When Saturday Comes No 452 April 2025

Contents

30

S C P H O T O S

WI L L –

/ S I M O N G

12

S C P H O T O S

W–

/ PA U L T H O M P S O N

/ A L A M Y

REGULARS 5 Editorial

36 FEATURES

Scrapping relegation from the Women’s Super League would be a backwards move 6 Sidelines

Doncaster providing a home for Afghanistani players; tribute to Patrick Barclay; how Farsley Celtic’s pitch problems have spiralled; Cambridge United turn to some familiar faces in the fight for League One survival 12 Shot!

Huddersfield Town Women host Middlesbrough 15 Harry Pearson column

The fans who just love the attention

20

24 The perfect shot

Ray Wilkins and Paul Mariner celebrate a crucial win for England in Hungary in 1981 26 World view

Expansion plans for the United Soccer League; African clubs cash in on the Club World Cup; a bumper turnout for Ireland’s season opener 42 Letters

We all hung around, watching a variety of spotty youth team players running around carrying tools... 46 Season in brief

A point separates Porto and Benfica in a tight 2012-13 title race in Portugal’s Primeira Liga

16 Future tense

Reforms to children’s grassroots will require an influx of capable coaches 18 Debt collectors

Manchester United’s grim financial reality is hitting on and off the pitch 19 Holding the reins

Politicians push back on the regulator 20 Match of the month

Desperate for a home win, Ipswich Town welcome Tottenham Hotspur

For one of these teams, survival in this season's Premier League will feel like a triumph in itself, and the other is Ipswich Ipswich Town v Tottenham Hotspur p20

30 Biscuit base

Why Reading fans loved Elm Park 32 Olympia games

The team for Somalis in Birmingham 34 End of the line

How Stranraer are defying their geographical challenges 35 Object lessons

A personal note from AS Roma 36 Watching brief

Cold nights out as a football scout 40 Turkish delight

The challengers to Istanbul’s big three

S T E V E B E E R L I N G