Ten insane events from the weekend.
1: England blast ref and security (BBC)
England joined FIFA in 1905, and you’d think they would have got the hang of things by now. But in case this helps guys: everything FIFA does is a shambles, aimed to make a profit for those in power (well over £100m from this world cup alone, with much of that lining the pockets of FIFA officials and their families).
Of course there is going to be rioting and stuff thrown on the pitch, because FIFA doesn’t take security seriously, any more than it takes racism seriously. If you want to make a point, England, leave FIFA. Cavorting with those like FIFA and UEFA who are known to do nothing to prevent such problems reduces the impact to zero of anything you subsequently say.
2: Scotland destroy the planet
Flying half way around the world to play a pointless friendly with your third team does not actually do anything for your environmental credentials. Scotland’s FA must now be environmental enemy number one (as well as my enemy number one for their attempts to get Eduardo banned after the Celtic game.) Japan v Scotland – oh come on guys.
3: Loads of our players are going to be in South Africa this summer.
Which means we might well need to ensure that we have a complete second XI waiting to cover for all those who come back late and/or injured and/or suffering from the violence that is sadly endemic in parts of that country.
4: The FA has announced a new element in its anti-0besity campaign.
And appointed Mars as its official chocolate bar. (I know that looks insane but it is actually true. Of course it looks insane, its the FA, and its on their web site.)
5: The Guardian makes the mistake of believing all it reads in the papers.
In the Said and Done column it makes great play of the fact that Peter Storrie of Portsmouth is claiming that he supported Al-Faraj’s bid from the kick off. It then runs a piece from the Sunday Mirror in which Storrie is quoted as saying “I sealed [the] deal with Sulaiman Al Fahim”. Thje Guardian’s conclusion is that Peter Storrie is a downright liar.
What the Guardian don’t seem to realise is that newspapers don’t always publish the truth. I know guys, its a shocking thought, but one (or both) of those two stories was probably invented from start to end in the pub.
6: The FA and the rest of the clan have still done nothing about Sir Alex F Word.
He “apologised” by saying that he actually meant that all refs are unfit. But of course he is dealing with the EPL and FA who were bought by Manchester United years ago.
7: The FA and Football League have still not sacked themselves…
…over the way they were hoodwinked by Leeds over who owns the club. Meanwhile they are still doing a fit and proper persons test on Notts County – if only they can find a person listed by the owning company as being an owner. “Every time we ask one of them, they say they’ve never heard of Notts County,” bleated an FA spokes-sheep. (I made that quote up).
8: Theo got injured playing for England.
Apparently we are not supposed to mind because it “wasn’t serious”. Bit like falling off a bench then.
9: Carlos Vela might just have got through another Mexican weekend
And without injury – and he scored. Senderos got two playing against a village team in the mountains. Cesc got one. We’re still waiting for the inevitable dreadful injury news. But at least Fran Merida is back home safe.
10: By this time next year the FIFA Destroy-your-players-cup will be over.
Trouble is all our players will be getting injuries playing in the European Championship. But still, maybe Russia won’t be there, so Arshavin can get a proper long rest.
It was more peaceful 100 years ago – you can follow the adventures of Arsenal in 1909 day by day on www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk
(c) Tony Attwood
“Making the Arsenal” by Tony Attwood will be published on October 30th, and will be available on line via this web site.
Violence is not endemic in South Africa. Crime is more violent than in the UK, perhaps like the US in the seventies, and we have stuff that you don’t get like cash in transit heists.
However, we are a decent society. When America asks us to go to war, we refuse. When the IMF asks us to deregulate our banks, we refuse. Our pensions are, in real terms, getting bigger, not smaller. Can the UK say the same?
It is far more likely that an Arsenal player will be injured walking from the bus to the dressing room than by off the pitch violence.
it just shows the mettle of the FA when they cant even organise for a british tv station to show the match live.
the bbc and itv were said to be reluctant because they didnt want to move some dancing and singing shows. fair enough, but bbc has 4 channels, so does itv. but no-one was prepared to pay 3-5 million quid for the match.
in hindsight i would say that it was a good decision, because, if nothing else, last nights game showed the gulf between club and international football.
what worries me is that upto 300000 punters paid for the game at 12 bucks each. 90% of them would have bought thematch on match day. this means that they probably raised the 3 million that the broadcasters wouldnt pay. and this for a game that rated about 1 on a scale of 1 to anything in terms of potential blockbusterishness. (i’m not sure if thats a word). imagine the figures they could get for big games.
the only bonus is that if you are happy to watch footie on the pc, then you will find the match for free. just as i did last night.
cape, i dont want to get into it, but the decent society comment shows a lack of history on your part.
Indulge me as I point to more post-modern irony from the tabloids as refers to transfer stories:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/picture-the-sunday-mirror-claim-manchester-city-are-after-carlos-toure/38302/
Pig, it would be very difficult to find much commonality between pre and post 1994 South Africa. That this is a decent society is a triumph over history.
Cape Gooner, dont get miffed by the comment by the careless author,
I was reading a SouthAfrican publication by London’s homefolks and had differing views about crime and violence there. I have a countryman who moved there and tells its not as bad as media say it is. Incidentally, many foreign media reported that French are outraged by McDonald opening outlet at Pompidou centre when no one saw any in French papers. So, relax your country is fine and I for one will visit soon to see and enjoy all that beauties.
cape, how many white people in RSA live in slums, shanty towns etc? what is the unemployment rates of whites and non whites, which race has all the money?
your self congrulatory distinction between pre and post 1994 rings very hollow seeing as the end of apartheid and recognition of the ANC was very much fought against by the whites at the time.
goonerbeall, i am not careless. i wasnt commenting on crime or violence in RSA, just the fact that it is a bit ripe to claim that it is a decent society. let us not forget the durban necklace.
Nice piece Tony. I’ve got to the stage where I feel something’s wrong when the world seems to be running properly, fortunately I rarely get that feeling anymore.
Perhaps I should explain what I was meaning when I wrote about South Africa, “suffering from the violence that is sadly endemic in parts of that country.”
I fully confess that I have not been to South Africa, and the comment was based on what is said to me by my two South African friends who spend some time in the UK and some in South Africa and on what I read and hear on the BBC.
The comment was not meant in any way to provide some sort of knowledgeable insight into South Africa’s current situation, but rather was part of an article which was mostly a rant against FIFA and the way in which it, and its World Cup, regularly disrupt Arsenal.
My knowledge on South Africa is therefore partial, but it includes reading reports on the appalling level of sexual violence in the Republic, and comparative figures on gun crime. As you can see from http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita South Africa appears to have the second highest level of gun crime in the world, second only to Columbia. You might also like to read http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/World-Cup-Crime-Fears-As-South-Africa-Robbereis-And-Sexual-Assault-Figures-Soar/Article/200909415387259 for another perspective.
But although what I read and hear suggests that there is a problem in South Africa, I was not meaning particularly to attack South Africa, any more than I was attacking Ukraine for its security, or Serbia, Slovakia and Montenegro (whom I did not mention but all of whom I had in mind on the racism issue, and where I have spent some time) for their inability to tackle racism in football.
And before you point it out to me, yes it is ironic that I can write an article attacking the media, and then rely on the media to back up my case. But I never claimed to be either consistent (except in support the Lord Wenger) or logical.
Has anyone got a clue what happened to Cesc ? He left the Spanish squad for serious family matters, grandfather very ill ???, hope it all comes well.
Would be a serious blow for him.
walter, i believe his wife is expecting their first child. it was doubtful that he would make it to the first spanish match.
Well I just read that Van Persie has another child, a daughter.
So I don’t know about Cesc. Hope it all comes out well anyway.
That’s good news about The Van Persie’s child Walter. I take it all went well?
Well I guess so. Dina Layla Van persie is the name of his new baby. Well we can only congratulate Robin and his wife Bouchra and the big brother Shaqueel.
Great news Walter, thanks!
OK guys, let’s get off this argument about South Africa. The point is simply that the FA, UEFA and their big brother,FIFA all suck. Period.
Good news about RVP’s baby. Congrats to him. Hope all goes well with fabulous Fabregas.
the media is all fucked up. they seem to make stories here and there. i doubt there is a story that is completely accurate. the way they paint africa you would think africans lived on trees and evry single african is hungry. wouldnt be surprised if the whole south sfrican thing is a big exageration.