I’ve always had a soft spot for Emile Heskey and seeing him after his career has only increased that feeling. Especially when the same questions still crop up about his career. Namely: “Wait… England took him to a World Cup?” And my favourite: “Was he even that good in the first place?” Then somebody else usually laughs and says something along the lines of “he couldn’t… Read More »Why Emile Heskey Deserved His 2010 World Cup Call-Up
I actually remember where I was when things changed in Football Manager 2009 and I knew that things wouldn’t be the same again. Quite a stoic thought for a 12 year old, but it’s true! As I’m sure you’ll agree, there are certain moments in football gaming where you can immediately split people into two groups: those who were there and those who weren’t. Football… Read More »How Football Manager 2009 Changed the Game Forever
You’ve likely seen fairly normal prices for most cards, and then suddenly come across Lamine Yamal cards selling for amounts that seem completely out of proportion. At first glance, it can be confusing. He’s young, there are thousands of his cards available, and football has always had highly rated young players coming through. So why are some Lamine Yamal cards so expensive? The whole purpose… Read More »Why Are Lamine Yamal Cards So Expensive in 2026?
Buying football shirts online has never been more accessible – with platforms like Vinted, Whatnot and eBay leading the way. And that’s a good and a bad thing. In any market economy, you want there to be competition for the benefit of the consumer but with that being said, there’s a universal experience which applies to all of these kinds of platforms. You find something… Read More »How to Spot Fake Football Shirts on Vinted
Starting a football shirt collection always sounds fun (because it is) but especially today, there are some pretty major pitfalls that you want to avoid when you get going. You pick one up because you like it. Maybe it’s a shirt you remember, or one you’ve seen a few times online. It feels like an easy decision. Then a few days later, you’re scrolling again.… Read More »How to Start a Football Shirt Collection in 2026 Without Overpaying
When I went to my first card show, I went in almost completely blind and, when you’re as phobic to tight spaces and bustling behaviours like me, that probably wasn’t the best idea! You’ll probably have seen clips online of busy rooms, tables full of cards, people making deals, and it can give the impression that everyone knows exactly what they’re doing. In reality, it’s… Read More »How to Approach Your First Card Show
If you’re old enough to remember when Panini stickers were like currency in the school playground… then welcome to Hobby FC – we’re very excited to have you. Because if you grew up with football in any form, Panini was just there. You didn’t think about whether they were “worth it”. They were the inexpensive form of following football from all over the world –… Read More »Are Panini Stickers Still Worth Collecting in 2026?
When I stepped back into the ‘hobby’ at the end of the pandemic, EVERYTHING looked different. Football cards used to be quite simple, and now it appeared incredibly complicated. And although it’s incredibly different to when we were kids – I say ‘we’ to those who remembered when Champions League football used to be played on ITV and not behind one of many endless paywalls… Read More »The Best Football Cards to Collect in 2026 (For Beginners)
After the Max Dowman goal v Everton, we started reminiscing about other similar moments. And few come more iconic than what Federico Macheda did when breaking through at Manchester United. But that’s where our story begins… and unfortunately it’s not really where it ends. In that moment, Federico Macheda looked like the typical ‘next big thing‘. Sir Alex Ferguson had just unleashed a new hero. The celebration… Read More »What Really Happened to Federico Macheda
It’s not a Football Manager game without a ‘broken’ wonderkid. And this year’s (FM 26) comes in the form of Georgian full-back: Saba Kharebashvili. Haven’t heard of him? Well, you must be living under a bloody rock! Saba Kharebashvili is a left-back for Dinamo Tbilisi, left-footed, tall for his age, and already playing meaningful minutes. And in FM26? The database basically screams “modern full-back prototype.” Between… Read More »Saba Kharebashvili: The Next Real-Life FM 26 ‘Wonderkid’?
