Samuel Gardiner - Sports Journalism

Opinion: Grading Tottenham Hotspur's last 10 loan signings Gareth Bale wearing the number 9 shirt was a familiar sight on his return to Tottenham on loan in 2020/21 With the summer of 2026 being an obvious exception, Tottenham Hotspur have developed a reputation for being low spenders in the transfer market. Former chairman Daniel Levy had built up an infamous reputation of being one of the most money-strict chairmen in the league – reluctant to spend funds on players, or constantly offering low, sometimes insulting, bids for players that would have undoubtedly made Spurs a better team. Given Levy’s reputation, Spurs ended up signing several loan players – some were unequivocal failures, while others showed glimpses of success. Let’s have a look at the last 10 and grade how they got on in North London… (This list does not include signings from the summer of 2026, as it is too early to grade the likes of Omar Marmoush and Mykhaylo Mudryk, and does not include players who mad...

Super Brat is Robins' Hero Supersub William Bratvedt scored twice on a dream debut as Carshalton Athletic recovered from a horror start to claim all three points at Maldon & Tiptree, in what turned out to be Jammers boss Mark Hawkes' final game in charge. Read the full article here: https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/step-3/isthmian-league/isthmian-league-premier/625052/super-brat-is-robins-hero/

  Opinion: Is Richarlison being treated fairly? Richarlison's last goal for Tottenham came in a crucial 2-1 win over Aston Villa in May In the summer of 2022, Tottenham Hotspur paid Everton a total of around £52 million to sign Brazilian striker Richarlison. At the time, it was Tottenham’s second-most expensive signing ever, and it was a real statement of intent from then-manager Antonio Conte. Richarlison had had a decent four seasons for The Toffees, hitting double figures for goals in the Premier League every season, and played a key role in helping them survive relegation that season. On paper, the signing made sense for someone to push Harry Kane, who would end up leaving the club the following year, for a starting spot – but eyebrows were raised over the fee, which made Richarlison the 8 th -most expensive Brazilian of all time, up with the likes of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and… Antony. To say that Spurs’ Number 9 struggled in his first season would be an understatement....

  Bansal pockets win for Towners Amrit Bansal-McNulty was the match-winner as Enfield Town came from behind to defeat Cray Wanderers 3-2 at the Dave Bryant Stadium to stay top of the table, with six wins out of seven.  Read the full article here: https://www.thenonleaguefootballpaper.com/latest-news/non-league-paper/624209/bansal-pockets-win-for-towners/

Opinion: 10 uncapped England players who deserve call-ups Thomas Tuchel has some decisions to make. The England manager raised eyebrows with some selections for the World Cup in North America over the summer. Some of them, like Djed Spence, were unexpected successes. The likes of Jordan Henderson, however, played just six minutes while Kobbie Mainoo was the only outfield player to not play a single minute at the tournament. German boss Tuchel clearly has a surprise up his sleeve, and there is a select pool of uncapped English players who may fancy their chances of an inclusion in his squad for the Nations League, which begins later this month. For some of these players, a call-up is long overdue, while others will feel that their performances at the start of the 2026/27 season have merited a nod. Without further ado, here is a list of ten uncapped players who could realistically be in with a chance of being called up by Tuchel this September. 1. Jamie Gittens – Chelsea 22-y...

What really happened in the 19 minutes Mike Dean didn't blow his whistle?   Nineteen minutes. That’s how long Mike Dean went at the start of a Premier League match without blowing his whistle. In his 23-year career as a top-flight referee, Merseyside-born Dean had built up a reputation for being a bit unorthodox. Whether it’s his over-enthusiastic arm signals while pointing to the penalty spot, or running with his arms aloft when his advantage led to a Mousa Dembele goal for Tottenham in 2015, Dean has become one of the most divisive figures in Premier League history. “There used to be games we used to have, as a laugh, we used to say, ‘Right, we’ll kick off now, right. See how long we can go without blowing a whistle.’” To some who were already aware of Dean’s unconventional, sometimes eccentric nature, the comment would not have come as a surprise. To others, including supporters on social media, the statement appeared to raise a more serious question: how could a refer...