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. Hato praises Rosenior after Chelsea thump Charlton in FA Cup

    Jorrel Hato has praised new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, after the Blues thumped Charlton 5-1 in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. The young Dutchman opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time as he powered home a bouncing ball on the edge of the Addicks' area with a fierce left-footed strike. Speaking after the game, the left back said he felt Rosenior's style "suits" this Chelsea squad.

  2. Five-star Chelsea see off Charlton in Rosenior's first game

    Liam Rosenior's tenure as Chelsea boss got off to a brilliant start, as the Blues bested a spirited Charlton side 5-1 at They Valley. Jorrell Hato opened the scoring with a beautifully struck volley just before half time. Toisin Adarabioyo added a second, with Miles Leaburn offering a brief reply, before Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez rounded off the scoring for the Blues.

  3. Semenyo's new City teammate praises 'seamless' debut

    Antoine Semenyo left a lasting impression on his new Manchester City teammates with his man of the match performance in the Sky Blues 10-1 win over Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup. The former Bournemouth man grabbed a goal and an assist, prompting Rico Lewis to say the Ghanaian international made a "seamless transition" into Pep Guardiola's side.

  4. Given makes crass 'holocaust' claim on Final Score

    Former Newcastle and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has been condemned by viewers for describing Wilfried Nancy's managerial tenure at Celtic as "an absolute Holocaust", while working for the BBC as a pundit. The 49-year-old made the comments during the broadcast of Final Score earlier on Saturday. Presenter Jason Mohammed issued an on-air apology later in the show.

  5. Revealed: Why Marc Guehi could still win FA Cup

    Marc Guehi could be the beneficiary of an FA rule change on player eligibility in cup competitions. The Crystal Palace captain was part of the Eagles embarrassing 2-1 loss at minnows Macclesfield in defence of their FA Cup crown, but could continue in the competition if he completes a switch to Manchester City or Arsenal in the January transfer window.

  6. Who are Macclesfield FC? Get the lowdown on FA Cup giant-killers

    Macclesfield made history on Saturday, as the first non-league club to knock out the reigning FA Cup winners since 1909 thanks to their 2-1 win over Premier League outfit Crystal Palace. A phoenix club established in 2020 after the winding up of Macclesfield Town FC, their achievement is truly remarkable. Here's all you need to know about the Silkmen.

  7. Al-Ittihad expect Benzema to sign new contract in summer

    Al-Ittihad director Ramon Planes believes the club's captain and star striker Karim Benzema will extend his stay in Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old's contract is set to expire in June 2026. Speculation over the five-time Champions League winners future intensified towards the end of last year, when he gave a cryptic answer to questions over his intentions to extend his stay in the Middle East.

  8. Pep launches defence of Donnarumma's passing skills

    Pep Guardiola has defended the passing skills of his goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Manchester City boss praised the Italian's composure, control and short passing game, saying the 26-year-old is "much, much better than people think", with the ball at his feet. However, the Spaniard admitted that the ex-PSG man's long passing could not compare to City's former keeper Ederson.

  9. Vicious Valverde strike helps set up Supercopa Clasico

    Real Madrid booked their place in the Supercopa de Espana final with a 2-1 victory over inter-city rivals Atletico Madrid in Jeddah on Thursday. Los Blancos opened their account through a vicious Federico Valverde free-kick after just 77 seconds, and Rodrygo doubled the lead with a well-taken finish in the 55th minute, before Alexander Sorloth pegged one back with a back-post header just moments later.

  10. Smith stars but Arsenal must settle for UWCL play-off

    Arsenal continued their Champions League defence with a comfortable 3-0 win over Leuven on Wednesday. First-half goals from Olivia Smith and Beth Mead, as well as an own goal by Linde Veefkind after the break were not enough for the Gunners to force their way into the top four of the league phase table, as Renee Slegers' side missed out on automatic qualification for the quarter-finals.

  1. Kudus & Simons star for Spurs in victory over Slavia

    Tottenham kept their Champions League campaign on track with a resounding 3-0 win over Czech side Slavia Prague. Spurs deservedly took the lead through a David Zima own goal in the 26th minute in a frenetic first half that saw the visitors deploy a risky man-to-man setup in defence. The hosts made their dominance tell in the second half, as Xavi Simons and Mohamed Kudus both scored from the penalty spot.

  2. Terrible Tosin sums up shocking Chelsea in Leeds loss

    Chelsea endured a horrible evening at Elland Road, as they fell 3-1 to Leeds United. The Blues were played off the park in the first half as Jakob Bijol's header and Ao Tanaka's long range effort gave the hosts a deserved lead at the break. While Pedro Neto pegged one back for the visitors, their misery was compounded by a calamitous Tosin Adaraboiyo mistake in the build-up to Dominic Calvert-Lewin's tap in.

  3. Deco explains why Rashford 'suffered' at Man Utd

    Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, has shared his theory on why Marcus Rashford "suffered" at Manchester United. The former Chelsea and Porto midfielder suggested the United loanee is enjoying playing without the pressure of performing for his boyhood club, since he made a loan switch at the start of the 2025-26 season. The 27-year-old has scored six goals in 18 appearances for La Blaugrana so far.

  4. Ronaldo 'only foreign player worth what he earns' in Saudi Pro League

    A former Saudi Arabian sports minister has unleashed a withering assessment of the Saudi Pro League, claiming Cristiano Ronaldo is the only foreign player in the competition justifying their wages. Prince Abdullah bin Mosaad lauded Ronaldo's unparalleled ability to bring global exposure to the league. The 40-year-old extended his stay in the country when he signed a new two-year deal with Al-Nassr in the summer.

  5. What was Caicedo thinking?! Chelsea let down by star man

    Chelsea battled to a well-deserved point in their top of the table clash against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were the better side until Moises Caicedo saw red for his challenge on Mikel Merino in the 33rd minute. Despite losing their talisman, Chelsea took the lead early in the second half thanks to Trevoh Chalobah's glancing nod, but were quickly pegged back by a Merino header.