Football has never been short of stories. Some happen on the pitch, others take place in boardrooms, training grounds and recruitment meetings. Touchline is interested in all of them.

Touchline is an independent football publication based in Dublin, covering the game in Ireland and further afield. The focus is on tactical analysis, scouting, player development and the business of football, with the League of Ireland never too far from the conversation.

There’s plenty of football coverage telling you what happened on Friday night. I want Touchline to spend a bit more time looking at why. Why a manager’s system works, why a young player might suit a particular club, or how a decision made away from the pitch can shape what supporters see on it.

Who’s behind Touchline?

I’m James Callan, a football writer, scout and the founder and editor of Touchline. My work has appeared with RTÉ Sport, and I’ve spent time involved in coaching, scouting and football media alongside my studies in business and law. I’m particularly interested in the space where football, money and decision-making meet.

I’m also a Dundalk supporter, which has been a useful reminder that football rarely goes to plan.

Touchline is independently run. The views and assessments published here are editorial decisions, not instructions from clubs, agents or sponsors.

What you’ll find here

Tactics looks at the ideas behind the football, from team structures and pressing to the smaller details that can change a match. Scout Reports takes a recruitment-led approach to individual players, using match observation, statistics and clear assessments of strengths, limitations and tactical fit. Player Profiles provides a more accessible introduction to the footballers worth following.

The Business covers ownership, finance, sponsorship, commercial decisions and sports law. Irish Football and World Football bring those interests together through original reporting, features and analysis.

Some pieces will be detailed and numbers-heavy. Others will simply be good football stories that deserve a bit more attention. Either way, the intention is the same: to make the game more interesting without making it more complicated than it needs to be.

Get in touch

Have a story, a correction, an idea for a piece or just a football question worth digging into? You can reach Touchline through the links on our Contact page. Our approach to sourcing, corrections and commercial relationships is explained in the Editorial & Corrections Policy.