Looking for that Christmas gift for your football loving person?
Something with a certain je ne sais quoi?
Something with a dose of magique?
Look no further...
amzn.eu/d/4lFuRa4
@aidanwilliams74.bsky.social
Football writer & podcaster, senior leadership These Football Times Featured @guardian and @athletic Sports nut. World Cup obsessive. Author 'The Nearly Men' & 'Euro 1984' Euro 1984: The Greatest Tournament You Never Saw https://amzn.eu/d/5HtKus7
Looking for that Christmas gift for your football loving person?
Something with a certain je ne sais quoi?
Something with a dose of magique?
Look no further...
amzn.eu/d/4lFuRa4
Well I, for one, am astonished...
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Good stuff. My next, currently about 25% of the way through, is going back a bit further. It's called 1938: The World Cup on the edge of World War.
Sport, politics and history combined.
Wow, impressively prolific.
22.11.2025 14:43 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0Thank you very much Mark. Really appreciate the kind words.
What are the book ideas you're working on?
Personally, I would say that the addition of Fernandez added greater balance to the team, allowing the other three to do their thing all the better. It only fell into place shortly before Euro 1984, but once it fully clicked in that Euros, I feel it helped France perform at a level beyond that of 82
14.11.2025 18:05 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0Well, would you look at that...
This here book of mine is on a special offer currently, with a whopping 43% off.
If ever there was a time to take the plunge, and then celebrate like a last gasp Platini winner, this is it π«π·
Uefa Euro 1984
amzn.eu/d/eT5taN5
Delighted to launch my latest book, THE SLUM SPORT - the story of the 1985/86 Football League season, as told by those who were there.
"It truly is a cracking read" - Barry Davies MBE
Out mid-October. To pre-order your copy please go to: www.curtis-sport.com/all-programm...
The Sting, for me.
16.09.2025 13:53 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Revert the World Cup to 32 teams.
But also introduce a global play-in competition to expand on the intercontinental playoffs.
Have 16 or even 32 teams in that, like a mini World Cup. That way, more nations get something beyond the norm and some get to reach the big finals if they're good enough
Award penalties for any denial of a goalscoring opportunity, no matter where on the field the offence took place.
12.09.2025 09:43 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0A Scandinavian top division?
A Benelux league?
A Balkan league?
A Mediterranean league featuring Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey perhaps?
Incendiary but strong.
I'd take this thought and go further. Multi national leagues across Europe would perhaps strengthen many teams.
How about a league of all top Spanish, Portuguese, and French clubs together, with national leagues feeding into it?
How about Austria, Switzerland, and Germany?
And while I'm at it, merge Asian and Oceanian federations too.
12.09.2025 09:35 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Merge concacaf and conmebol.
Copa America then becomes a tournament requiring qualifiers, but bri is meaningful competition to the stronger teams from both, and chance to develop for the rest.
World cup qualifying becomes more meaningful too.
Selling fast: Francesco Totti and Philosophies.
First up, Totti in all his glory, covering the highs and lows of his Roma and Italy career. Just look at that cover! Alongside it comes our exploration of the philosophies and systems that made football.
thesefootballtimes.shop/mag
Essentially increasing the prospect of a mid table Championship team being promoted. May be unlikely, sure, but would be possible.
The current set up is fine.
We are The Great North Run and every one of us is a story.
#GreatNorthRun #WeAreTheGNR
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-rZ...
Love that quote. Magnificent
22.08.2025 08:30 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0FIFA has multiple obvious grounds to suspend or expel the Israel Football Association and in doing so apply meaningful pressure to stop the slaughter in Gaza. It has done nothing. Great piece of work here from @thepitchinspection.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfjD...
22.08.2025 06:30 β π 60 π 19 π¬ 2 π 1And so we reach the end of our trip back to Euro 84. The excellent @aidanwilliams74.bsky.social & Jonathan OβBrien take us through a nervy final, itβs legacy and just how authoritative a performance it was from France & Platini.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
open.spotify.com/episode/4dzs...
The greatest European Championship game of all time? @aidanwilliams74.bsky.social and Jonathan OβBrien run the rule over an incredible night when France and Portugal met in Marseille.
Out in the usual places now!
open.spotify.com/episode/1VZX...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden...etc
It's 1981. Join @scraggy74.bsky.social and @themagicofthecup.bsky.social for England's World Cup qualifier in Norway
The story of our 'album' title track ... yourboystookahellofabeating.substack.com/p/module-8-y...
Is this the greatest tournament group of all time? 23 goals, drama to the very end, the emergence of 3 young talents, a disgrace that derailed the Belgians and, of course, Platini.
@aidanwilliams74.bsky.social guides us through
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
open.spotify.com/episode/53xC...
Part 2 of our Euro β84 series is available now in all the usual places as @aidanwilliams74.bsky.social & Rob Smyth wrap up the drama of the qualifiers. Italyβs gap year, Northern Ireland managing to beat West Germany twice and not qualify and Spain needing to beat Malta by 11 clear goalsβ¦
30.05.2025 08:09 β π 2 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0Our Euro β84 deep dive is underway with the story of the qualifiers that is as dramatic and remarkable as the finals themselves.
@aidanwilliams74.bsky.social joins Rob and Martyn to set the sceneβ¦
open.spotify.com/episode/3IrQ...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
substack.com/@yourboystoo... It's Friday afternoon, you need something to help the last few hours of the working week melt away, and we've got you covered. Join @aidanwilliams74.bsky.social and @scraggy74.bsky.social for Module 1 of Your Boys Took a Hell of a Beating. 1980sTastic.
02.05.2025 12:27 β π 4 π 3 π¬ 0 π 0If you enjoy your football nostalgia and have a penchant for the 1980s, we have just the thing for you...
25.04.2025 21:42 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0What are you listening to today? π§
Please check out my third appearance on @thesefootballtimes.shop where I discuss my new book πβοΈwith @aidanwilliams74.bsky.social and Matthew Gibbs ππΌ
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Carabao Cup final review: @aidanwilliams74.bsky.social enjoys that rare feeling of Newcastle glory while a chilled Steven Scragg knows Premier League glory is on the horizon.
Listen and download β¬οΈ
Apple bit.ly/3oyPu89
Spotify bit.ly/3BVb3Tm
Online bit.ly/