CHRIS NAWRAT REMEMBERS ONE OF THE MOST DISGRACEFUL FOOTBALL MATCHES EVER PLAYED AND FINDS AN UNLIKELY JOURNALISTIC HERO
Chris Nawrat recounts the tale of one of most dishonourable pieces of sports journalism, and finds an unlikely hero - 26.6.02

THE CLASH BETWEEN KEANE AND MCCARTHY COULD BE SEEN IN A WIDER CULTURAL CONTEXT - 30.5.02
Before a ball was kicked in anger, the 17th World Cup exploded with Roy-rage. A simple case of vituperative prima-donnaism being stamped on, or was there something more to that infamous spat? Chris Nawrat reports

ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP DRAW IS ACTUALLY QUITE PROMISING - 23.5.02
Forget the match against Argentina (for the moment). The crunch match is against Sweden on June 2. Win that, and England could go all the way. Chris Nawrat reports

SOMEONE IS DOPING RACEHORSES BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW WHO OR WHY? - 10.5.02
For the eighth time in 12 years a horse has tested positive for a 'stopping' drug. The motivation - a betting coup - is obvious, but so far the trail has gone cold. Chris Nawrat reports

COULD MAN UTD STILL SNEAK THE PREMIERSHIP TITLE? - 3.5.02
Arsenal are 50-1 ON for the Premiership and it looks as though Man Utd will end the season with nothing for the first time in 13 years. Or maybe not. Chris Nawrat reports

BARCELONA V REAL MADRID IS MUCH MORE THAN A FOOTBALL MATCH - 25.4.02
The European Cup semi-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid is not a football tie, it's a war going back to the 1920s. Although Real have more than drawn first blood in the Nou Camp, Wednesday's second leg will be another bitter battle in Barça's quest to vanquish nationalist Spain. Chris Nawrat reports

THE EUROPEAN CUP LOOKS LIKE MAN UTD'S LAST HOPE OF A TROPHY - 22.4.02
Wednesday is D-day for Manchester United if they are not going to end the season without a single trophy. They host Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the European Cup semi-finals, while Arsenal entertain West Ham. Chris Nawrat reports

IS THE SPANISH LEAGUE THE BEST IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL? - 12.4.02
Spain went into the European Champions League quarter-finals with three clubs teetering on the brink of elimination, and in a fit of panic. Two survived and Spain is now guaranteed a place in the final in Glasgow. Chris Nawrat reports

THE FAR-FLUNG SPANISH TEAM THAT COULD END UTD'S SEASON - 28.3.02
On Tuesday night Manchester United travel to Deportivo La Coruna in the first leg of their European Champions League quarter-finals. This is the team United feared most in the competition. Chris Nawrat reports from the western-most tip of Northern Spain

IF SEPP BLATTER GETS THE FIFA PRESIDENCY, EUROPE COULD DEFECT FROM WORLD BODY - 21.3.02
The bitter battle for the presidency of Fifa could spell the death-knell for football's world governing body and the World Cup as we know it. Chris Nawrat reports

FIFA INTRODUCE BLOOD TESTING TO COMBAT DOPE - 18.3.02
Within days of the Winter Olympics finishing, Fifa's medical commission reacted swiftly to the emergence of another sinister drug in sport. Last weekend Fifa's executive committee announced that, for the first time, there will be blood-testing at this summer's World Cup. Chris Nawrat reports

ABSURDITY OF PISTOL SHOOTING IN A 'GUNLESS' COUNTRY - 8.3.02
In July Mick Gault will be defending his four Commonwealth titles. But with one hand tied behind his back. He hasn't been able to practise with the key tool of his sport since August. Gault is a pistol shooter, and hand guns are banned in mainland Britain. Chris Nawrat reports

RACING'S FORGOTTEN FOOT SOLDIERS - 1.3.02
Racing is the fifth biggest industry in Britain and, with the abolition of betting tax, should be looking at a golden future. But tell that to racing's foot soldiers: the stable lads. They're under-paid, overworked and unhappy. And leaving in droves. Chris Nawrat reports

BRITAIN GOT WHAT IT PAID FOR IN SALT LAKE CITY
(IE VERY LITTLE) - 21.2.02
The negative headlines in the press said it all. "Winter wasteland" and "Waste of cash is snow joke" were just two. So should Britain have even bothered to go to Salt Lake City for the Winter Olympics? Chris Nawrat reports

ENGLAND LOSE THE FEAR OF LOSING - 15.2.02
It's barely a year since Sven Goran Eriksson arrived to find England in utter disarray. Now he's the toast of country. What's his secret formula? Chris Nawrat reports

NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOW BUSINESS - 8.2.02
Most Brits are unmoved by the prospect of 90 hours of BBC TV coverage of the Winter Olympics over the next fortnight. Who cares? they say. Well they should do. Because it's all our fault reports Chris Nawrat

THE BOOT BOYS NEVER REALLY WENT AWAY - 29.1.02
The crowd violence at the Aberdeen-Rangers match was the fifth highly- publicised example of football hooliganism in a fortnight. Are the hooligans back? No, reports Chris Nawrat. They never went away

WHAT PRICE INTERNET FOOTBALL? - 24.1.02
Television and football - a marriage made in Mammon that many pundits fear could end in divorce when TV tires of its bride. Chris Nawrat talks to an expert who believes that it could be the other way round - football could give TV the elbow.

WHAT REFEREEING'S KINGPIN DIDN'T SAY ABOUT THE FA AND REFEREEING IN FOOTBALL TODAY - 10.1.02
Referees are under attack. Last weekend, Philip Don, the manager of the 24-man elite professional referees, spoke in their defence and criticised the FA's video review panel. This week we put 10 questions to him on the subject. He declined to respond. So Chris Nawrat does it for him.

THE OBSCURE ORIGINS OF APPEALING LIE IN CRICKET'S ARISTOCRATIC ROOTS - 3.1.02
Earlier this month, as the world of cricket was on the verge of disintegration because of a punishment meted for excessive appealing, Sport Uncovered asked: Why does the appeal exist? Where did it come from? Nobody knew. Not the ICC nor the MCC. Now we have the answer. Chris Nawrat reports

LET THE UMPIRE DECIDE - 7.12.01
World cricket came to the verge of disintegration because of a punishment meted out for excessive appealing. Yet no other game depends on players appealing to an umpire to make a vital decision. Chris Nawrat reports

POLICE AND JOCKEY CLUB WORRIED BY BOOKMAKER COMPLACENCY - 3.12.01
The racing authority responsible for investigating criminal activity in the betting ring has cut its field staff by a third, claiming that everything is squeaky clean. But is it? Chris Nawrat reports

HOW LONG WILL FERGUSON SUFFER HIS FOOL GLADLY? - 27.11.01
For the fourth time in just over a month Fabien Barthez has made headlines for the wrong reasons as his season descends into a French farce. Chris Nawrat reports

FOOTBALLERS ON THE BREADLINE - 16.11.01
When 92.7% of a trade union turn out in a strike ballot and only 22 out of the 3,496 members vote against industrial action, you have to figure they have a grievance. Chris Nawrat reports

FERGUSON'S SELF-IMPOSED HEADACHE - 7.11.01
At the very start of the season Alex Ferguson suddenly sold Jaap Stam, the pillar of his defence. Since then Manchester United have been leaking goals like a colander. Chris Nawrat reports on Ferguson's feverish finale

TO TOUR OR NOT TO TOUR? THAT WAS THE QUESTION - 27.10.01
First it was Chelsea players, then it was England cricketers. To put your life on the line and play abroad in a country which could be affected by the war on terrorism, or not? Chris Nawrat reports

IS FOOTBALL MANAGEMENT THE WORST JOB ON EARTH? - 19.10.01
Last weekend Gerard Houllier underwent 11 hours of heart surgery. On Wednesday Peter Shreeves became the 15th League manager to lose his job this season. Perhaps Shreeves was lucky, he got out before the stress got him. Chris Nawrat reports

CASH FOR CROCKS AND CAST OFFS - 07.10.01
For the first time in 40 years the football players’ union is threatening a strike. Chris Nawrat reports on a misreported issue

SPORT GOT LOST IN THE MORAL MAZE - 24.09.01
Last week's tragedy in America put sport in a dilemma. To play or to grieve. Chris Nawrat sifts through the various responses