Small club syndrome thrives – but Fulham break free

As the final whistle blew at Villa Park on Sunday, consigning Newcastle to the Championship, a familiar epidemic swept across the terraces at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland’s supporters, having just witnessed another pitiful defeat against a Chelsea team playing on autopilot, sung with glee and waved their home-made banners for the television cameras, as the news of their foes’ demise filtered through. What these supporters were suffering from was ‘Small Club Syndrome’. There is just the one symptom; taking pleasure from your rivals’ failure, in an attempt to cover up for your own shortcomings. It is the sister of that other deadly virus that can be found among football supporters, called Sour Grapes. Sunderland have been terrible this season, but no matter. They are the Premier League’s only surviving team in the north east, and for that we can allow them a small party, as they are by no means the worst sufferers.

When it all gets to much If I don’t watch, then everything will turn out okay. And so it proved for the second year running as Chelsea edged past Liverpool in the Champions League. And for the second year running I spent the majority of the game in blissful ignorance of the drama that was [...]

Football and religion

Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, has criticised the Premier League for scheduling games on Easter Sunday, saying it should be a day to spend time with those we love. I like Dr Sentamu. He speaks a lot of sense, most recently suggesting that making St George’s Day a national holiday could promote unity in England. I feel he is wrong, however on this latest issue.

My Sunday Morning

From a young age I have always been intrigued by the thought of refereeing a football match. How fun it seemed to be involved in a game so close up, watching two teams compete for glory. How many fans would love the opportunity to watch their heroes, not from the grandstand, but from the same patch of turf? There is a catch, of course. That whistle around the neck is no doubt a heavy burden, not to mention that little black notebook and two coloured cards in your pocket.