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God Speed – A Tribute to Gary Speed

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:43:04 +0000

Roy Stannard has written this poetical tribute to Gary Speed. He says “I thought it would be good to compose something that deals with the Celtic and Welsh heritage of the man. Ideally it should be read in the wonderful rich tones of a Richard Burton as in his reading of Under Milk Wood‘ .

God Speed

God Speed you. Black and white Emperor.

Pure breath of granite hewed from the ground of Flintshire

where dragons fly and the hills sigh for the business of dreaming.

You were already formed as a warrior

As the Merlin alchemists mixed your being together

In the days before the men of Harlech began to sing your name

when your promise whirled and eddied from the valleys,

tendrils of smoke from the miners’ fires gathered

and formed on the terraces of Leeds, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton

where working men admired the chiselled stare, the rapier pass and the Aquila dribble

A club man that darted, never clubbed.

You served in the football trenches with McAllister, Batty and Strachan,

going over the top with them,

comrades in no man’s land, where even the enemy ceased firing to admire you.

You were the midfield General, the Captain and Sergeant of armbands

You played them at your own game

You did not go gently into the night

You were the black on the white, the raven hair and pithead eyes burning coals on the turf.

You saw the whites of their eyes and flayed them with black and white stripes.

And yet, the gentle cleft of your jaw, the downhill saunter of your nose,

were a softer frame for the imperial neck, a pedestal, a clenched life raised in victory,

the full motion slide on grass, cutting your legend into the soil,

a fighter blooding his territory with over 500 battle cries.

Many were victories, but you couldn’t win them all.

Your legend will grow in your passing.

When your foe faced you, you vanquished him.

But when he came to live within, you vanished.

God Speed you. The Emperor who did not fade to grey.

(c) Roy Stannard. 30^th November 2011 (for Gary Speed 8.9.69 – 27.11.11)

Roy’s website: www.roystannard.wordpress.com

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Les Ferdinand speaks out about racial issues in football

Alan — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:02:53 +0000

According to Les Ferdinand, a one-time England striker, John Terry should quit international football, if he did in fact spew racial abuse at Anton Ferdinand, his cousin. This statement comes after an investigation by the Football Association was announced, to determine whether or not John Terry yelled a racial slur at Ferdinand, during a match between the Queens Parks Rangers and Chelsea, in a Premier League Match. Terry has denied leveling any type of racial abuse at Ferdinand and has stated that he is fine with the inquiry because it gives him a chance to prove his innocence.

At the Black List Awards, Les Ferdinand, spoke about the incident. It was there that he stated that Terry should give up playing if he did call Anton Ferdinand a racist name. Even though Ferdinand acknowledged that the final decision is up to FA, he wanted it to be known what his feelings were about what would warrant an appropriate punishment. Terry doesn’t believe that a fine would be adequate enough, in terms of punishment. Low level financial fines in the past have seemingly ignored or downplayed the racism that exists in football.

Fabio Capello, who is the England manager, by all accounts is going to have Terry join his team for their friendly matches against Sweden and Spain. Rio Ferdinand, won’t likely play. This decision is believed to be football and only football, related. However, there may be additional reasons for it as well. Excluding Rio would ensure that he and Terry would avoid contact with each. Rio is the brother of Anton Ferdinand, the player Terry allegedly yelled the racial slur at.

The investigation by the FA has already begun. The organization has started to talk to witnesses and government representatives. They have already spent some time at the QPR training ground. Anton Ferdinand is believed to have been interviewed, along with three or more of his QPR teammates.

According to Ferdinand, he didn’t actually hear Terry make the racial slur. He learned of it later and then watched a video of the incident. During the matches 85^th minute, Terry reportedly mouthed a racially charged insult toward Ferdinand. Terry refutes that version of events, stating that he never made such a statement and never called Ferdinand, the term he has been accused of.

Immediately after the game, Ferdinand never made mention that Terry said something inappropriate to him. He spoke with Terry after the match concluded but apparently was not satisfied with what was said because he asked the FA to investigate.

The FA has not announced when they will conclude their investigation. If it not completed soon, then it may make life a bit uncomfortable for Terry, because England is set to compete against Sweden and Spain in friendlies. Though there has been no official word, according to sources close to the investigation, the investigation should be finished in about a week. It is believed that it will take about that long to interview witnesses and take a look at the evidence. Once the aforementioned has been done, the FA legal team will need to decide whether or not further action is needed, specifically, whether or not charges should be filed. As it stands, the investigation has not been fast tracked. It may even be slowed down because of Ferdinand and Terry’s clubs, game commitments.

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Tapping up is rife in transfer market

Alan — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:18:03 +0000

The transfer window is about to close for another summer and the process of ‘tapping up’ seems rife across all the sports divisions. Tapping up is the process where club with approach players without the consent of that players club. Many people argue there is not enough protection in the sport from this kind of predatory behaviour. Some people involved with the sport have noted that this process even extends to approaching players on Twitter.

Football rules say that this kind of approach is illegal but according to Harry Redknapp, manager of Tottenham, this has just happened to one of his players, Luke Modric. Redknapp has said, “Someone is clearly whispering in his ear, it’s not a surprise, this kind of predatory behaviour is rife in the sport.” A recent survey has confirmed Redknapp’s opinion as it found that, “only 15% of clubs in the last year felt sure that no one has approached their players illegally.”

A director in the Premier League has said, “This practice is illegal but it is almost impossible to control. Clubs have begun to accept that tapping up will always happen and they are learning to live with it. We recognise that it is wrong, but we cannot stop it.” Clubs are being encouraged to report any suspected attempts of tapping up but this does not seem to be to any great effect.

Another director has said, “The fact that we are not seeing any direct complaints from the clubs means that tapping up is occurring but they believe there is nothing that can be done about it.” In most cases of suspected tapping up, clubs settle before the case is arbitrated by the Premier League. In the past fines by the League have been up to £300,000 and have seen clubs receive significant point reductions.

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Premier League and Football League media talks go into extra time

Alan — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 02:37:08 +0000

Talks that were going on between the Premier League, the Football League and various media organisations regarding match coverage are finally back on after a standoff which has lasted a week, leaving very little tile to get a deal hammered out before the new premier league season starts. The two sides effectively spat their dummies out last Wednesday and broke of all contact with each other.

This was after talks regarding an agreement broke down acrimoniously when the two footballing bodies walked away from the table. This included details about where the news media outlets were allowed to syndicate their material, the speed in which they could publish photos and to what extent readers could engage with the online content during a live match.

The media coalition including most of the national newspapers as well as worldwide agencies such as The Press Association, Getty Images and Reuters had cut back on their coverage opening weekend of the new football league season as well the Carling Cup first round matches. This was after they were locked out of the grounds after they refused to sign a temporary extension to their existing deal.

According to two separate sources with inside knowledge of the discussions, negotiations have now recommenced It is also thought that, despite their being an acrimonious dispute, common ground still exists between the two factions, and this increases the chances of a deal being agreed before the Premier League starts on Saturday.

The coalition, who are being represented by the Newspaper Publishers Association, have put forward demands that surrounding such things as a new deal picture and news agencies, a change in live match reporting and also the use of the social media networks, and these are thought to be not exactly poles apart from what the sport’s governing bodies have deemed acceptable.

They both agree that the existing deal is outdated, not surprising since it dates back to the 2003/4 season, two years before twitter even existed. A source, who is close to the footballing bodies, angrily dismissed the claims that they were old fashioned and trying to hold the game back from taking its place in the rapidly rising world of digital media coverage.

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Sir Alex Ferguson knuckles rapped by FA

Alan — Sat, 21 May 2011 04:43:47 +0000

Following recent comments he made about referee Howard Webb, Sir Alex Ferguson, was warned by the Football Association as to his future conduct. The FA had charged Ferguson with improper conduct after he discussed Webb two days prior to the United’s victory over Chelsea on May 8^th. He said they were getting the best referee and there was no doubt about it, but getting a bad decision is our fear, in his pre-match news conference.

The FA sent all managers a letter in October advising that any pre-match comments would be interpreted as attempting to influence an official, whether negative or positive, and be in contravention of Rule E3. Last Friday the FA charged the United manager and now have decided as the governing body, that a warning is the measure to be taken as this time.

This rule was enacted in the beginning of the 2009/10 season and formally reiterated on October 21, 2010 to all clubs read a statement from the Regulatory Commission. This is the first time this matter reached the commission and is a clear breach, but they felt it was a minor breach but nevertheless it should be taken as a sign to all managers for the future that this type breach will result in an FA charge.

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Arsenal goes to the yanks

Alan — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:20:44 +0000

Stan Kroenke of Kroenke Sports Enterprises is soon to become sole owner of the premier football league club Arsenal. The American Kroenke, nicknamed ‘Silent Stan’ because of his reluctance to talk to the media, has a good bit of experience in the world of professional sports.

His company KSE controls several American teams: Denver Nuggets in basketball, Colorado Avalanche in ice hockey, St. Louis Rams in football and Colorado Rapids in soccer. Kroenke has also been on the board of Arsenal for the past three years. Chairman of the Arsenal board Peter Hill-Wood said they are confident Kroenke has the right values and will make a good ‘custodian’ for the club.

This purchase will make the Denver-based sports tycoon the fifth U.S. owner of a premier league team. Kroenke’s acquisition of shares from Danny Fiszman and Nina Bracewell-Smith gave him a 62.89% stake in the club, and he has offered to buy the remaining shares from Russian investor Alisher Usmanov for 11,750 pounds each.

The majority opinion seems to be that Kroenke will keep the club’s best interests at heart; the club’s manager Arsene Wenger said that having worked with Kroenke over the last couple of years, he feels the American understands the club’s traditions and will not undermine its independence.

Kroenke stated that he plans to bring new success to the Gunners and help put them back at the top of the league. Arsenal has not been in that position for several years, since they won the Premier League in 2004 and the FA cup in 2005. Currently Arsenal is second behind Manchester United, with seven matches still to go in the season.

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TV income falls and clubs feel the strain

Alan — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:28:31 +0000

A new TV contract signed by the league for £23m less a season than the previous one, has put pressure on many of the teams that are already under severe economic pressure causing them to suffer yet another reduction of income.

There will be 75 live Football League matches and the return of the Carling Cup to exclusively pay TV are parts of the £65m deal that is for the three years from 2012-13. BBC is believed to have declined the bid for live matches this time while having the current £88m a year deal that has 10 Championship games a year and the Carling Cup final.

All insiders are saying that when ITV digital went bust is in no way comparable to the now drop in TV income because back then TV income dropped overnight by £84m when many players were in lucrative multi-year contracts.

Before the new deal will go into place over 80% of the players current contracts will have expired thereby giving owners time to reduce their cost base. A parliamentary committee was recently told that the Football League was heading toward the precipice and arriving quicker than thought, by Chairman Greg Clarke, and the recent reduced funds will worry many teams that face uncertainty over sponsorship and season ticket renewals.

The negotiation of television rights had been held in a very difficult climate because of the state of the economy and the lack of tension in the sports broadcasting market. Setanta’s collapse and the unwillingness for some broadcasters to bid left Sky as the only one to turn to and the only positive is that teams have the time to plan for the future, confidant that the clubs will see there is genuine interest because of the ongoing investment in their competitions.

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Peterborough United the most expensive season ticket in the country

Alan — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 06:29:09 +0000

If anyone has been waiting to pay £15,000 for a season football ticket, now is the time.

Don’t look for it at Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona, nor Real Madrid. It can only be had at the lesser Peterborough United.

Everyone is wondering what has gotten into the heads of this Cambridgeshire out fit, that they would sell their top ticket for more than any other of the 92 clubs in the English league, or any of the top teams throughout Europe for that matter. They are offering only 10 such Chairman’s Choice tickets to add to this year’s campaign.

The Posh ticket will get you a seat in the director’s box to watch the League One team at London Road. Aside from The Posh ticket, which is seven times more expensive than Arsenal, the top football season ticket is £1825 from Arsenal, then £1695 with Chelsea, followed by £1575 from Real Madrid and £1210 with Spurs.

If you buy the ticket at Peterborough United you will be made an honorary director for every single home game of the season. You will have your chance to meet in person the first-team squad and will be a director’s guest at one away game.

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More eruptions over UEFA ticket prices

Alan — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:20:39 +0000

Michel Platini spoke to the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly more than three years ago in Strasbourg. Platini is the president of UEFA, so he gave a moving presentation indicating that football as a social resource for good was being attacked by terrible societal forces.

He made an argument that “special interests and the interests of corporations, especially when overwhelming in numbers, benefits the wealthy and powerful rather than the general population.” He tried hard to capture everyone’s hearts as he added, “Turning a profit is now the higher goal over triumphing in the sport.”

The Wembley Champion League season tickets are priced at £176, according to Platini’s group. Critics abound throughout Europe, declaring the fee is highway robbery. It is 15% up from 2010 ticket prices and is out of reach of the average person.

Not only has it increase by nearly 100% in the past two years, there is a £26 fee. The only explanation for this extra cost is administration.

The spokesperson to the media for UEFA, Giorgio Marchetti said, “We are not looking to milk the market.” He also said that there was no discrepancy between their prices and similar sporting events. He used the FIFA World Cup Final as an example from 2010.

50,000 tickets will be shared between the two clubs competing at Wembley, costing £80, which is not astronomical. Yet, there will be a whole batch of 11,000 tickets that will be sold for £150, £225, and £300. Add on the stamp fee of £26 for the final prices.

It is hard to hide this problem when there are numbers like these. Tickets are priced to take full advantage of the marketability of the events.

The UEFA website is a contradiction to their practices. Thrown in your face are photos of children in third world nations holding footballs. They are supposed to find escape through the sport while their families are being blown apart by war or starving to death. Yet, UEFA is raking in the money from the tickets for the sport.

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Football Supporters Federation kick back at FA

Alan — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:25:23 +0000

When planned changes to the FA Cup by the FA leaked out, the Football Supporters Federation hit out with protest. Included in the changes are the possible kickoff of the final at 17:30 after the FA assured the FSF they would be involved in any changes in the competition.

The FA broke their word says FSF chairman Malcolm Clarke. If our support is wanted this is not the way to go about it we feel we are on the outside looking in, it was a big error on the FA’s part.

Other changes may include the abolishing of replays and Clarke is sure that opposition will be large against that as well as the proposed change in the kickoff time.

Even though there are differences he does agree with some of the changes. He likes the idea of Premier League teams facing lower league clubs more often so a change to the seeding he would favor.

To help convince teams to field their best 11 a Champions League place to the winners would be a great addition.

Ticket price reduction and regional match ups through the fifth round were other suggestions he would like to see in the future.

There is need for change but the need to see the entire package exists as well, so we can show out members.

The FA response was they are committed to consulting the fans and that no changes have been finalized.

The Premier league and Cup committee are keen to make changes quickly and presentations have been made to both. These changes, if any, will take effect for the 2012-12 season at the very earliest.

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