Tom Ritchie Bio

Tom Ritchie

News writer

📝 Bio: I'm a freelance sports journalist and feature writer working in football and American football. After moving to Berlin on a whim four years ago, I have been writing about the culture of the German game for my self-published newsletter and numerous outlets. From covering grassroots games to visiting some of the Bundesliga's biggest stadiums, learning more about German football has reignited my passion for writing about football. My work has been published by GOAL, When Saturday Comes and MUNDIAL. 

My Football Story: It all started at The Valley. My dad took me to see my first game in the last few weeks of the 1997-98 season; a campaign that finished with Charlton beating Sunderland in the best playoff-final of all-time. I was there, and from that moment on, I was hooked. A season ticket holder during the club's glory years, weekly trips to The Valley primed me for years of active football fandom. After finishing university, me and a group of mates spent a month in Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 World Cup. Since moving to Berlin, I've become a member at Union Berlin. Again, I got in at the right time, watching this small community-based club punch well above its weight in the Europa League and Champions League. After a decade of writing about business for trade publications and national newspapers, I decided to follow my life's passion to pursue a career in sports writing. 

🎯 Areas of Expertise: 

  • Feature writing 
  • German football and its associated history/culture
  • Expert football opinion and analysis 
  • News writing

🌟 Favourite Footballing Memory: Standing on the Copacabana Beach with some of my best mates, waiting for England to take on Italy in the opening game of the 2014 World Cup. It felt like we were a part of something truly special. When Raheem Sterling scored that 'ghost goal', the ensuing dog pile of England supporters celebrating was one of the biggest outpourings of joy I have ever been a part of. It took us a solid three minutes to realise the ball actually had not found the back of the Italian net because we were celebrating so much.

Articles by Tom Ritchie
  1. Will Arsenal chase Semenyo in January transfer window?

    Arsenal are not expected to enter the race to sign Antoine Semenyo this January. The Gunners will instead prioritise a summer spending spree, leaving Premier League rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United to battle it out for the Ghanian international's signature. Semenyo's £65m release clause will come into effect at the start of 2026, prompting a likely bidding war.

  2. Arteta reveals what Saka has told him about signing new Arsenal deal

    Mikel Arteta has provided a window into the ongoing contract negotiations between Arsenal and star winger Bukayo Saka. The Gunners boss said he is confident the 24-year-old will "leave a legacy" at his boyhood club. Saka is under contract with Arsenal until 2027, but is expected to sign a new deal as the club looks to lock down the core of its title-challenging squad.

  3. Mourinho says he wanted to make NINE subs in explosive rant

    Jose Mourinho was far from happy with his Benfica side, as they scraped through the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal with a 2-0 win over minnows Atletico CP. The Special One unleashed an explosive post-match rant against his starting eleven, claiming he would have made nine substitutions at half time, if allowed. He went on to call some of his players' attitudes "unacceptable".

  4. 'Special' Lewis-Skelly backed for Arsenal stay by former LB

    Nacho Monreal has sung the praises of Myles Lewis-Skelly, saying the youngster will "make a lot of appearances as an Arsenal player" amid talk he could leave the club. There has been mounting speculation that the 19-year-old will seek a move away from north London in search of more game time ahead of next summer's World Cup. Lewis-Skelly was omitted from Thomas Tuchel's most recent England squad.

  5. 'Delusional' Eze 'deserved to be released' as young player

    Eberechi Eze opened up to Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the 'Beast Mode on Podcast', telling his former teammate that he deserved to be released as an academy player. Eze was first let go from Arsenal's youth setup as a 13-year-old, and failed to secure a professional contract with Millwall at the end of his scholarship with the south London club.

  6. Scotland could steal one-cap England star for World Cup

    Harvey Barnes is open to switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle United winger was capped for the Three Lions in 2020, however, he remains eligible for Steve Clarke's World Cup qualifiers through his Scottish grandparents. Barnes sole England appearance came in a friendly against Wales, meaning he can represent the Tartan Army under FIFA rules.

  7. More pain for Wirtz as £116m man ruled out with injury

    Florian Wirtz's tough start to life in England has taken another turn, as Liverpool boss Arne Slot confirmed his playmaker will miss the Reds' Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Dutch coach said the £116 million man has picked up a "muscle issue", but did not provide a timeline on his recovery. The injury comes after Wirtz impressed for Germany over the international break.

  1. Casemiro dazzles but Gabriel suffers nightmare injury blow

    Stunning first-half goals from Casemiro and Estevao capped a rampant display from Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil side in a 2-0 win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium. The Chelsea youngster opened the scoring with a curled effort, before the veteran midfielder doubled the lead with a delectable touch and finish. However, there was bad news for the Gunners fans in attendance, as Gabriel limped off on the hour with what looked like a serious injury.

  2. Hemp hammers home for City in derby-day destruction

    WSL leaders Manchester City asserted their dominance with a resounding 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United. The game was ended as a contest in the space of four minutes, when Bunny Shaw slid in for her side's second before Lauren Hemp capped her return from injury with a powerful strike on the stroke of half-time after Rebecca Knaak had initially opened the scoring.

  3. Hampton out for rest of the year? Bompastor confirms Chelsea injury blow

    Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor has revealed that Hannah Hampton could miss the rest of 2025 with a quad injury, potentially ruling her out of the Lionesses upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana later this month. The renowned shot stopper missed Chelsea's 6-0 win over St. Polten in the Women's Champions League, after picking up the injury during the Blues 1-1 draw with Arsenal last Saturday.

  4. Neymar transfer ruled out! Club chief issues strong statement

    Fluminense's president has denied rumours linking his club with Neymar. Mario Bittencourt took to his X account to release a strongly worded statement, categorically refuting reports the Tricolor had made an approach for the Santos star. Speculation over a transfer was fuelled by comments made by Fluminense's head of physiotherapy, after he called Neymar, the "last genius of Brazilian football".