The JSPrice Perception

Cape Verde team, before embarking on a decent FIFA World Cup run (Image: BBC) Putting the controversial off-the-pitch antics to one side (there are too many to list here), this summer's FIFA World Cup brought us some genuinely great, heart-warming stories. We won't forget the progress of Cape Verde, who reached the Last 32 and gave eventual finalists Argentina a sweat, forcing the South American nation to play in extra time. Cape Verde, earlier in the tournament, also held eventual World Cup winners Spain in a group match and had qualified over Uruguay who won the whole thing in 1930 and 1950. The Last 32 also saw DR Congo giving England a run for its money, having taken an early lead but then succumbing to a 2-1 defeat. In fact, not wanting to list the other African nations, but the first knockout stage saw nine of the ten from the continent in contention (only Tunisia missed out). They can thank the expansion of the World Cup which rose from 32 competing in 2022 to 48 in this...

L-R: Chuka Umunna, Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham (Image: New Statesman) In Britain, commentators often talk about how 2016 was one of the most defining years in modern British politics. To a certain degree, they're right - the fallout of the Brexit referendum, which took place now more than 10 years ago, is still raw and, arguably, we have not recovered. Now that Sir Keir Starmer has resigned as Prime Minister, the country will soon welcome its seventh leader since that fateful vote a decade ago. King Charles must be bewildered at the thought that he will soon be confirming his third Prime Minister since the start of his reign almost four years ago, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was in the same position eleven years into hers. However, despite the madness of 2016, I want to trace back to the year before. When the Conservative Party won an overall majority at the 2015 general election, the Labour Party had a lot of soul searching. The party was convinced it had the keys to D...

Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump (Image: The Guardian) As I pin up a 2026 FIFA World Cup wallchart on one of my walls, I reflect on what will come over the next six weeks, as events on the pitch go head-to-head against the battles between various countries off the pitch; some of those countries are competing in this competition - one is hosting the whole thing. When it was decided that the United States would co-host this World Cup with Canada and Mexico, it was 2018, and Donald Trump was in the middle of his first term as US President. At the time, many of us thought that this presidency would be a distant memory - either that he would lose the election in 2020 and be away from politics forever, or he'd win a second term and by 2026, he'd have completed both terms he's allowed to run, and the tournament would be welcomed by someone with a much smaller ego. Well, while he did lose that 2020 election, he didn't get away from politics and here we are, starting a tourname...

Sir Keir Starmer needs to be bold, and introduce a swift EU return (Image: Yorkshire Bylines) I don't know what has been more sobering - the latest UK election results or their subsequent commentaries. If we are to believe in any press speculation, Britain may be looking at welcoming its fourth Prime Minister this decade almost as soon as I press 'Publish' to this article. The frenzy and franticness of British politics have reached a new level, and the more I read into it, the more worried I am about the future. To summarise these recent weeks, current Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has been under severe pressure over his handling of the government's appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States last year. We know why it happened - because, at the time, Starmer wanted anything to appease the American government led by the unpredictable Donald Trump who, back then, only started declaring economic wars against allies through crippling tariffs. If an...

President Donald Trump points at the Winston Churchill bust (Image: MSN/Getty Images) I was struck by what United States President Donald Trump said in one of his latest criticisms of UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. At the time, Starmer stated that he was not going to help Trump, nor Israel's leader Benyamin Netanyahu in their current military campaign against Iran. Sure, the US can have a British base or two to park planes, but that's about it. That, according to Trump, isn't enough. When asked about the UK's role, he pointed at the bust of Winston Churchill he has at his Oval Office and said, " Starmer is no Churchill. " Churchill, for those want to be selective with history, is seen as a war-time 'hero' - leading the UK and allies' charge against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. When Adolf Hitler and his minions surrendered in 1945, then-UK Prime Minister, rightly or wrongly, took the plaudits and many war-time leaders ever since ...

David Beckham (centre) with princes William (L) and Harry (R) (Image: Marie Claire)   You may find what I'm about to write here a little weird: the so-called 'Beckham saga' is vital for society. I feel we need it, to digest it, to understand it, to heal from it and to progress together, as a unit. Told you, weird, right? But I'm being serious. For those out in the loop, Sir David Beckham and his wife, now Lady Victoria Beckham, have been married for 27 years. In 1999, their nuptials was a cultural moment in Britain - the biggest English football star at the time and Posh Spice, in holy matrimony. I was eight years old at the time - into my football and pop music - this couple certainly had an impression on me, despite never supporting Manchester United. They were the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton of the 1990s and beyond.  "Posh and Becks," as they've affectionately been known since, have four children, the eldest of which, Brooklyn. His birth was the...