Samuel Gardiner - Sports Journalism

  Opinion: Why do we see so few British athletes act as activists? First published 17/12/24                                                     Marcus Rashford collecting his MBE in 2020.   During the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020, England footballer Marcus Rashford teamed up with poverty charity FareShare, and delivered meals to children in the Greater Manchester area who were unable to receive free school meals due to the pandemic. Throughout the months in which the pandemic was rife, Rashford, who himself grew up in poverty in Manchester, provided more than four million meals to children around the country and, after shaming the British government for their policy for free school meals, eventually teamed up with the...

  Non-League Volunteers: Shining A Light on the True Unsung Heroes For most couples living in the UK, a Saturday morning might include a lie-in and a late start to the weekend after a long week of work. For Pete and Carol Coath, however, a typical Saturday involves an early start at they prepare for their different roles volunteering on a home matchday at their local non-league team, Saffron Walden Town FC. The husband-and-wife duo are part of a growing team of volunteers at Saffron Walden, who currently play in the 9 th tier Essex Senior League. The club relies on the work of volunteers of all different roles, from grounds staff to the club secretary, catering to bar staff, and everyone in between. By the time the full-time whistle blows, some staff members have been at the ground for more than five hours, ensuring that the experience is as smooth and enjoyable as possible for match-going supporters. “I’ve always been involved in football”, says Carol, who, along with h...

  Jamie Sharp: “You can hit some great highs as a chairman, but also some real lows” Jamie Sharp has been chairman of Saffron Walden Town since 2022. For an outsider looking in, the Essex settlement of Saffron Walden appears a typical town of average size. The town is home to around 16,000 people and is a far cry from the thriving 17 th -century industry of the growth of the multi-purpose saffron crocus spice, from which the town obtains its name. Amid the mundanity lies Essex’s oldest professional football club, a real source of pride for a small but growing group of people within the town. If you venture into the town centre, the red-and-black stripes can be found worn by people of all ages and walks of life. With twelve board members and several members of staff playing their part on a matchday, there is a growing feeling that the club is on the verge of something special, having narrowly missed out on promotion to Step 4 of non-league on several occasions in recent season...

  Arsenal v Manchester United: Five classic Premier League encounters   When viewing the fixture list for tonight’s Premier League action, Arsenal v Manchester United is undoubtedly the pick of the clashes. A rivalry between two of English football’s greatest clubs, with matches that rarely disappoint, there have been countless memorable encounters during the Premier League era that have had a bit of everything, including late winners, red cards and unlikely heroes. Here are five of the best league clashes between these two historic rivals to have taken place in North London over the past 30 years.   1.      Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United, 9 th November 1997 An instant Premier League classic. The visitors were coming into this clash as reigning champions, while Arsenal were searching for their first title of the Premier League era. An exciting clash on paper, but the events of the match at Highbury in 1997 were not only exhilarating b...