football friends magazine

ootball Friends FFootballootballFF

EVERYONE IS SHOUTING

ABOUT IT!

ISSUE 1 • OCTOBER 2010

THE ENGLISHFOOTBALL

You don’t get anything for free, apparently. Those

of us who have been lectured by any stereotypical

British pessimist will have had that phrase thrown

at them.

Surely therefore the notion of an interesting,

humorous and vibrant magazine about the

nation’s favourite sport, absolutely free of charge,

is one that can be dismissed as quickly as the idea

of ‘Bramble for England’? I mean, what could this

magazine possibly offer…

What if this magazine had the potential to

become the hub of British fan culture? What if this

magazine offered a light-hearted and insightful

look at football, written for the fans, by the fans;

each month offering different styles of article

catering for every possible taste? What if these

articles weren’t written in the press box, but on

the terraces; written amongst the Bovril, the beer,

and all that joyous banter?

Don’t think this hypothetical magazine has

compromised on quality though. This publication

has scoured the country for undiscovered talent,

people whose ability to construct perceptive and

thought-provoking pieces is surpassed only by

their passion for the beautiful game.

And just imagine if this magazine had an online

facility, a website offering all this footballing

wisdom and intuition at the click of a button.

Hypothetical this magazine is not. Welcome to

Football Friends ladies and gentlemen, the new,

exciting and somewhat revolutionary addition to

the football media market.

Once a month we’ll cram this magazine with

enough footballing literature to tide you over to

the next. Whether you like it funny or serious,

positive or negative, about issues here or abroad;

Football Friends has got it covered. And it won’t

cost you a penny.

You don’t get anything for free? What about ‘the best things in life are free’? If you’re a football fan, that phrase just got a little bit truer.

www.footballfriends.org.uk

BEING A FOOTBALL FAN JUST GOT A LITTLE BETTER...

ISSUE 1 FOOTBALL FRIENDS 3

GLOBAL FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD:

JAPAN

iego Forlan was crowned the

best player at this summer’s

World Cup, an accolade largely

attributed to his ability to

control the much maligned Jabulani ball.

While all the world’s greatest footballing

technicians sent long range shots fl ying

into the upper reaches of crowds across

South Africa, it seemed only two men had a

grasp on the Jabulani and could manipulate

this apparently perfect ball making it go

anywhere they wanted it to. Diego Forlan

was one. Keisuke Honda, of Japan, was

the other.

Technical profi ciency amongst Japanese

players is not unique to the man named

Honda though. Arsene Wenger deemed

Junichi Inamoto good enough for his ultra-

intricate collection of footballers at Arsenal;

Hidetoshi Nakata was one of the world’s

best at the turn of this century and Celtic

fans generally agree they haven’t seen a

better free kick taker at their club than

Shunsuke Nakamura. It is this technique that

characterises the culture of football across

Japan, with local coach Naoto Muramatsu

titling his book on football in his home

country ‘Japanese Have the Technique but

Don’t Play Soccer Well’.

Technique isn’t the only good thing about

Japan’s football though, with a genuine

passion for the global game encouraging

it’s kids to take to the streets armed with

nothing, but a ball. The 2002 World Cup

which it co-hosted with South Korea provided

evidence of this, with a massive level of

enthusiasm engulfi ng their entire nation and

surprising the rest of the world, who remained

ignorantly convinced football lagged behind

other traditional Far Eastern pastimes in

Japanese pop-culture. This just isn’t the case

though; in fact one of the country’s most

popular comic books follows the adventures

of a promising football player named Ohzora

Tsubasa. Considering Japan’s long affi liation

with all things geeky, for a football comic to

be amongst the country’s most popular is no

small feat.

It is not all sunshine and rainbows though.

While consumption of football’s premier

competitions such as the Premier League

remains insatiable, domestic coverage of

the game is actually dwindling. Seeking to

take advantage of the ‘post-2002-boom’

the country’s top domestic competition,

the J-League, sold the broadcast rights to

satellite television, citing our own Premier

League as an inspiration. It was hoped this

move would encourage more sponsorship,

more money and with this more investment

into football.

This hasn’t happened though. It seems

football’s stronghold in Japanese culture

wasn’t yet strong enough to demand of footy

fans payment to watch the best matches

from around Japan. Unwilling to subscribe

to satellite TV just to watch football, casual

and young fans, arguably the core of Japan’s

footballing society, have drifted elsewhere,

with baseball in particular drawing on the

thousands of fans losing interest in football.

Coaching also remains a big talking point,

D

4 FOOTBALL FRIENDS ISSUE 1

Junichi Inamoto Hidetoshi Nakata

Shunsuke Nakamura

with many suggesting that the development

of young footballers in particular has not

advanced for twenty years. While their

player’s technical prowess can be honed

on the streets, things such as tactical

discipline and defensive play are usually

underdeveloped when compared to their

footballing neighbours. The coaching is basic,

it is not testing and it is not helping these

super-talented players become the potential

superstars they could be.

A mixed bag then, it seems. An obsession

with Europe’s top football remains

undeterred, and Keisuke Honda has inherited

the now well established role of Japanese

footballing magician. Domestically though

the country’s football has come to a

crossroads, with a better national league and

improved coaching needed to take Japanese

football to the next level.

Failure to act now could

leave all the good work

of the 2002 World Cup

wasted. Jon Vale


Honda scores against Cameroon in South Africa and celebrates (above)

DIVING CAMPAIGN

FROM AROUND THE WORLD


‘It’s a man’s game.’ Those four words have

summed up the game of football amongst

British supporters for generations, with

our bulldog spirit lusting after a crunching

tackle or forceful header with greater

passion than any display of sublime skill

or technique. It is in this country where

the image of Terry Butcher’s blood-

stained shirt is revered as much as Paul

Gascoigne’s awesome strike against

Scotland at Euro 96. This country is

where Chris Morgan has earned cult hero

status, where Des Walker has amassed 59

England caps, and where Lee Cattermole

commands a transfer fee of £6 million for

his ability to ‘put his foot in’.

Times are changing though. The Nineties

saw a cultural shift in the English game, with

an infl ux of continental wisdom

transforming the likes of Tony

Adams from chain-smoking brute to

ball-playing centre half. The benefi ts

were huge, with an improved diet

and greater composure on the ball

making our game a lot easier on the

eye. However, with the good unfortunately

came the bad. Sulking superstars, a lack

of effort and of course, the dreaded diving

have all spread across our game and

contaminated many a young football fan’s

brain, who now seem keener on winning

penalties than tackles whilst playing for their

Sunday morning teams.

It’s just not the British way, is it? Honesty,

determination and fair play are all we ask of

our players. Even if they lose, playing with

passion, desire and, above all else, honesty

is enough for players to earn the respect

of the majority of England’s football fans.

However, the money in football nowadays,

coupled with the massive media scrutiny,

has made the stakes astronomically high,

higher than ever before. So high in fact

that even the most honest of footballers

will likely consider taking a tumble in the

box just to earn their team a chance at a

precious three points.

This willingness to compromise on

fair play is a continuing trend of English

players losing touch with the English-style

game. As a more continental infl uence

spreads across the country’s pitches, so

our boys are being seduced by the ‘win at

all costs’ mentality that fuels our European

and South American counterparts, with a

footballing choice between right and wrong

often decided by a the promise of a fat

pay-cheque rather than any moral dilemma.

A look back to this summer’s World Cup

though will provide testament to the fact

that this doesn’t work for us.

The Premier League is the most

competitive in the world. Spain has two

outstanding teams and very little else;

Germany is improving but has very few real

world class players, whereas Italian football

at present is a shambles. Here, every game

faced by those in our top division is a hard

one. But why is the Premier League so

competitive? Simple: because it is English. It

retains that fi erce tribal quality, where the

underdog has its day, where fi ghting spirit can

conquer all and nobody ever, ever gives up.

It is in this blood-and-thunder domain that

English players fl ourish, yet put them together

on the international stage and suddenly we

look like a bunch of little boys lost.

That is because we’re trying to be

something we’re not. We lose the things that

make us great; we lose the intensity, pace

and tempo associated with English league

football, instead looking to replicate the slow,

methodical build up adopted by the likes of

Spain. And unfortunately, Spain are much

better at being Spain than we are. We are

England. So why don’t we play like them?

The time has come to remember who

we are and what we stand for. While we

at Football Friends can’t inject this passion

directly into our players (although we’d

bloody well like to) we can at least get back

to a key cornerstone of the British game:

honesty. Starting with diving.

While the F.A continues to display a

lax attitude to the whole problem, this

magazine will not. Yes, your nippy little

winger going over in the box may earn your

team a penalty, it may allow you to pick up

a much valued away win and it may make

your drive home down the M1 that much

easier. But it’s cheating and the English

don’t cheat. So don’t condone it.

Reject those players whose

balance regularly fails them.

Exclude those players who wave

their arms around in frenetic fashion

seeking a foul. And reserve your

most vile of hatred for that most

disgusting of breed; the ‘face-grabber’. A

mere brush of the palm across a player’s

face does not warrant a period of ten

minutes on the ground claiming you are

blind. Let the next player to do this be told

so, in no uncertain terms.

We at Football Friends will do all we

can to rid the game of its divers. We will

draw attention to and widely condemn any

guilty players; we will name, shame and

hopefully embarrass even the most famous

of footballer. But it is with you, the reader,

to take up the mantle, to embrace the

campaign and chastise the players that are

ruining the spirit of the English game with

their constant melodramatics. For too long

we have stood back and let the precious

commodity of English football slip away

from us. Together, we can get it back.

Jon Vale

"The Premier League is the most competitive

in the world."


sean mathias

football friends blog

Sean Mathias is a world-weary cynic with a healthy disrespect for all in authority and an eye for the

unusual. If you can stomach his schoolboy humour and sledgehammer wit, you are to be honest, in the

minority. Subtlety and intelligence are in short supply in the ramblings of this madman, but his blog

should at least provoke, if not amuse you. If you are easily offended go elsewhere or preferably start

watching tennis – football just isn’t for you. http://ffmagazine1.wordpress.com/

“admittedly, Robert Green made a mistake of horrendous

proportions, but it is good to see one massive British spill that the

americans can appreciate.” Sean remarks on Robert Green’s howler

“andres iniesta guaranteed that justice was seen to be done as

he crashed home the winner with just four minutes of extra time

remaining in the World Cup final. the Dutch had come with a

clear two point game plan - 1) ‘Give it some clog’ and 2) ‘Give it

to Robben’. alonso can certainly testify to the success of the first

element as he inspects the stud marks in his chest in the bathroom

mirror this morning. and the second part was exploited at every

opportunity until the wrinkly-faced, balding, cry-baby faded

spectacularly in the second half.” Sean on the World Cup Final

“apparently, David James and

Lady Gaga have been getting

on famously. Until saturday

night, when she took one look

at his hair and said she would

not go anywhere with him

looking as ridiculous as that.”

Sean’s view on David James

new haircut

“Zola finally leaves West

ham after what seems an

eternity. there is no truth in

the rumour that as he walked

out of the gates for the last

time he was whisting that old

michael Jackson favourite ‘ i’m

forever blowing Bubbles’. his

likely replacement is avram

Grant and he should certainly

liven up the place. he is the

only man i know, that makes

Gordon Brown look like a slap-

happy funster.” Sean on Zola’s

departure

“What a week for Roy hodgson! apparently he was the grateful

recipient of an impromptu round of applause at the post-match

press conference from cynical, world-weary journos. Well deserved,

after Fulham’s historic victory in the europa League semi-final on

thursday. But, will they be cheering quite as loudly if, as widely

touted, he becomes the next england manager? i think not. nice

guy and astute tactician that he undoubtedly is, he is no Jose

mourinho. Quote-worthy he is not. the man is a charisma-free zone

and while it might be unfair to call him an Olympic-class bore, he

is not far from the Commonwealth gold. hardly blessed with good

looks either, he has a face that even iain Dowie’s mother (with her

experience) would struggle to love. i fully expect any honeymoon

period with the tabloid hacks to be briefer than a Berbatov sprint.”

Sean commenting on Roy Hodgson leading Fulham to victory in

the UEFA Cup Semi Final

“moving the other way Yossi

Benayoun, the israeli international,

is the new signing for the Double

winners. the lightweight attacking

midfielder is moving to the

capital for an undisclosed fee, so

presumably he prefers the Chelsea

bench to the anfield dug-out. On

the plus side, i guess there is less

chance of being burgled while watching at the Bridge. as a bonus he

may be able to flog his security system (three half-starved Dobermans,

i believe) to Joe if he takes the decision to move to the land of the fun-

loving scouse scallies.” Sean on Benayoun’s move to Chelsea

8 Football FrIendS Issue 1

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* Exclusive member only areas - Have access to more exciting areas

ope, despair, excitement,

frustration, jubilation, anguish…

these are only a sample of

the emotions shared by the

hundreds of millions of football fans around

the globe each season. At times supporting

your team can feel like a weekly masochistic

ritual, but all it takes is one breathtaking

shot, one goal-saving tackle, one precious

win, to make it all worthwhile.

The relationship between a fan and their

team is largely irrational. We revel in our

passionate, unconditional commitment,

worshipping a team of pampered players,

while haemorrhaging hundreds to thousands

of pounds each season to follow them wind,

rain or shine.

And why do we do it? Well of course there

is the love of the sport, but there is also the

power and basic human need, for identity.

Just look at this summer’s World Cup in

South Africa. Although the tournament will

long be remembered for the impotence of

many of the world’s elite players and the

Jabulani crisis, it will also be remembered for

the fans. All 32 countries played their part

in the ultimate display of football fandom,

littering the month-long event with shows of

national pride and identity.

The African fans, bursting with joy at

hosting the tournament, created a carnival

backdrop to the football on show with vivid

colours and the vuvuzela, the arch-nemesis

of television broadcasters everywhere,

dominating the atmosphere in and around the

South African stadia throughout.

Fans from South America created a similar

impression with their frenzied love of the

game. Martin Demichelis, the much-maligned

Argentine defender, suggested

that if he played as ineptly

against Germany as John Terry

had previously, then he would

not be allowed to return to his

homeland. This might seem far-

fetched, but not if you are one

of the 100,000 fervent members

of Iglesia Maradoniana, the

Church of Maradona.

While fans from the Far

East, Japan and South Korea

rekindled their love affair with

the World Cup (established as hosts

in 2002), as their teams progressed to

the knock-out stages. There was also

the surreal sight of the choreographed

North Korean cheering, as the

Communist nation competed for the

fi rst time since 1966.

Europe was well represented too; none

more so than by the fans of the two fi nalists,

Holland and Spain. The Oranje Army were

the best supported country in South Africa,

clad head-to-toe in orange, mini-skirts and all

(unfortunately for Robbie Earle).

The iconic Spanish cry of

“goooooooaaaaal” was a regular sound too

as they lifted the trophy for the fi rst time and

was very well received in Madrid

where a million fans welcomed

the team home.

The ultras appeared strongly in

Italy from the late 1960s, though

the fi rst group, ‘Fedelissimi

Granata’, was formed in Turin

in 1951. The size and supporting

GLOBAL FANS

FROM AROUND THE WORLDFROM AROUND

H


style varies from group to group, but there

are four key principles to being an ultra –

never stop singing and chanting, attend as

many matches as possible home and away,

never sit down and show loyalty to the part

of the stadium that your group stands. It is

considered a tradition, and subsequently

ultras groups are against modern football,

“No Al Calcio Moderno”, and abhor the

increasing commercialisation of football.

Another stereotype that surrounds the

ultras is hooliganism, particularly as the

ultras purport a gang-like mentality. Though

many ultras only aim to intimidate with their

elaborate displays, banners and fl ares, fi ghts

between rival fans are common. Violence has

also broken out before European matches

too, the most high-profi le between Roma fans

and English fans from Middlesbrough and

Manchester United in recent years. The Italian

government has taken steps to stamp out

hooliganism by introducing laws against it in

April 2007, after the death of a policeman in

Sicily in February of that year. Although this

did little to prevent the shooting of Gabriele

Sandri, a Lazio fan, at a petrol station that

November, as police tried to interrupt a riot

between fans of his side and Juventus.

Hooliganism is now a comparatively minor

problem in this country, but eradicating the

‘English Disease’ has created other problems.

English football has lost touch with its roots –

the working class fan.

Just imagine this…

The smell of frying onions consuming

your nostrils as you pass through a creaking

turnstile, into an historic stadium rich with

character and central to much of the local

community. Many of whom are here, loyal,

dedicated fans, proud of their team, keeping

warm with cups of tea and Bovril, their

witticisms comical and intelligent, watching

two honest teams fi ght for the win - a

quintessentially English football experience,

but completely alien to the game today,

unless you visit your local non-league side.

The globalisation of English football

has made this so. The rise of the all-seater

stadium and better policing, which followed

the Hillsborough disaster, made football more

marketable. This combined with the coverage

offered by Sky Sports, means that the

Premier League’s global expansion has grown

exponentially ever since.

Now every match, transfer, injury and

scandal (professional or personal) is

scrutinised globally. The top paid players,

such as Carlos Tevez and Frank Lampard,

earn £13-14 million a year,and its biggest club,

Manchester United, raked in £278.5 million

during the 2008-09 campaign. The Premier

League has become a micro-climate, a world

within a world generating billions of pounds

each year, pricing out the average working

class fan and making it hard for them to

identify with it.

The average cost of going to watch a

Premier League match last season was a shade

over £35 and the most expensive ticket was

£94 at Arsenal. Compare that to the rest of

Europe and you can watch Bayern Munich and

Inter Milan for as little as 15 to 22 euros and the

cheapest Barcelona ticket is just 84 euros.

Roy Keane’s ‘Prawn Sandwich Brigade’ and

the plastic fans have replaced many of the

loyal fans and Premier League attendances

fell by an average of 4% last season. Those

fans priced out have two choices now if they

want to keep up with their team; become an

armchair fan, or watch football at the pub, an

arena that still has a working class identity,

with cheaper booze, a nicer atmosphere and

real fans.

Just as the England team have lost their

identity, English fans are losing theirs, and

as Rooney, Gerrard, Ferdinand & co need to

rediscover theirs now, so do we. James Riley


17:35 Leave work – Depending upon your

job a relief from the unrelenting stress and

pressure of the working day or a blessed break

from the mundanity and stultifying boredom of

the tasks set before you.

18:20 Arrive at pub close enough to the

ground to be lively, but far enough away to

be able to get served within an acceptable

timescale, if there is anyone on the premises

capable of changing a barrel, that is.

19:00 Having squeezed in a swift 3

rounds leave the pub and walk excitedly and

optimistically to the ground with mates all

unswervingly convinced (on the surface at

least) of the inevitability of a handsome win this

evening.

19:10 Nearing the ground and you wonder

if the massed ranks of boys in blue and their

mounted colleagues could not between them

perhaps raise a smile, given the overtime they

are earning and the complete lack of effort they

are having to expend.

19:15 Outside the ground and resist the

temptation to shout “How much?” at the

programme sellers. This is especially true at

away games where you are offered a couple

of pages of inaccurate, outdated drivel about

MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE

THE MATCHDAY EXPERIENCEyour team and a lot of back-slapping, self-

congratulatory nonsense about the club you

are visiting in which you have little interest to be

honest.

19:20 Arrival at the ground and faced with

the age-old dilemma of whether to eat outside

or inside. The choice is clear, the burgers and

onions smell wonderful in the cold night air, but

neither the sellers nor their equipment look less

than grubby and it is doubtful they are E-coli

free. Alternatively, the stadium caterers will

be reliably both disappointing and expensive,

but given that work is on the agenda for the

morning, generally a safer bet.

19:30 Inside the ground and having selected

the offi cial caterers, the wait is as usual not

worth it, soggy chips and a lukewarm cardboard

burger are served up with barely a smile. It is

so expensive that you are reluctant to complain

for fear that Gordon Ramsay will emerge from

the kitchen in his checked trousers shouting

obscenities at you for requesting ketchup.

19:37 That wonderful moment when you

get the fi rst glimpse of the pitch and the green

hue (particularly at a night match) that you

never see replicated on any other occasion in

life. The anticipation as you wait for the whistle

is palpable. A dull game on the TV brings

unconfi ned moaning, but even in a dull live 0-0

there is always something magical that you can

take away from the occasion. Be it a sublime

piece of skill, a ridiculous gaff, a memorable

chant or even conversation. You settle in your

seat and look around at the usual suspects in

your vicinity.

THESE FALL INTO 5 BASIC TYPES…1) The Martyr. This guy is doing everyone

a favour by being there and reminds you

constantly of the journey he has made to be

here and how many years he has been watching

this side. He enjoys complaining to such a

degree that he seems almost to enjoy it when

they are losing and is miserable when things are

going well.

2) The One-player Ranter. The object of his

ire is to blame for everything, regardless of

position. Depending on his victim of the day, the

5-0 defeat is the fault of the left winger because

of his profl igate nature or the 4-0 victory brings

critical mutterings about the goalkeeper’s

distribution.

3) The Smart Alec. Makes prepared quips and

throws in statistics at the most inappropriate

time. Is never wrong and will argue any point

however trivial until his opponent gives in

through lack of knowledge, but more often out

of sheer boredom. Often wears a sheepskin as

his hero is Motty.

ARRIVAL AT THE GROUND AND FACED WITH THE AGE-OLD DILEMMA OF WHETHER TO EAT OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. THE CHOICE IS CLEAR, THE BURGERS AND ONIONS SMELL WONDERFUL IN THE COLD NIGHT AIR, BUT NEITHER THE SELLERS NOR THEIR EQUIPMENT LOOK LESS THAN GRUBBY AND IT IS DOUBTFUL THEY ARE E-COLI FREE.


THE MATCHDAY EXPERIENCE4) The Constant Critic. Harps on about the

old days, when things were better. Will never

give anyone the benefi t of the doubt, when

injured or appearing less than fully fi t. Slates

the atmosphere and the lack of passion of the

fans and compares with previous decades. He

always knows the referee’s stats inside out and

condemns his every decision with “Everyone

knows he always does that”.

5) The Eternal Optimist. The most annoying

companion of all, as nothing fazes him. An

early opposition goal means we have “plenty

of time to recover” or an equaliser before the

break means the manager will “have a chance

to get after them” during the interval. On the

contrary an early concession in the second half

is the “kick up the backside we need”. This is

unbearable, a goal for the other lot is a goal

against us, there is no upside.

20:35 – Half time arrives and heralds a

dash down to the bar for a quick drink. As

usual, upon arrival the bar staff are strangely

unprepared, it is almost as if they did not expect

a rush during the break.

20:48 – Get a drink at last, a tepid lager with a

head of which Shrek would be proud is served

at the instant that you hear the cheers as the

teams emerge from the tunnel.

20:50 - After slurping down the foul brew,

you make tracks feeling rather nauseous back

to the stand. The game has restarted and fellow

supporters in your row look at you like you have

farted at the opera as you return to your seat,

feeling thoroughly ashamed for your tardiness

despite the fact you are blameless.

20:52 Another poor soul returns from

the bar and you tut loudly before reluctantly

moving your legs out of the way, feeling secretly

delighted that you were not the only one to

disturb everyone after the resumption of the

action.

21:40 The fi nal whistle blows and the

slow exit from the ground begins. You shuffl e

along slower than a pensioner in need of a hip

replacement and if you have the misfortune

to have a female in your group you wait 45

minutes for her to emerge from the Ladies.

22:35 Eventually on the tube platform

you watch with amusement as the bemused

innocents already in the carriage look with

horror at the hordes preparing to board. The

train would be considered full at rush hour, but

somehow fi fty football fans squeeze aboard.

23:15 Home at last and a text arrives from

best mate who is still an hour from his bed.

‘GOIN NXT SAT?’ and you, of course reply ‘YEP

DEFO’.

Sean Mathias


SHOULD FOOTBALL FANS BOO THEIR OWN TEAM?

DEBATE

Football has long been like a

pantomime. When the despised

neighbours from down the road

come to town they become the

villains of the Saturday afternoon show.

The home fans boo, berate and bully the

opposing players in the most ferocious

fashion possible.

But nowadays it is not just the villains of

the pantomime who are booed, in recent

years the show has taken a twist and on an

ever increasing basis, the idolised heroes of

the theatre are subject to torments too.

Home fans turning on their own players

is a relatively new phenomenon in the long

history of the game. It was once reserved

for the utterly abject, abysmal or atrocious

performances, but today it doesn’t take a lot

for the jeering to begin.

Players no longer have to be on the losing

side to become susceptible to a vicious

chorus of boos. A draw at home or even

misdemeanours in the players’ personal lives

can leave them at the mercy of the

fans. And it is not just a problem

at domestic level; just ask John

Terry and Ashley Cole. Both have

been subject to abusive taunts from

England fans on several occasions.

So do fans have the right to

boo their own team or should

they defy their own sense of

disappointment and worship their

Gods no matter what?

Many fans argue that the extortionate

cost of a day out at the football, which for

many can be a day’s wages or more, entitles

them to vent their fury if the players don’t

show enough of the traits like hard-work and

commitment that us Brits seem to love.

Aidan Barnard, an Arsenal season

ticket holder and member of the Arsenal

Supporters’ Trust, said: “Top players earn

crazy amounts of money, money which one

way or another comes from the fans. If the

players don’t perform to the best of their

capabilities, it is our duty as their employers

to tell them so.”

But what excuse do fans of lower league

clubs have, where tickets cost less and the

players earn less.

Mr Barnard says that at lower levels, booing

is often the only way that fans can make their

voice heard: “Fans are never involved in the

big decisions that clubs make. Venting our

fury from the stands is often the only way we

can make our feelings known.”

However, there are many who detest the

idea of booing those that they are supposed

to be supporting. Surely the purpose of

supporters is in the job title, to support. If

the home fans start turning on their team it

makes the task for the opposition that much

easier. Confi dence drains out of the players

and they become edgy and nervous, making

critical mistakes that much more likely.

Manchester United season ticket holder

John Harrison is strongly opposed to booing

the club he supports: “Every team has an off-

day, they might miss a hatful of chances, have

major refereeing decisions go against them or

just perform plain awfully. Either way football

fans need to recognise that their team can’t

win every game.

“From time to time we all feel a little

under the weather or have personal issues

to contend with. The last thing you need

at times like that is someone on your back

criticising your every move.”

And why does this type of barracking only

take place in football; you wouldn’t boo Lewis

Hamilton if he failed to win a Grand Prix.

It’s because football is a passionate game

and displaying emotion is an integral part

of it. But while the odd boo here and there

could give your team a much needed kick

up the backside, an echoing chorus of

fearsome boos can only ever have destructive

consequences. Tommy Curran


BETTING

AN ALTERNATIVE BETTING TIP TO DELUDED FAITH!

England are about to kick off

their World Cup campaign

against the Yanks, I’m settling

down to watch the game with

a few mates, the question is raised “So

who’s everyone’s money on for the World

Cup?” and the triumphant chorus of

“Engerlaaand” echoes round. One of the

lads proudly announces ‘I’ve got us at 8-1.

What a price!’

I pay homage to my friend on being the

David Dickinson of Bargain Betting Hunts,

but what I’m really thinking is 8-1??? Are

you mad??? 20-1 and maybe he’s onto a

‘Bobby Dazzler’ of a bet, but not 8’s.

So why is 8-1 so bad? England were one

of 8 seeded teams in South Africa, drawn

in a group consisting of baseball players,

skiers and camel riders, with a squad

boasting some of the best players on the

planet. Emphatic qualifi cation for the fi nals

bears testimony to this, as did our ranking

of 8th from the cannot be wrong offi cials

at FIFA. 8-1 seems fair?

Taking those St George tinted glasses

off for a minute, 31 other teams stood

in our way, many with fantastic recent

international pedigree, whilst we boast

one World Cup title won at home 44 years

ago, bolstered by a ludicrous weight of

expectation and a penchant for shooting

ourselves in the footballs!

In 2010 self destruct pre-season began

early, it wasn’t vuvuzela horns that were

being blown in anticipation of the World

Cup, just that of John ‘lock up your WAGS’

Terry and so began our demise…

Whilst Kit Kat tell us our best chance of

victory is to eat some chocolate wafers

and cross our fi ngers so we don’t Terry it

up, we pile into the prices offered by the

bookies on our boys lifting the trophy.

You try and be pragmatic and

back the Germans, but there’s

always that schmaltzy (not a

German midfi elder) yearning to

bet on England. You don‘t really

want to cheer on the Sausage

munchers and before you know

it your waste deep in the bookies

honey trap.

The lure of the football betting

utopia of an England win and the

spoils of being rewarded for your

unbridled faith are too strong.

Remember though, English

bookmakers are not England fans.

The only thing they stand to gain

from another star being added to the

England shirt would be the publicity and

comfort that the damage limitation of having

offered a short price on England had paid off.

The only laying of the England team should

be on the betting exchanges. Users of Betfair

and similar exchange bookmakers will be

familiar with the term to ‘lay’, which is when

you offer the odds on a team and take the hit

when they win. In other words you’re betting

on something not happening, acting the

bookmaker.

If you’re detached enough to take the view

England weren’t going to win the World Cup

and offered 8-1 to a fellow

punter you would

have to risk £160 to

win £20.

Big risk, small gain,

but maybe that risk isn’t

so great. Had I applied

this £20 lay strategy on England

in the 10 international football

tournaments I’ve been legally

able to bet on, I’d be £200 to

the good. Backing England each

time and I’d be £200 in the red.

In truth, this is only a

strategy for Andy Murray and

other Jocks, profi teering from

your own teams failings is

tantamount to treason.

But it’s not just England

where this rule applies, this is

just where it manifests itself

most blatantly. The key is to look

beyond the obvious and what

the bookie wants you to bet on.

The BinGoal!father

To get weekly betting tips and insight go to www.bingoal-online.com ‘bet of the week’


echnology in the game needs

to be brought in as an overall

package of measures and not

in a piecemeal, random way.

Emphasis should be placed on dealing with

dissent, simulation and making the job of

the referee and his assistants easier.

Dissent in the Premier League could

be virtually eliminated overnight with the

introduction of miked up referees. Foul-

mouthed rants and incessant whining will

cease as the players will be only too aware

that their lucrative sponsorship deals will be

lost if they project the wrong image. This has

certainly been the experience in the NBA in

the US. It is inevitable that if you are aware

that your every word is being transmitted

then you are more likely to be respectful in

what you say than otherwise.

Simulation is a huge problem in the game

and is something that should be addressed

as a matter of urgency. It is very diffi cult for

referees to judge this (without the help of TV

replays) in the context of a fast team sport

with physical contact, but that is no reason to

throw our hands in the air and give up. Diving

should be subject to retrospective action

and the Premier League should be in the

vanguard on this. A few incidents a week can

be looked at by a body, similar to the dubious

goals panel, who can sit in retrospective

judgement. In cases that are fl agrant cheating

with no room for doubt, the book should

be thrown at the miscreants. A standard 4

match ban should ensure that a star striker is

not tempted to throw himself at a leg in the

area in a tight game in the title run in. Also if

players are offi cially branded a cheat then it is

not hard to imagine the potential damage to

their image rights income fl ow.

The introduction of goal-line technology is

a no-brainer after Bloemfontein and should

be introduced in the very near future, whether

the preferred option is a chip in the ball,

cameras with instantly reviewed video replay

or a full Hawkeye setup is for FIFA to discuss

for 3 years over expensive dinners, but the

Premier League should be willing to help with

the trials. Extending technology beyond this

would lead to the action being fragmented,

thus unnecessarily interrupting the fl ow of the

beautiful game and strong voices within FIFA

will resist this strongly. FIFA have announced

the optional introduction of two goal-

line offi cials, surely a retrograde step, but

indicative of the current thinking to kick the

issue of video evidence into the long grass.

UEFA have announced that a 5th and 6th

offi cial will be used in their competitions this

season. A major problem with technology,

FIFA constantly tell us, is that football is a

simple game and should be the same at all

levels, so those playing on Hackney Marshes

play the same game as the top stars. It

seems to have escaped their notice that

despite the respect campaign it is almost

impossible to fi nd three offi cials, yet alone

fi ve, at the amateur level. The professional

refereeing pool will be severely stretched if

this is instigated in the Premier and Football

Leagues and it surely would make sense to

use older more experienced refs as the goal-

line judges by raising the retirement age for

these largely immobile offi cials. This solution

simply will not stand any serious scrutiny. Let

THE PREMIER LEAGUE


THE PREMIER LEAGUE

‘YAYA TOURE IS REPORTEDLY BEING PAID AN ASTONISHING £220,000 A WEEK. THIS IS AN INDICATION OF THE NAKED AMBITION OF THE NEW OWNERSHIP.’

T


scenario complete fi nancial melt-down.

The introduction of the 6-5 rule to increase

the home-grown player ratio has been touted

by FIFA and the potential effects on the

English game much discussed. However it is

illegal in the EU and as such is very unlikely to

be enforceable. The problem that stops young

players from developing in England is not the

availability of mediocre talent from overseas,

but the restrictive price of young talent in

this country. Why would any manager who

valued his job, buy a promising youngster

from Millwall, when a proven international

performer was available at Porto for the same

price? Lower league clubs need to sell talent

on to survive and are prone to overcharge

their Premier League rivals, but the top-fl ight

clubs are perceived as at fault. It is not as

cut and dried as that. If there was a cap on

the amount you could ask for young players,

would that be the solution? It may well be,

but the likes of Crewe would very probably

go to the wall and no-one wants that.

That England should be awarded the World

Cup fi nals in the near future is beyond doubt

and the boost to this nation and our league

incalculable, but if they fail in their bid for

2018, it is hard to see any chance before 2030

with the likelihood that Africa and South

America will take their turns in the natural

scheme of things. Indeed it could be a longer

wait as the infl uence of the American dollar

and the marketing potential of the States

make another ‘World Cup of Soccer’ a distinct

possibility. To describe the 2018 English bid

as shambolic would be fl attering and the bid

team in Moscow are handily placed coming

into the fi nal straight, we can only hope that

the ‘Beckham factor’ kicks in. Sean Mathias

us hope that the progressive thinkers hold

sway in the discussions that will ensue in the

coming months.

It is hard to imagine that in the next two

decades we will not be watching football on a

hand-held device of sorts. The mobile phone

football-watching revolution has largely been

a damp squib because of the limitation of

screen size, but with the advances in screen

technology and the development of the iPad

this could be a signifi cant part of the football

viewing experience in the future. Also 3-D

advances will enhance the experience and

be used, unquestionably, to extract more

revenue from football fans. These revenues

will continue to be largely spent on player’s

wages as it is hard to see a salary cap

that would have to be a European, if not

worldwide, initiative and therefore incredibly

diffi cult to negotiate, enforce and police.

Certainly this is a task beyond the current

UEFA hierarchy.

Re-introducing safe standing areas will

be a huge step forward and should not be

beyond the wit of stadium designers and

safety experts in the 21st Century. It has been

successfully introduced in the Bundesliga and

should also be here at the earliest opportunity.

This would improve the atmosphere at

grounds enormously and add to the

experience for all fans, seated or standing.

Manchester City will become a big player in

the Premier League during the next decade

and beyond if their initial forays into the

transfer market are anything to go by. The

most startling example being new £24 million

signing Yaya Toure. He is reportedly being

paid an astonishing £220,000 a week. This

is an indication of the naked ambition of the

new ownership, as it must be said, frankly,

that Yaya is not the fi nest player on the

planet. He is a defensive midfi elder and was

unable to hold down a place at Barcelona,

where Busquets was preferred, but City

have splashed the cash to the tune of a total

package price of £79 million including transfer

fee, bonuses and wages. City will raise the

fi nancial bar to such an extent that Chelsea

and particularly debt-ridden United will have

to fi nd a way to respond or perish. Liverpool

face a couple of seasons that are critical to

their survival as a big-four team, as they need

to get back on the Champions League rails

quickly or resign themselves to mid-table

mediocrity for a generation or as a worst case

THE PREMIER LEAGUEscenario complete fi nancial melt-down.

The introduction of the 6-5 rule to increase

the home-grown player ratio has been touted

us hope that the progressive thinkers hold

sway in the discussions that will ensue in the

coming months.

THE PREMIER LEAGUETHE PREMIER LEAGUEthe Way Forward?


very true football person, be

it player, coach or just general

observer, has an affi liation

with some sort of stereotypical

Sunday morning team. You know the one;

they’ve all got an ‘experienced’ (old) centre

half, a winger who’s had trials with Crewe

Alexandra and a Mr. Versatile fi gure whose

best position appears to be linesman as

that’s generally what takes his time up on

those freezing January mornings. While

these qualities exemplify our English version

of the amateur game, what goes on in the

various far-fl ung corners of the world? The

recent World Cup has further reaffi rmed the

notion of football as the global game and if

you scour the globe you can fi nd countless

traits, quirks and traditions of local football

that vary from country to country; some

good, some bad, and some downright ugly.

In France, Italy and Holland the amateur

game is a cornerstone of their national

sport. France have their own Amateur

Football Association; Italy’s southern regions

in particular place a huge emphasis on the

amateur game and Holland actually host

a competition to recognise their country’s

‘National Amateur Champions’. It’s a similar

case in Germany, who are slowly regaining

their status as an international footballing

superpower due to massive investment in the

grassroots of the game.

GLOBAL FOOTBALL

FROM AROUND THE WORLD Six million people, seven per cent of the

population in fact, are active in one of their

27,000-plus registered football clubs. The

Bundesliga is the best attended league in

the world and fresh off the back of the 2006

World Cup, the Women’s World Cup will also

be coming to Germany in 2011. Right now

German football is in the ascendency, with

their swashbuckling performances at the

recent World Cup attributed to ’ten years of

grassroots development’ by highly-fashionable

national team coach Joachim Löew.

Spain, Germany’s conquerors in South

Africa, don’t appear to have as healthy an

amateur game though. The emphasis instead

is on youth development and the professional

game, with the amateur leagues regularly

topped by reserve sides of big professional

clubs. The National Governing body has no

real interest in the non-paid ranks, instead

leaving it up to their various regional

denominations to organise competitions for

those Spaniards without the effortless talent

of Andres Iniesta.

Argentina has a matching attitude to

that of their Latin counterparts, with their

Football Association distancing themselves

from the amateur game and delegating

responsibility to six regional governing bodies

instead. Again much like Spain, the coaching

of young players is deemed paramount in

the grassroots of the game, with youths at

the country’s top

academies encouraged

to play in all positions

across the fi eld

(apparently Javier

Zanetti was a cracking

centre forward) and to

try different codes of

the game such as futsal

and beach football.

These two games are

also hugely important

in Brazil, who boast

a whopping 10,000

professional players

worldwide, more than

any other nation. It’s

a safe bet that each

of these professionals has played futsal at

some stage, a small-sided game played with

a smaller, heavier ball that forces players to

pass the ball on the fl oor; the notion of ‘pump

it forward’ is certainly not the order of the day

when it comes to this highly-technical game.

Despite the undoubted ability possessed

by Brazilians at all levels of the game, the

Brazilian love-affair with football almost

dictates that their amateur game will

never be as good as it could be. It is not

uncommon for prospective players released

by academies to leave the country and seek

footballing employment thousands of miles

away, rather than fi nd a job domestically and

play the game just for fun. Still, those that

stay behind have access to plenty of football,

with Brazilians of all ages happy to engage in

a kick-about on fi elds, streets, roads, beaches

or wherever. So long as there’s a ball, a

Brazilian will play.

What of the so-called emerging nations

though? How are the non-professional

players from soccer’s less established nations

doing compared to their seemingly more-

experienced counterparts? In the case of

the USA, the answer is rather well. ‘Soccer’,

as the Americans have annoyingly labelled

it, is the most popular sport by far amongst

its youngsters, and has been for some thirty

years now because of its ability to engage

children of all ages and sizes. Its appeal

THE DOG AND DUCK GOES GLOBAL

E


stretches to girls also, with forty per cent of

America’s soccer players being female.

When they get older there are still huge

opportunities available, with America’s famed

college sport system now fully extended

to the traditionally un-American sport of

football. Kids from all over the world, a lot

of them from English shores, are taking the

opportunity to study at American universities

alongside an intensive soccer training

programme, often earning scholarships based

solely on their ability to deliver a good free-

kick. With crowds of thousands turning up

to watch games, and a very realistic chance

of being drafted to a top MLS club at the end

of your three years of study, the American

adventure is one of the most thrilling for any

amateur footballer.

However, post-graduation there is still

much work to be done. America still prefers

the likes of basketball and baseball to football,

with amateur club football in the country still

unable to break into the mainstream. With

a greater emphasis now placed on growing

the sport rather than regulating it, along with

the continued success of youth and college

soccer, participation in America’s adult

amateur football may one day match that of

its youngsters.

Australia is another country where other

sports are stifl ing football’s growth. In a place

where the term ‘soccer’ is the dominant tag,

sports such as Aussie Rules and

both codes of Rugby dominate the

sports news bulletins rather than

any kind of soccer news. While

organisation of local amateur

leagues is good, go to any park

and you’re much more likely to fi nd

kids throwing an oval shaped ball

around rather than pinging fi fty

yard passes to one another.

The African continent is suffering the

inverse of these problems. Whilst football is

the dominant sport, a void of organisation

and leadership amongst its football

federations means a lack of direction in

both amateur and professional football.

Although things have improved since the 70s

and 80s, with most African countries now

offering recognised coaching qualifi cations,

still African football relies on the infl uence

of academies set up by big European clubs

to develop the best African youths. While

a huge enthusiasm remains for the game

across the continent, galvanised further by

the staging of the World Cup in South Africa,

it seems amateur football in Africa is where

the organisation and facilities remain at their

most amateurish.

The African continent may soon be

overtaken by Asia in terms of its football

development, with a thriving amateur scene

the catalyst for the start of a footballing

revolution. Coverage of the Premier League

has boomed all across Asia, attracting literally

millions of loyal fans who are now taking

to the streets in the hope of emulating the

heroes they see on TV every week. Unlike

Africa, Asia’s organisation is exceptional,

witnessed at the 2002 World Cup in Japan

and Korea, and this thorough preparation is

successfully transferring to the amateur ranks.

Another factor in Asia’s favour is the lack of

migration amongst its top players. Whereas

African players are whisked to the riches of

Europe as soon as they hit their teens, a huge

majority of Asia’s superstars remain in their

home country, maintaining a high standard of

domestic football which in turn fi lters down

to the amateur levels. This talent is starting

to be recognised, with Manchester United

recently launching a massive search across

India to fi nd a gifted youngster to join their

academy. Don’t be surprised if a number of

other clubs follow their lead. Jon Vale


CHELSEA



s a fan of the club since 1970

and a season ticket holder

in the dark days during the

80s and 90s, it is particularly

galling to be shouted at when coloured-

up in the street or in a pub, “Where were

you when you were s**t?” It is tempting to

retort “Stood in the West Side of the Shed,

dripping wet, watching us lose”, but this

would be lost on such dullards. However,

when Chelsea fans travel away and are

taunted in this fashion even the most one-

eyed Blues supporters can acknowledge

the point being made.

For those of us of a certain vintage,

(fans who think of Pat Nevin as a mercurial

winger, the personifi cation of the luxury

player and not a balding, so-so pundit

on Channel 5), these insults are clearly

ridiculous, but the new Chelsea fans have

to take it on the chin. Given the years of

heartbreak and disappointment we have

endured, we old boys feel we have made an

emotional investment in the club and we are

due a return which we feel we deserve to

some extent.

One of the advantages of the recent

successes of the club is that the fan-base has

grown and it would be churlish to complain

about that. Since that magical, glorious day

in May 1997 when ‘Steady’ Eddie Newton

wrapped up the facile 2-0 Cup Final win

against relegated Boro, the goalposts

have moved and the Abramovich

millions since 2003, have made

an enormous difference to the

quality of the players on show

at the Bridge. However, glory-

hunters who don’t sing and

sit on their hands waiting to

be entertained, have arrived

in their droves and the days

when Stamford Bridge was

considered an intimidating away

trip are sadly long gone. Many long-

standing fans have been squeezed

out fi nancially as the club has

moved on and to some extent left

the passion behind with them.

Not all of the newbies are glory-

hunters and for any southern lad

becoming aware of football for the

fi rst time around the age of 6 or 7

it has been a good call during the

last 10 years to opt for the Blues,

as I did in 1970. But don’t get me

started on people who change

their allegiance, this is NEVER,

EVER acceptable, in any event.

Partners may come and go, even

parents eventually die, but the

one rock-solid relationship most

of us have is with the football

club that took our heart in our

early years.

There is a type of new

Chelsea fan that I have an ill-

disguised contempt for. The

most frustrating thing is when they

take for granted a trophy a year

and some even arrogantly dismiss

the ‘Double’ achieved last year as

they bemoan the fact that we did

not win the Champions League.

Back in the dark debt-ridden

days when the club were on

the brink of extinction and

the old 3rd Division, I would

have crawled to Wembley

on broken glass for even a

sniff of a Cup win, yet alone

the elusive Double. A bit of

humility would not go amiss

and they need to learn that

nothing is to be taken for

granted in football, but has to be earned

season by season, game by game.

So if you are a fan of another club,

you can rest assured that if you resent

the arrogant, swaggering, Johnny-come-

lately Chelsea fans so prevalent today, us

old Chelsea fans fi nd them far, far more

irritating. Indeed, if the Blues have a fallow

period in the future (which we surely will),

the only advantage will be that we will

gladly wave them goodbye, as they depart

to pastures new changing their replica shirts

as they go. Sean Matthias the elusive Double. A bit of the elusive Double. A bit of

humility would not go amiss humility would not go amiss

and they need to learn that and they need to learn that

nothing is to be taken for nothing is to be taken for

as they go. Sean Matthias Sean Matthias Sean Matthias

...a view

A


The fi nest player ever to grace the Premiership is Paul

Scholes. Capello made countless mistakes during our

dreadful World Cup campaign, but none more so than his

decision to delegate the invitation to the World Cup party

to his right hand man. Scholsey himself admitted if Fabio

had made that precarious call, he may have been tempted

to join our motley crew out in

South Africa. At the age of 35

the ginger-headed maestro

still produces displays that

Lampard & Co can only dream

about and I can only hope that

there is enough in the old tank

for the United legend to solider

on for a couple more seasons.

Recent displays suggest two

more campaigns may not be

beyond him. Paul Scholes in one

word - genius.

Christopher Peters,

Manchester United Fan.

Got something on your mind that you want to share with the nation? Well here is your opportunity to

have your say, send in your pictures, jokes, banter, chants, rants, what ever you want it’s your page! Visit www.footballfriends.org.uk now for details

I’m a passionate football fan who loves everything football related. It all started back on the 3rd May 1986 when I went to my fi rst Watford game; we drew 1-1 with Manchester United and then a few months later I saw us beat United 1-0. I’ve had a season ticket on and off since the late eighties, even though my dad and granddad had hoped I’d be a Chelsea fan like them, but I was hooked on the Horns. Over the years there’s been a mix of highs and lows, it’s never dull being a Watford fan!

More recently I’ve taken on a second love, whilst I couldn’t support another English team I fell in love with Lazio when I lived in Italy. Another team which has provided me with a multitude of emotions - Highs have included seeing the squad qualify for the Champions League and winning the Coppa Italia. On the way to the fi nal I was in Stadio Olympico to witness Lazio smash Milan 4-0 in the semi-fi nal.Scott Balaam, Watford Fan

Better to have played in the Premier League than to have never played there at all…

Hull City’s relegation from the Premiership was a bitter pill to swallow, all the ‘what ifs’ every fan experiences week in, week out are magnifi ed when you’re down.

Whilst lamenting the failings of our 2009/10 campaign I recounted a Palace fan carping on to me rather too proudly “I hated it when Palace were in the Premier League, we got beat every week, it was bloody expensive, half the fans were just there to see the big teams and I couldn’t wait to get back down to the Championship - in short it was rubbish”.

Now that’s a well-worn observation made by many who’ve suffered playing in the top fl ight, but such pessimism never fails to stagger me.

For all the hammerings, rumour mongering, scandals, for all the egotistical cringe-worthy moments our then manager Phil Brown put us through, for all the dodgy signings on more money a week than we could raise a transfer fee for 10 years ago, it was mind blowing.Every game a cup fi nal, playing the likes of Wigan suddenly had a certain mystique, an allure never experienced in previous meetings with the Latics. Seeing your team on MOTD every week became the norm.

Pre-season tours to China, signing your fi rst Brazilian - everyday kind of events, cup runs (we actually had a cup run), cherished moments putting one over on the football royalty of England, holidaying in Hong Kong and being confronted with 100’s of bars showing our game LIVE on TV. Drawing 0-0 at the Lane last season when keeping a clean sheet took on a fantasy like state (well it does with Paul McShane in defence!) and seeing Geovanni’s goal at the Emirates re-run all over the world, it was brilliant, if not a little surreal at times.

As the saying goes ‘better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all’ and it sums up relegation from the Premiership. The NPower Championship is not without it’s glamour and energy… but the optimist in me can’t wait to get back to the Premiership.Ally Townend, Hull Fan

After the England team failed on the world’s biggest stage

(again), our national game has reached a state of panic.

Apparently our players are all crap, our youth systems

abysmal and our coaches incompetent. Good Lord, we are

overdramatic…Football here in England is still very healthy. Despite

disappointing in South Africa there can be no denying the likes

of Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Cole are amongst

the world’s elite. For the fi rst time in a while two of our

biggest clubs, Liverpool and Tottenham, will be led by English

managers. Our under-17s are European champions, beating the

mighty Spain, with our other youth sides all enjoying good

performances in their respective tournaments.

The World Cup could very realistically be

coming here in eight years time as well,

imagine how good that’ll be.

Our amateur game is the best

organised and most popular in the

world, plus our exposure to the

beautiful game on television,

radio and in print is seriously

quality sports media coverage.

I’m not saying everything

is perfect. It’s not, and it

probably never will be. But

remember, it could be a lot

worse. At least we’re not

France…Jon Vale, England Fan


INTERVIEW

ONE TOWATCH

It is widely regarded as one

of the country’s top breeding

grounds for young English

talent – and it seems that the

Southampton Academy has done it again.

A new name is emerging from the League

One club’s prestigious academy and hopes

are high on the South Coast that Lloyd Foot

will emulate the success of previous graduates

who include Matt Le Tissier, Alan Shearer,

Wayne Bridge, Gareth Bale and perhaps most

famously in recent years, Theo Walcott.

Despite interest from Premier League

giants Liverpool, Foot and his family decided

that Southampton, their local professional

club, was the best place for him to grow

and develop his obvious talent. Having been

spotted playing for hometown club Alton

Town in the Tyro League, Foot impressed the

Saints’ coaching staff during a 12 week trial

and was subsequently invited to join their

academy, becoming a fi rst year scholar at the

start of the 2009/10 season.

Standing at a strapping 6ft 2in, the 17

year-old brings a dynamic and domineering

presence to the centre of defence that has

become such a sought after commodity in

modern football.

His powerful physique may suggest that

he is of the old-fashioned centre-back mould

– strong in the air, ruthless in the tackle

– and admittedly, these are key elements

of his game. However, Foot prides himself

on his ability to play with the ball on the

fl oor, transforming defence into attack with

midfi eld splitting runs.

“I’d like to think I play a bit like Sergio

Ramos,” he says. “I also admire Lucio and

Southampton’s Jose Fonte for their ball-

playing skills.”

An obvious leader, he captained the

academy side for much of his fi rst year as

a scholar, Foot is also a player who thrives

under pressure, an example of which came

in a league encounter with Aston Villa last

season when the defender slotted a penalty

to win the game.

“I don’t usually take them,” he explains,

“but our usual penalty taker had gone off

injured so I told everyone that I’d take it,

seeing as no one else stepped up.

“Good job I scored it!” he jokes.

Off the pitch, Foot displays the maturity

and confi dence needed to make it in the

professional game. He is driven to succeed

by a strong support team, led by his father

Neil, and has a burning ambition to make it

to the top.

He is also buoyed by the resurgence of his

club since the introduction of new owners in

the summer of 2009.

“Its going to be a really, really exciting

season for everyone,” he said.

“The fi rst team have got a very good squad

now and at my level we have a new under-21

set up which will take us around Europe and

around the world playing against a variety of

top teams.

“It’s really exciting. There’s a great buzz

around the place.”

With the Saints earmarked by every bookie

in the country as the outright favourites

for the League One title, Foot has made a

personal mission statement to push on this

year in order to be involved with the senior

squad sooner rather than later.

When asked where he sees himself in fi ve

years time, he is very quick to answer.

“The Premier League,” he states, defi antly.

“I’ve decided this pre-season that that’s

where I want to be. I’ll do everything I can to

get there.”

If his rise continues at the rate it is going,

there will be no stopping him. Alex Smith

• Thank you to www.sjdent.com Sports

Memorabilia

LLOYD FOOT

the 17 year-old brings a dynamic and domineering presence to the centre of

defence that has become such a sought after commodity in modern football.


THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD...

PUB QUIZ

PUB QUIZ

EASY QUESTIONS 1 POINT

Which Country

won the fi rst

Football World Cup

in 1930?

Which Scottish

club are known as

The Bhoys?

Who came 3rd in the

2010 World Cup playoff?

AVERAGE QUESTIONS 3 POINTS

Which Country won the fi rst

Woman’s Football World Cup in 1991?

Which Geordie played for England

and managed the

Republic of

Ireland?

What name is

shared by

Scunthorpe,

Southend and

Rotherham?

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW AND SEE HOW YOU GET ON!


Which Non League club did Chris Smalling play for before

his arrival at Fulham?

EXTREMELY DIFFICULT 5 POINTS

Who won the FIFA World Player of

the year award in 1995?

Who did José

Mourinho fi rst

manage?

In 1995 who

did David Beckham

spend 5 games on

loan to?

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION 6 POINTS

DIFFICULT QUESTIONS5 POINTS

Which player

scored in all six

of Brazil’s matches

during the 1970

World Cup?

Who joined Liverpool

from Celtic in 1977 for

£400,000?

Which former English Premier

League team was once known as

“The Biscuit Men”?

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW AND SEE HOW YOU GET ON!

how did you score?

see www.footballfriends.org.uk/pub-quiz for answers

0-5 Points = awful

6-12 Points = average is nothing

to be proud of

13-29 Points = your getting there

30+ Points = legend

BONUS ROUND


of Brazil’s matches

Who joined Liverpool

from Celtic in 1977 for

NEW GEAR

FIX UP AND LOOK SHARP

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The usual suspects on show today at

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You ain’t seen me, right?

The best of Germany, Holland and Italy

Following the team in red…

Makes being a hoodie look fashionable!


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