Now that Manchester City have sealed their treble, the league, FA Cup and Champions League trophies nestling in a trophy cabinet that must be a little unsteady by now, it seems almost unthinkable that there was a time pre- Sheikh Mansour when it threatened to do little more than gather dust!
When I embarked on my sports photography journey, little did I know that one of the most impactful teams I would have the privilege to photograph was Farsley Celtic Deaf FC. As I delved into the world of sports photography, this team became a significant platform for me to learn and grow my craft.
I've always been a big advocate of British players moving to other leagues across Europe, and if that means La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga, then even better. It can often be an opportunity for footballers to make themselves better, to branch out and learn new cultures, tactics and styles, all of which could contribute to their international set-up. In recent years this has become a growing trend, with some major English players having actually made their names abroad, see Jadon Sancho, Fikayo Tomori and Jude Bellingham for example. However, for English football managers, the chance to stand out on the continent has sadly been much rarer...
Once as common as obscenely long build-ups to the showpiece match itself, the FA Cup final single now seems to have died a death not dissimilar to that of the physical single in the standard charts! But, what if we were to compile one for this most niche corner of the musical landscape? Cue the Top of the Pops theme...
With the business end of the season approaching, fans of clubs in 14th place and below are praying to the Premier League gods to avoid a slide into the Championship come the final whistles of their respective last games, if not sooner. Some measure of hope could perhaps be derived from what is arguably the greatest of great escapes, to tread a particularly well worn path and cliché.