Throwback Tracks
📀 A handpicked mixtape from The Good Football, just for you
Greetings, everyone!
I haven’t been as busy as my team (seven wins in a row, suddenly flirting with promotion again), but I have been working on a few new projects, including some fun things for The Good Football that I’m excited to share soon.
While I cook up the new stuff, I thought I’d bring back a few of my favourite pieces, ones I loved writing and that seemed to resonate with readers, too.
To be honest, recycling good content sounds like a nice change these days, when our feeds update at a pace we just can’t keep up with.
I did come up with brand new and fun descriptions to help you pick and choose, though.
So here’s a list of posts you can revisit, read for the first time, or maybe share with someone else who’d enjoy them too.
Can football teams gain the world without losing their soul?
This is my favourite one so far. 💙
Born from a bit of LinkedIn drama about Barça Femení and Catalan, this evolved into a broader reflection on identity, belonging, and how clubs can grow without losing what makes them special.
If you’re into LinkedIn beef, you’ll enjoy it. Or if you're into Benito, of course.
Reflecting about anti-racism campaigns in football
Some honest thoughts, and more questions than answers about why football’s anti-racism efforts fall flat, and what could make them actually matter.
Spoiler: It's not another 'STOP RACISM' pitchside ad.
Ditch the purpose-driven branding
An elaborate rant on why brands should only do purpose-driven branding if they can actually back it up. And why we’d all be better off if they ditched it when they can’t.
Written while stewing over a particular football brand, so the marinated sass is the special sauce.
Looking for the good football
Quite literally me searching for the good in football at a time when it felt like I’d lost it, and somehow stumbling on it again.
If you’re after a heartfelt read, or curious about the essence of the good football, this is the one.
Dear Aitana,
A letter I wrote to Aitana Bonmatí in response to her post-match interview that broke my heart even more than coming home from Lisbon without the WUCL cup.
This one’s for the ladies, the ladies’ ladies, and the ladies’ men. A glimpse into what women's football means to us fans.
Lamine, Nico, and the football we want
Written during the Men's Euros final, when Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal were lighting it up. Sometimes the good football is simply joyful, youthful play that carries bigger meaning about identity, diversity, and hope.
Read it if you're in favour of dancing.
I’d love to hear what your favourite reads are/were, or if maybe I left your personal favourite out.
See you next time!
THE GOOD LINKS
👨 Jackson Irvine’s website. I mean, what football player has a cool website like this one? I’m here for it.
🐈 Speaking of Aussies, did you catch Mary Fowler’s catwalk?
💀 These videos of a Catalan “giant” of Lamine Yamal’s are my friend and my latest obsession. Here, he’s dancing to the stands classic “Un día de partit”.
🥹 The grandpas who were invited to be mascots in Betis’ game.
🩷 This video from the Rugby World Cup was my favourite internet thing this past week.
🍲 A queen who cooks Indian food at Man United and kinda vlogs about it.
🥲 And this little girl.
🙌🏾
is back!!COMPLETELY OFFSIDE
Links that are not football-related but still worth sharing.
I recently came across this post from Rosalía, and I’ve been thinking a lot about it ever since.
Cheers for that Rosalia link!