Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Cleats.
"There's no I in team.... But there's an I in quarantine!"
Everyone had something they missed during the enforced lock down earlier this year at the height of the pandemic. Not seeing friends and loved ones was something we could all relate to. For some it was going to the gym, visiting a library or museum, going to a concert or watching the latest blockbuster at the cinema. Don't get me wrong, I missed those things immensely. However, the thing I missed most (apart from my girlfriend!) was football.
By Godfrey Love Berko5 years ago in Cleats
Movie Review: 'The Keeper' Arrives at the Exact Wrong Time
Now is not the time for the movie The Keeper. A movie highlighting a story of reconciliation between victims of the Nazis and a Nazi soldier has no place in a world where Nazi propaganda and fascism is once again on the rise. Regardless of the good intentions at the heart of the movie and at the heart of the filmmakers, we need not demonstrate compassion or acceptance for people who fight on the side of Nazi ideology no matter how much they claim that they did so against their will.
By Sean Patrick5 years ago in Cleats
A Look Back at Byram Hills Soccer loss to Greece-Athena in 2014 State Semifinals
On Saturday morning November 15, the Byram Hills soccer team traveled to Middletown High School to face Greece-Athena in the semifinals of the New York State High School Championship. Eighty minutes of grit and gut check had both teams squared off where they started. Sudden death overtime the forum, an unfriendly bounce could provide glory and misery in an instant. Unfortunately, a tough skip off the turf with 6:36 left in the extra period sunk the hearts of the Bobcats, and all the fans who made the three hour journey with them.
By Rich Monetti5 years ago in Cleats
Four goals and a beat down
The word “premier” in soccer means very different things in different places. In England, it’s the top flight of soccer. In the US, the word usually gets attached to amateur leagues. And by amateur, I mean both the quality of play and the way they are run. You’d think the English would sue over the damage to their reputation.
By Ted Prezelski5 years ago in Cleats
Football comes back to Shotton
One of the unexpected side-effects of the coronavirus lockdown has been a groundswell of support for our local communities. And, in Shotton Colliery, an old pit village in East Durham, it’s been a trigger for a new football club aiming to bring the game back to town after 15 years without a team in the Saturday leagues.
By Andy Potts5 years ago in Cleats
Hope in East Durham's 'Black Hole'
This story was originally published on Groundhoppers.blog in November 2018. Two years later, happily, both Shotton and Murton have Saturday football back at their grounds. Shotton Colliery FC, newly formed for the 2020/21 campaign, plays in Wearside League Division 2, one level below a reborn Horden CW. Among their opponents, Ryhope CW U23s have moved into Murton's ground. Peterlee is still home to the local rugby club.
By Andy Potts5 years ago in Cleats
Christian Pulisic: *Potentially* America's best ever male player
When Christian Pulisic first broke through at Borussia Dortmund in early 2016, there was an insanely large amount of excitement around him especially from sports media outlets based in the United States. This is to be expected given the lack of top class football players that USA has produced relative to its massive 300 million plus population. This lack of truly top class professional American footballers has often in the past lead to the over hyping of mediocre talent by the US media, Freddy Adu was earmarked to become one of the best players in the world at one point in time. The less said about his career the better. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that not only is Pulisic an exceptional player worth all the hype he receives, he has all the tools to become the USA’s best ever player. In this piece we will analyze the excellent season he’s had at Chelsea and what he needs to do to be certain of achieving that accolade
By Michael Black5 years ago in Cleats
