Football

Why Are Leicester City Called ‘The Foxes’?

You might already associate the city of Leicester with Walkers crisps, Richard III or a 5000-1 title triumph. But what about foxes? Clearly a significant sign to the city, Leicester City Football Club are nicknamed ‘the Foxes’ and have had a picture of one slap-bang in the middle of their crest since 1948. Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s logo also bears a picture of their furry friend. Plus, when you enter the county of Leicestershire, you will likely see a road sign featuring a fox. But where does this affiliation with …

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Why is Arsenal FC Called Arsenal?

You probably already know that they went 49 games – including an entire season – undefeated, that Arsene Wenger enjoyed a 22-year stint as manager of them and, most importantly, that their mascot is a dinosaur. You might also be aware that they were the first English club to field an entirely foreign matchday squad, to concede 200 Champions League goals and to have beaten both Milan clubs at the San Siro (plenty more where they came from here). But where do Arsenal get their name from? Have they always …

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What Percentage of Penalties are Scored? [Statistical Breakdown]

It’s often described as a lottery in football, but penalties are evidently far likely to be scored than missed or denied by the goalkeeper. At least if your name’s Matt Le Tissier or Alan Shearer, anyway. But just how much of an advantage to the attacker do penalty statistics point to? How great is a penalty miss chance, both in the Premier League and in general? How many are awarded in the first place? Let’s take a look: How Often Are Penalties Awarded? Per InStat, there have been more than …

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Brentford B Team: How the Bees Are Treating Youth Development Differently

Brentford are a peculiar modern-day football club, in that so much of what they do feels ahead of their time while also sticking to principles which seemed to go out of fashion years ago. They give managers time. They nurture their own players. They spend sensible figures on thoroughly-scouted footballers from across the globe. But if all of this feels terribly sensible, they’re far from boring. In fact, one particular trait of theirs makes them pretty unique – Brentford essentially have no academy. Instead, they have their own B-team, whose …

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STUDY: How Many Goals Are Scored from Direct Free Kicks?

Did you know that, in the Premier League, the direct free kick conversation rate stands at only about six per cent? That equates to one goal for roughly every 18 attempts. Perhaps that’s what makes them stand out in our mind so clearly – not just the beauty of seeing a ball so precisely caressed from such a distance – but the rarity of it. Indeed, since 2005-06, only two Premier League players have scored from as many as four free kicks in one season – Cristiano Ronaldo (twice) and …

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Why Are West Brom Called ‘The Baggies’?

They’ve spent much of their recent history hopscotching between England’s top two tiers. Their mascot was once a man dressed as a combi boiler. Frank Skinner and Adrian Chiles go and watch them together. We’re talking, of course, about West Bromwich Albion, the Midlands outfit who can never seem to settle in either the Premier League or the Championship for long enough. But where does their less orthodox nickname come from? Why do West Brom fans call their team ‘The Baggies’, or even ‘The Boing Boing Baggies’? Where Does ‘The …

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