Sammi Minion

Author description

Sammi Minion is a Sports Writer at JOE, with more than two years experience working in journalism and publishing, a NCTJ qualification from Darlington College, and a degree in History and English Literature from the University of Edinburgh. As well as writing about the latest football news and transfer rumours, Sammi helps out with the weekly JOE Pub Quiz!

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  • Quiz: Name England and Croatia’s starting XIs from the 2018 World Cup semi-final

    Quiz: Name England and Croatia’s starting XIs from the 2018 World Cup semi-final

    The day it ever so nearly happened… Every supporter of the English men’s national team remembers the 11th of July 2018 as if it were yesterday. From Kieran Trippier’s unstoppable 6th minute free-kick, to the heartbreak of defeat in extra-time, fans experienced every emotion under the sun over an agonising 120 minutes of football between […]

    1 day ago

  • Quiz: Name every third place play-off winner in World Cup history

    Quiz: Name every third place play-off winner in World Cup history

    You have just five minutes to name the winners of all 20 play-off ties! While the World Cup is usually remembered for its champions, many teams have still written their own proud chapters by winning the third-place play-off, and reserving some remaining honour for their country. Sometimes referred to as an “award for the first […]

    3 days ago

  • Quiz: Name all 48 qualified teams at the 2026 World Cup

    Quiz: Name all 48 qualified teams at the 2026 World Cup

    It’s the biggest tournament ever! The 2026 World Cup is already set to be the biggest of its kind in history, with a massive 48 teams competing, including four nations who are making their debuts. While the eight sides that have won World Cups before might be an easy enough start, it’ll take a real […]

    3 days ago

  • The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 506

    The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 506

    It’s Quiz Time! Welcome to the 506th edition of the JOE Friday Pub Quiz! Happy June to one and all, the first proper month of the summer. This week finds us on the precipice of the excitement of the North American World Cup — now just days away — or the Makerfield by-election, if that’s […]

    4 days ago

  • How the final Premier League table would look if every refereeing error was erased

    How the final Premier League table would look if every refereeing error was erased

    Things would have looked very different. Every major refereeing decision leading up to the final few weeks of the Premier League season have been analysed, to establish how things may have played out differently, had PGMO officials always made the correct calls, in an impressive new report from the Athletic. The 2025/26 season ultimately ended […]

    5 days ago

  • The Premier League club most impacted by VAR mistakes has been revealed

    The Premier League club most impacted by VAR mistakes has been revealed

    The winners and losers from VAR have been confirmed. An exceptional in-depth report from BBC Sport’s football issues correspondent Dale Johnson has confirmed which Premier League club has suffered the most from mistakes made by VAR. Over the course of the 2025/26 season, the Premier League have admitted to 25 incidents in which refereeing officials, […]

    1 week ago

  • WATCH: Comical moment footballer is run over by his own medical team

    WATCH: Comical moment footballer is run over by his own medical team

    Talk about bad luck… A football match in Ecuador came to a bizarre halt on Sunday after a player was ran over by a medical cart that had been transferring a teammate from the pitch. The bizarre incident occurred during a match between LDU Portoviejo and El Nacional in Liga Pro Serie B, Ecuador‘s second tier. […]

    1 week ago

  • FIFA introduce new rule days before World Cup as England ‘singled out’

    FIFA introduce new rule days before World Cup as England ‘singled out’

    The tournament kicks off within the next few weeks. FIFA have confirmed the implementation a new rule to be used at this year’s World Cup that “singles out” England, according to The Times. Per the newspaper’s report, Fifa refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, has revealed that IFAB, the International Football Association Board, will bring into use […]

    1 week ago

  • Arne Slot breaks silence with emotional statement after Liverpool departure

    Arne Slot breaks silence with emotional statement after Liverpool departure

    The departing Reds boss has spoken out… Former Liverpool manager Arne Slot has spoken publicly for the first time since the Merseyside club opted to remove the Dutchman from his position. Announced on the club’s website and social media pages on Saturday, Liverpool revealed their decision for Slot to “depart his role as head coach […]

    1 week ago

  • Why US tennis star Coco Gauff keeps her racquets in a fridge

    Why US tennis star Coco Gauff keeps her racquets in a fridge

    It has been a warm few days at the French Open… Defending Women’s Singles champion Coco Guaff has made headlines at Roland Garros already this year, for a pretty surprising reason, after the US star was spotted lifting tennis racquets out from a courtside fridge. Players competing in the Grand Slam tournament have experienced temperatures […]

    1 week ago

  • The CIA may have ‘poisoned’ England’s World Cup goalkeeper – Here’s what we know

    The CIA may have ‘poisoned’ England’s World Cup goalkeeper – Here’s what we know

    “There is much more to the story than mere conspiracy theory.” A remarkable piece of investigative journalism published this week by the Observer has suggested that the USA-based Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) may have attempted to “poison” an England goalkeeper at one of Three Lions’ past World Cup tournaments. The journalist Gabriel Gatehouse has spent […]

    1 week ago

  • The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 505

    The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 505

    After a boiling bank holiday week, cool off with a quiz! Welcome to the 505th edition of the JOE Friday Pub Quiz! This week in the UK has been WARM, so hot in fact, that a 100-year-old record for the highest ever temperature for a day in May was broken over the weekend, and then […]

    1 week ago

  • Pep Guardiola ‘tells friends he fancies England manager job’ under right conditions

    Pep Guardiola ‘tells friends he fancies England manager job’ under right conditions

    Guardiola left his role Man City manager at the end of the 2025/26 season. Man City’s iconic departing head coach Pep Guardiola has already given some indication over the football team he would be interested in managing next, just days after his emotional Etihad departure, according to the Mail reporter Jack Gaughan, speaking on Sky […]

    1 week ago

  • Quiz: See if you can name all 120 Europa and Conference League finalists in history

    Quiz: See if you can name all 120 Europa and Conference League finalists in history

    Anything over half is a great score… Ahead of the grand UEFA Conference League final between Rayo Vallecano and Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, it’s time to test your knowledge of European football’s lower tiered competitions. Now after we’ve given you the first two, all you have to do is name the other 118 sides […]

    1 week ago

  • How the final Premier League table would look if every ‘VAR error’ was erased

    How the final Premier League table would look if every ‘VAR error’ was erased

    A real re-shuffle of the Premier League order. There can be no doubt that VAR — and whether it makes football stronger — is an issue that divides football fans like no other. As well as occasionally doing its job properly, VAR has the potential to cause chaos, unrest and controversy. Overall, some teams tend […]

    1 week ago

  • How Pep Guardiola used Bruno Fernandes’ ‘bad attitude’ to motivate his players

    How Pep Guardiola used Bruno Fernandes’ ‘bad attitude’ to motivate his players

    Pep had ‘clips of Fernandes’ prepared to show his players After a decade at the top, Pep Guardiola will finally depart Manchester City this summer, to be replaced by Enzo Maresca. Over the past few days, since the Catalan head coach formally announced his departure on Friday (May 22), much has been made of Guardiola’s […]

    1 week ago

  • Thomas Tuchel has confirmed his full England World Cup squad

    Thomas Tuchel has confirmed his full England World Cup squad

    Some seriously big names have missed out… England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed which players will be in his squad for the 2026 World Cup, just three weeks out from the beginning of the tournament. The Three Lions begin their campaign to win a first mayor trophy in six decades next month, starting against Croatia […]

    2 weeks ago

  • The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 504

    The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 504

    Let’s party like it’s 2004! Welcome to the 504th edition of the JOE Friday Pub Quiz, which I bring to you in especially good spirits. After a lifetime — well 22-years to be exact — of hurt and disappointment, my beloved team Arsenal finally won the Premier League on Tuesday, their first title since the […]

    2 weeks ago

  • Major update issued on Southampton’s Spygate case

    Major update issued on Southampton’s Spygate case

    This does not bode well for the Saints… Despite already being eliminated from the play-off final, Championship side Southampton may still face further sanctions in relation to allegations of spying on rival sides’ training, according to The Times. Ahead of the first leg of Middlesbrough and the Saints’ play-off first leg, a report in The […]

    2 weeks ago

  • Revealed: The ‘insane’ pay rise Mikel Arteta will receive after winning PL title

    Revealed: The ‘insane’ pay rise Mikel Arteta will receive after winning PL title

    More good news for Arteta… Newly-crowned Premier League champion Mikel Arteta is set to be rewarded handsomely for his efforts at Arsenal, with a significant payrise, according to the Guardian. The Gunners’ triumph over Manchester City was confirmed thanks to Bournemouth, who secured a 1-1 draw with Pep Guardiola’s side on Tuesday night, making it […]

    2 weeks ago

  • Supercomputer predicts which Premier League clubs will qualify for Europe this season

    Supercomputer predicts which Premier League clubs will qualify for Europe this season

    The Supercomputer has spoken Within just a few days, the 2025/26 Premier League season will be decided, and all will discover for absolute certain whether Arne Slot’s side have the nerve to maintain their position and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The Reds have significantly stumbled over the past fortnight, losing 4-2 to Aston […]

    2 weeks ago

  • Bournemouth aim subtle dig at Man City seconds after title-deciding draw

    Bournemouth aim subtle dig at Man City seconds after title-deciding draw

    The Cherries had their say… Arsenal are Premier League champions, and it’s all thanks to south coast outfit Bournemouth. Andoni Iraola’s side secured a hard fought, and well deserved, 1-1 draw at the Vitality Satdium on Tuesday to make it mathematically impossible for Pep Guardiola’s side to catch up with the Gunners. The clash began […]

    2 weeks ago

  • Southampton learn their punishment for ‘Spygate’ as EFL release statement

    Southampton learn their punishment for ‘Spygate’ as EFL release statement

    The EFL have made their decision The EFL have made their decision on the punishment Championship side Southampton should face for allegations that they attempted to “spy” on a private Middlesbrough training session. Ahead of the first leg of Middlesbrough and the Saints’ play-off first leg, a report in The Mail revealed that an individual […]

    2 weeks ago

  • Man City set to face legal action from Chelsea over plans to appoint Enzo Maresca

    Man City set to face legal action from Chelsea over plans to appoint Enzo Maresca

    A legal complaint could be launched within weeks… Manchester City’s plans to appoint Enzo Maresca as Pep Guardiola’s successor could be complicated by a potential legal complaint from his former club Chelsea. According to a report in the Telegraph, the Blues are “shaping up for a legal battle” over the “contested circumstances” in which Maresca […]

    2 weeks ago

  • EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham ‘fears for the future of football’ over US World Cup plans

    EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham ‘fears for the future of football’ over US World Cup plans

    ‘It feels like FIFA has caved in on something it successfully withstood 30-years ago.’ Whether it’s for his vintage Everton jerseys, thoughts on VAR, or the dramatic upcoming by-election in Makerfield, the name Andy Burnham has dominated media airwaves and pub chat alike over the past seven days. Following Labour’s setback in the local elections […]

    3 weeks ago

  • Premier League admit to VAR error that would have changed the title race

    Premier League admit to VAR error that would have changed the title race

    It takes this season’s tally to 23 confirmed errors made by VAR The Premier League’s latest review into VAR errors has revealed a mistake was made in a recent match that could well have changed the shape of this season’s title race between Arsenal and Manchester City. At regular intervals throughout the season, the Premier […]

    3 weeks ago

  • Man City 115 charges delay could prompt historic change to Premier League rules

    Man City 115 charges delay could prompt historic change to Premier League rules

    More than a year has passed since the hearing on City’s alleged charges first began. The Premier League are considering a major overhaul of the rules pertaining to the way that clubs are penalised for breaches in financial regulations, according to a report from Sky News. Currently, following any allegation and charge for a breach […]

    3 weeks ago

  • The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 503

    The JOE Friday Pub Quiz: week 503

    Happy Friday! Welcome to another week of The JOE Friday Pub Quiz! It’s been another chaotic seven days in the UK. With those trusty local elections all done and dusted, there’s been one question on everyone’s lips. What is the Prime Minister thinking? And will he stay or will he go? Then, who could replace […]

    3 weeks ago

  • EFL break silence on Southampton ‘Spygate’ scandal in lengthy statement

    EFL break silence on Southampton ‘Spygate’ scandal in lengthy statement

    BREAKING The EFL have broken silence on the allegations that Southampton broke rules by ‘spying’ on a private Middlesbrough training session, in a statement posted on their website. Ahead of the first leg of Middlesbrough and the Saints’ play-off first leg, a report in The Mail revealed that an individual thought to be a Southampton […]

    3 weeks ago

  • Quiz: Can you name all 48 English counties in five minutes?

    Quiz: Can you name all 48 English counties in five minutes?

    It’s not as easy as it may appear! It’s time to test your knowledge of English geography. All you need to do is input the names of England’s 48 counties into the answer box below within the five-minute time limit. While it seems easy enough, are you confident you can recall each and every one […]

    3 weeks ago

  • Quiz: See if you can name these obscure former Man City players

    Quiz: See if you can name these obscure former Man City players

    Only a Man City expert will manage to name them all! Manchester City are the most successful English football club in modern history, meaning that over the past 15 years, some of the biggest names in world football have turned out for the Citizens. On the way to winning all that silverware, a host of […]

    3 weeks ago

  • PGMOL planning major rule change that would impact Arsenal’s chances next season

    PGMOL planning major rule change that would impact Arsenal’s chances next season

    This could change everything for the Gunners. The PGMOL are said to be considering making a significant change to Premier League rules ahead of next season. The organisation’s chief, former veteran Premier League referee Howard Webb, appeared on Sky Sports on Tuesday evening as part of the regularly scheduled Mic’d Up programme. Webb was in […]

    3 weeks ago

  • WATCH: Full VAR audio from West Ham’s controversial disallowed goal vs Arsenal

    WATCH: Full VAR audio from West Ham’s controversial disallowed goal vs Arsenal

    The Premier League have released the audio exchange from the moment The Premier League’s official Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMO) have agreed to release the recorded audio exchange made between officials during the build-up to the controversial decision to disallow Callum Wilson’s 95th minute equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday. Wilson thought he had scored […]

    3 weeks ago

  • Major Arsenal star ruled out for rest of the PL season and UCL final with injury

    Major Arsenal star ruled out for rest of the PL season and UCL final with injury

    Just what Arteta needed… One of Mikel Arteta’s most important players has been ruled out for the the remainder of the season, according to dedicated Arsenal reporter Joshua Hall and David Ornstein. The Gunners face the three biggest matches in their modern history over the next fortnight, as they play out their last two games […]

    3 weeks ago

  • We asked AI to predict West Ham and Spurs’ final games – here’s who goes down

    We asked AI to predict West Ham and Spurs’ final games – here’s who goes down

    The supercomputer has spoken… Following Arsenal’s dramatic victory over West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, that put the Gunners’ just two matches from title-winning glory, it now seems the last great story of the 2025/26 Premier League season is over who will finish within the final relegation spot. 17th placed Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur […]

    3 weeks ago

  • Revealed: Every confirmed VAR error that has benefited Arsenal this season

    Revealed: Every confirmed VAR error that has benefited Arsenal this season

    The Gunners had VAR to thank on Sunday as they escaped the London Stadium with all three points Many across the footballing world currently consider Arsenal to be the Premier League’s luckiest side, following a controversial last-ditch decision made in the club’s clash with West Ham United on Sunday. The Gunners find themselves on the […]

    1 month ago

  • Here’s everything Keir Starmer said during today’s national address

    Here’s everything Keir Starmer said during today’s national address

    Labour lost ground to Reform and the Green Party in last week’s local elections. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just given a “major speech,” as reported on by BBC News. The Labour leader spoke in an official capacity for the first time since his party’s disappointing results in last week’s local elections, in which […]

    1 month ago

  • Quiz: See if you can name these 2010s Arsenal and West Ham players

    Quiz: See if you can name these 2010s Arsenal and West Ham players

    Take a trip down memory lane… We’ve put together the ultimate throwback for anyone who followed the rollercoaster that was Arsenal Football Club or West Ham United during the 2010s. The Gunners may have not quite succeeded in winning a Premier League title during the 2010s, but that doesn’t mean it was a wasted decade. […]

    1 month ago

  • Bournemouth full-back Álex Jiménez ‘under investigation’ over social media posts

    Bournemouth full-back Álex Jiménez ‘under investigation’ over social media posts

    He joined the Cherries on a permanent deal in January Premier League side Bournemouth have issued a statement confirming that full-back Alex Jimenez will play no role in the club’s upcoming fixture with Fulham. Jimenez is being investigated by Bournemouth in relation to social media posts that have been circulating online, the club have confirmed. […]

    1 month ago

  • British government could ‘force Sheikh Mansour to sell’ Man City

    British government could ‘force Sheikh Mansour to sell’ Man City

    Mansour has owned Man City since 2008 Manchester City’s UAE-based owners could be ‘forced to sell the club’ if sanctions are imposed on owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyanr, according to a new report in The Athletic. The report comes amidst calls from human rights organisation FairSquare on the UK government to consider sanctions against […]

    1 month ago

  • Federico Valverde breaks silence on Tchouaméni dispute in lengthy statement

    Federico Valverde breaks silence on Tchouaméni dispute in lengthy statement

    Valverde has broken down exactly what happened between him and his teammate. Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has spoken out on the training ground dispute with teammate Aurelian Tchouameni, via a lengthy Instagram statement. Taking to the social media platform, Valverde said: [Translated from Spanish]”Yesterday I had an incident with a teammate during a training […]

    1 month ago

  • Real Madrid confirm full extent of Federico Valverde’s injuries after ‘training ground fight’

    Real Madrid confirm full extent of Federico Valverde’s injuries after ‘training ground fight’

    The midfielder had to attend hospital Spanish football giants Real Madrid have provided further details on an injury sustained by midfielder Federico Valverde during a reported training ground altercation with teammate Aurelian Tchouameni on Thursday. The statement reads: “Following tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he […]

    1 month ago