Samuel Gardiner - Sports Journalism

11 clubs who have played European football in the 21 st Century while outside the top division   Portuguese second-tier side Torreense will play in Europe in 2026/27   As the final whistle blows in the 2026 Taça de Portugal final in Lisbon, it is confirmed that, against all odds, Torreense SCU are winners of the tournament for the first time in their history. A 2-1 defeat of giants Sporting CP, who have already won the tournament 18 times and were the cup holders, thanks to goals from striker Kevin Stohi and captain Zopira, means the second-tier outfit’s historic triumph is made even sweeter by the fact that victory in Portugal’s premier cup competition – as is the case with most domestic cups across Europe – guarantees a spot in the Europa League the following season, another first for Torreense. The minnows are based in the northern Portuguese town of Torres Vedras and boast a stadium which seats 2,500 spectators, so the chances of them being allowed to use th...

Double-header: Lionesses leave it late vs Villa before Ouattara snatches point for Bees   Freya Godfrey scored the winner for London City Lionesses As part of the week-long summit for Global Institute of Sport (GIS), I was lucky enough to experience two matches in two days at the very top of the women’s and men’s English football pyramids. First up was a trip to Bromley’s Hayes Lane to watch London City Lionesses take on Aston Villa on the final day of the 2025-26 Women’s Super League (WSL) campaign. Lionesses, founded in 2019, pride themselves on being the only top-tier women’s team to not be affiliated with a men’s club, and have already secured a solid mid-table finish in their debut WSL campaign, but could finish in the top half of the table if results go their way. Managed by Eder Maestre and boasting players such as Australian international and WSL veteran Alanna Kennedy, former PSG midfielder Grace Geyoro and ex-Arsenal favourites Danielle van de Donk and Nikita Pa...

Massingham fires Stags to Step 4 Buckhurst Hill celebrate Arthur Massingham's winning goal A stunning late strike from Arthur Massingham ensured a 1-0 Essex Senior League playoff final victory for Buckhurst Hill against Barking at Myrak Park. Substitute Massingham received the ball on the left wing before cutting inside and firing an unstoppable shot beyond the reach of Barking goalkeeper Omer Ozer, ensuring that the hosts would be playing Step 4 football next season for the first time in their history. In front of a crowd of 1,044, the highest ever at the ground on Roding Lane, it was the visitors, playing in their changed strip of all yellow, that started the brighter, and had the ball in the net after three minutes. Alfie Attrill’s flick-on set Finlay Dorrell through on goal, who finished cleverly past Christian North, but he was denied by the offside flag, in what looked to be a very close call. After that, the first half was a cagey affair; neither team were willing to t...