New "Football Knowledge" Website

The "General Information" Page for Arsenal FC

There have been many times when I've wanted some information on a football club, e.g. trophies won, most goals scored by a player, directions to the ground, etc., and have had to scour the internet to gain the knowledge. With this in mind, I've embarked on a long term project to assemble the basic information on every professional football club under one website. It is currently here - http://football-knowledge.webs.com/.

When one considers that in the English Football League alone there are 92 teams, with more professional and semi-professional teams in the non-league system, then it is quite a mammoth undertaking. When the other Home Nations leagues are taken into account (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Eire) then, for the UK and Ireland alone, this project will take some time to finish. However, I hope to include every major league for all countries in the world which holds "The Beautiful Game" dear to its collective heart.

The point of the website is to give the reader an insight into the history of the club without

Club Records Included

bombarding the fan with too much information. Most fans would want to know who their club's all time top scorer is and who has made the most appearances for their team. However, I'm open to suggestions for what readers might want included on the site, so a Feeback Form is included on the "Contacts" page.


I aim to add a "Members" page with a forum for both national and international discussion on football matters. I for one am intrigued as to what the average A-League fan thinks about the Australian game or what a Sante Fe fan believes is the most important issue in the Colombian league.

What Trophies has your Club Won?

The "Honours" page is intended to highlight a club's Trophy Cabinet and show to the world the achievements of the team throughout its history. For instance, before embarking on this project, I for one had no idea that Aston Villa had won the Football League War Cup in 1944. This was a cup competition devised in England during the Second World War to keep the population entertained due to the cancellation of the Football League programme for the duration of the war. Air raids were a constant threat whilst these games were being played!

Watch the Glory Days Again

Notable Players

Is it Back Me or Sack Me at Swindon Town?

Like most Football League managers, Paolo Di Canio holds a pre-match press conference on the Thursday before Saturday's game. This usually allows him time to convey his thoughts in an English vernacular that he has obviously picked up during his time as a footballer, plying his trade both in England and Scotland, rather than as a student in a classroom learning how to conjugate verbs. The resulting transcript may sometimes have to be read two or three times before the gist of what was said comes through. Other times, the diatribe that the Roman produces as he fulminates on the latest issue that has got his goat needs no explanation; whether his statement needs translating or not, an annoyed Paolo Di Canio is a spectacle worth watching and listening to!

New Swindon Town Chairman,
Sir William Patey

"Oh, b******s!"

This was fine and dandy when all was right in the world of SN1 and Jeremy Wray was the Chairman of Swindon Town. Supporters of the club could listen to the Thursday rant and know that Mr. Wray was there to take Paolo to one side after his meeting with the hacks and calm him down with a soothing word or two in the fiery Italian's ear. Now in Sir William Patey there is a new Chairman at the foremost club in Wiltshire and a stricter regime in the boardroom. This is what makes this week's railing at the internal politics within the County Ground a little more disconcerting. Not since Glen Hoddle's tenure as manager has Swindon Town had someone whose own ambition has been the catalyst for success, dragging the team kicking and screaming along with him. League One consolidation may be the official aim of the club for this season, but for someone like Paolo Di Canio, a student of Bushido, continuing the momentum from the success of his first season as manager of Swindon Town and achieving back to back promotions is the one and only goal for this year.

So, the report in the Swindon Advertiser today makes for unnerving reading. (Adver Report - Di Canio's 20 Minute Rant). The team are in a healthy position in the league going into the Christmas fixtures and it is imperative that Paolo Di Canio is in place to steer them through what can be a difficult time in the season. However, reading the news item, it would seem that the Swindon Town manager could be having a crisis of conscience, his own ambitions seemingly at odds with the directions he is being given by the board. Hopefully, all will be resolved as soon as possible at SN1, but, unfortunately, there is no longer the sage advice of Jeremy Wray to counter the emotional outburst from the already managerial legend that is Paolo Di Canio.