The Fan

A penalty where the ball is calmly and softly chipped down the middle, gambling that the keeper will dive to one side or the other. The 'Panenka' is named after Antonín Panenka, who famously won the 1976 European Championship final with exactly this trick, playing for Czechoslovakia against West Germany. You need nerves of steel to try a Panenka. Get it right, and you look like an ice cold genius, get it wrong and you can look like an egotistical idiot who cost your team the game.

The last day of a transfer window. The last chance for clubs to sign players before the window slams shut and doesn't open again for a few months. In England, the transfer window usually closes at 11pm on deadline day in late August/early September for the summer window and in late January/early February for the winter transfer window. Sky Sports News has turned Transfer Deadline Day into a main sporting event twice a year, with the yellow ticker announcing transfers as they happen. Expect a flurry of late transfers and loans!

Actively seeking to buy a player that is already in the process of joining another club. The hijacking club don't just outbid the first club to make a successful transfer bid, they also convince the player to change their mind when they've already agreed contract terms elsewhere. A hijack creates drama, especially on transfer deadline day, writes headlines, and creates new rivalries.

Understanding of football beyond surface-level takes. If someone has good ball knowledge, they understand tactics, context, and nuance. If they don't, they just look at goals and trophies. Often used to dismiss someone else's opinion - "you have zero ball knowledge" - implying they don't really understand the game. Can be gatekeeping, but also a genuine way to credit someone who gets it. Fans make football, and the best fans have great ball knowledge.

A player with serious skill and confidence. The term originally came from basketball but has crossed over into football through street culture and social media. Calling someone a baller means they've got technique, they're not afraid to try things, and they look good doing it. It's a compliment about style as much as ability.