There aren’t many football fans around who can say they have seen their team built from nothing, but FC Brickstand supporters certainly can.
PA photo
The entirely Lego-based football club, created by Chris Smith, 35, a teaching assistant from Altrincham, already has more than 1000 followers on Twitter since its inception in April, capturing people’s attention with astonishing attention to detail.
Yes, the team have a board of directors, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
FC Brickstand play in the Diorama Conference (division five of Lego football for those unaware) and host games at Brick Lane stadium, while Lego are an official affiliate partner of the club.
The management team have even been spotted on fact-finding missions ahead of their first competitive season…
Before the process of creating a Lego football club came about, Chris began his mission to build all 92 English league and Scottish Premiership grounds from Lego.
He told the Press Association that FC Brickstand is “almost an extension of the original project, and a desire to explore further what could be done that mixed football and Lego”.
He added: “It is a much more interactive project that will allow people to become part of something that will grow gradually over time, just like a real football club.”
Fan involvement is the name of the game, with management and kit some of the things supporters have been given control over, but there’s nothing they can do about the results against other teams in the division, from Athletic Buildbao to Plastic Thistle.
“(Results are) based on the outcome of real games that are played, but these are chosen beforehand so that I can’t interfere with the outcome!” said Chris.
“A Saturday game is picked during the week, the basis of which becomes the Sunday FC Brickstand game.”
As a result, FC Brickstand have failed to win a game so far, with defeats to Olymbrick De Marseille and Brickin City bringing supporters back down to earth with a bump.
Such teething problems are natural for a club in its infancy however, and results are sure to come as the club builds its reputation – and if not, there’s always something to look at in between games.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — With Morgan Scalley as the coach-in-waiting the past two seasons, Utah had a plan in place for a smooth transition when its all-time winningest coach, Kyle Whittingham, decided to retire.
That plan went askew when Michigan hired Whittingham on Dec. 26 — and he brought several assistants with him — leaving Scalley with unexpected holes to fill.
Scalley has since hired coordinators and multiple assistants while working to retain players and keep new recruits on the board.
“I feel like it’s my first birth and I (had) twins,” Scalley joked at his introductory press conference on Tuesday about all of the new faces.
Scalley, who led Utah to a 44-22 win over Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 31, compiled a list of assistants at other schools who fit well with the philosophy and schemes he wants Utah to run.
When it came time to rebuild his staff on offense, he focused on maintaining continuity with the potent, high-flying attack former offensive coordinator Jason Beck ran with great success during the 2025 season. That meant bringing aboard OC Kevin McGiven, who used similar concepts, plays, and terminology in the offense he ran at Utah State.
“There has to be a system where you can teach these young men quickly and get an offensive identity established early that allows for that,” Scalley said. “It didn’t hurt that we already had the skill players for that system that had been in that system.”
During a 10-season stint as defensive coordinator under Whittingham, Scalley helped Utah build a reputation for fielding a rugged and stingy defense.
The Utes finished in the top half of their conference in total defense nine times in the past 10 seasons. In 2019, Scalley coached a Utah defense that ranked second nationally and first in the Pac-12 in total defense. The Utes also finished with the top rushing defense in the Pac-12 five times over Utah’s final eight seasons in the league.
In 2025, Scalley guided a Utes defense that ranked top 20 nationally in passing efficiency defense, total interceptions (14) and scoring defense (18.7 points per game).
“He has proven over and over again that he is not only prepared and ready to lead but will excel in taking over our storied football program,” athletic director Mark Harlan said.
Scalley played safety for the Utes from 2001-04 before joining the coaching staff. As a senior, he was the 2004 Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team AP All-American.
He had opportunities to coach at other schools over the years, but never felt a strong desire to move on from the school where both he and his father had played.
“I never wanted to leave here. My family is here and I never wanted to uproot that,” Scalley said. “Have there been opportunities? Yeah. Do you listen to those opportunities? Yeah. But then you tell those opportunities, ‘Thank you, but no thank you.’ I’m grateful to be here my entire career.”
Harlan successfully fended off efforts from other schools to entice Scalley away from Salt Lake City. His loyalty created a perception outside the program that Whittingham was pushed to step down after 21 seasons to prevent Scalley from departing elsewhere.
Harlan insisted that he and Whittingham had many long conversations about his future at Utah and that the longtime coach felt at peace over leaving the program in Scalley’s hands going into 2026 and beyond.
“He did not want to use the word retirement and I understood what that meant. He might go coach again,” Harlan said. “It was a healthy process. The legacy of Kyle doesn’t change by any of this. He was extraordinary for this university and he trained Morgan to be the very best he could be.”
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Players dump water and Gatorade on Utah head coach Morgan Scalley after defeating Nebraska in the Las Vegas Bowl NCAA college football game Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
