in the ring when he fights at Wembley. Joshua also holds an outstanding record. In his professional career, he has faced off against 18 fighters and had beaten all 18 of them inside the distance.

Although Joshua is still unproven at the highest level and lacks the experience that Klitschko has, many believe that Joshua will steam roll the man 13 years his elder. Both have fantastic knockout rates and both have fought on the biggest of stages.

We only have to go back to the last time he beat a British fighter to look at his true credentials. When David Haye fought the Ukrainian in Hamburg in 2011, Klitschko used clever tactics and completely out boxed the man from Bermondsey. With his quick jabs and his hit and hold style, he was able to out point Haye and win by a unanimous decision. Klitschko tried a similar tactic against Fury but the Brit ungainly style put the champion in a difficult position. This time it didn’t go his way, but you can bet that he will find some sort of solution just like he has throughout his career.

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Both fighters have displayed true professionalism throughout their career. Neither boxer give huge statements or play mind games with their opponent. After being undisputed champion for so many years, Klitschko has had to put up with a lot. This type of experience may help him get the edge on Joshua, who has had a fairly smooth transition into the sport from his amateur and Olympic days.

Putting all of the experience and the knowledge that Klitschko has, we are not forgetting Joshua’s raw and explosive power. Not one fighter that he has faced has looked close to stopping him in his tracks. Only two fighters have taken him as far as round seven and they were much younger and energetic than Klitschko will be in April.

If Joshua can get the win against Klitschko, it will get rid of some of his doubters and prove that he is a heavyweight force to be reckoned with.

With a record attendance estimated and it being held at the national stadium, this fight promises to be one of the greats and go down in boxing history. Let’s just hope it lives up to the occasion.

By Dan Smith

On Tuesday night Stourbridge produced one of the all-time great shocks as the seventh-tier side shocked Northampton Town FC with a 1-0 victory to secure a passage into the third round.

To celebrate this, and in no particular order we will now look at the five most memorable moments in FA Cup history.

Number 5: The Crazy Gang

In 1988, minnows Wimbledon went toe-to-toe with the giants that are Liverpool FC, arguable the best team in the world during this era. This result has gone down as one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup final history as the much unfancied Wimbledon beat Liverpool 1-0. The side which included the likes of Lawrie Sanchez, Vinnie Jones and Dave Beasant had done the unthinkable. And it was the latter who proved to be a hero as he saved a John Aldridge penalty to ensure that the trophy went to Plough Lane for the first time.

Number 4: The Gerrard Final

The 2006 FA Cup final contested between West Ham and Liverpool will go down in the annuls. It is not often that a final is to be named after one player, with only Stanley Matthews receiving the honour back in 1953. But at 2-0 down Gerrard played a sublime ball to Djbril Cisse or duly obliged with the finish. It was then that Gerrard took centre stage. Scoring the equaliser and then with the last kick of the game the Liverpool Legend smashed home from 35 yards. He then proceeded to score in the shoot-out as The Reds brought home their seventh FA Cup title.

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Number 3: Chelsea Vs Bradford

In January of 2015 one of the biggest modern day upsets of all time occurred. League 1 Bradford travelled to Stamford Bridge to take on eventual Premier League champions Chelsea. Jose Mourinho’s men were 2-0 up after 40 minutes and it seemed like it would be plain siling. However, a Jon Stead goal just before half time set the game up perfectly. Goals followed from Filipe Morais, Andy Halliday and Mark Yeates as Bradford completed an epic comeback and were in the draw for the fifth round for the first time in 18 years.

Number 2: Portsmouth Vs Cardiff

This game was not special in terms of anything that happened in the game. Moreover, it was a special moment for both teams as it was Pompey’s first FA Cup final for over 60 years and Cardiff were bidding to become the first team to win the competition outside of the top flight. In front of a record breaking attendance that has not yet been broken at the new Wembley; Portsmouth reigned victorious as a first half goal from Nwankwo Kanu sent the fans into ecstasy and they held on for a 1-0 win to claim their second FA Cup final victory.

Number 1: Non-League giant killers.

In the fourth round of the 2013/12 FA Cup Luton Town knocked out Norwich City to became the first non-league team in 25 years to defeat top division opponents. They did it the hard way as well by winning the tie at Carrow Road. Having already beating Wolves in the previous round they knew what they had to do. A late strike from Scott Rendell sent The Hatters into the Fifth round. Scenes like this had not been since

Sutton United beat Coventry City back in 1989. Hopefully for the good of the FA Cup it won’t be long until we see it again.