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info@uksoccershop.com www.uksoccershop.com Brendan Rogers and Swansea City celebrate play-off promotion

WSC No 293, July 2011

1986

2011

Contents

The days since have seen the Swans being “the first Welsh team in the Premier League” – a typical “football began in 1992” factlet Match of the month Reading v Swansea City p20

COLIN McPHERSON

4 Editorial A lack of self-awareness at the FA

6 News watch Assessing Barcelona’s place in history as they beat Manchester United

8 Sidelines FA Cup final media battle; Birmingham rue relegation; the Stranraer-Twente connection; Wrexham ready for new owners

12 Shot! Dublin stages an international festival but the crowds stay away

14 FIFA election crisis Why the rest of the world looks up to

Sepp Blatter; a call for international transparency; Switzerland turns against the federation’s “public benefit” status

17 Eamon Zayed The Derry City striker who is hoping to take

Libya to the African Cup of Nations

18 Finishing fifth Can you really believe those fans who claim that it’s the Champions League or nothing?

20 Match of the month Swansea survive a Reading fightback at Wembley

Roman history p26

24 Shot! Archive

A sombre all-Liverpool Cup final in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989

26 25 years of WSC Club ownership special: Chelsea’s changes alienate their followers; lost tradition at Portman Road; Wimbledon start again

32 Euro view Legal aid for Porto and Boavista; Arkan’s favourites slide into history; Italian police under scrutiny; ice hockey rules in Riga

36 Football League 2010-11 Looking back over last season: QPR

dominate in the Championship; big clubs struggle in League One; inconsistency prevails in League Two

40 World view Officials under fire in Argentina;

the J-League is a welcome distraction

C OL OR S P ORT

C OL OR S P ORT

42 Reviews Clough v Revie; Barça’s boardroom politics;

Stepney stays secretive; Drinkell runs dry

44 Letters Dear WSC, I was forced to take issue with...

46 Season in brief Division Two 1974-75

46 Season in brief Division Two 1974-75