‘Extra money, with some slight abuse on the side’. I remember describing to my friends my rationale for becoming a qualified match official during my time at university. It was a decision I had made rather easily, having volunteered as an official prior in more disjointed, disorganized levels. Yet, 6 months on from my last…

The Ballon d’Or and the UEFA Men’s Best Player awards are the two most coveted individual trophies within men’s football. The ceremonies are star studded, the candidates boast extraordinary statistics and feats, and the football world argues relentlessly over which incredible athlete deserves the immortalisation of their performance in the records. So, it is little…