What Do We See Through the Transfer Window?

Sometimes when RTG ponders the wrongs in football today, we wonder if maybe we’re just spoiling it for the countless people out there who still enjoy the game and simply want to appreciate it for the spectacle that it is. There’s no doubt that there are still many things about the modern football era that are worth praising. But, too often we find ourselves viewing events that seem to be nothing short of destructive to the long-term future of the game and it is hard to be anything other than pessimistic and critical. Monday night’s transfer window deadline did nothing to change our view that English football continues to plunge further and further into the abyss.

As RTG writes this article, Manchester City has accepted a bid from Abu Dhabi United Group to take over the club from Thaksin Shinawatra. In all likelihood this is a more positive move for City than sticking with Thailand’s deposed ex-Premier, given the reported skeletons in the closet. This time last year, many commentators and City supporters were delighted with Shinawatra’s purchase of the club in that it might represent a chance for City to achieve the standards their fans have long waited for and for them to finally challenge United for honours on an even playing field. RTG were less than optimistic about this situation and our viewpoint appears to have been vindicated.

One year later, City supporters are once again delighted that control of the club has passed into new, and wealthier, hands giving them, potentially, the biggest injection of cash into a club since Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea. Despite still being in due diligence, they have broken the English transfer record with the purchase of Robinho for a reported £32.5M from right under Chelsea’s nose. At the same time, they had reportedly had a similar bid for Berbatov accepted by Spurs—a deal that was never likely to happen. RTG can only speculate as to whether this was a deliberate ploy to make Manchester United pay over the odds for the Bulgarian striker. If the “Anyone But Uniteds” out there see this as a cause to smile you shouldn’t. Football is a sport and healthy rivalry should be about competition on the field not trying to put your rivals out of business. Despite what you may think, a Premier League with no Manchester United is no Premier League at all.

In all, the whole transfer window saga did not paint English football in a very good light. Why the English media, and especially Sky Sports News, feel they have their own role to play in this by constantly fuelling rumours based on little or no evidence is beyond RTG. The entire process appears designed to squeeze out yet more money in favour of a few beneficiaries rather than benefiting football as an entertainment and a sport. At a time when three clubs are languishing at the bottom of League 2 with negative points, following administration proceedings, this constant speculation about whether a player loves his club or would be flattered to play for another in order to get a few more digits added to their weekly salary haul is utterly obscene.

So used are we now to this increasingly over-egged August shenanigans that it is easy to forget that the transfer window only started in 2002 after our old friend Sepp Blatter conceived it as a way of preventing players walking out on their contracts at any time. The European Union's competition commissioner, Mario Monti, proposed at the time that transfer fees be outlawed entirely because they were against EU regulations for fair competition and free trading across Europe.

It was also suggested at the time that having no transfer fees would effectively put clubs in the lower leagues out of business, as they rely on selling their few home-grown gems in order to pay the bills. Consequently, the whole game signed up to a compromise that has sought to escalate transfer fees way out of proportion and has further polarised the gap between the haves and have-nots. The now desperate need to sign big players before the end of August, and the money it creates, has allowed the Premier League the licence to watch our national game be gradually flogged off to the highest bidder while genuine competition within the top level of the game gets ever-more scarce. Meanwhile, more and more clubs at the lower levels are struggling to simply stay afloat.

While Arsene Wenger attempts to claim the moral high ground by refusing to get involved in this annual end of August bun fight, RTG suspects that he is really just entrenching himself in his beliefs in order to fend off criticism from Arsenal supporters who feel the side has under-achieved in recent years. It is quite possible that he is merely sounding off in frustration at his inexperienced team who will, once again, struggle to compete for honours over the course of a season. Is it not the case that, even if he were to produce another championship winning team, many of his home-developed players would simply use it as a platform to jump ship for higher wages elsewhere? RTG strongly suspects that, if Arsenal win nothing significant again this season, Wenger may well take his skills to a new challenge. Sir Alex Ferguson, in contrast, knew that he needed to buy a striker and had no option but to pay way over the odds or be left with a squad that, potentially, might already be out of the running come the January window.

It is not RTG’s goal to be the harbinger of doom. Quite the opposite in fact. Were it not for the fact that we believe in the power of the supporter’s voice, and the desire to see the game continue, we would not be writing this blog. But Monday’s events seem to reinforce the fact that the game is on a collision course to disaster. Competiton and sound administration, at all levels, are essential to the continued enjoyment and longevity of the game. Otherwise, why not just put the Premier League trophy up for auction to the highest bidder at the beginning of the season and have done with it. Supporters exist in sufficient numbers to have a voice. And that must be heard now, more than ever, if football is not to be swallowed up by the greed and short-sightedness of people who seek only to use the loyalty of supporters to line their pockets.

New Season. Same Old Crap!

Apologies from RTG for a distinct lack of activity during the summer but outside of Euro 2008 there was little to get excited about and the constant transfer claims and counter-claims were, frankly, tedious in the extreme. All be it, perhaps, they only went to highlight, once more, one of the many ills that are currently dragging our beloved game into the abyss.

Let’s start with a quick congratulations to Spain who, for once, actually lived up to expectation and won a major international tournament. Perhaps, most pleasing of all, was the fact that they were the best team from the outset and thoroughly deserved to lift the trophy rather than acquiring it by being better defensively, or at taking penalties. And, regretfully, it pains RTG to admit, once again, that it was nice to appreciate the tournament purely for its football rather than having to pin ones hopes on a bunch of under-achieving, overpaid idiots who would have happily spread themselves liberally across the pages of the tabloids, alongside their useless WAGS, while telling us nothing insightful about how they intend to finally lift some silverware and answer the expectations of a long-suffering nation of football supporters.

But that’s all behind us now and season 2008/2009 is upon us already. The prospect of a new league campaign for our clubs, and a new World Cup qualifying campaign for the national side, fills us with wild anticipation for the coming months ahead.

Or does it in fact? The season is only a few games old, depending on which league your team plays in, and already RTG is beginning to feel the uneasy rise of acid bile in our stomachs.

Sky TV kicked it all off with, as ever, a completely over the top trailer to the new season featuring what looked like a string quartet of scantily clad women marching across a stage. Very relevant. Someone should, perhaps, mention to Sky that we don’t need sensationalist trailers to make us watch football on TV. What we really want is not to have to pay over the odds to watch teams we have no interest in. What we want is not to have to bow down and accept gratefully whatever matches Sky or Setanta choose to show us. What we really want is to watch matches at times that don’t involve us having to travel at ridiculous times of the day—on trains that aren’t running properly due to engineering works. Strange, but we’re simple folk like that! But no. We’re also football supporters. So we get what we’re given and pay a fortune for it.

But don’t fret if you thought the money wasn’t going to a good cause. It will help to furnish the pockets of the badge-kissers extraordinaire who spent all summer dropping hints that they might like to move away from their clubs if the price was right, only to beat and kiss the badge on the first day of the season once their team gave in to their ludicrous monetary demands. When Frank Lampard runs towards the banks of loyal supporters, jersey pulled toward his lips, he fails to realise that those people are having to cough up for his ridiculous wage demands and to fuel his burgeoning ego at a time when they can ill afford it. But, because of Roman Abramovich’s seemingly bottomless pit of money, the process goes on and on. Some clubs are barely running to stand still in their bid to simply compete. The likes of Lampard will continue to make obscene demands in the name of so-called Chelsea success until somebody puts a stop to it. The Premier League do not seem even remotely concerned about this situation and while we as supporters continue to let them get away with it, so nothing will change until the sport of football ceases to exist. The likes of Frank Lampard will have millions in the bank to cushion that blow should it happen. Your average supporter will have nothing but a huge void where once the game of football sat.

But what of England? Cause for optimism there maybe. Well, RTG has already stated that the decision to build the national development centre at Burton has to be a good thing. And so long as Capello is relatively untested as England manager we can still live in hope that he can turn the national team into winners.

But already we’ve had a huge, but completely unnecessary debate in the press about who is to be captain. The fact that John Terry has been given the nod suddenly seems to be more important than the success of the team. The media seem to have built him up as this colossus who would give his life for England and for who every player would happily die also. But where exactly is the evidence other than what drivel is written on the back pages? In RTG’s humble opinion JT is not even the second best centre back in England let alone the best. May we remind folk out there that he skippered us to our worst qualifying campaign since 1994. To use his record as captain of £300 million worth of Chelsea squad hardly counts and is not such a glowing record either given the resources at their disposal. If the position of captain is such an important factor in how the team performs, surely this was the time for a change.

But insignificant matters such as this, when blown up out of all proportion, fill pages in papers and time on largely irrelevant sports news channels. Hence, the media obsession with it continues. All it serves to actually achieve is to make it difficult to drop him without a major national debate for weeks in advance when they should be getting on with the job of winning matches and picking the best side to do it. But don’t worry all you England fans out there. At least it gives JT another lucrative money earning channel through being the England skipper. If the team continues to perform like a bunch of rabbits in headlights, whenever put under pressure, we can take solace in the fact that JT is making a bit extra on the side. If there is a quiet confidence in the nation that England will suddenly turn it around and qualify for South Africa 2010, by way of the old adage that lightning never strikes twice, RTG does not share that optimism. We could be in for another long haul.

Much as we began, RTG would like to end with an apology. If we’ve dampened the spirits somewhat at a time when the season is young and full of promise, then we’re sorry. But we’re beginning another season with just more signs that greed, short sightedness and basic stupidity are gradually stripping away at the foundations of the game we love. Frankly, when you look at the way we’re being treated by the powers that be, we think we deserve better. With the prospects for a more exciting, more equally contested league, more financially secure clubs and a better England team looking as bleak as ever, this season has to be the point where we as supporters say enough is enough. Join us now.

Having a Lovely Time! Wish You Were Here

European Championships? Well hardly! In the absence of England, frankly standards have been a little poor to say the least. Where are the plastic chairs being hurled across a water cannon-sodden public square? Where are the deserted streets of once bustling cities covered in a thin haze of tear gas billowing among the narrow cobbled passageways? Call this an international tournament? There has been a complete absence of gangs of Stone Island-clad youths steaming the designer label shops. And you call that a fight between the Germans and the Poles? Sky News pictures revealed that the weapon of choice appeared to be beer foam. Yes, when it comes to pre- and post-match mob-behavioural technique, the English can certainly show the rest of Europe a thing or two. So is Euro 2008 really missing us?

Joking aside, of course, RTG is gutted not to see England there, but we have to confess to quite enjoying the prospect of watching the tournament for purely football reasons rather than turning a critical eye to England’s performances and another eye on fancied teams in the hope that they perform badly – in case England end up meeting them. Though, worryingly, Russia and Croatia’s performances so far have perhaps highlighted just how poor England were. But let’s not dwell on that any longer. It’s been done. Not least by RTG in previous posts.

The English press has done its level best to try and persuade the rest of Europe that the tournament is worse for our absence. Meanwhile BBC and ITV have glossed over England’s lack of participation with the occasional break from script, by a pundit, when viewing Russia and Croatia, with the lament: “how on earth did England not make it?” Michel Platini, when asked (amongst a whole host of ex-football players and managers) if he missed England, replied to the effect that missing England would be disrespecting those teams that have actually qualified. And it’s hard to argue against that point.

The only real losers, let’s be honest, are the licensees and brewers of Austria, Switzerland and, of course, England, who must still be crying in their beer when they survey their empty bars. Let’s also spare a thought for Umbro, JJB and other sporting goods purveyors who could have done with the boost in these troubled times. In fact, given the current oil and credit crisis, we could all have done with a bit of a market stimulus.

On a positive note, for football lovers, the first round has actually produced some great matches. Apart from Romania and Greece, getting the win has appeared to be the overriding objective of each team. Just like the World Cup of 2006, having only two teams qualifying from each group and three points for a win, has put a premium on winning group games – especially the first one. Indeed, in two of the best matches, Holland v Italy and Spain v Russia, despite the three goal margins, with different luck, the results may have been different. It should also be remembered that, due to the unfairness of World Cup qualifying regional groups, this tournament is probably of a higher standard then the World Cup. Austria aside, the other 15 teams are all in the top 32 of the world and hence worthy of a World Cup place.

However, RTG does believe that the opening matches will gradually give way to a more cautious approach in the knockout stages, again like World Cup 2006. So be prepared for the brandishment of yellows and reds, general haranguing of officials and blatant diving to make a comeback in approximately two weeks time. Germany will, at some stage, definitely get through on penalties, after a cagey knockout stage performance and before reaching the final. Portugal will eventually flatter to deceive, probably at the semi final stage, again. Holland will do their usual self-inflicted implosion, again probably at the semi final stage and lose on penalties. Italy, however, should not be disregarded until they are actually on a flight home. RTG is still scratching its head wondering which ‘one-tournament wonder’ will be bought by a Premier League side, at great cost, only to end up on the bench once Christmas has been and gone. We’ve spotted Gomis of France but we’re not too sure yet. And it was nice to be reacquainted with the Greek players who moved en masse after Euro 2004 – some into the Premier League – only to be returned, tail between their legs, one year later.

Over this summer, though, there are optimistic signs for England fans to ponder. RTG believes we have got the best manager for the job as a result of McClaren’s departure (although we could do without him reminding us of his shortcomings by being a pundit on Five Live), we have an FA that appears to be finally getting its act together in setting up a better infrastructure for the grass roots, as well as, finally, setting a target date for opening the Burton centre of excellence in 2010. Readers of this blog would have noted this as one of RTG’s main issues in assessing the demise of England. Hence, the fight is by no means over. After all, the FA is only one area of the football industry that needs reform. There are still many others. Join us by signing the guestbook.

Hat’s Off. Take a Bow (or not)!

Player of the Week – David Villa spearheaded an exciting Spanish performance with a hat-trick.

Villain of the Week – Ronaldo. RTG is bored with all his transfer shenanigans. He should have sorted this out before the tournament. Now it is going to continue to be referred to every bloody day. Yawn!

Hero of the Week – Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Could have done his usual and gone down for a penalty when rounding goalkeeper Buffon but opted to stay on his feet. Hopefully this is a trend that will long continue. Although not to do with Euro 2008, RTG felt compelled to highlight also Randy Lerner, Aston Villa’s owner and CEO, for finishing his team’s shirt sponsorship and replacing it with a hospice charity instead.

Shock of the Week – Italy losing by more than two goals in a major tournament for the first time since the World Cup final in 1970.

Cliché of the Week – “Are you missing England?” RTG feels for all the people who’ve been put on the spot and asked this question when they clearly are not.

All's Well, That End's Well?

At the close of another season, there are many in the game who believe English football has never been in better shape. After all, we’ve had a final day finish to the Premier League for the first time in nine years, the new record-breaking lucrative TV deal kicks in next season and gates are up in all leagues bar the Championship, where they are only slightly down. There was an all-English Champions League final and English teams made up three of the semi-final quartet and, but for the luck of the draw, Arsenal should have claimed the fourth spot. It would appear English football has finally emulated, and surpassed, the Italian and Spanish leagues. OK, we’ve had to accept not qualifying for Euro 2008, but that’s all Steve McClaren’s fault, isn’t it? Now, at least with the appointment of Fabio Capello, a commitment to building the academy at long last and the setting of some actual short and long-term objectives by the FA (debatable though they are), England seem to be going in the right direction.

So why is RTG not sharing in this euphoria? Let’s leave aside, for one minute, the disappointment of watching an Englandless tournament that starts next week. What actually happened during this season 2007/2008?

Before the start, Arsenal were written off by the pundits as likely to drop out of the top four, to be replaced by Spurs. After three games or so, Manchester United were written off for the title because they drew a couple of their opening games and lost to Manchester City. Similar sentiments were expressed about Chelsea following the departure of Mourinho. Whilst RTG does not claim to be the world expert on predictions, we stuck to our guns to reiterate the point made at the end of the 2006/2007 season that the same four would occupy the top four spots yet again. In fact, despite the fact that Manchester United lost five times in the season, there were still 22 points between first place and fifth and 51 points between first and the three relegation spots. So, effectively, nobody caught up despite Sky’s Andy Gray asserting boldly that, “this season the gap is closing”. The truth of the matter is that, due to changes of ownership and pre-mortgaging future TV revenue, a few more clubs had a lot more cash to splash around.

Worryingly, the perception that, nowadays, clubs and especially newly promoted clubs, need to spend heavily to survive, has really grown. Take the case of Sunderland, who spent around £50 million to survive their first season back in the Premier League – just! Recently, even more players have come out to plead the case to their chairmen to open the purse strings. Tim Howard, the Everton goalkeeper, being the latest in an ever-growing list. This, despite David Moyes’ pessimistic, but probably realistic, statement toward the end of the season that there is a glass ceiling above fifth place.

This summer’s close season is predicted to break all records in transfer spending. Some are even predicting that Chelsea will break six figure millions for their transfer budget. To RTG, this is reminiscent of the arms build up, during the cold war, that ultimately bankrupted one of the only two countries that could compete. If, as is widely forecasted by the financial markets and government organisations, there is an economic downturn, are they still going to be able to fill grounds and reach the TV audiences that much of Premier League football is reliant upon? Most clubs have again announced inflation-busting rises in ticket prices for next season but how long will it be before supporters’ wallets are closed to pay for increased food and fuel prices? And when these economic factors kick in, how long will it be before supporters of the majority of teams in the Premier League decide that, watching a team that won't win anything, is not a priority in an ever-decreasing wage packet?

Let’s remind ourselves that the season’s all-English Champions League final was contested between the two most indebted clubs in the history of football. United and Chelsea have a combined total debt of approximately £1.5 billion. Chelsea’s debt would appear to be fairly safe as long as Abramovich maintains his interest. But what of Manchester United? It only takes a slight downturn and some of the fine margins they are trading under may come back to haunt them.

Website Up and RTG Campaign Never More Relevant

It’s been a busy few weeks here at RTG though you wouldn’t know it from our decidedly poor showing on the posting front of late. But there is a reason for that. We now have our website at http://www.reclaimthegame.org.uk/ up and running and there to give you a bit more information about what it is we are trying to achieve.

OK, so it is not in absolutely mint condition, but for the time being it is an attempt to get across what RTG is campaigning for. Not being technical experts, we’ve managed to get the basics done with only limited tears and temper tantrums. But events in football continue to convince us that what we are doing is the right thing.

Back in January, as the relationship between Hicks and Gillett, the Liverpool owners, began to break down, RTG cautioned Liverpool fans to “be careful what you wish for” on the news of the interest of Dubai International Capital (DIC). The situation at Liverpool has since gone from comedy to farce. Yet, so desperate are Liverpool supporters to see an end to this stand-off, that they would be delighted to see DIC join up with Gillett to get Hicks out of the club. How will this solve their problems RTG asks? After all, the real problem is the 50/50 ownership of Hicks and Gillett, not that one partner is any better than the other. If anything, replacing an American with an Arab-based consortium in that 50/50 partnership will just lead to even more problems.

As the ‘big four’ now talk of revenues of hundreds of millions, many concerned supporters are beginning to realise the unpalatable truth uttered by David Moyes, Everton’s Manager, this week; namely that he’d reached a “glass ceiling” in reaching fifth position in the Premier League. Clubs need, as Moyes summised, to be investing hundreds of millions and not the tens of millions that everyone excluding the ‘big four’ can currently command. The worry is that, by the industry not addressing these issues, the ‘big four’ are going to disappear over the horizon in terms of revenues in the coming years, as they continue to enjoy the fruits of the Champions League all to themselves.

Hence David Moyes’ comment and the growing pessimism among supporters of teams from fifth place downwards, in the Premier League, that, all they have to look forward to each year, is staying in the league. Do we really want to see a competition where most teams’ first objective is to make the magic 40 point safety mark? After which they relax due to having nothing to play for – and there are many recent examples of teams doing exactly that.

On top of enjoying elite status in the Premier League, the English ‘big four’ are on their way to becoming Europe’s ‘big four’ also. For the second year running the same three English teams are appearing in the semi-finals of the Champions League. But for the draw, it is not inconceivable that it could have been all four. Whilst, periodically, we have had specific leagues dominating the competition, with all Italian and all Spanish finals and semi-finals, this period of English domination appears to have some longevity. RTG wonders what UEFA will make of this – perhaps this is the real reason behind the ‘6+5’ Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini proposals. (See RTG post on this subject - 18th February 2008).

Speaking of the semi-finals, there is a conspiratorial body of Manchester United supporters who believe that UEFA do not want to see an all-English affair in Moscow. Hence, the reason Gattuso got away with murder for Milan last year (all be it they were the better team over both legs). Keep your eye on refereeing decisions in Wednesday’s game in Camp Nou. RTG will certainly be doing so. Given that UEFA has chosen a location where a visa is required to go and watch the game, perhaps, from the Russian Embassy’s perspective, an English final would be a recipe for chaos on an enormous scale.

Hat's Off. Take a Bow! (Or Not).

Player of the Week - Ashley Young. Could also have gone to John Carew but by all accounts a vintage performance from our Ashley as Villa destroyed rivals Birmingham in the "Second City Derby" as it has suddenly become known in the media.

Hero of the Week - Keith Andrews of MK Dons. OK, let's be fair, the principle behind the franchising of the Dons does not sit all that well with RTG's viewpoint but a team is a team after all and supporters are supporters whoever they may follow. So congratulations to Paul Ince and Keith Andrews himself, scorer of the winner.

Villain of the Week - Tom Hicks. For referring to Liverpool as "the top brand in world football" which, aside from being the height of arrogance itself, is a phrase that goes against everything we at RTG stand for.

Shock of the Week - Avram Grant. For amazingly holding it together right up to the point of only having three games to go, despite being under enormous pressure from supporters, players and the media. But sadly it all went wrong in his last press conference after the Everton game.

Cliche of the Week - "Another one of those special Anfield European nights. It's like playing with 12 men." Well maybe, although Arsenal supporters might claim that they were playing against 12 men both at the Emirates and Anfield. It just so happened it was a bloke with a whistle rather than the crowd.

And We're Back...... to Corruption and Gambling

Yes, RTG has been off-line for a couple of weeks or so, because we’re in the process of setting up a website, as part of our on-going campaign. So, do bear with us with our, temporarily, irregular posts to the RTG blog.

Now that we are in the “business end” of the football season, what’s been happening? To some, RTG’s musings on how the football industry would become more corrupt and more difficult to control with the ever increasing amount of money sloshing around it, seemed like too much scare mongering . Yet, in the last couple of weeks, a Premier League player has admitted to getting himself sent off deliberately, as a pay off for his own substantial gambling losses. Gone are the days when you bet simply on a result or who scored. Nowadays, you can bet on winning/losing margins, number of corners, number of red and yellow cards being brandished, time of first thrown in or corner – and a whole host of aspects of the game that RTG has never come across or considered. RTG not being of the gambling fraternity, except for Grand Nationals (lost again on Saturday!).

It’s clear that the FA, in their tireless pursuit of more and more money, courted gambling organisations for sponsorships and joint deals. In this spirit, it also relaxed the rule on players betting on matches, as long as they didn't bet on their own teams' involvement. Of course, given that gambling is legal in the UK, it would be foolish to attempt a ban on players gambling in general, but it seems very appropriate to impose a blanket ban on players and associated management and back room staff within football. What recent revelations have shown us is that the English league's bribery scandals of the sixties and the case of Ossie Ardiles' Swindon team, who were denied promotion to the top division, because of the gambling misdemeanours of a previous manager, were not isolated cases. It is hard to imagine that they are not taking place now.

It’s worth pointing out that in the US, players are absolutely forbidden to bet on their sport. This situation came about mainly as a result of the infamous 1919 Baseball world series, where Chicago Black Sox players were bribed to throw the series. It is also strictly enforced. One of Baseball’s all time greats as both player and manager, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds was thrown out of baseball and excluded from the Baseball Hall of Fame. His crime? Betting on his own team to win!

A few seasons back, rumours persisted of an odd incident involving Manchester United and West Ham in a Premier League televised match. If RTG’s memory serves it right, straight from the West Ham kick off, Frank Lampard – then of West Ham – belted the ball out to touch. There was much talk of there having been money riding on the timing of the first throw in of the match. Rumours, we know, but with the Premier League’s avowed intention of investigating recent claims, they might just want to have a look at that incident too.

And it’s not just in our country. Last week, the Portuguese FA announced that they were investigating corruption and bribery at Portugal’s top club Porto. This allegedly involved Porto officials making bribes to opponents to throw matches. Interest in this country is mainly because the allegations stem from the period that a certain Jose Mourinho was in charge.

It is clear that safeguards, in this commercially crazy era, must be put in place to protect the integrity of Football. That’s why RTG believes that a blanket ban on footballers gambling on their own sport must be put in place – with stringent punishments being meted out to those transgressors. If, like RTG, you believe that football integrity is under threat from coporate interests, then please join the Reclaim the Game cause by signing up for our campaign (on the right of this page).

Promotion to Premier League: a Step to Financial Ruin?

It may not have escaped your notice that RTG doesn’t appear to talk much about the lower leagues and, indeed, you would be right. For clarity’s sake, RTG decided to rectify this today.

It is not a lack of interest in the other three tiers of professional football – and even lower leagues too – it’s just that, well, as the saying goes ‘you have to strike at the head of a snake to kill it’. So our focus has been on the Premier League, where RTG believes the vast majority of football’s problems lay.

Since the inception of the premiership in the ’92-’93 season, the financial gap between the top level of football and the rest has grown inexorably. So much so, that the Championship play-off for the final Premiership spot is now viewed as the most valuable match in the world. In purely financial terms it is. Not through the gate receipts for the match itself, of course, but for the TV money and increased ticket prices that membership of the Premier League affords.

However, if you delve a little deeper than the obvious (as RTG always tries to do), promotion to, and subsequent relegation from, the Premier League has proven to be a millstone around some clubs’ necks. Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Bradford City, Coventry City, Leicester City and many others have struggled to come to terms financially with life outside the top flight. Taking Leeds as another example – all be it that their financial ruin began in the Premier League – it is now difficult for their supporters to ever imagine how they will get back there again, without the support of a rich owner, foreign or otherwise, as seems to be the requirement these days. This paradox is still being perpetuated by the media and pundits whose business it is to talk up the Premier League and make out it is the answer to every football club’s supporters’ aspirations. The reality is that in many cases, it has been the start of their demise and been a crushing of those aspirations.

If, like RTG, you are sick to the back teeth of pundits talking about the Premier League as ‘The Best League in the World’, as if it is something English football should be held up as a shining example to the rest of the sport, you will also be wondering how it is that English football is not developing at grass roots level as a result. Like all foreign commentators, RTG realises that the current strength of English teams in the Champions League is purely based on their financial might rather than the superior technique of English players. The difficulty Championship teams find in staying in the Premier league, and the subsequent problems many face, just highlights the gulf in class that has resulted since its inception. The bigger sums of money, and the undoubted improvement in the standard of football played, are not trickling down to help improve football at the lower levels. Quite the opposite in fact.

If you take the Division 2 Southampton team of 1976 that beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final, or the West Ham team, then in football’s second tier also, that beat Arsenal in 1980, they were still full of top class professional players that were at the beginning or tail end of their careers. The standard was not that different between Division 1 and Division 2. Contrast that with the Millwall side that was comprehensively outclassed by Manchester United in 2004, and the difference is clear. If you get the chance, check out ESPN Classic’s occasional broadcasts of old Match of the Days where you will see that the Second Division matches were not far below the First in terms of quality. If anything, teams in the Championship have to be more aggressive and direct to claw their way out of the division. But, in terms of a competition, it is far more interesting than the Premier League, with the lead changing hands, throughout the season, on a regular basis. Realistically it is still possible for half the Championship teams to gain promotion whereas the Premier League is a done deal within the big four, and has been for years.

Worryingly, as another side effect, the lower leagues do not appear to be acting as feeders of talent to the Premier League and, therefore, the England national team.

The next time you hear a pundit, or commentator, on TV extolling the virtues of ‘The Best League in the World’ you might wish to stop and think for a while of the price we are paying for the development of this elite league.

Reclaim the Game – The Week’s Events

• For those other clubs dependent on a ‘sugar daddy’ for survival, the plight of Gretna in SPL should serve as a warning to what could happen in the future. Owner, Brooks Mileson, has contracted a life threatening brain infection resulting in Gretna not being able to maintain his funding and will likely go bankrupt today.
• RTG felt the need to draw your attention to this letter from a Simon Charterton in The Guardian yesterday. "If England are to play the USA, allowing David Beckham to gain his 100th cap, why not name Gary Lineker as a substitute to come on and take a penalty so he can equal Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record as well?" RTG’s sentiments also but, why not keep naming him on the bench until he breaks the record? In fact, why not name Sir Bobby Charlton on the bench also, so the two can go head to head? After all, this appears to be the main objective behind England’s friendly matches these days if the media are to be believed.

Does the Premier League Need Loyal Supporters?

RTG comes to you today fresh off the back of a business trip to Washington DC in the USA. This afforded us the unique opportunity of being able to experience watching Premier League football in one of the countries favoured by the Premier League for hosting one of the 39th games. Unlike New York and Boston (other Eastern Seaboard cities visited by RTG), Premier League football is much harder to come by in Washington DC. But after a little research and asking a few questions of the locals, we were able to find a bar in the Arlington area of the city that showed a number of Premier League matches simultaneously, at 3pm GMT, while serving up a respectable brunch….perfect.

Most of the clientele in the bar were not expats, missing their weekly football fix, but appeared to be genuine US football (soccer) supporters. Leaving aside the unavoidably irritating aspect of hearing Americans talking about football, there was something reassuring about this gathering – supporters in different colours watching different teams playing simultaneously in a non-threatening atmosphere. And surely, if the US is to get into football, that’s exactly how it should be. In fact, in an ideal world, they would all troop off to watch DC United afterwards and support the MLS too. What they definitely should not have is an enforced 39th fixture from a foreign league superimposed upon the MLS that has enough of its own problems attracting big crowds.

The main games on offer were, predictably, the Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal games, though there was also a hardcore watching Rangers v Aberdeen from the SPL. Interestingly enough, Chelsea replica shirts were by far the most prevalent, something that would definitely not have been the case five years ago. Invariably, when people start to follow a sport that is taking place in another country, they tend to pick up on the successful teams. Fair enough and RTG has always said we support anybody who is a football supporter no matter how short a time they have loved the game and no matter where they choose to watch it. But is the Premier League’s determination to court these fans, for financial reasons, at the risk of upsetting the loyal, England-based supporter, wise business or short-sighted folly?

Real caution needs to be observed here and RTG suspects that, once again, the Premier League is taking the short-term financial view rather than the well-considered route that looks after the interests of the English game. Football today is not like it was when RTG first started following the game. The prevalence of matches on TV, the celebrity profiles of the modern footballers and the absence of the kind of loyalty we used to see, breeds a different kind of supporter. RTG wonders if the ‘one team through thick and thin’ attitude, that has shaped the game to date, is disappearing in modern times.

When Frank Lampard (or any footballer for that matter) runs to the crowd kissing his badge, is he doing it for his own self-promotion or in recognition of his respect for Chelsea and its supporters? RTG suspects he’s basically saying, “I love you right now but please still like me when I suddenly decide to join Barcelona for more money”. Perhaps it suits the money makers of the modern game to have supporters who are equally as flexible in regard to who they follow. When RTG was in Thailand watching an Arsenal v Liverpool game some years ago, spectators changed allegiances at half time simply because Arsenal were winning and looking the more likely to get the points.

As the game over here continues to distance itself from its supporters, will we begin to see the same kind of attitude in our newer supporters? They may represent a huge financial opportunity to the Premier League, both here and abroad, but is this what we want for our national game? If we want to make as much money for the Premier League, in as short a time as possible, then it probably is. But what happens when the good days are over? When the sport of football needs those supporters who would turn up day in and day out to support their team, they may just find that they’ve gone elsewhere.

Reclaim the Game – The Weekend’s Events

• The self-appointed ‘Best League in the World’ looks set to contribute four teams to the Champions League quarter finals, assuming Liverpool do not commit football suicide in the San Siro this week. Interesting then that, the ‘Best League in the World’, could not produce one win in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night, now that there are some half decent teams in the competition. Perhaps, ‘Best Top Four in the World’ might be a more accurate and, perhaps, more worrying description.
• Avram Grant, in the eyes of the media and many Chelsea supporters, has reverted back from “surprising a few people” to being “out of his depth” again after a 1-0 defeat to Barnsley in the FA Cup quarter final. How indicative of the modern game. If Chelsea were to win their games in hand, they will be two points behind Arsenal, with the game at Stamford Bridge against the Gunners still to play, and they are in the last eight of the Champions League. Despite this, and overcoming the turmoil they were in when Grant took over, this is still not deemed good enough for the media or the modern Chelsea supporter.
• Experiments with two new officials behind the goals at a FIFA or UEFA event will happen in the next 12 months as FIFA appeared to turn its back on goal line technology. Some see this as the game moving back in the wrong direction but RTG welcomes this, assuming the officials have more power than simply goal line observation. ‘Hawkeye’ at Wimbledon has been shown to be fallible and, this blind faith in technology, rather than being the answer to all woes as most pundits seem to think it is, could actually make life worse. However, assuming there are enough people out there willing to do the job, extra officials makes more sense. If they can help on penalty decisions, as well as on the goal line, RTG believes fallible humans are far preferable to fallible technology.
• It is refreshing to see the FA Cup semi-finals contested by only one Premier League team and none of the ‘Big Four’. However, for the FA, this is a bit of a double-edged sword. The one year they could probably have done with filling Wembley, twice over, for the semis, they may have to cut ticket prices to do so.
• Rumours abound in Leeds that they may soon be given back some of the points they were deducted at the beginning of the season. Stand by for more potential law suits should they end up replacing another team in the play-off places. Yet another reason for more clarity and transparency in the way the game is administered.
  
  Hat’s Off, Take a Bow (Or Not)
  
  Player of the Week – Fernando Torres. Outstanding again in Liverpool’s demolition of struggling Newcastle. Some players take time to adapt to life in England. Liverpool must be thankful that Torres seemed to hit the ground running this season for where would they be otherwise?
  
  Villain of the Week – Sepp Blatter (once again). He has over stepped the mark again by calling for lifetime bans on players for malicious tackles such as that of Birmingham’s Martin Taylor on Eduardo of Arsenal. He has asked to review the reports to see if Taylor’s ban should be increased from three matches. This is none of his business and completely out of context. He should butt out of what does not concern him.
  
  Hero of the Week – Kayode Odejayi. Ensured that the FA Cup would be won by someone outside of the big four for the first time since 1995.
  
  Shock of the Week – None of the big four appearing in the FA Cup Semi final draw today.
  
  Cliché of the Week – “Is Portsmouth’s name written on the cup?”

39th Game: Premiership Plot or Pawn in World Game?

Just when you thought it was safe to file the ‘39th game’ proposal into the metaphoric dustbin, then FIFA issue a statement which has given encouragement, in some quarters at least, to the proposers of the so called 39th game. Basically, despite FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s initial deep scepticism, FIFA welcomed the postponement of a meeting specifically to address the issue, in favour of a future date – thus allowing the Premiership to put more detail to the proposal. Note that it was the Premiership who made the postponement.

Whilst RTG remains completely against the 39th game, it got us thinking as to why the proposal has become an issue again, having met such resistance not only from supporters, managers, foreign national FA’s, and FIFA regions, but also principally by our own English FA. Putting RTG’s cynical ‘hat on’, and knowing little, but just enough, about FIFA’s and Sepp Blatter’s modus operandi, the only conclusion is that this proposal will become a bargaining chip, to be traded or bartered with the English FA at some future stage. At this precise moment, the big issue for English football is the World Cup 2018. Anything that jeopardises that is a complete no-no for the FA and, rightly so. It is the one matter that supporters agree with their own FA about.

It’s hard to see any additional benefit that the Premiership can promote in adding more detail to the proposal. Certainly, the absolute incredible, lack of prior consultation, a point that Sir Alex Ferguson was considerably vexed about, and the insurmountable problems highlighted in the English FA’s review of the proposal will not be addressed, so why the postponement? The only thing that the Premiership can do is signal their intent in expanding the revenue earning streams from abroad. Is there a way to do this and minimise the impact on distorting the league competition?

Any proposal that adds to the fixture congestion, RTG believes, should be rejected out of hand. You would need to play a home and away fixture against the same team in the same world time zone, preferably in the same week. There would need to be fixed rules for which teams end up playing these games abroad. For example, Premier Champions against Championship play-off winner, second place against Championship runner-up, third place against Championship champions etc. No, RTG doesn’t like it much either and we’ve not even started talking about the disruption to local national FA’s, a point that we have huge reservations over. But at least it’s fair and equitable for all teams.

Maybe though, this is exactly what the Premiership has in mind. Maybe, as is the modern PR way, the initial plans were to draw out the nay sayers and doom merchants before the ‘let’s get everybody so confused that resistance becomes fragmented and we win phase’ is implemented. But maybe, just maybe, they are really incompetent and they don’t know how to handle these matters, as shown time and again. As Groucho Marx once might have observed about the English Premiership: “those guys might look like idiots and they might act like idiots, but don’t let that fool you… they really are idiots!”.

RTG – The Week’s Events

• Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher has joined the list of professional players to get acquainted with Her Majesty’s Police when he received a formal caution over a violent incident this week in Liverpool.
• Alisher Usmanov, the Arsenal share holding Russian billionaire, has increased his stake in Arsenal by a few decimal percentage points, but by doing so is now the single biggest shareholder in the Gunners. He’s only a few decimal percentage points away from the magical 25% level, which would allow him to block any board resolutions. A place on the Arsenal board cannot be far away. Interestingly, he has also announced a year’s sponsorship of Dynamo Moscow, citing, according to reports, that Dynamo is his ‘first love’ and that he fell in love with them the first time he entered the stadium in the early sixties. Sounds a bit familiar to his pronouncements on acquiring his Arsenal shareholding ie he fell in love with English football the first time he encountered it in 1966….

For Football's Sake, Time for Overspending To Be Penalised

Another Champions League week and three of the four English teams look well poised to go through, while Arsenal are still certainly not out of it despite some pessimism. Recently, accountancy group, Deloittes, published a football ‘rich list’ which emphasised the importance of the Champions League as a revenue earner. Again, the big four in England are miles ahead in terms of revenue, bolstered by these Champions League earnings.

Chelsea also published their financial results – or at least the legal minimum that they had to – and these revealed some interesting points. On turnover of £223.3M (£190.5M from football) they made a loss of £74.8M. The losses were £5-6M down from the previous year (£80.2M). The accounts also revealed that about 71% of the turnover was taken up in wages alone. Whilst losses have been reduced, it is hard to envisage Chelsea achieving Peter Kenyon’s oft quoted aim of reaching break even by 2010.

Add these losses to previous years and Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, has now subsidised the club to the tune of £578M.

At the core of every sport – and RTG means sport as opposed to what sport has become defined as – is the overwhelming belief that, whatever the sport being engaged in, either individually or as a team, it is contested on a level playing field (no pun intended).

Compare and contrast Chelsea’s situation now, with that of Leeds United in recent years. Peter Ridsdale, the then Chief Executive of Leeds saw the revenue earning potential of the Champions League and pinned all their commercial strategy on it. This strategy fell at the first hurdle when they failed to qualify. The rest, as they say, is history, with Leeds now languishing in the third tier of English football, and the club currently under administration. The amounts involved were deficits of £80-100M (depending on what source you refer to). But these amounts are trivial when you compare Chelsea’s losses above. In fact, if you look at the Deloitte rich list, Chelsea’s losses are greater than the revenue of all but the top 16 earning clubs in the world - bigger than Celtic's revenue who lie in 17th spot. Note also that Leeds are currently suffering a 15 point penalty as a result of their overspending in previous seasons. So what’s the difference between Leeds United and Chelsea?

Answer? Roman Abramovich. Intrinsically there is absolutely no difference between the two situations. Had it not been for Abramovich, assuming no other suitable buyer had been found in time, Chelsea would also have been under administration. In fact, had it not been the rather fortuitous situation where Abramovich, in negotiating over the purchase of Tottenham Hotspur, spotted from his helicopter, the Stamford Bridge ground’s proximity to Battersea Heliport, then Chelsea would be in similar circumstances to Leeds now.

Much speculation has been made of how Abramovich dubiously gained his riches, let alone his motivation in investing in English football. Some say his only real interest is in creating a high profile for himself as a ‘protection’ against retribution from Russia and its current leaders. From a purely footballing perspective, RTG believes that, if Leeds are penalised for overspending – which amounts to ‘cheating’ and is rightly penalised – then why shouldn’t other overspending clubs suffer the same penalty? Isn’t it just a case of, “my dad is richer than your dad”. On another equally contentious point, by pouring in so much money, and thereby increasing salary and transfer inflation, is it right that one person should exert so much influence over what is supposed to be, and RTG states again, ‘a sport’.

RTG believes in putting limits on the amounts that clubs spend on wages, as a percentage of their turnover, and putting limits also on squad sizes as well as the ludicrous loan system, as a first step in levelling out what has become a blatantly uncompetitive sport.

If you too believe that football is now played out in an unfair and unequal environment, then please sign up to our campaign to ‘Reclaim the Game’.

Reclaim the Game – The Weekend’s Events

• In another sign of modern standards of behaviour, Birmingham City’s Mathew Taylor, whose challenge broke Arsenal’s Eduardo’s leg very badly, has received death threats as a result. Completely over the top. However, RTG commends Arsene Wenger for retracting his earlier over emotional response, when he called for a life ban for Taylor.
• Apparently Joey Barton will not be available for selection against Liverpool away on 8th March as a result of a court order banning him from his home town following his recent arrest. The way he played against Manchester United on Saturday, he won’t be missed.
• Comedy moment of the week was provided by La Liga in the game between Real Madrid and Getafe at the Bernabeu yesterday. If you thought goal celebrations had got out of hand, then check out this link where Real’s celebrations of a disallowed goal caused such distraction that they neither noticed nor had time to respond when Getafe went straight up the other end of the pitch and scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game.

Hats Off, Take a Bow (Or Not)

Player of the Week – Jonathan Woodgate. Scored the winner in the Carling Cup Final ending nine trophy-less years for Spurs and put in a performance that showed if he could stay injury free, he would surely be partnering Rio Ferdinand in the heart of England’s defence.

Villain of the Week – William Gallas. Completely threw the toys out of the pram and sat sucking his thumb even after the final whistle when Arsenal really needed a captain’s presence. Admittedly, the penalty awarded was a harsh decision but it is hard to imagine Frank McLintock or Tony Adams, both great professionals and leaders, behaving in such a fashion.

Hero of the Week – Fernando Torres. Eased some of the pressure on Benitez, from a Premiership point of view, with a hat-trick against Middlesborough.

Shock of the Week – Tottenham win the Carling Cup. The first major trophy won by a team outside of the big four since 2005.

Cliché of the Week – “The sleeping giant has arisen”. The media and Tottenham supporter’s description of their triumph. We’ll see.

Great Football Pub Bore Myths of Our Time – Part 2

A welcome return to the Champions League saw RTG spend two nights of football viewing followed by the subsequent attempts by Sky Sports, and ITV to a lesser extent, to fill the void in the satellite TV schedule. Consequently, after much inane punditry, RTG learned the following:

* Arsenal have it all to do in Milan but they are a good team and will be going all out to get the result (following a 0-0 home result);

* Laser pens are dangerous, could affect important results and should be banned but it is difficult for UEFA to do anything about them;

* Had Adebayor’s header not hit the bar but gone in instead, it would have given the tie a completely different result (because it was 0-0 at home);

* United’s late equaliser makes their job a lot easier at Old Trafford (because it was 1-1);

* Gordon Strachan stated that he wouldn’t bet his house on Celtic progressing further against Barcelona.

Apart from the last point there was little else interesting or amusing to report. So, as per last week RTG delves once more into the Great Football Pub Bore Myths of Our Time which the media are so fond of propagating.

Great Football Pub Bore Myths of Our Time – Part 2

Great player = Great manager. “Shearer undoubtedly will manage Newcastle one day”. Well, he’s a great player therefore he must inevitably turn out to be a great manager. Given the millions of pounds that are now at stake in the football ‘industry’ how can this God given right continue to be bestowed on Alan Shearer. For that matter, Brian Robson was the latest managerial casualty this week. He was a great player. He certainly isn’t a great manager. Lest we be tempted to mention a certain Bobby Charlton and his brief foray into the world of football club management, RTG thinks you’ll get our point.

Speaking of managers, Messrs Wenger, Ferguson, Grant and Benitez, of big four fame, never take the FA Cup seriously because they always pick second string teams. Well, actually, they can afford to pick second string players because their squads usually have more strength in depth. Hence, why one of them seems always destined to win it. The truth is, in fact, that just about every team, including those in the Championship chasing Premier League spoils, and even lower league teams seeking promotion, play second string sides in the FA Cup. And the simple fact is that those teams really can’t afford to if they really want to take the FA Cup seriously.

Whilst we are on the subject of the riches of the Premier League, Peter Kenyon is one of the shrewdest businessmen you’ll find when it comes to wheeling and dealing in the transfer market. Well, actually, he consistently failed to make the most of Manchester United’s huge bargaining power by paying way over the odds for players, even when other clubs apparently weren’t even interested. Stand up the three million pound David Bellion from Sunderland who United could actually have got for nothing. Even Peter Ridsdale, he of Leeds United infamy, was shocked at Kenyon’s naivety when he paid £30 million for Rio Ferdinand. Not to be made a laughing stock by his critics over this, he then saw the chance to make amends by refusing to pay £16 milllion to PSG for the future world number one, Ronaldhino, and subsequently waved the Brazilian maestro goodbye as he departed for Barcelona. Nice one Peter. Now he’s at Chelsea, of course, he’s in the best place possible. He can afford to waste loads of money and nobody will bother to question why.

Peter Ridsdale sunk Leeds United because he had an expensive goldfish aquarium in his office that cost £20 per month. Well OK, perhaps a luxury he didn’t need but Mr Ridsdale was guilty of far worse financial mismanagement during his tenure at Leeds. Take, for instance, his negotiation with Seth Johnson’s agent. The agent discussed with Johnson, prior to the meeting, that they wouldn’t accept a penny less than £18K per week. Ridsdale, however, opened negotiations by saying he wouldn’t pay more than £26K and that was his final offer. The agent, by the way beat him up to £30K. Add to that hiring private jets for lavish trips to Monaco, just to watch the Champions League draw, and a few goldfish seem quite reasonable.

Part 3 to follow – watch this space

Reclaim the Game – The Week’s Events

• The Premier League puts its proposals for the 39th game before the FA this morning. A proposal that, sadly, more and more people seem to be coming out and saying we should explore in principle. Arsene Wenger, the Chelsea board, Peter Gold of Birmingham City and a few ex-player pundits have all added their view that we should look into this as a viable way of moving the Premier League forward. The FA has specific criteria which the proposal must not contravene:

  1) There must be no risk to England’s 2018 World Cup bid
  2) There is no impact on fixture congestion
  3) There is no impact on the England team itself
  4) The format of the Premier League competition must be kept fair
  

  Frankly, none of those conditions could possibly be met.

• Reports from Newcastle suggest Paul Gascoigne has been sectioned under the mental health act. Gazza was a good player but is paying the price for being one of the first over-hyped media football stars. His record never lived up to the billing the media gave him and he is now suffering the consequences. RTG wishes him well.
• Chelsea boss, Avram Grant, received death threats via a package in the mail this week. Aside from the sinister racist undertones and the ‘mysterious powder’ that it contained, this is another sad example of how, in modern times, extreme views seem to be prevailing.
• For once, a big ‘up’ to Richard Keys who pointed out the hypocrisy of his panel when chastising Eboue for his obvious dive last night. Keys, quite rightly, reminded certain members of the panel that they had previously praised players who gained penalties as being ‘perfectly entitled to go down’. Intriguingly, he failed to point out that those that were praised tended to be the English players who, as we know, never dive. Well, except when they’re ‘perfectly entitled’, obviously.

Supporters Lose Out as Fat Cats Eat the Pie

Recent events have brought many of football’s various power blocs, and their differing agendas, to the fore. For the English game, the big issue right now is its bid for the 2018 World Cup, over which, for once, the government, FA, Premier League and supporters seem to be in agreement. We all want it! And things, from that angle, started to look up this week when FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, gave tentative support for the English bid by suggesting that it was England’s 'turn' to host it - 'maybe'. Hardly drawing a breath, he then poured cold water on the 39th game proposal by the English Premier League. No surprise then that Jack Warner, head of CONCACAF and long-term ally (or is it conspiritor?) of Blatter, came out in support of England’s 2018 bid – although that might have been ‘bought’ from Warner already by England in agreeing to hold a friendly in Trinidad and Tobago, Mr Warner’s native land, this summer.

Add to this, Blatter’s recent 6+5 proposal, regarding the rules governing the make up of club sides’ nationalities – a proposal that will most likely affect the English league far more than any other in the world today, given the high number of foreign players at all levels of the game here. It’s clear that there are a number of far-reaching proposals that will impact on all genuine supporters. It’s clear also that these issues are being addressed by people who have their own agendas and that ‘horse trading’ by national associations and confederations is being conducted without the interests of supporters at heart. Or, for that matter, any supporter involvement or voice.

Frankly, RTG does not trust these bodies at all. There are already a number of current investigations by both governmental financial ombudsman and by the serious investigative side of the media into their financial affairs which has already destroyed their credibility. Supposedly, these organisations are run democratically and, on the surface, they would appear to be so. But one only has to look at Sepp Blatter’s last re-election, where he ruthlessly overrode all opposition and, indeed, managed to get one of his main detractors kicked out of his FIFA job. His crime? He brought to the attention of FIFA and the world press, Blatter’s financial improprieties. Policy gleaned straight from the pages of ‘Dictatorship for Dummies’!

That’s how we ended up with the final of the ‘World Game’ in 2006 being played out in front of £500 seats stuffed full of bums of over-fed dignitaries, corporate hangers-on, real and tenth rate celebrities and, oh yes, as an afterthought, a handful of genuine supporters so that the TV cameras can bring the colour and excitement of the spectacle into your living room. Needless to say, this last group was forced to buy travel and accommodation through companies run by FIFA officials’ families and friends. Oh, and if you wanted a black market ticket, they probably came via a FIFA official also.

These ’90 minuters’, as RTG likes to call them, because they only turn up to big finals at the expense of real supporters, are not the lifeblood of the game. They may ensure that a few people get rich from the game, they may also ensure that an average professional footballer can upgrade his Bentley to a Lamborghini, but they do nothing to nurture the long-term future of the game.

The day football falls out of fashion, as it has done before and surely will again, they will be disappearing in their droves leaving us, the genuine supporters, to pick up the pieces – if there are any left.

The football financial ‘pie’ grows ever larger, as does the voracious appetite of the administrators of the game looking to secure their own slice of it. At the moment, genuine supporters are increasingly being left the crumbs of that pie. RTG is not under any illusion that to change this situation will take time. Unfortunately, it will have to be done through elected officials, i.e. politicians, and we all know that is a long process. Just as in the same way as we have needed government legislation to protect our environment, so we need legislation to protect the soul of the game of football.

So, if you want to support your team through the opening rounds of competitions, and through the bread and butter of the league, only to end up seeing your final or semi-final seat being occupied by a Big Brother runner up, whose only contribution to life was to flash her moist minge to the nation, then ignore what RTG says. If you don’t, join us by signing up!

Reclaim the Game – The Weekend’s

• Proof, if you ever needed it, that the bookies always come out on top, sad news emerges that Angus ‘Statto’ Loughran has been declared insolvent. He apparently has large debts owed to a number of unnamed creditors.


• More hysteria ensued at the weekend over the state of the FA Cup. This season’s competition looks likely to result in a Manchester United v Chelsea final again or, due to probability, a very one-sided final: either United or Chelsea against a Championship opposition. This will once again raise issues about giving a Champions League place to the winners and other such ‘solutions to the FA Cup problem’. The trouble with the image of the competition and the place that it occupies in genuine supporters’ hearts is “you’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t”. Four years have passed since Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have had a sniff of the Premier League title and they have current holders AC Milan in the Champions League this Wednesday. Can you really blame Wenger for resting a few players even if their performance was woeful to say the least? A practice, incidentally, replicated by both Sir Alex Ferguson and every single team across Europe playing this week in the Champions League. Arsenal supporters would not be pleased had Wenger played a full strength team to continue in the competition at the expense of the league title or further progress in the Champions League.
  

Hat’s Off, Take a Bow (Or Not)!

Player of the Week – David James. Kept Portsmouth in the FA Cup, including a penalty save, and deserves great credit for his recent England comeback. However, if Pompey get to the final, look out for that one gaff a game moment that is his trademark.

Hero of the Week – Luke Steele. Man of the Match, by popular acclaim, in a game that proves ‘the romance of the FA cup’ still exists.

Villain of the Week – Arsenal. RTG has spent many column inches defending the Big Four and their team selections for the FA Cup. However, the Arsenal players showed complete indifference and total lack of regard for the competition and their 9,000 travelling supporters in their performance on Saturday.

Shock of the Week – Liverpool 1 Barnsley 2. Though perhaps not as big a shock as you might think when you look at Liverpool’s FA Cup performances this season. While RTG supports Liverpool supporters in their fight against Hicks and Gillet, they seem to be venting their spleen entirely in that direction without looking at the performance of the manager and team anymore.

Cliche of the Week: Motty and Lawro's side splitting humour. If RTG doesn't hear another shit 'wise crack' from these two, it'll be a better world. Motty clearly needs to be put out to pasture. What's Lawro's excuse?

Media Myths and the Pub Bore

Having focused, quite rightly, in our last posting on the Premier League’s 39th game abroad idea, it now appears that the one factor that everybody, bar this blog, overlooked is that local and regional football authorities are none too keen on the idea of a big fat bloated Premier League pitching up on their turf. Even Sepp Blatter managed to tear himself away from the Ann Summers catalogue to stick his oar in and ominously implied that there needed to be consultation before such a venture could take place. Bernie Ecclestone, part owner of QPR and supremo of Formula One, probably summed up the ridiculousness of the Premier League’s proposal stating that he would be prepared to take the Big Four, only, abroad for a one-off tournament. Enough said. Let’s hope this one gets put to rest once and for all. One of the curious side effects of this proposal is that it has generated rumours of established teams being targeted to be bought and moved lock stock and barrel to foreign parts. Chelsea for Dubai anyone? At the moment we are able to laugh at what seem ludicrous proposals but, depending on how things progress in our beloved game, let’s hope we’re not soon crying.

So, with that put to rest for the time being, RTG is turning its attention on the media and the pub bores that feed off the myths largely generated and propagated by them. What does RTG mean by this? Well let’s have a look at some popular misconceptions that the lazy media people and ex-players, such as Richard Keys, maintain, and then become folklore the length and breadth of the country.

Great Football Pub Bore Myths of Our Time – Part 1

Terry Venables is a great manager. RTG does not doubt that he has done some good work, most notably at Barcelona, but if you analyse his actual record you’ll see a tale of financial woes at virtually every club, and national association, he’s ever been associated with. In addition, he’s often been cited as the best England manager of recent times and many have asked for him to return. The reality was he had the lowest win percentage of any England manager – all be it with one of the lowest loss percentages also – at a time when England played no qualifiers for a tournament that was held on home turf. Indeed, virtually all his games in charge were played at home. England won two out of the five games in Euro 1996 and his, and the media’s, obsession with one, by then overweight and unfit, individual caused us to limp out at the semi final stage.

Talking of Paul Gascoigne: well, he’s an England legend isn’t he? Is he? Let’s look at what he won for England, or indeed any of the teams he played for. Aside from some good performances against Oxford United and Portsmouth (then in the second tier of English football) he’s widely accepted as winning the cup for Spurs in 1991. Well, as far as anyone who stays on the pitch for ten minutes before injuring himself in a reckless challenge can be said to win the cup. A foul, by the way, that led to Nottingham Forest taking the lead. Italia 90 is still regarded by the media and pub pundits alike as the ‘Gascoigne’ world cup. All he actually achieved was to be filmed crying for his own misfortune at not making the final had England gone through. Which of course we didn’t. Likewise, six years later, he was too unfit, following his exploits in the ‘dentist chair’ (which he mocked the media for criticising) to get to a cross that would have been the golden goal that saw England through to the final of Euro 96.

Speaking of Terry Venables’ record, one of a succession of forgettable draws, during his tenure, was against Colombia at Wembley in 1995. The only memorable moment came in the form of Rene Higuita’s ‘scorpion’ save from Jamie Redknapp’s over hit centre. Many still wax lyrical about the ‘crazy’ Higuita’s antics. However, if you can see the whole of the footage, the linesman clearly raises his flag for an offside long before the ball gets to the goal. Spectacular maybe; but not as risky and ‘mad’ as the media would have you believe.

The unique factor in Higuita’s dive, is that it is the only time that the English media ever spoke fondly of a ‘diving foreigner’. After all, it is the ‘nasty foreigners’ that have brought this aspect into the game isn’t it? Anyone who saw Rodney Marsh or Francis Lee in the '60s and '70s will remember that these two in particular made diving an art form. Not to mention Michael Owen’s crafty efforts for England and Liverpool (the ones against Argentina in 1998 and 2002 are remembered with particular fondness but never spoken of).

Part 2 to follow. Watch this space.

Reclaim the Game. The Week’s Events

One of RTG’s major fights has always been against drug use in football. Many serious luminaries of the game believe it is not a point worth worrying too much about because drugs don’t have a major benefit in team sports. Wrong. Many of Juventus’s trophies in the 1990s were achieved using drugs, a scandal we still know only a fraction about. Arsene Wenger’s first great Arsenal team were taking a now banned substance, Creatine. RTG mentions this because Dwain Chambers’ return to athletics competition by threatening to take the UK governing body of athletics to court is a stark reminder that, the richer you become through sport, the better drug dealers available to you. If it is not a problem in English football now, it soon will be.

Debate Futile In Laying Supporters' Fears To rest

There are few prizes for guessing what our main topic of discussion is today. There we were last week discussing how best to develop the England team, in the aftermath of Fabio Capello’s first match in charge. While at the same time, facing up to the depressing prospect of trying to get enthusiastic about watching Czech Republic versus Holland this summer, when Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League announces plans to hold an additional round of fixtures to the Premier League Programme to be played abroad. This would entail a seeded draw of additional matches to be played over one weekend in five different cities around the world. This is so far removed from the views of ordinary supporters, managers and respected commentators as to be laughable, not to mention completely against the best interests of the fitness of English players.

RTG is all for expanding revenue-making ideas for the Premier League, especially if that money is equitably distributed and finds its way to, not only the lower leagues, but to the development at the grass roots and, therefore, international level. After all, we don’t want to turn back the clock now. We are where we are. But this revenue ‘expansion’ idea is too high a price to pay and exactly what will it achieve?

Firstly, this totally changes the competition within the league – a league that has been going for 120 years - with one home and away fixture against every team as its basis. Scudamore’s proposal makes a nonsense of this competition.

Secondly, is it right that the Premier League parks itself in countries that, either have their own well-developed leagues, or have fledgling competitions that they are trying to develop? No doubt Scudamore and the Premier League bosses have taken the recently staged NFL game at Wembley as their inspiration, but then there is no developing American Football league in England to speak of.

Thirdly, one of the stated aims is to increase the Premier League’s supporter base in these cities/countries. But again taking the NFL game at Wembley as an example, what did that game actually achieve? RTG suspects strongly that the majority of those attending were American expats/servicemen rather than ‘native’ limeys who are now suddenly avid supporters of the New York Giants or the Miami Dolphins. It certainly pissed off the Dolphins fans because they lost one of their home games (one of only eight).

Do the Premier League really believe that these one-off, contrived fixtures will boost the supporter base in these cities/countries? There may well be marginal take up of new supporters, but then if a replica shirt costs the equivalent of one month’s wages, as it does in some of the proposed locations, what real scope is there for ‘exploitation of opportunities within these target markets’? RTG could see a lot of scope for arguments over where individual clubs would prefer to go in order to maximise revenue opportunity. Los Angeles or Calcutta? No contest!

Until RTG hears of a better proposal, we still believe that we should go the whole way with showing every game live, on a pay-per-view basis, again as long as the revenue is equitably distributed throughout the English game. If that means Chinese or Indian supporters having to buy a TV season ticket and watch it at unsocial hours of the night so be it. If the Premier league is as popular in these countries as they keep telling us, they will surely be prepared to do it. Likewise, if they feel compelled enough to visit England, they can pick the club they wish to visit and watch. On a cautionary note, one only needs to look at the Premier League’s deal with a Chinese free-to-air TV channel for last season which predicted audiences of 30 million, only to find that actual viewing figures were so small as to not warrant a rating.

The really scary point, which RTG has raised in previous postings, is that, forget what supporters want, or the opinions of club managers, players or administrators, it only requires the vote of 14 Premier League club owners and it’s a done deal. Ten of those owners have arrived within the last few years – wonder which way they are likely to vote?

Reclaim the Game – The Weekend’s Events

Roll Moddle No.1. Sylvain Ebanks-Blake of Wolverhampton Wanderers has been charged with causing bodily harm after a night club bouncer was smashed over the head with a bottle. He’s due in court on 20th February.

Whilst the minute’s silence was impeccably observed by all at Old Trafford (apart from someone letting off fireworks outside), the emotional wave seemed to have overwhelmed the United players as they lost 2-1 at home to City. Note that the 40th anniversary didn’t go according to plan either with a lucky 1-1 draw against struggling Bolton. Perhaps, they should simply have kicked off at 3:04pm (the time of the disaster) as a symbolic final laying to rest of the disaster. No doubt, though, the 60th anniversary will provide revenue opportunities too good to pass up.

The African Cup of Nations was won again by Egypt who beat Cameroon 1-0 in the final. Despite the pundits talking up the tournament and some genuinely spectacular goals, the overall impression RTG got was that it is not of a standard or suitably well-attended to merit being held every two years. If RTG’s desire to see a world schedule is to be realised, it has to go to every four years (irrespective of history and tradition) and be scheduled in a compatible manner with European/World competitions. Otherwise, RTG suspects that African players may well soon start to disappear from top sides in the leagues.

Hat’s Off. Take Bow(Or Not)!

Player of the Week – John Carew. OK it was only Newcastle who seem to be shipping goals a plenty as well as losing now Big Sam has departed but a hat-trick is always worth a mention.

Villain of the week – Richard Scudamore. See Above. Special mention also to the people who let off fireworks during yesterday’s minute’s silence.

Heroes of the Week – Manchester City fans even if they were encouraged by a special letter from David Gill and a 20p Taiwanese, sweat shop-made scarf in City colour.

Shock of the Week - Manchester City winning 2-1 at Old Trafford. Their first double over United since the 1969/70 season and their first win at Old Trafford since 1974. Maybe their fans earned themselves some good karma with their excellent behaviour.

Cliche of the Week - "Looking a little jaded after international duty midweek." Who knows the reasons why exactly but so many games in 'The Best League in the World' were decidedly lacklustre this weekend.

Don't Panic Mr Media....Don't Panic

The good news is that England, under Capello, have plenty of time to try a few things before they have to play a competitive game. The bad news of course is that this fact serves as a grim reminder to England supporters that we'll be enjoying the sunshine or playing golf while the rest of Europe's elite fight it out in Switzerland and Austria. And another four years of RTG's all-too-short football watching life goes past without England being in a major tournament, let alone winning anything. But we are where we are and if it took the Euro 2008 qualifying debacle to learn that lesson then so be it.

The beginning of a new (and hopefully successful) era dawns with time to experiment and perhaps, just perhaps, to show the England players that there are other ways of playing the beautiful game than simply hoofing it up to the big man up front. The build up began with a little snipe from the Daily Mail (who else?) concerning Fabio Capello's assurance, when he took the job, that he would be speaking to the press in English by now. Well, Daily Mail, if that turns out to be the greatest sin of his reign as England boss, RTG can live with that.

Rio Ferdinand likened Capello's new regime to that of 'starting a new school'. Fair comment one would imagine but the media again chose to take that as a criticism of Capello's more autocratic management style. If you listen, Rio never once made any criticism at all but the media in its typical, "we want England to do well but we ain't gonna let them", chose to turn it into a little dig instead. And after all, if Rio's 'new school' turns out to be one of high academic achievement rather than your struggling inner city comprehensive, that's just been shut down by OFSTED, then, once again, who cares?

The BBC TV pundit team of Wright, Hansen and Shearer were all ready to get behind Capello and it was good to see that expectations were not grossly over exaggerated. As Alan Shearer rightly pointed out, "if this bloke can't turn England into a good team, then there really is something seriously wrong with English football." They, like the rest of us, were keen to see what Capello might try rather than by how many England would thump Switzerland. Capello himself should take a lot of praise for the way he handled the build up to the game. There was none of the ludicrously over the top speculation about who was to be captain or who wasn't. He didn't allow that to happen. He simply announced that the temporary captain would be Steven Gerrard for now. End of story. No hysteria. No media scrum. His new regime ensured that football was the order of the day. Not WAGS, shopping, golf, Playstation or any other distractions.

The game started fairly inauspiciously from an England viewpoint. At this point the dynamic BBC TV commentating duo of Lawrenson and Motson began to get on England's backs. Derogatory comments ensued and, at the point where Motson said, "they just don't understand possession do they Mark", and Lawrenson replied, "only that it's nine tenths of the law John", RTG went interactive and switched to Radio Five Live commentary. There, we were greeted by frantic panic and hysteria. Just 20 minutes in and they were calling for changes and questioning the formation, the players, the selection. Everything! At this juncture, the crowd started singing, "There's only one David Beckham." This was the point where RTG seriously questioned whether England supporters really deserve a manager with Capello's pedigree let alone any success. In much the same way as the players seemed to be finding it hard to be patient and pass the ball, you could sense a crowd, and a commentary team, desperate to see Stevie G, lumping great balls forward to the big number nine up front. So what that it's won us nothing in over 40 years; it's the only way we feel comfortable!

The truth is, of course, the long-suffering England supporters do deserve to see more success than we've had. And we mean the real England supporters, not the slightly podgy, middle class children with their replica shirts and faces painted that were on show with their middle-aged mums last night - no doubt disappointed that they didn't get to see media celebrity David Beckham win his 100th cap.

It wasn't a great performance. Quite rightly, Capello used the friendly to see how England might play football, not to give the media the story they wanted. Even if they struggled to execute it, there seemed to be a plan. And, for that matter, a plan B too. It may take a lot of painful lessons to make that group of players start to work together in a different manner but RTG sensed that Capello is working toward a goal that involves winning international football matches and not anything else. It's good that England didn't win easily as that would have hidden a multitude of sins, that we all know exist. Plus, it would have given the press the opportunity to go right over the top and hail Capello as the new Messiah (outside of Newcastle of course).

Motson, Lawrenson and Five Live should look back on last night's performance and realise that they were the ones who needed changing after 20 minutes, not Capello's selection. As for England supporters, we're feeling quietly optimistic that there are good signs for the future while, at the same time thinking, "God, we wish we were in Euro 2008 this summer!"

Reclaim the Game - The Week's Events

• Sepp Blatter and FIFA have implied that they intend to take on UEFA and impose the 6+5 rule on national club sides. In other words, they would insist that all national club sides must contain at least six players in their starting 11 who would be qualified to play for the country in which the club is based. RTG understands why FIFA should feel that international football is under threat. After all, an average Champions League game is usually played to a much better standard, and is far more entertaining, than most average internationals these days. But we can't go back. The level is what it is now and imposing rules will simply decrease the standard of the end product. Not to mention, is it better to have English players who have to be developed to the highest standards to get in a team or to have players who know they can afford to be fairly average because they will get picked because they're English?
• Was anyone really surprised that the minute's silence for the 50th anniversary of the Muncih air disaster lasted only 23 seconds because certain people were shouting over it? Anyone who follows football properly can see what a tragedy Munich was and it's good that people want to pay their respects. But perhaps, it should have been confined to being a Manchester United issue and the club should have been left to deal with it in its own way. Should supporters of other clubs have felt strongly enough to go and pay their respects at Old Trafford, they could have done so. Instead, it gave the anti Manchester United lobby the perfect vehicle to air its unpleasant and somewhat distasteful views live on national television.

Ignore the Pundits. Time to Back England and Capello

RTG posted too early last week to comment on Fabio Capello’s first England squad selection other than the absence of David Beckham, which was known by that time. This blog is not about discussing the relative merits of each member of the squad as Capello himself, and for that matter, Steve McClaren et al, are far better qualified for that than us.

RTG’s concern is to get a winning England team within our lifetimes. Simple! Well maybe not. The England manager’s job is a difficult one, made even tougher by the enormous pressures from the media and now, in modern times, huge financial expectations. There’s not a lot RTG and supporters can do about the financial considerations – after all, Wembley has been built – but there are things we can do in our expectations and support of the England set up.

First and foremost, let’s ignore the mindless media bullshit that overwhelms our senses each time an England international comes around. Excitement is one thing. Filling up space and time in newspaper columns and TV slots just seems to heighten expectations that are never going to be fulfilled – not to mention heaping yet more pressure on the team and backroom staff. The sort of pressure that has seen England consistently fail to win penalty shoot outs, incidentally.

As far as England friendly internationals go, results should, for the most part, be ignored in favour of drawing conclusions from the team performance and individual performances of the players. Under Steve McClaren, the first match, against Greece, ended in a 4-0 victory that flattered a performance that saw England stutter in the second half (sound familiar?). Instead of learning from this, it was seen by the media as a justification for, not only McClaren’s appointment, but also that the England team was headed in the right direction. Neither of these proved to be true. Indeed the signs of the malaise were there for all to see had they wished to see them.

Capello must be allowed to do the job. His CV shows that he was the best available candidate in terms of both experience and winning things. He now has shown himself to be possibly the best candidate in terms of character. We know all about the pressure coming from the media and some of the ‘godfathers’ of English football to select David Beckham. There must also have been enormous pressure from the FA – indeed it’s been rumoured that the FA had to spend £100k on reprinting the programme for the Wednesday’s match because a certain person had been left out.

As supporters we should all get behind Capello. Accept that he will make mistakes. If he’s not making mistakes, he’s doing something wrong. But, allow him, and us, to learn from them and build a foundation for success in the future, and resist the negative and self-destructive reporting from various branches of the media. After all, they have had a huge part to play in virtually every England manager’s appointment and sacking since Sir Alf Ramsey. And where has that got us?

Reclaim the Game – The Weekend’s Events

• All talk was dominated by some controversial off side decisions this weekend. Some were result altering. However, it doesn’t help when some of the TV analysis tries to retro fit the decision making to the actual outcome. Referees and their assistants make mistakes and, in the case of Andrew Johnson’s disallowed effort, the ref’s assistant admitted it was his error. Get over it pundits and stop confusing us.
• Manchester United made the right decision that both teams wear sponsorless kit for what is the 50th anniversary memorial match of the Munich disaster against Manchester City this Sunday. Why then the appearance of the shirt sponsors, AIG, on the memorial picture displayed on the outside of Old Trafford? RTG believes that those supporters who complained were right to do so.

Hat's Off, Take a Bow (Or Not!)

Player of the Week – Jimmy Bullard. A cheeky face you’d gladly slap (as his team-mate Chris Baird did this week) but brought an enthusiasm and a rare win to Fulham with his late free kick strike.

Hero of the Week – Fabio Capello. Clearly not going to be swayed by sentiment and PR but chose to pick his team based on ability and fitness for the job.

Villain of the Week – all those that banged on and on about how much Beckham deserved his 100th cap.

Shock of the Week - Hayes & Yeading 3 Havant & Waterlooville 0. Oh how the mighty have crashed to earth.

Cliché of the Week – “when is a player deemed to be interfering in play?” Sort it out FIFA/UEFA – at least so that Andy Gray understands it and can explain it to thicko Richard Keys.