As the 2026 tournament approaches, Fifa’s World Cup hosting controversies reach new extremes, writes JAMES NALTON
AS FANS return to “elite football” in many areas of the country this week, and Premier League and EFL clubs continue to fulfil their fixtures, Non-League football has been left in limbo.
This is especially the case for regional leagues in the north where many areas are in Tier 3 of the new Covid restrictions.
A statement from the Trident Leagues (the Northern Premier, Southern and Isthmian Leagues) on Thursday evening was supposed to provide clarity on the situation for clubs in these divisions, but failed to do so, and reveals what appears to be a lack of communication, organisation and understanding between the FA, the government and the leagues themselves.
From pirate statues to surplus Wembley seats, The Dripping Pan offers a reminder that the game’s soul survives beyond the Premier League glare, writes LAYTH YOUSIF
As football grapples with overloaded calendars and commercial pressure, the Mariners’ triumph reminds us why the game’s soul lives far from the spotlight, writes JAMES NALTON



