Football Clubs

Hail To The President

Joan Laporta hit the headlines because of his bid to bring England captain David Beckham to Barcelona, but first he had to become the club president. Madrid-based sportswriter Phil Minshull looks at the election and wonders whether other clubs around the world should adopt the process.

Independent Women? Not At Donny Belles

Doncaster Belles have always prided themselves on their independent status. Unlike all the other clubs in the women's Premier League in England, in their 30-year existence they have never been linked to a men's team.

Malmo FF – Breaking The Curse

Malmo FF women's team in Sweden have just started a new season, with a new coach and renewed hope. Simon Reeves looks at the state of the women's game in Sweden and ponders whether Anders Johansson can break Malmo FF's seven year curse.

Athletic Club Bilbao: The Spirit Of The People

Andoni Zubizarreta, Athletic Club Bilbao's Sports Director, and former Spanish goalkeeping hero spoke to footballculture.net about the club, its ambitions and its policy of using Basque-only players.

The Women's Game In England – The Way Forward?

Last month Fulham Football Club announced that the ladies team would turn from professional to semi-professional from next season. For any other club this would be an enviable opportunity, but not all clubs had been blessed with the bank balance of Fulham's chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, who has spent around £5m since 2000 in trying to recreate the popular success of the women's game in the US.

The Miracle of Brazilian Saints (Santos)

Last December, in an already unforgettable year for Brazilian football, saw an amazing comeback of one of the most famous sides of the country's history. After a gap of 34 years, Santos won the Brazilian Championship.

'Franchise FC' (AFC Wimbledon)

Despite intense opposition from the fans, an FA Commission announced that Wimbledon FC, of the English First Division, be allowed to relocate to Milton Keynes, a town over 60 miles away. The decision was massively criticised by the fans of the club, to the point where they will no longer follow them, and have set up a new club, AFC Wimbledon.

Playing For Success

Playing For Success is an educational scheme at over 40 English Premiership and Football League clubs that uses football to help kids with their education. We've looked at how it works at Manchester City FC.

The Biggest Brand In Football: Manchester United

Like the majority of people who go to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, you will fly into the impressive KL International, a good 70 kilometres outside the capital. The quickest route to the metropolis is a taxi ride. And, the chances are you will probably spend the majority of this journey hearing your driver talk about his first love… Manchester United.

Charlton Athletic Race Equality (CARE)

"I learnt not to be racist because if we are all the same it will be boring." A refreshing attitude from a young English pupil at the Charlton Manor School.