Worrying news from South Africa’s warm-up game consists of 14 fans being injured in another crowd crushing incident. Suggestions of another potential tragedy, reminiscent of the Hillsborough disaster will soon rise to the surface of the media and yet again South Africa’s ability to host a successful, and most importantly, safe world cup is yet again cast in doubt.
Terrorist attacks are a distinct possibility in this particular world cup and following the attack on Togo’s team bus during the African Cup Of Nations recently, it appears it’s not only the fans who are in danger. Fans are being advised on where not to go during hours of darkness due to car theft and shootings; clearly this world cup has the potential to be an absolute disaster.
Admittedly it’s refreshing for an African nation to host the world cup, and if you had to choose one it would have to be South Africa. They’re certainly the more developed country of the continent and have experience in hosting sporting events from the 1995 rugby world cup and the 2003 cricket world cup but the football world cup is on a whole different level and FIFA have taken a major gamble in allowing it to be held in a politically unstable, economically weak, third world country.
I’m sure the tournament will help to bring in large amounts of money for South Africa to develop into a prosperous region, but remarkably slow ticket sales in terms of a tournament as distinguished as the world cup due to inflated prices will certainly be worrying the organisers. Before their bid was successful, the country was in absolutely no position, in terms of hotels, roads, airports and most importantly stadiums to host an event of the FIFA World Cup’s monstrous nature and so billions of dollars have been pumped into the country making this the most expensive world cup to date.
The harsh reality of this glamorous tournament is, it could destroy the profile of South Africa as a tourist attraction rather than raise it if some form of disaster did take place (and that is certainly not out of the question). And, as the sporting world gracefully drifts on with another world cup under it’s belt it could leave the country further crippled in financial mess. This inconsiderate risk taken by FIFA may pay off for South Africa, and hopefully it does, but it’s one that should not be taken again and that’s why England should defiantly be considered for the next world cup.
London could probably get away with hosting a world cup as a city, let alone the entire nation. With glamorous stadiums such as Wembley, Old Trafford and the Emirates already in place, the tournament would be of minimal cost to the country in comparison to it’s predecessors and has the potential to be one of the best ever.
Although the slanderous antics of Lord Triesman have hindered England’s chances I’m sure that FIFA president, Sepp Blatter will look beyond this fault and see how England is perfect as a host nation. Blatter has previously indicated he considers England as “the motherland of football” and suggested that World Cup 2018 will return to a European country. Along with this advantage England have the benefit of the prestigious face of David Beckham heading the campaign as well as the international appeal of our Premier League, it’s certainly a substantial offer and we have a great chance of winning the bid. Crowd-violence is unjustly, still associated with this country and the disgrace of the F.A. cup clash between West Ham and Millwall may have worsened England’s argument, but, if an appropriate degree of research is employed into England, the outsider will surely realise that hooliganism is practically non-existent in British football and is certainly a lesser threat to the tournament in comparison to South Africa’s general crime rate.
Russia, Holland and Spain are worthy opponents to England amongst other Asian countries but it must be obvious to everyone that England is defiantly a better option than South Africa ever was. With the infrastructure firmly in place, our country is waiting for an opportunity like this to help rebuild it’s economy, carry it out of recession and solidify England’s position amongst the elite in the world of football.
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Is having a supporter owning your club really the best scenario? West Ham sign German international
West Ham have worked reasonably quickly to complete the signing of German international Thomas Hitzlsperger on a three year-deal. An absurd amount of names linked with the Hammers have been thrown around by the media of late but finally a deal has been completed and West Ham fans can look forward to a genuinely exciting signing.
Supporters of the East London club, including myself have had some faith restored in David Sullivan, along with co-owner David Gold with regards to this acquisition as it finally appears we have owners who understand the balance of value for money and a sensible employee. Hitzlsperger has had a previous stint in England with Aston Villa, has won trophies in Germany and has scored a considerable amount of stunning goals over his career. With goals from West Ham’s midfield leaving much to be desired during the previous campaign, the owners clearly understand the needs of the squad and at the ripe age of 28, Hitzlsperger could really be one the surprise deals of the summer. Of course West Ham’s squad requires a great deal more of restructuring if it is to improve upon last season’s dismal showing, but the deal involving Hitzlsperger was described by Sullivan as “the first of many signings this summer” - encouraging news for fans of West Ham United.
However; it’s becoming increasingly unsettling for David Sullivan to continue talking to the media in the fashion he currently does. His openness is turning the club into somewhat of a joke and his policies are very hypocritical when he talks of how he wants “stability” and to “reduce the wage bill” by bringing in players of a sufficient age, only to go on and romantically link the club with eccentric names of stardom including David Beckham and Thierry Henry. Even before the Hitzlsperger deal was complete, a news story appeared on the Hammers website informing the world of how a deal was “nearly done”. Was this really necessary? Admittedly transparency in the club would be a fitting gesture of trust towards West Ham fans who tend to want to be involved in the club, but stories like this risk throwing the deal off completely, attracting competition for the player and risking losing him in a similar fashion to when Tottenham Hotspur stole Eidur Gudjohnsen from their London rivals last January. You have to ask yourself, what was the point of this story? Was it really just to keep the fans up to date or was it to satisfy the ego of Mr. Sullivan, who has a worrying tendency of craving heroic status and snatching all the credit of the club’s successes himself whilst blaming the wrong-doings on his predecessors?
Admittedly I am grateful for the pair saving the club and I do feel the financial future as well as our future on the pitch is in much safer hands now in comparison to when it was dizzily thrown into disarray by various Icelandic banking companies, but now Sullivan and Gold have appointed their “own man”, in Avram Grant, they must take a back-seat and allow him to do his job. With Grant, apparently not even in work yet, it’s possible he had no input into this deal - Sullivan must understand we’re eternally grateful for what he has done but we’re becoming increasingly bored as he builds himself up as “the saviour” and releases controversial news stories regarding players and transfers to enhance his own publicity.
Sullivan released to the media Benni McCarthy’s fat to muscle percentage and compared it to his own claiming, “Benni McCarthy is nearly as fat as me” - this was incredibly unprofessional and will do no good in helping a player to settle who has yet to do so. As the signing of McCarthy cost the club a substantial amount of money he also goes on to say how “Gianfranco wanted me to sign McCarthy”, again shifting the blame onto someone other than himself. Another bizarre story which appeared on the official West Ham website regarded the signing of major basketball player, LeBron James for a fee of £200,000 a week - the club being linked with the Michael Jordon-like figure was absurd enough but for it to appear on the official site was simply ridiculous. West Ham have said no more about the issue and the media have failed to pick up on it but it wouldn’t surprise me if this was Sullivan trying to raise his profile once more in an attempt to be noticed in the United States of America.
Yes; as West Ham fans we can be optimistic about the upcoming campaign and we should place our trust in the owners to restructure our squad to an appropriate degree, until they suggest they’ll do otherwise. Having fans at the helm of their club is a supporter’s dream, but when the owners have an ego as large as that of the seedy, slimy, Mr. Sullivan’s we are faced with a potential problem which could destroy the name of the club and turn it into a laughing stock for a long while to come.
Supporters of the East London club, including myself have had some faith restored in David Sullivan, along with co-owner David Gold with regards to this acquisition as it finally appears we have owners who understand the balance of value for money and a sensible employee. Hitzlsperger has had a previous stint in England with Aston Villa, has won trophies in Germany and has scored a considerable amount of stunning goals over his career. With goals from West Ham’s midfield leaving much to be desired during the previous campaign, the owners clearly understand the needs of the squad and at the ripe age of 28, Hitzlsperger could really be one the surprise deals of the summer. Of course West Ham’s squad requires a great deal more of restructuring if it is to improve upon last season’s dismal showing, but the deal involving Hitzlsperger was described by Sullivan as “the first of many signings this summer” - encouraging news for fans of West Ham United.
However; it’s becoming increasingly unsettling for David Sullivan to continue talking to the media in the fashion he currently does. His openness is turning the club into somewhat of a joke and his policies are very hypocritical when he talks of how he wants “stability” and to “reduce the wage bill” by bringing in players of a sufficient age, only to go on and romantically link the club with eccentric names of stardom including David Beckham and Thierry Henry. Even before the Hitzlsperger deal was complete, a news story appeared on the Hammers website informing the world of how a deal was “nearly done”. Was this really necessary? Admittedly transparency in the club would be a fitting gesture of trust towards West Ham fans who tend to want to be involved in the club, but stories like this risk throwing the deal off completely, attracting competition for the player and risking losing him in a similar fashion to when Tottenham Hotspur stole Eidur Gudjohnsen from their London rivals last January. You have to ask yourself, what was the point of this story? Was it really just to keep the fans up to date or was it to satisfy the ego of Mr. Sullivan, who has a worrying tendency of craving heroic status and snatching all the credit of the club’s successes himself whilst blaming the wrong-doings on his predecessors?
Admittedly I am grateful for the pair saving the club and I do feel the financial future as well as our future on the pitch is in much safer hands now in comparison to when it was dizzily thrown into disarray by various Icelandic banking companies, but now Sullivan and Gold have appointed their “own man”, in Avram Grant, they must take a back-seat and allow him to do his job. With Grant, apparently not even in work yet, it’s possible he had no input into this deal - Sullivan must understand we’re eternally grateful for what he has done but we’re becoming increasingly bored as he builds himself up as “the saviour” and releases controversial news stories regarding players and transfers to enhance his own publicity.
Sullivan released to the media Benni McCarthy’s fat to muscle percentage and compared it to his own claiming, “Benni McCarthy is nearly as fat as me” - this was incredibly unprofessional and will do no good in helping a player to settle who has yet to do so. As the signing of McCarthy cost the club a substantial amount of money he also goes on to say how “Gianfranco wanted me to sign McCarthy”, again shifting the blame onto someone other than himself. Another bizarre story which appeared on the official West Ham website regarded the signing of major basketball player, LeBron James for a fee of £200,000 a week - the club being linked with the Michael Jordon-like figure was absurd enough but for it to appear on the official site was simply ridiculous. West Ham have said no more about the issue and the media have failed to pick up on it but it wouldn’t surprise me if this was Sullivan trying to raise his profile once more in an attempt to be noticed in the United States of America.
Yes; as West Ham fans we can be optimistic about the upcoming campaign and we should place our trust in the owners to restructure our squad to an appropriate degree, until they suggest they’ll do otherwise. Having fans at the helm of their club is a supporter’s dream, but when the owners have an ego as large as that of the seedy, slimy, Mr. Sullivan’s we are faced with a potential problem which could destroy the name of the club and turn it into a laughing stock for a long while to come.
Could Liverpool be relegated? And West Ham finally announce their man
So that’s it then; the conventional managerial swap-shop has well and truly begun and whilst our primary focus is held within the grasp of the monstrous world cup, a tournament which continues to dominate the globe with it’s repetitive advertising campaigns and tyrannize our media, there is never a dull moment in terms of the premier league. Half an eye of each football supporter will still be placed firmly on their club’s prestigious competition in hope of some encouraging, exciting transfer action prior to the upcoming campaign.
Gianfranco Zola was the first victim of the endless sacking spree that the premiership now experiences. It seems like many weeks ago we considered the charming Italian a top-flight manager and witnessed him admirably handing coffee to snarling journalists outside his home. Even then it appeared inevitable that Mr. Avram Grant would be his successor and, following weeks of little action at Upton Park, the official announcement was finally made this week, with the deal still subject to a work permit. Nothing’s ever easy at West Ham United.
As a West Ham fan, I’m content but uninspired by this appointment. In reality I believe Grant will be a ‘hit or miss’ employment despite the West Ham co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, craving ‘stability‘. He changed little or nothing when taking over a Chelsea side which was practically complete following the expert tuition of Jose Mourinho. Although this could suggest the man doesn’t suffer from an ego issue, which could not be said about his world-class predecessor, it also displays a lack of tactical knowledge, and although taking the side to a champions league final and having a chance to win the premiership on the final day of the season is a decent achievement, I feel it would be deceitful to judge him on this. Senior players including Frank Lampard and John Terry could’ve managed that group of players alone and therefore Grant’s presence could merely have been to supervise the squad.
Taking the Portsmouth job under those financial conditions shows how desperate Grant was for a premier league job. If he really was a top manager, why didn’t he wait for a more secure opportunity? Allowing Portsmouth to slip into the realms of relegation would’ve been deemed acceptable by anyone’s standards considering the untenable circumstances, and taking the side to an FA Cup final was a real eye-catcher on Grant’s CV, but being a constant underdog placed little pressure on the manager or his players. They were able to play every game with a care-free attitude of admirable passion, if they lost, then it was to be expected, if they won, it was a shocker and an outstanding achievement. Grant had nothing to lose and his reputation could only increase during his time at Pompey, so if you did feel sorry for him in that ridiculous job, you shouldn’t, it was a blessing in disguise, and maybe Grant knew this when he took the job. It was the perfect stepping stone to a solid premiership club.
And now we infernally refer to the man as ‘experienced’ - quite incredible for someone with two premiership seasons to his name. I hope he proves me wrong and has been the mastermind he’s perceived as by the outsider, but I certainly don’t consider this a perfect appointment. Another manager to have parted company with his club is Senor Rafa Benitez. After accepting a pay-off from the infamous Hicks and Gillette duo the scousers are now looking for a new man with Martin O’Neill and Roy Hodgson top of the list after Guus Hiddink effectively ruled himself out.
Benietez name is still thrown around with that of genuine quality and top European clubs including Juventus are perpetually chasing his signature, personally I don’t understand why. Yes he won the champions league in his first year which was a fantastic achievement but if he had done poorly that year it would’ve been blamed on the fact it was still Gerard Houllier’s team so to be totally sure on Benietez’s quality, perhaps we should assess it on the following years. Rafa was 3rd in the net spending list over the years, “this is a fact” (his words, not mine) and he still manages to have an unbalanced squad incapable of fulfilling their potential at this point. Liverpool should certainly have taken part in a title race competition last season and yet they scraped into the Europa League. An unthinkable plight for a club who has spent that much on transfers, with such great heritage and a supposedly ’world-class’ manager.
The sickly exit of Benietez was dignified and the supportive nature of the Anfield fans mean they will reminisce his reign fondly. The sentimental inclusion of, "Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone" was extremely cheesy but then the eternal love affairs involved in this club and it’s fans always tend to be.
Worrying signs of Kenny Dalglish returning to the club on a permanent basis loom. The club will continue to drop if it takes the Newcastle United approach of forcing decisions themselves and making sure it’s a manager who “knows the club”, honourable actions with the club at heart which saw them, oh; relegated. It’s unthinkable right now but so was a 7th place finish in the previous year - the prospect of trophies with Mourinho and Real Madrid must be a tempting offer for Steven Gerrard and I’m sure Fernando Torres has one eye on linking up with his national strike partner, David Villa at Barcelona.
So my advice to Liverpool fans would be; don’t be tempted to take the decisions of the club upon yourself, this worrying period for a great club with immense history and heritage means that all decisions need to be made firmly with the head and not with the heart. A theory which will probably, and must be taken on by all clubs in this financial climate and one that threatens to ruin the romance of the game, but for now, it’s for the best.
Gianfranco Zola was the first victim of the endless sacking spree that the premiership now experiences. It seems like many weeks ago we considered the charming Italian a top-flight manager and witnessed him admirably handing coffee to snarling journalists outside his home. Even then it appeared inevitable that Mr. Avram Grant would be his successor and, following weeks of little action at Upton Park, the official announcement was finally made this week, with the deal still subject to a work permit. Nothing’s ever easy at West Ham United.
As a West Ham fan, I’m content but uninspired by this appointment. In reality I believe Grant will be a ‘hit or miss’ employment despite the West Ham co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, craving ‘stability‘. He changed little or nothing when taking over a Chelsea side which was practically complete following the expert tuition of Jose Mourinho. Although this could suggest the man doesn’t suffer from an ego issue, which could not be said about his world-class predecessor, it also displays a lack of tactical knowledge, and although taking the side to a champions league final and having a chance to win the premiership on the final day of the season is a decent achievement, I feel it would be deceitful to judge him on this. Senior players including Frank Lampard and John Terry could’ve managed that group of players alone and therefore Grant’s presence could merely have been to supervise the squad.
Taking the Portsmouth job under those financial conditions shows how desperate Grant was for a premier league job. If he really was a top manager, why didn’t he wait for a more secure opportunity? Allowing Portsmouth to slip into the realms of relegation would’ve been deemed acceptable by anyone’s standards considering the untenable circumstances, and taking the side to an FA Cup final was a real eye-catcher on Grant’s CV, but being a constant underdog placed little pressure on the manager or his players. They were able to play every game with a care-free attitude of admirable passion, if they lost, then it was to be expected, if they won, it was a shocker and an outstanding achievement. Grant had nothing to lose and his reputation could only increase during his time at Pompey, so if you did feel sorry for him in that ridiculous job, you shouldn’t, it was a blessing in disguise, and maybe Grant knew this when he took the job. It was the perfect stepping stone to a solid premiership club.
And now we infernally refer to the man as ‘experienced’ - quite incredible for someone with two premiership seasons to his name. I hope he proves me wrong and has been the mastermind he’s perceived as by the outsider, but I certainly don’t consider this a perfect appointment. Another manager to have parted company with his club is Senor Rafa Benitez. After accepting a pay-off from the infamous Hicks and Gillette duo the scousers are now looking for a new man with Martin O’Neill and Roy Hodgson top of the list after Guus Hiddink effectively ruled himself out.
Benietez name is still thrown around with that of genuine quality and top European clubs including Juventus are perpetually chasing his signature, personally I don’t understand why. Yes he won the champions league in his first year which was a fantastic achievement but if he had done poorly that year it would’ve been blamed on the fact it was still Gerard Houllier’s team so to be totally sure on Benietez’s quality, perhaps we should assess it on the following years. Rafa was 3rd in the net spending list over the years, “this is a fact” (his words, not mine) and he still manages to have an unbalanced squad incapable of fulfilling their potential at this point. Liverpool should certainly have taken part in a title race competition last season and yet they scraped into the Europa League. An unthinkable plight for a club who has spent that much on transfers, with such great heritage and a supposedly ’world-class’ manager.
The sickly exit of Benietez was dignified and the supportive nature of the Anfield fans mean they will reminisce his reign fondly. The sentimental inclusion of, "Thank you so much once more and always remember: You'll never walk alone" was extremely cheesy but then the eternal love affairs involved in this club and it’s fans always tend to be.
Worrying signs of Kenny Dalglish returning to the club on a permanent basis loom. The club will continue to drop if it takes the Newcastle United approach of forcing decisions themselves and making sure it’s a manager who “knows the club”, honourable actions with the club at heart which saw them, oh; relegated. It’s unthinkable right now but so was a 7th place finish in the previous year - the prospect of trophies with Mourinho and Real Madrid must be a tempting offer for Steven Gerrard and I’m sure Fernando Torres has one eye on linking up with his national strike partner, David Villa at Barcelona.
So my advice to Liverpool fans would be; don’t be tempted to take the decisions of the club upon yourself, this worrying period for a great club with immense history and heritage means that all decisions need to be made firmly with the head and not with the heart. A theory which will probably, and must be taken on by all clubs in this financial climate and one that threatens to ruin the romance of the game, but for now, it’s for the best.
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