Matthew Chandler, Author at SQaF | Sports Quotes and Facts

Giving Managers Time: The Stories of 5 Managers Who Turned it Around

Time is a sparse commodity for football managers these days. Unless you deliver instant results, you’re generally hounded out of the door, with not a second thought given to whether you were ever capable of turning the tide back in your favour. But perhaps any bosses feeling the heat can look to history for living proof that, if allowed to, a bad run of form doesn’t always prove terminal for the men in the dugout, as these five examples have showed: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) You’d think that Ferguson, …

Which Football Clubs Make a Profit?

In the modern game, where hundreds of millions of pounds are often frittered away almost as an afterthought, it may surprise you to know that, last year, 77 of the 98 clubs in Europe’s ‘Big Five’ leagues (England, Spain, France, Germany, Italy) made a profit. In fact, an overall financial gain across the continent was made, roughly to the tune of an eye-watering £540 million. But, away from income generated by factors like revenue and gate receipts, who have been five of the most profitable football clubs from the smallest …

Ras Abu Aboud Stadium: The First 100% Temporary World Cup Stadium

They say the biggest sporting events can cause a great legacy for the host nation. Just look at how some of the venues from London’s 2012 Olympic Games have been put to good use, for example. But for Qatar, hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it seems, won’t carry such longevity. For one thing, one of the grounds being used, the Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, is being built solely for the competition, and then will be dismantled after its conclusion. So, what exactly is the reasoning behind it, and should …

Why Are Leyton Orient Called ‘Orient’?

With six changes to their name since forming in 1881 Leyton Orient have surely exhausted the deed polls by now. And despite all the different titles they’ve gone by, the unusual suffix ‘Orient’ seems to have stuck for the London club. But just where does it stem from? Founded By Cricketers? Yes; originally, Leyton Orient were formed by members of the Glyn Cricket Club in 1881 – making them the second-oldest football club in London after Fulham – and were given the same title at first. Based in Hackney, the …

5 Potential Future Football Rule Changes

Football has changed a great deal since its first set of regulations, the ‘Cambridge Rules’ were agreed on in 1848. Indeed, back then, there were no referees, whistles, corner kicks, crossbars or penalty spots. Even as recently as the summer of 2019, some major amendments were made to rules in football, including cards for coaches and managers, no more drop balls and the freedom for to now play a goal kick anywhere. But what could the future hold for the football rulebook? And what are some rather left-field ideas that …

How Graham Potter Transformed Östersund On His Way To Becoming A Premier League Manager

From the doldrums of Swedish football, to the top-flight, to Europe, to managing a Welsh club in England’s second division, to the Premier League; Graham Potter’s career in the dugout has been nothing if not unconventional. After a nomadic playing career as a left-back, representing ten clubs including Birmingham City, Stoke City and Southampton, Potter’s first foray into management started in December 2010, when he took over the reins at Swedish outfit Östersund, who had just been relegated to the fourth tier for the first time since being founded in …