About us
Football discourse has never been louder, but somehow, it’s never been worse. In a world of lazy clichés and recycled debates, real football stories, the ones that educate and spark curiosity, are getting lost.
From the pundits we see on TV, to the entertainers who dominate social media, there now seems to be a desire to entertain the masses instead of informing them.
Different pitches is made for fans who crave more than just the usual soundbites, offering deep dives into the stories, history, and untold narratives that shape the game.
“When I was in England, I always told my staff, I really miss the press conferences in Italy, because in England they only want to talk about controversy, but now that I’m In Italy, I don’t want to talk about tactics, because you’re too good at the analysis”
Jose Mourinho
Story 1
The term ‘yoyo club’ describes a team that often gets promoted to the big time, but usually due to economic constraints goes down every time. It creates a cycle of achievement followed by disappointment which can be quite confusing and frustrating for the fans of that team. It makes the ambitions of a club somewhat murky, and any success is often shadowed by the fear of the reversal of it the very next season.
But we must consider that to be in this position is a privilege for the fans and for the clubs themselves. It means they are doing something right, and eventually with enough chances they may well achieve survival in the topflight, with a base to build upon. Many English people seem to think this is a purely English football pyramid phenomenon, but it is very common throughout Europe.
Story 2
10 June 1970. Guadalajara, Mexico.
8AM in the morning. But you would of had no idea as the feverous atmosphere inside the Estadio Jalisco reached new levels and the players were welcomed onto the pitch. The sun was shining, kids were screaming with excitement, adults - who may as well have been kids for those 90 minutes, were glistening.
It was the World Cup and it was the 3rd and final game of group C. Brazil, who were the pre- tournament favourites, were rampant. They had put four past Czechoslovakia and defeated England 1-0 in a memorable game in which fans later referred to as ‘the final before the final’. They were up against a Romania side who few had paid attention to before the tournament. A narrow loss to England in the first game followed by a terrific comeback vs Czechoslovakia in the next, nothing special - but enough to show Brazil they weren’t going to let them run them over.
“When you start supporting a football club, you don’t support it because of the trophies, or a player, or history, you support it because you found yourself somewhere there; found a place where you belong”
— Dennis Bergkamp
Highbury 1951
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