Philip Patrick

Fifa 1 – England 0

22 November 2022 12:21 am

England have backed down in the ludicrous standoff with Fifa over the plan for captain Harry Kane to wear a…

Fifa’s president is feeling African, gay and disabled. I’m feeling confused

20 November 2022 8:39 pm

‘I’m defending football here, and injustice’ was the standout quote, for me, from what has been described as a ‘bizarre…

The problem with Ronaldo’s betrayal narrative

16 November 2022 10:01 pm

Cristiano Ronaldo has almost certainly played his last game for Manchester United after an ‘explosive’ interview which ‘the whole world’s…

Football’s problems run far beyond the Qatar World Cup

6 November 2022 11:18 pm

Are there any redeeming features of the Qatar World Cup? Perhaps one: the tournament has a sane and logical format.…

Did lockdown contribute to Seoul’s Halloween tragedy?

30 October 2022 7:55 pm

At least 151 people were crushed or trampled to death in a narrow alley in the South Korean capital Seoul…

In defence of VAR

29 October 2022 4:30 pm

There isn’t much that unites the fractious, dysfunctional football family. But in the UK, at least, there is something most…

Hard to swallow: the unjustified hype around Japanese food

15 October 2022 9:00 am

Japanese food is over-hyped

Paris’s football World Cup boycott will achieve little

6 October 2022 11:49 pm

Several French cities have announced that they will be boycotting the upcoming World Cup in protest against the Qatari state’s…

The anger behind Shinzo Abe's state funeral

26 September 2022 11:34 pm

Tokyo While not quite on the scale of Her Majesty’s service, Tuesday’s state funeral of Japan’s longest serving PM Shinzo…

In defence of Rangers’ royal tribute

15 September 2022 5:30 pm

Ibrox stadium, home of Rangers football club, saw a powerful tribute to the late Queen last night before the team’s…

Japan's cult of safetyism

29 August 2022 8:19 pm

The Japanese government has launched an initiative to encourage young people to drink more alcohol. Yes, really. The national tax…

Japan’s nuclear renaissance

25 August 2022 7:55 pm

Japan is reversing its avowedly anti-nuclear stance, restarting idled plants and looking to develop a new generation of reactors, announced Prime Minister…

In defence of Graeme Souness’ ‘man’s game’ comments

17 August 2022 5:47 pm

‘Language please, there are ladies present’, that was the kind of thing you would occasionally hear when some possibly overly…

What does England’s victory mean for women's football?

1 August 2022 5:17 pm

Well, thank goodness for that. Just as it seemed the England’s women’s football team might be about to extend the…

Why is the BBC's women's football coverage so patronising?

5 July 2022 12:59 am

Be honest, how excited are you about the women’s European football championship? The BBC – which will broadcast every game…

Why won't David Beckham criticise Qatar?

20 June 2022 10:49 pm

David Beckham has come under fire for failing to speak out about human rights abuses in Qatar. Amnesty International said…

Gareth Southgate doesn't know what he's doing

15 June 2022 7:30 pm

‘The Hungar Shames’ screamed the Sun after England suffered a mortifying 0-4 defeat to the not so mighty Magyars last…

Is Emma Raducanu a one-hit wonder?

3 June 2022 3:30 pm

If there is one thing that could salvage this year’s Wimbledon it would be a decent showing by the tournament’s…

Wimbledon is getting what it deserves

25 May 2022 10:26 pm

What a mess. With just five weeks to go before the start of the tournament, Wimbledon organisers are having to…

Is this the return of football hooliganism?

20 May 2022 7:40 pm

Everton secured their Premier League safety last night, coming back from two goals down to bag a 3-2 victory against…

Ukraine shouldn't get a free pass to the World Cup

1 April 2022 10:18 pm

Should Ukraine be given a free pass into this year’s football World Cup? Boris Johnson has given his support to…

Does Putin’s Judo philosophy explain his sanctions response?

18 March 2022 10:36 pm

Contemplating leaders and their heroes can be a revealing business. Churchill had busts of Nelson and Napoleon at Chartwell (and…

In Japan, being a token westerner is big business

5 March 2022 9:00 am

How to make money as a token westerner in Japan

Kicking Russia out of the World Cup would achieve nothing

1 March 2022 2:13 am

‘There are more important things in life than football,’ said the Polish football federation as they announced their intention to boycott…

How long can Japan keep foreigners locked out?

11 February 2022 11:55 pm

A colleague has posted on the ‘Return to Japan’ Facebook page that his hotel quarantine at Tokyo’s Narita airport is…