William Bisney

Football is a global phenomenon which should celebrate diversity and unite people from all over the world. The toxic turmoil of abuse engrained in society has threatened the demise of football for decades. This sport's indescribable joy and togetherness are constantly overshadowed by a parasite that won't stop rearing its ugly head. Can our 'beautiful game' help destroy this demon and create the purity in football and society that we all so desperately crave?

Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma has been linked with numerous Premier League clubs for the past season and a half, with Aston Villa becoming the latest to join the race for the Malian's signature.  Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt Writer for Birmingham Live John Townley, said: "The holding role is a vital component in Gerrard's 4-3-3 system and a signing of Bissouma's quality could arguably be a more important capture than that of Coutinho. "But at a reported £40 million, it is unlikely Gerrard will get his man this month." The 25-year-olds contract expires in 18 months, but is still expected to cost around the £40 million mark as Brighton aren't willing to lose one of their key players.  Brighton manager Graham Potter spoke on the matter in a press conference on Thursday morning stating: "I expect to keep all my players during this window." AVFC News writer, statistician and Claret & Blue podcast contributor Pat Rowe said: "Bissouma is th

Brazilian superstar Philippe Coutinho is reunited with Liverpool legend and Villa manager Steven Gerrard, as the 29-year-old returns to the Premier League for the remainder of the season.   Photo by Julia Engel   Member of The Villa Podcast Conán Doherty, said: "I think a loan deal was the only option. Coutinho has been a wonderful footballer, but we should be wary about signing a player who has stalled in recent years. It's very rare a player reinvents himself. "Gerrard has show he's diligent, serious and relentless as a coach and thinker. Combine that with the pull his playing career commands, we can start to attract more players of Coutinho's ilk. "Anyone who has ever seen what Coutinho can do in a tight area with players around him couldn't possibly be unexcited at the prospect of him playing for their team. He guarantees moments of brilliance."  Coutinho joined Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for £146 million, but has failed to live up

After Villa's 1-0 defeat to Southampton, Dean Smith was sacked and replaced by the former Liverpool midfielder.  Photo by Elliot Brown Aston Villa Supporters Trust member Stuart Paul said: "Initially I was lukewarm to the appointment because like most Villa fans, I was a bit upset Dean Smith got sacked - but the owners realised he couldn't take us to the next level, as shown by the recent results."  The defeat at St. Mary's was Villa's 18th league defeat in 2021.  Paul said: "What Gerrard does have over Dean Smith is a greater experience at the highest level, and that can only benefit us."  With Villa sitting 16th in the Premier League, Paul believes conceding fewer goals is crucial to help move away from the relegation zone.  Paul said: "Our long-term aim should be to consistently compete for the European places, make a serious attempt to win a trophy and bring more youth players through the academy."  Gerrard's short time in managemen

Halloween weekend has seen five incidents of spikings in Birmingham with West Midlands Police stating: "Two women woke up after a night out with a small pin prick mark and a bruise on their body."  Photo by Kirti Poddar Spiking is a crime where an individual is drugged through their drink or even injection which commonly occurs at nightclubs or bars.     With just over 200 reported incidents in the UK since September according to the National Police Chiefs' Council, spiking has become an increased problem.  Birmingham has been targeted by an increase in spiking which has resulted in the formation of the 'Girls Night In' boycotts.  The 'Girls Night In' boycotts were created by university students across the country and have gained sufficient media attention.  University of Birmingham student Hannah Morris and boycott attendee, 20, said: "The boycotts are an excellent idea, but they're only a symbol of protest until the authorities learn the serious

Berkhamsted aimed to continue their fine form and make it seven wins in a row against an exciting Ware side.  Berko, who started the day top of the Southern League Central Division One, were aiming to beat a Ware side who had been narrowly defeated by Welwyn Garden City in midweek.  After seven wins in a row, including most recently an impressive penalty victory over Chesham United, Berko manager Chris Devane and his players would've been feeling confident heading into this fixture.  The opening minutes showcased Berko's intent as they piled the pressure on Ware almost immediately when Alie Bangura fizzed in a cross towards James Verney, who forced a good save from Bradley Robinson, the Ware goalkeeper.  Berko continued to create chances which resulted in plenty of corners, but nothing clear-cut enough to give the Comrades the lead.  Ware's finest moment of the first half an hour came when a cut back reached onrushing midfielder Thomas Bruno who struck a thunderous effort t

Image rights: flickr.com Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish was earlier named in England's 26-man squad for the upcoming Euro's.  Grealish's phenomenal season sees him earn a place in England's Euro 2020 squad alongside club teammate Tyrone Mings.  Although there were many fans who wanted Ben Godfrey chosen ahead of Mings, there was no doubt in anyone's mind about the inclusion of Grealish after he picked up 6 goals and 10 assists in just 24 Premier league games this season.  The Total Villan presenter and The Vital Villa writer Liam Bryan believes Grealish will play a crucial part if England are to have any success at this tournament: "Jack needs to start. His style of play is so unpredictable that no defence can fully prepare to face him." Although many believe Grealish should be starting for England at the Euro's, it is still debated where he can have the greatest impact.  Bryan said: "Jack is the most effective on the wing as in the centre of m

Image rights: commons.wikimedia.org 14 years after leaving, Ashley Young is open to the possibility of returning to his boyhood club.    Young, who has played for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Inter Milan and represented England in two major tournaments since leaving Watford in 2006, is open to ending his glittering career in the same place it started.  In a recent interview with Sky Sports where Young was asked if he would consider returning to Vicarage Road, he responded by saying : "It would be a difficult decision to make."     Reports suggest that Watford are already in contact with Young's representatives as they aim to bolster their squad after making an immediate return to the Premier League.  Young has had an equalling impressive season, playing a key role in Inter Milan securing their first Serie A title since 2010.  The departure of manager Antonio Conte has been seen as a lack of ambition by the club and has also resulted in many of their top players being l

Image rights: roarnews.co.uk, Steffen Prößdorf.  The demise of the European Super League has fallen for now, but how long until a new and improved plan returns to threaten the pyramid of football once again?  After worldwide outrage against the European Super League, founder of the ESL (European Super League) and Real Madrid President Florentino Perez's plan to 'save football' has swiftly crumbled as nine out of 12 clubs have withdrawn their involvement from the ESL.  Although the rise and fall of the ESL occurred within the space of 72 hours, The Villa View presenter and The Athletic writer Dan Bardell isn't convinced that the discontinuation of the ESL will fix the fundamental problems within football, after he said "I don't think it's the end of it, these owners are parasites." Bardell stated: "I think the backlash has been good, it's been a great thing, but I don't think there's anything to deter these people (the owners) when ther

A rise in coronavirus cases has caused discussions regarding the safety of non-league football to take place, null and voiding the season once again looks like the FA's most probable form of action.  Covid-19 has had a huge impact on football as a whole in the past year, especially grassroots level. Although volunteers work their hardest to keep the club afloat during a period of inactivity, the inconsistency of games is making it harder than ever to plan for the future as the circumstances and restrictions the pandemic are causing make football so unpredictable. "Small clubs like ours depend on the income from the gate reception and the bar so when seasons are cancelled it has a massive financial impact on the club", said Leverstock Green physio Adam Bisney. Not only has the pandemic affected the way clubs are being run, but it has also impacted the progress staff and players can make "personally, covid has affected me as i haven't been able to attend my FA firs

Teenage prodigy Kara Fordjour reflects on her 2019/2020 season, her ambitions in the game and of course, life during COVID-19. The career of any athlete always has to start somewhere, and Kara Fordjour is no different. After an initial greeting and a big swig of water, the Brighton Women’s U23’s forward began telling me how her passion for football was unearthed “my dad was and always has been my biggest influence since the beginning really. He was a decent player himself and he got me into the sport, driving me all over the country to various different games and always believing in me”. Although her father quit football at the age of 16 due to being overwhelmed by the pressure the sport placed on him, Fordjour accepts that the ruthless lifestyle of a professional footballer isn’t easy for anyone “of course I understand it’s difficult, but the belief my dad and my coaches have in me make me realise that I’ve got a great opportunity to succeed and achieve some childhood dreams”.

Within 12 hours, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has sacked Mauricio Pochettino and appointed Jose Mourinho as Spurs' new head coach.    Can Mourinho still compete with the likes of Pep and Klopp? In arguably the biggest shock of the season, the dismissal of Pochettino and the hiring of 'The Special One' has caused huge controversy amongst fans and football experts. Pochettino took the Spurs job with an aim to steady the ship. Not only did he do this, but he created a youthful and exciting team which became one of the most feared sides in Europe. Constant top four finishes, two title challenges and an exhilarating Champions League campaign which saw them narrowly falter to Liverpool in the final, all on an extremely minimal budget is nothing short of remarkable. Plenty have argued the decision to sack Pochettino was unfair as he's done such a splendid job in revitalising Spurs' image as a club and breaking them into the top four on such a consiste

The third round of the Herts Senior Cup saw League Two Stevenage travel a short distance to Broadwater to face unfancied yet threatening Berkhamsted FC.   Stevenage made a blistering start to the game, hitting the post inside the first five minutes after Andponcos Georgiou beat his man and cut the ball back for target man Alex Reid. Shortly after, Stevenage won a corner and a good delivery was met by captain Ronnie Henry whose header crept wide of the post. The aerial threat Stevenage possessed continued to cause Berkhamsted problems as they came close from numerous set pieces throughout the match. After a strong challenge in the middle, Ryan Plowright limped off and was replaced by creative midfielder Ross Adams, forcing a versatile  James Towell to switch to left-back. Shortly after the substitution, an unorganised Berkhamsted defence almost allowed Reid to score the opener after Berkhamsted’s goalkeeper James Weatherill sliced a pass played back to him. The game continued to flow,

Coming into this match, a total of four points separated Berkhamsted and North Leigh after just seven games played in the 18/19 season. Berkhamsted's form however was far superior to North Leigh's as they looked to turn two consecutive victories into three.  The first moments of the game were dictated by the home side, but their early spells of possession didn't cause North Leigh any concern. An early corner delivered by North Leigh's midfielder was met by their towering centre back Nathan Simms who headed slightly over. Due to his height, this caused Berkhamsted problems throughout the match as North Leigh's set pieces fulfilled a similar pattern. Shortly after this the ball broke to Ross Adams on the edge of the box and his delicate through ball was met by Matt Bateman who tucked a right footed effort underneath the North Leigh goalkeeper. Immediately after the restart, Berkhamsted mounted on the pressure and James Towell utilised his agility on the wing to bea

The Best Fifa Football Awards took place in London on Monday night as Fifa presented their fourth 'The Best' awards ceremony since separating their partnership from the Ballon d'Or in 2015. The worlds best football stars from around the globe attended the prestigious evening apart from arguably the two greatest footballers of all time; Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Their absence has been highly questioned and many believe it's to do with neither of them winning an award. Starting with the female awards, the winner of the Best Fifa Women's Player of 2018 was Brazilian and Orlando Pride forward, 32 year-old Marta, who won the award for a record-breaking sixth time. During the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season, Marta scored 4 goals and grabbed 4 assists in 17 games, guiding her side to a seventh place finish. Croatian midfield maestro Luka Modrić collected the Best Fifa Men's Player of 2018 award after captaining his unfavored country all t

After Berkhamsted’s impressive 5-1 victory over Hemel on Saturday, they took on another local team: Chesham United, managed by former Berkhamsted coach Mark Swales. Although Chesham don't currently compete at the same standard as Hemel, this would still prove to be a tough test for Steve Bateman's relatively  new team.  The game started ferociously and Berkhamsted soon took the lead in the fifth minute after the Chesham goalkeeper misplaced a long kick which new striker Marcus Campbell finished first time into an open net from around thirty-five yards out. Emotions contrasted between each bench as both sides regained their position ready for the restart. Not long after this, a long ball punted forward by the Berkhamsted goalkeeper caused panic within the Chesham defence as they failed to judge the bounce, allowing Campbell to nip in ahead of them and finish a simple chance. Amidst all the mayhem however, the linesman on the far side had already raised his flag for offsid

I plan to make this blog an intriguing insight as to what I am currently thinking about football and perhaps even some different sporting events. I wanted to do this blog as it's an interesting way to see how football and myself will develop over the coming years and if I'm lucky, will hopefully lead me into the Sports Journalism industry. I thought now would be a good time to begin this blog as the 2018 World Cup in Russia has just ended and the new 18/19 season starts in just under a month, giving me plenty to write about. The past few weeks have been interesting. The World Cup has produced many talking points: Germany's shock group stage exit, France's second World Cup trophy, and of course, English euphoria and heartbreak. On top of this, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a shock transfer to Juventus, leaving the Champions League for the upcoming season the most difficult to predict in years. Shockwaves weren't sent through the world in just football though, tennis