Roll out of bed around 11. Catch the end of Soccer AM. Submit awful Super 6 predictions. Watch Gillette Soccer Saturday. Watch Match of the Day. Repeat. I have just described what for me and countless others is the perfect lazy Saturday. The perfect routine for a day when you've got nothing to do. Of … Continue reading From the armchair to the stand- On the importance of local football →

There are empty stomachs, cupboards and wallets across Northern Ireland. When people reach a financial breaking point, they are left with no choice but to turn to foodbanks for assistance.  Foodbanks in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK are overseen by a charitable organisation called the Trussell Trust. Trussell Trust foodbanks operate according … Continue reading 2019: A record breaking year for NI food bank use →

Weekends have changed a bit. For everyone in various ways, but for football fans, things are particularly strange. There's no B list singers attempting top bins on Soccer AM, no accumulators (unless you're an expert on the Burundi Premier League) and no Match of the Day. In the midst of a global pandemic these things … Continue reading 2002 World Cup- My favourite tournament that I never watched →

Roses, chocolates, a trip to Stangmore Park. Three things that are synonymous with Valentine's Day. Plenty of couples pencilled in a date night to Dungannon where they saw Larne grind out a 2-0 victory to cement their top 6 position. The contest was cagey at the outset with Dungannon arguably starting strongest. Conor Mitchell replaced … Continue reading Larne secure top 6 place with victory over Dungannon →

The treacherous conditions were the story of the day at the Brandywell. Heavy rain and sweeping winds hampered play for the duration of the game in which Larne ran out comfortable 4-0 winners. Upon arrival at the ground, I was soaked before reaching my seat which set the tone for a game where Storm Ciara … Continue reading Larne hammer destitute Institute 4-0 at blustery Brandywell →

(Photo credit: Tavish K) When I think of skateboarding, the first thing that comes to mind is the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series on the Playstation 2. I think of using a million cheat codes to perform impossible manoeuvres with Rancid and Alien Ant Farm songs blaring in the background. What never sprung to mind … Continue reading Canadian skateboarder Annie Guglia’s goals for Tokyo 2020 →

We're going in alphabetical order in this 10 Year Challenge series, next on the list is established Premier League side Bournemouth. The earliest memory I have of Bournemouth is using them in FIFA 08 because they had Darren Anderton who played for Tottenham in the 1990s. Why I was so infatuated with him I have … Continue reading 10 Year Challenge: AFC Bournemouth →

Do you remember that 10 year challenge that appeared out of nowhere one day on Facebook and Instagram? The gods of social media instructed us to post old photos and we duly obliged. Anyway, that idea has been the inspiration behind this new series of articles I'll be writing over the next few weeks. I … Continue reading 10 Year Challenge: Belgium →

Every four years when the World Cup rolls around, there's always a few underdog nations that catch us off guard by qualifying. We've grown accustomed to seeing the likes of Brazil and Germany consistently progress to the latter stages but I want to cast light on some nations that have been forgotten along the way. … Continue reading 5 teams you didn’t know played in the World Cup →

On Thursday night I returned to Ballymena Showgrounds, ten years on from my Road Safety Quiz triumph, for an occasion of equal magnitude. Ballymena United were facing Swedish giants Malmo FF in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier, after falling to a 7-0 trouncing in Sweden. The Sky Blues knew that victory would … Continue reading Ballymena United valiant in defeat against Malmo →