Paul Simpson

Franz Beckenbauer Did Der Kaiser invent total football? Some say so...

Michel Platini is an undisputable European Championship legend and, as UEFA president, was behind the plan for a Europe-wide Euro 2020. But you won't see him at any games this summer

We'll have another English champion of Europe by the end of this weekend - but these are the greatest underdogs we've ever had from these isles on the continent

World Cup 1958 On the anniversary of his first World Cup goal, we look back at how the Seleção's boy king conquered the world in Sweden – but only after some pre-tournament guff from within his own country's ranks

50 biggest derbies They’re the games we pick out on fixtures day, and keep us engaged throughout entire seasons. But why do we really care that much? Paul Simpson explains…

100 Best Stadiums Third in our list, the former Empire Stadium that went from near-bankruptcy to being the Venue of Legends. Paul Simpson gets Wembley fever...

Arsene Wenger The Frenchman may be in his 18th year of managing Arsenal, but, writes Champions Matchday editor Paul Simpson, he is still steadfast in his vision for the club...

England When Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson decided to hold the 1970 general election during the World Cup, he was concerned what effect England's performance could have. Then, four days before the vote, the Three Lions were knocked out...

FA Cup Paul Simpson relives the Arctic anarchy of 1962/63, when the winter weather played havoc with the football fixtures. One team, dubbed the 'Ice Kings', somehow survived...

100 Best Stadiums The early history of English football’s home was anything but promising, reports Paul Simpson.

FIFA World Cup

UEFA Champions League With the biggest ever Madrid derby looming, Champions Matchday editor Paul Simpson suggests keeping a cool head will be the key to success in the heat of Lisbon - and both managers seem to agree with him...

World Cup 1998 Great goals, seminal sendings off, penalty heartbreak, Mick Jagger: it was the game that had everything. Those involved tell Paul Simpson the story...

Estonia Former FourFourTwo Editor turned Champions chief Paul Simpson reflects on the Baltic nation determined to make its mark on Europe...

England It's a team ingrained in memory, but was it always destined to be that way? Fifty years on from that Wembley triumph, Paul Simpson explains how chance moulded Sir Alf Ramsey's legends of '66

Real Madrid Paul Simpson ponders why the Mexican isn't a household name on these shores...

Premier League 25 years of media-fuelled metamorphosis...

Premier League Clubs whose winter buys don't work out won't be allowed to forget them – but, writes Paul Simpson, are there actually any differences with the summer deals that don't work out?  

FFT100 Had FourFourTwo been around (presumably under a different name) 50 years ago, who would have been in the FFT100? FFT’s launch editor Paul Simpson wonders...