Published in March 2024, Issue Fifty Two and its five sections contains 16 articles including how Derry City overcame political chaos to win the Irish treble in 1988-89; how Ange Postecoglou has bred new hope at Tottenham; a Russian fan on dealing with the disillusionment after the invasion of Ukraine; Al-Hilal v Al-Nassr and the experience of attending the Riyahd derby; photo galleries from both the African Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup.
TOURNAMENTS
March of the Zombie Elephants – Jonathan Wilson
Cote d’Ivoire kept looking out of the Cup of Nations but claimed an implausible triumph
Coming Home – Alasdair Howarth
The trend is clear: African teams are turning more and more to African coaches
Herding Eagles – Osasu Obayiuwana
José Peseiro is just the latest coach to find managing Nigeria an almost impossible task
Reputation Restored – John Duerden
After a miserable performance at the World Cup, Qatar retained their Asian Cup crown
Perspective – Sam Kunti
As war devastated Gaza, Palestine’s players achieved a best-ever Asian Cup performance
A FOREIGN COUNTRY
Guns and the Grail – Roger Domeneghetti
How Derry City overcame political chaos to win the Irish treble in 1988-89
The Dissident – Brendan Madden
Isaiah Stein was an anti-Apartheid campaigner who fled South Africa. His sons were Luton legends
INDIVIDUALS
A Scorer of Great Goals – Osasu Obayiuwana
Tony Yeboah talks about life in Europe, Jupp Heynckes and Howard Wilkinson
The Go-Between – Daniel Rey
The Way of the Scorpion and a player destined to be forever misunderstood
The Manager Who Sold Himself – John Irving
Ivor Broadis, the bonds of football and the joys of Carlisle childhood
THE MODERN GAME
The Little Rebel – Jonathan Wilson
Sweden, the rejection of VAR and the limitations of an anti-establishment ethos
The KAMAZ of Forgetting – Sergey Bondarenko
A Russian fan and dealing with disillusionment after the invasion of Ukraine
200 Days of Ange – Phil Walker
How a new manager with new ideas has bred new hope at Tottenham
Come to see Cristiano? – John Duerden
Al-Hilal v Al-Nassr and the experience of attending the Riyahd derby in the days of plenty
The Nostalgia Principle – Peter Speetjens
Diniz, Fluminense, Brazil and the fragile rise of the pioneer of relationism
THEORY
Temporal Binding Windows of the Soul – Ben Gilbert
How modern behavioural neuroscience proves that goalkeepers really are different