Friday, November 18, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Midweek TV Preview: 14-15 November 2011
Monday 14 November
16.45 Brazil v Egypt, International Friendly, ITV4/ITV4 HD
After comfortably winning their own hosted Nile Basin Tournament in January, the Egyptian national team has been in dis-array following the political upheaval in the country. They finished bottom of their group in the African Cup of Nations qualifying, only winning one game against an already qualified Niger. Now under former USA coach Bob Bradley, win or lose here in Doha, a decent performance against Brazil could lay foundations for a rebuilt side.17.30 Holland U21 v Scotland U21, UEFA U21 Euro 2013 Qualifying Group 10, Sky Sports 1/HD1
Scotland will welcome back Jordan Rhodes to the starting line up after coming on late for his first senior cap at the weekend. During October, the Huddersfield Town striker netted an astonishing 14 (FOURTEEN) times in six games for club and country - including three hat-tricks. It's no wonder he's attracting the attention of Premier League sides but he'll have plenty of chances to show off his skills in Team GB next summer. Oh wait...19.00 Belgium U21 v England U21, UEFA U21 Euro 2013 Qualifying Group 8, ESPN/ESPN HD
Stuart Pearce's charges are steam-rollering their way to Israel 2013. They registered another impressive win against Iceland last week without the likes of Jones, Wellbeck and Rodwell who all featured for the Senior side against Spain.Tuesday 15 November
19.05 Croatia v Turkey, UEFA Euro 2012 Play Off 2nd Leg (3-0), ESPN/ESPN HD
Both broadcasters pick the wrong matches to cover as Croatia calmly shut-up shop at home to a shell-shocked Turkey. The Montenegro v Czech Republic (0-2) could still provide a shock - one the UK audience will have to miss out on...19.45 Republic of Ireland v Estonia, UEFA Euro 2012 Play Off 2nd Leg (4-0), Sky Sports 1/HD1/3D
Meanwhile, Trappatoni's men go through the motions at the Aviva. The Bosnia v Portugal game (0-0) kicks off at 21.00 - sadly, there's no indication at the moment that anyone will be carrying it in the UK.20.00 England v Sweden, International Friendly, ITV1/ITV1 HD
Woo! Yeah! Poppy Power! After the FA's lowering expectations plan spectacularly back-fired at the weekend, Fabio has another chance to regain the status quo with a turgid disappointing performance against a fellow Euro 2012 qualifier.Thursday 17 November
22.10 Libertad v LDU Quito, Copa Sudamericana Quarter Final 2nd Leg (0-1), Premier Sports
The Ecuadorians snatched a late goal to hold a slender advantage over Libertad. All to play for here to see who joins Vasco de Gama and Velez Sarfield in the Semi-finals.00.40 Universidad de Chile v Arsenal, Copa Sudamericana Quarter Final 2nd Leg (2-1), Premier Sports
A late penalty gave the Chileans a vital lead against the side from Argentina. Univeridad de Chile are currently riding high nine points clear and unbeaten in 15 games at the top of the Primera Division - though another Arsenal (the one we're more familiar with in the UK) are said to be interested in their 21 year old top scorer, Eduardo Vargas.Sunday, November 13, 2011
Interpretations of Africa: Football, Art and Design
These days the launch of a new football strip isn't what it used to be. When I was young, you were lucky if you caught a glimpse of England's new kit on John Craven's Newsround, but my, how that ten seconds of footage would have lingered in the mind until you saw it for real in their next international match. As for every other new kit, a token picture in Shoot! magazine was all you could really expect.
Nowadays, kits are launched with fashion shows, pop concerts and all manner of hullaballoo. It's all well and good, but what do we actually learn about the kit itself? Quite often, we learn very little at all.
Fortunately the launch of Puma's new range of strips for teams competing in the 2012 Cup of African Nations Cup has bucked the trend. On November 8th 2011, the Design Museum in London provided the setting for ten kits to be introduced to the world – and for a new exhibition showing how they were designed.
A wander around the second floor of the museum is most enlightening. Admittedly before I arrived, I expected to see nothing out of the ordinary beyond a few mannequins sporting de rigueur outfits accompanied by industry waffle telling of the ‘unique breathable nature of the fabrics used.’
Fortunately, this was altogether more inspiring. The kits themselves were predictably colourful. The vivid green shirts of Cameroon, the bright yellow of South Africa, the searing white of Ghana and the deep red of Namibia were all there to be seen. That, however, was only half the story. What makes this such an incredible range of kits is the fact that Puma have commissioned ten artists from their Creative African Network to produce the new shirt designs. Not designers - artists.
The distinction is worth making because of the way each of them has looked to their soul and the identity of their home nation for the ideas that are made manifest in each new shirt. Luckily for people like me who visit the exhibition, those thoughts, ideas, dreams and stories are all writ large for everyone to see.
We hear how Zineb Sadira used the geometric patterns of the tiles found in Islamic buildings to create the design for the new Algeria shirt. We see how Samba Fall drew a Baobab tree for Senegal’s new shirt to symbolise the coming together of fans from across the country as they follow their team in international competition. We also discover how Hasan and Husein Essop depicted a series of rainbows on the South Africa shirt to symbolise the diversity of cultures celebrated in the post-Apartheid era.
As well as the words and the kits themselves, there are also the original sketches made by each artist providing a fascinating insight into the original ideas that led to each shirt design. There are also videos to watch featuring interviews with the designers and all the visual imagery you need to understand the passion of Africa football and the part these kits will play in perpetuating it.
The exhibition ‘Interpretations of Africa: Football, Art and Design’ runs at the Design Museum, London until 27 November 2011 and is well worth a visit if you want to fully appreciate this innovative approach to football kit design.
My thanks to John Devlin at TrueColoursFootballKits.com for bringing the exhibition to my attention.
Further information:
FootballShirts.co.uk
Puma.com
Design Week
Design Museum
Nowadays, kits are launched with fashion shows, pop concerts and all manner of hullaballoo. It's all well and good, but what do we actually learn about the kit itself? Quite often, we learn very little at all.
A wander around the second floor of the museum is most enlightening. Admittedly before I arrived, I expected to see nothing out of the ordinary beyond a few mannequins sporting de rigueur outfits accompanied by industry waffle telling of the ‘unique breathable nature of the fabrics used.’
Fortunately, this was altogether more inspiring. The kits themselves were predictably colourful. The vivid green shirts of Cameroon, the bright yellow of South Africa, the searing white of Ghana and the deep red of Namibia were all there to be seen. That, however, was only half the story. What makes this such an incredible range of kits is the fact that Puma have commissioned ten artists from their Creative African Network to produce the new shirt designs. Not designers - artists.
We hear how Zineb Sadira used the geometric patterns of the tiles found in Islamic buildings to create the design for the new Algeria shirt. We see how Samba Fall drew a Baobab tree for Senegal’s new shirt to symbolise the coming together of fans from across the country as they follow their team in international competition. We also discover how Hasan and Husein Essop depicted a series of rainbows on the South Africa shirt to symbolise the diversity of cultures celebrated in the post-Apartheid era.
As well as the words and the kits themselves, there are also the original sketches made by each artist providing a fascinating insight into the original ideas that led to each shirt design. There are also videos to watch featuring interviews with the designers and all the visual imagery you need to understand the passion of Africa football and the part these kits will play in perpetuating it.
The exhibition ‘Interpretations of Africa: Football, Art and Design’ runs at the Design Museum, London until 27 November 2011 and is well worth a visit if you want to fully appreciate this innovative approach to football kit design.
My thanks to John Devlin at TrueColoursFootballKits.com for bringing the exhibition to my attention.
Further information:
FootballShirts.co.uk
Puma.com
Design Week
Design Museum
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday List of Little or No Consequence #214
Those we have lost
38 People From The World Of Football That Have Died During 2011
1. Jimmy Adamson (died aged 82)
Made over 400 appearances for Burnley between 1947 and 1964 before going on to manage the club between 1970 and 1976. Later managed Leeds United towards the end of the 1970’s.
2. Flórián Albert (died aged 70)
Legendary striker for Ferencváros and Hungary. European Footballer of the Year in 1967. Scorer of 256 goals in 351 appearances for his club and 31 in 75 for his country. Shared the Golden Boot award as joint-top scorer in the 1962 World Cup.
3. Juan Arza (died aged 88)
Scored 182 goals in 349 league games for Sevilla between 1943 and 1959 and was the only player from the club to win the Pichichi Trophy as top scorer during the 1950-51 season.
4. Ken Bainbridge (died aged 90)
West Ham winger who holds the record for the fastest goal scored to date at Upton Park - just under 11 seconds after kick-off in a match against Barnsley in 1949.
5. Jimmy Briggs (died aged 74)
Dundee United full back that made 334 appearances for the club between 1955 and 1970.
6. Allan Brown (died aged 84)
Former Scottish internatonal that played for and managed both Luton Town and Blackpool between 1950 and 1982.
7. Richard Butcher (died aged 29)
Macclesfield Town midfielder who made 104 appearances for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005.
8. Ronnie Coyle (died aged 46)
Defender that made 253 appearances for Raith Rovers, scoring nine goals between 1988 and 1996.
9. Mike Doyle (died aged 64)
Most notably a long-serving central defender for Manchester City for whom he scored in the 1970 League Cup Final and was captain in the 1976 League Cup Final.
10. Adrián Escudero (died aged 83)
Striker and one-time leading goalscorer for Atletico Madrid with 170 goals in over 350 games.
11. Jackie Fatton (died aged 85)
Legend of the Servette and Swiss national sides between the mid-1940’s and mid-1950’s. Scored twice against Brazil in a 2-2 draw during the 1950 World Cup and once against Italy in a 4-1 defeat on home soil four years later.
12. Maurice Guigue (died aged 98)
French referee who officiated at the 1958 World Cup Final.
13. Nasser Hejazi (died aged 61)
One of the greatest goalkeepers ever to play for the Iranian national team who took part in the 1978 World Cup.
14. Laurie Hughes (died aged 87)
Enjoyed a 17-year career as a midfielder for Liverpool and was the first player to represent the club at the World Cup when playing for England in 1950.
15. Valentin Ivanov (died aged 76)
Torpedo Moscow striker and latterly manager of the club on six separate occasions. Made 60 appearances for the Soviet Union national side for whom he scored twice in the 1958 World Cup and an equal-best four in the 1962 World Cup (with Florian Albert - see above)..
16. Tomislav Ivić (died aged 77)
Former Croatian footballer who went on to manage (amongst others) Yugoslavia (1973-74), Ajax (1976-78), Porto (1987-88 and 1993-94), Paris Saint-Germain (1988-90), Atletico Madrid (1990-91), Marseille (1991 and 2001) and Croatia (1994-95).
17. Tony Kellow (died aged 58)
Made 332 appearances for Exeter City over three spells during the 1970’s and 1980’s.
18. Kuno Klötzer (died aged 89)
Coach of the Hamburg side that beat Anderlecht 2-0 in the European Cup-Winners Cup Final of 1977.
19. Bora Kostić (died aged 80)
All-time leading goalscorer for Red Star Belgrade during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
20. Nat Lofthouse (died aged 85)
One of the all-time great strikers of the English game. Spent his entire career at Bolton (from 1946 to 1960) where he scored 255 times in 452 appearances. Footballer of the Year in 1953 despite scoring a goal and finishing on the losing side in the ‘Matthews’ Cup Final that year. Scored both goals in Bolton’s FA Cup Final win over Manchester United in 1958. Scored 30 goals in 33 appearances for England including three during the 1954 World Cup. Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
21. Aleksei Mamykin (died aged 75)
CSKA Moscow striker that scored for the Soviet Union against Uruguay in the 1962 World Cup Finals.
22. Jesús María Pereda (died aged 73)
Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder that played for the Spanish side that won the 1964 European Championships.
23. Naoki Matsuda (died aged 34)
Centre back that played over 500 games for Yokohama Marinos and represented Japan in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
24. Frank Munro (died aged 63)
Scottish international defender who made 296 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1968 and 1977. Scorer of Aberdeen’s first goal in European competition in a 10-1 win over KR Reykjavik in 1967.
25. Ladislav Novák (died aged 79)
Winner of 8 league titles with Dukla Prague and member of the Czechoslovakia team that finished runners-up in the 1962 World Cup Final.
26. Uche Okafor (died aged 43)
Nigerian international defender that played in the 1994 African Cup of Nations and the 1998 World Cup.
27. Ján Popluhár (died aged 75)
Legendary sweeper for Slovan Bratislava and the Czechoslovakian national team for whom he played in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup Finals.
28. Dean Richards (died aged 36)
England Under-21 defender for Bradford City, Wolves, Southampton and Tottenham between 1992 and 2005.
29. Reg Stewart (died aged 85)
Made 268 appearances for Colchester United, many as captain, and played in the club’s first ever Football League match.
30. Trevor Storton (died aged 61)
Made 396 appearances as central defender for Chester City between 1974 and 1984.
31. Jozef Štibrányi (died aged 71)
Right winger for the Czechoslovakian national team and scorer of the winning goal against Spain in a 1962 World Cup Finals match.
32. Ferenc Szojka (died aged 80)
Salgótarjáni midfielder that represented Hungary in the 1954 and 1958 World Cup Finals.
33. Les Stubbs (died aged 81)
Inside forward for Southend United and member of the Chelsea championship-winning side of 1955.
34. Thorbjørn Svenssen (died 86)
Norwegian defender, 1947-1962. Second player in world history to reach 100 international caps after England’s Billy Wright.
35. Eddie Turnbull (died aged 88)
Member of the great Hibernian side of the 1940’s and 1950’s who went on to manage the side to victory in the 1972 Scottish League Cup Final.
36. Jan van Beveren (died aged 63)
One of the finest Dutch goalkeepers of the 1970’s and stalwart of the PSV Eindhoven team that won several trophies including the UEFA Cup in 1978.
37. Tonny Van Ede (died aged 86)
Made 455 appearances for Sparta Rotterdam who named the main stand of their stadium after him.
38. Neil Young (died aged 66)
Ever-present in the Manchester City side of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Scored in City’s successful 1969 FA Cup Final against Leicester and 1970 European Cup-Winners’ Cup Final against Gornik Zabrze.
38 People From The World Of Football That Have Died During 2011
1. Jimmy Adamson (died aged 82)
Made over 400 appearances for Burnley between 1947 and 1964 before going on to manage the club between 1970 and 1976. Later managed Leeds United towards the end of the 1970’s.
2. Flórián Albert (died aged 70)
Legendary striker for Ferencváros and Hungary. European Footballer of the Year in 1967. Scorer of 256 goals in 351 appearances for his club and 31 in 75 for his country. Shared the Golden Boot award as joint-top scorer in the 1962 World Cup.
3. Juan Arza (died aged 88)
Scored 182 goals in 349 league games for Sevilla between 1943 and 1959 and was the only player from the club to win the Pichichi Trophy as top scorer during the 1950-51 season.
4. Ken Bainbridge (died aged 90)
West Ham winger who holds the record for the fastest goal scored to date at Upton Park - just under 11 seconds after kick-off in a match against Barnsley in 1949.
5. Jimmy Briggs (died aged 74)
Dundee United full back that made 334 appearances for the club between 1955 and 1970.
6. Allan Brown (died aged 84)
Former Scottish internatonal that played for and managed both Luton Town and Blackpool between 1950 and 1982.
7. Richard Butcher (died aged 29)
Macclesfield Town midfielder who made 104 appearances for Lincoln City between 2002 and 2005.
8. Ronnie Coyle (died aged 46)
Defender that made 253 appearances for Raith Rovers, scoring nine goals between 1988 and 1996.
9. Mike Doyle (died aged 64)
Most notably a long-serving central defender for Manchester City for whom he scored in the 1970 League Cup Final and was captain in the 1976 League Cup Final.
10. Adrián Escudero (died aged 83)
Striker and one-time leading goalscorer for Atletico Madrid with 170 goals in over 350 games.
11. Jackie Fatton (died aged 85)
Legend of the Servette and Swiss national sides between the mid-1940’s and mid-1950’s. Scored twice against Brazil in a 2-2 draw during the 1950 World Cup and once against Italy in a 4-1 defeat on home soil four years later.
12. Maurice Guigue (died aged 98)
French referee who officiated at the 1958 World Cup Final.
13. Nasser Hejazi (died aged 61)
One of the greatest goalkeepers ever to play for the Iranian national team who took part in the 1978 World Cup.
14. Laurie Hughes (died aged 87)
Enjoyed a 17-year career as a midfielder for Liverpool and was the first player to represent the club at the World Cup when playing for England in 1950.
15. Valentin Ivanov (died aged 76)
Torpedo Moscow striker and latterly manager of the club on six separate occasions. Made 60 appearances for the Soviet Union national side for whom he scored twice in the 1958 World Cup and an equal-best four in the 1962 World Cup (with Florian Albert - see above)..
16. Tomislav Ivić (died aged 77)
Former Croatian footballer who went on to manage (amongst others) Yugoslavia (1973-74), Ajax (1976-78), Porto (1987-88 and 1993-94), Paris Saint-Germain (1988-90), Atletico Madrid (1990-91), Marseille (1991 and 2001) and Croatia (1994-95).
17. Tony Kellow (died aged 58)
Made 332 appearances for Exeter City over three spells during the 1970’s and 1980’s.
18. Kuno Klötzer (died aged 89)
Coach of the Hamburg side that beat Anderlecht 2-0 in the European Cup-Winners Cup Final of 1977.
19. Bora Kostić (died aged 80)
All-time leading goalscorer for Red Star Belgrade during the 1950’s and 1960’s.
20. Nat Lofthouse (died aged 85)
One of the all-time great strikers of the English game. Spent his entire career at Bolton (from 1946 to 1960) where he scored 255 times in 452 appearances. Footballer of the Year in 1953 despite scoring a goal and finishing on the losing side in the ‘Matthews’ Cup Final that year. Scored both goals in Bolton’s FA Cup Final win over Manchester United in 1958. Scored 30 goals in 33 appearances for England including three during the 1954 World Cup. Inaugural Inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
21. Aleksei Mamykin (died aged 75)
CSKA Moscow striker that scored for the Soviet Union against Uruguay in the 1962 World Cup Finals.
22. Jesús María Pereda (died aged 73)
Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder that played for the Spanish side that won the 1964 European Championships.
23. Naoki Matsuda (died aged 34)
Centre back that played over 500 games for Yokohama Marinos and represented Japan in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
24. Frank Munro (died aged 63)
Scottish international defender who made 296 appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1968 and 1977. Scorer of Aberdeen’s first goal in European competition in a 10-1 win over KR Reykjavik in 1967.
25. Ladislav Novák (died aged 79)
Winner of 8 league titles with Dukla Prague and member of the Czechoslovakia team that finished runners-up in the 1962 World Cup Final.
26. Uche Okafor (died aged 43)
Nigerian international defender that played in the 1994 African Cup of Nations and the 1998 World Cup.
27. Ján Popluhár (died aged 75)
Legendary sweeper for Slovan Bratislava and the Czechoslovakian national team for whom he played in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup Finals.
28. Dean Richards (died aged 36)
England Under-21 defender for Bradford City, Wolves, Southampton and Tottenham between 1992 and 2005.
29. Reg Stewart (died aged 85)
Made 268 appearances for Colchester United, many as captain, and played in the club’s first ever Football League match.
30. Trevor Storton (died aged 61)
Made 396 appearances as central defender for Chester City between 1974 and 1984.
31. Jozef Štibrányi (died aged 71)
Right winger for the Czechoslovakian national team and scorer of the winning goal against Spain in a 1962 World Cup Finals match.
32. Ferenc Szojka (died aged 80)
Salgótarjáni midfielder that represented Hungary in the 1954 and 1958 World Cup Finals.
33. Les Stubbs (died aged 81)
Inside forward for Southend United and member of the Chelsea championship-winning side of 1955.
34. Thorbjørn Svenssen (died 86)
Norwegian defender, 1947-1962. Second player in world history to reach 100 international caps after England’s Billy Wright.
35. Eddie Turnbull (died aged 88)
Member of the great Hibernian side of the 1940’s and 1950’s who went on to manage the side to victory in the 1972 Scottish League Cup Final.
36. Jan van Beveren (died aged 63)
One of the finest Dutch goalkeepers of the 1970’s and stalwart of the PSV Eindhoven team that won several trophies including the UEFA Cup in 1978.
37. Tonny Van Ede (died aged 86)
Made 455 appearances for Sparta Rotterdam who named the main stand of their stadium after him.
38. Neil Young (died aged 66)
Ever-present in the Manchester City side of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. Scored in City’s successful 1969 FA Cup Final against Leicester and 1970 European Cup-Winners’ Cup Final against Gornik Zabrze.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Weekend TV Preview 11 - 13 November
Friday 11 November
18:00 Cyprus v Scotland, International Friendly, BBC2 Scotland
With the rise of APOEL in the Champions League, things are going great for Cypriot football at club level. However, a quick look at the form guide of the national team and it's terribly easy to see why they're playing Scotland in a friendly rather than duking it out for a play off spot for the Big Show in the Summer.Only one win in their last 13 games. If Scotland lose to this lot then there will be trouble.19:00 Turkey v Croatia UEFA Euro 2012 Play Off 1st Leg, ESPN / ESPN HD
Nuri Sahin is back from injury but not named in the Turkey squad. Nevertheless, Turkey finished second in a tough qualifying group. Croatia were disappointing and disappointed to finish runners up to Greece.19:45 Estonia v Republic of Ireland, UEFA Euro 2012 Play Off 1st Leg, Sky Sports 1 / HD1
No one knows anything about Estonia (with the possible exception of Jonathan Wilson) so everyone is frightened that they'll catch Ireland out. For the Republic, Robbie Keane interrupts his preparations for the MLS Cup Final appearance with the Galaxy.19:45 Cambridge United v Wrexham, FA Cup 1st Round, S4C
A non league FA Cup encounter at the Abbey for those of you who prefer to keep it real. At the time of writing, Wrexham are still minus an owner but top of the Conference National. The neutral romantics will hope the Welsh club can make it to the third round, possibly to play Arsenal.Saturday 12 November
12:30 Newport County v Shrewsbury Town, FA Cup 1st Round, ESPN / ESPN HD
More Welsh action, this time at Newport County, once of the Football League. They face a much sterner test against a Shrews side as they are in fourth place in League 2. Still, the magic of the Cup and all that.15:00 Wales v Norway, International Friendly, Sky Sports 2 / HD2
A chance for Gary Speed's improving side to pit their skills against a Poland/Ukraine bound Norway. One of the reasons behind the visitor's resurgence was the fact that they started to take their friendlies very seriously and thereby accumulating FIFA ranking points. Hopefully, Speed can impress the importance of the Rankings on his players.17:15 England v Spain, International Friendly, ITV1 / ITV1 HD
A game designed to lower the expectations of an entire nation. Go get 'em boys!Sunday 13 November
12:30 FC Halifax Town v Charlton Athletic, FA Cup 1st Round, ITV1 / ITV1 HD
Now this is what I call a Super Sunday. Ex-League, phoenix club Halifax take on League One giants, Charlton at home. Just what the Cup is all about. Come on The Shayman! Send those Clowns packing.15:15 Morecambe v Sheffield Wednesday, FA Cup 1st Round, ESPN / ESPN HD
Another great occasion for one of the smallest clubs in the League. Wednesday are in reduced circumstances but the name exudes history and they'll bring a stack load of supporters. A replay is not completely out of the question. After anything can happen in the FA ... oh you know the rest.Wednesday, November 9, 2011
On Poppies
As if English football has enough trouble with race rows it now finds itself embroiled in a deeply emotive argument about the annual tradition of displaying a poppy to remember the soldiers who died in battle during Great Britain and its Commonwealth's numerous wars. The English FA, as a gesture of support and remembrance, want the England players to wear shirts featuring a poppy motif this weekend in their friendly match against Spain. FIFA have refused on the basis that wearing the poppy contravenes their rule on the use of political symbols during their football matches.
Needless to say, large sections of the English media and the British government are up in arms. Everyone from Sepp Blatter to the Germans seems to be responsible for FIFA's refusal to break their own rule and make an exception for the Poppy. However, I believe that, not for the first time, the English media and the British government are wrong.
Expressing solidarity with soldiers who have died in battle is a political statement and wearing a poppy symbolises that statement. The poppy is also a fundraising device for the Royal British Legion which, although charitable in nature, is political.
As much as the poppy may represent a harmless act of charity and remembrance it is still a political symbol and as such is against FIFA rules on political neutrality.
FIFA have to deal with some federations whose national governments have some pretty strange views on how things should be done. This is one of the reasons why they banned political symbols on football shirts in the first place.
I know it's easy and fashionable to attack FIFA. However, on this occasion, they are right. Were the poppy to be exempt from the rule, the door would be open to politicians and other ne’er-do-wells to use football to propagate dodgy ideologies and odious politics. If FIFA were to refuse then they would be accused of bias and double standards. If they were to agree they would be accused of supporting those same views by the same people criticising them now for not allowing the England team to wear poppies on their shirts.
Unfortunately, I believe there are some folk who are using the poppy ban to push their own anti-FIFA agenda. I find this distasteful and disrespectful to the memory of those who died and to those who survived the battlefield.
Between banning political symbols and people who exploit the memory of the fallen in order to pursue their own agenda, I am with the former.
Needless to say, large sections of the English media and the British government are up in arms. Everyone from Sepp Blatter to the Germans seems to be responsible for FIFA's refusal to break their own rule and make an exception for the Poppy. However, I believe that, not for the first time, the English media and the British government are wrong.
Expressing solidarity with soldiers who have died in battle is a political statement and wearing a poppy symbolises that statement. The poppy is also a fundraising device for the Royal British Legion which, although charitable in nature, is political.
As much as the poppy may represent a harmless act of charity and remembrance it is still a political symbol and as such is against FIFA rules on political neutrality.
FIFA have to deal with some federations whose national governments have some pretty strange views on how things should be done. This is one of the reasons why they banned political symbols on football shirts in the first place.
I know it's easy and fashionable to attack FIFA. However, on this occasion, they are right. Were the poppy to be exempt from the rule, the door would be open to politicians and other ne’er-do-wells to use football to propagate dodgy ideologies and odious politics. If FIFA were to refuse then they would be accused of bias and double standards. If they were to agree they would be accused of supporting those same views by the same people criticising them now for not allowing the England team to wear poppies on their shirts.
Between banning political symbols and people who exploit the memory of the fallen in order to pursue their own agenda, I am with the former.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Football Americana: Conference Finals
The Galaxy added the Western Conference Championship to their Supporters Shield victory by defeating Real Salt Lake 3-1 in the conference final at HDC. The sides exchanged blows in the middle of the first half, with LA drawing first blood. Omar Gonzalez was adjudged to have been pushed by Andy Williams and the referee pointed to the spot in the 22nd minute. Landon Donovan overcame his Nick Rimando issues, clipping the ball past him to make it 1-0. Salt Lake quickly equalised, Alvaro Saborio glancing Jamison Olave's header past Josh Saunders.
In-form Mike Magee made it 2-1 to LA just before the hour mark after both Robbie Keane and Kyle Beckerman had hit the woodwork. David Beckham swung in a trademark cross to set up Magee's header to continue his playoff scoring streak. Ten minutes later the tie was dead, but not before Fabian Espindola fired against the crossbar for RSL with a stunning effort on the half volley. The goal arrived courtesy of Keane, who remained composed to fire the Galaxy into MLS Cup.
Two second half goals were enough to secure the Eastern Conference title for the Dynamo, who defeated Sporting Kansas City at Livestrong Sporting Park. The bad came before the good for Houston; MVP candidate Brad Davis tore his right quadriceps and will miss the game with LA, a huge loss for Dom Kinnear. Andre Hainault finished from close range to give them the lead eight minutes into the second half, and although they fluffed a chance to make it 2-0 less than a minute later Houston did get a second to seal the tie. Carlo Costly left it late, but found the net with an easy finish off the post on the break with Kansas City chasing an equaliser.
You can see the conference final highlights here - we'll be back after MLS Cup.
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