There will be special attention paid to Burnley next season after they sealed promotion in style, becoming just the sixth team in history to go up with over 100 points. But how did the other Championship centurions fare after going up to the Premier League? We’ve taken a look back at every side to reach the 100-point mark in the second tier. With apologies to Kevin Keegan’s Man City of 2001-02, Chelsea’s 1988-89 side and Nuno Espirito Santo’s 2017-18 Wolves – all of whom narrowly miss out after hitting the 99-point mark. Burnley, 2022-23 – 101 Vincent Kompany’s Clarets became the latest member ..read more

It’s often said that Lionel Messi is the footballing heir of Diego Maradona, but despite all the goals, trophies and accolades, it turns out we were all mistaken. The real successor to Maradona has been residing much closer to home. With his lethal elbows, shaggy mane and lumbering gait, Andy Carroll would appear as far removed from Diego as a bowl of delicious ice cream to a helping of mud consumed with your bare hands. But learned supporters of the game have noted similarities between Maradona and Carroll. If you squint hard enough, the manic energy and penchant for the spectacular are share ..read more

Whisper it quietly, but Easter is significantly better than Christmas. There’s the weather for a start; long evenings and, in 2023 at least, hours of glorious sunshine and cloudless skies across the UK. Then there’s the four-day weekend for most of us, except poor football writers obviously, which lends itself to eating and drinking with the carefree nature of a baby hippo. When you also consider the chocolate and the lack of forced fun that bedevils Christmas, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that Easter shits all over the end-of-year festivities. But the combination of warm temperatur ..read more

John Halls came through the ranks at Arsenal, was a star at Stoke City, and played in the Premier League for Reading, but remarkably it’s not his football career which has been his greatest success. Having stumbled into work as an international model since hanging up his boots, Halls is understandably a man that exudes confidence. He is one of the lucky few to have both natural talent and good looks, traits he has to thank for making him successful in two careers at opposite ends of the spectrum. But his story is certainly not one of just ups. In fact, sitting down with him in a Lond ..read more

Chelsea’s loan army seems to expand every year, with a high number of young talents developing their game in different leagues and countries, before either joining the first team and being sold for a profit, and Ian Maatsen looks to be next in line for a big breakthrough. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has been highly impressive in his loan spell at Coventry City in the Championship this season, with two goals in 25 appearances, but has shown great versatility, playing as a left-back, wing-back and attacking midfielder at different stages. Starting in Coventry’s 3-2 win away at a struggl ..read more

Former Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham striker Andy Carroll had a memorable night as Reading lost 7-0 at home to Fulham. The Championship clash had implications at both ends of the table, with Reading battling against relegation and Fulham vying to move back into the top two. Marco Silva’s Cottagers came away from the Madejski Stadium with three points and a statement victory for their automatic promotion rivals Blackburn and Bournemouth. Liverpool academy graduate Harry Wilson scored twice and was involved in a further four goals, while ex-Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic bagged a brac ..read more

Andy Carroll has scored his first goal for his new club Reading on his first start for the club as he helped the Royals to a 3-2 away win at Swansea in the Championship. Carroll signed a short-term deal with Reading earlier in November which runs until mid-January after he was released by Newcastle bringing to an end his second stint at the club. The striker, sporting a ponytail, took the ball down well from a long ball that went high over the Swans’ defence. Carroll then did well to hold off the challenges that came his way before cutting the ball onto his left foot and firing home to score a ..read more

Professionally, emotionally and physically, football has taken Adam Le Fondre a long way. Up, from League Two to the Premier League; down, from the joy of promotion to the despair of relegation; far and wide, from the North West to the South East of England and back again via Wales; then, more recently, to Australia and India, where he has won three top-tier titles in as many years. He has rarely sat still. He doesn’t seem the type. Yet as we talk, Le Fondre is stuck, waiting. He wants to return to Australia, where he signed a two-and-half-year contract extension with Sydney FC in April. It wi ..read more

Reading’s history isn’t exactly full of success, but for a couple of years in the mid-2000s they were the envy of every small club in the country. Until 2006, Reading had never once been in the top flight in their 135-year history. They came close, finishing second in the First Division in 1995 when only two clubs were promoted to the streamlined Premier League – the Royals lost to Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final – but in the 10 years that followed they bounced between the second and third tiers without making much of an impact. Relative success was enjoyed under Alan Pardew, who led th ..read more

There will be special attention paid to Burnley next season after they sealed promotion in style, becoming just the sixth team in history to go up with over 100 points. But how did the other Championship centurions fare after going up to the Premier League? We’ve taken a look back at every side to reach the 100-point mark in the second tier. With apologies to Kevin Keegan’s Man City of 2001-02, Chelsea’s 1988-89 side and Nuno Espirito Santo’s 2017-18 Wolves – all of whom narrowly miss out after hitting the 99-point mark. Burnley, 2022-23 – 101 Vincent Kompany’s Clarets became the latest member ..read more