Question? Why would the Mail on Sunday, a paper that claims to be, at best, “batting for Britain”, in reality, a vehicle for fuelling the angst of “Little Englanders”, decide to derail England’s 2018 World Cup bid?
When you think of the potential benefits the world cup would bring to both the footballing and economic development of the UK, you have to start believing that evil forces are at work. For an organisation to have taken upon itself to have set up Lord Triesman in this way - and published transcripts of Triesman’s words would suggest relaxed speculation rather than outright accusations – there must be ulterior motives in compromising the national (istic!) interests in such a way.
Is RTG starting a conspiracy theory? Actually, we are and we believe there is good reason to do so.
"There is one certain fact about debt, it has to be repaid or refinanced. The debt mountains are owned and therefore the clubs are owned by either financial institutions - some of which are in terrible health - or very rich owners who are not bound to stay, or not very rich owners who are also not bound to stay. As we all know today, finance institutions have finally become highly risk-aware. They break debt into smaller packages mixed with other more or less toxic debts and sell these impenetrable instruments on. This poses very tangible dangers. Not only is debt at high-risk levels, we are also in a period when transparency lies in an unmarked grave. There is little point in thinking this now affects everyone except football. I predict, especially in today's financial climate, it cannot go on."
FA Chairman, Lord Triesman, October 2008
Since RTG started publishing in 2007, it has been looking for an empathetic voice at the highest levels of football administration. We don’t claim to know Lord Triesman personally, or professionally, but his public pronouncements of the inequities and indebtedness of the game in this country were starting to highlight the differing objectives of the bodies governing football. That is why he made many enemies in the game, particularly in the Premier League - principally, Sir David Richards and Richard Scudamore. Yes, the same Dave Richards who was instrumental in turning Sheffield Wednesday from an established Premier League team into a struggling and debt-ridden League 1 side. . And yes, the Richard Scudamore who, in the past, RTG has been passionately disapproving of for his short-termist policies.
The warning flags should be raised yet again by football supporters to say that everything is not right with the governance of the game. Anybody within the football establishment who dares to question the old order, be it a Lord Triesman or an Adam Crozier, seem to end their relationship with the FA with their heads bowed in shame. It seems that the word “change”, so popular with the politicians in recent weeks, is an anathema to the world of football administration. That is, anybody who dares challenge the (very) old order, is dispensed with at the first politically expedient opportunity.
Conspiracy theories feed off attempts to explain why shocking events happen. They are a way of rationalising historical happenings that pour scorn on the official explanation or pronouncement. However, RTG feels we can identify how Lord Triesman entered into a seemingly innocent, but recorded, conversation with a “friend” and, at the same time, ended up losing his job.
- He criticised the so-called ‘fit and proper’ test that the Premier League put in place to, supposedly, regulate ownership in football. RTG say he has been more than vindicated on that score but, note, vigorously opposed by Richard Scudamore.
- He raised huge concerns about the indebtedness of football clubs but, again, totally rebutted, by Richard Scudamore
- The other bidders for 2018 (Russia in particular, since Spain logically should not get it after hosting it more recently) have a lot to gain from this and probably a lot of money to throw at it. Let’s park that one there for now but presumably you get RTG’s point (and yet more Abramovich involvement?).
"The fit and proper persons test does not do the job sufficiently robustly. A review is now inevitable because football clubs are not mere commodities. They are the abiding passion of their supporters. We forget that at our peril."
FA Chairman, Lord Triesman, October 2008
Is RTG going mad or what? Whoever tries to change football for the good seems, after a decent while, to get their mandated balls cut off. And by ‘the good’ we mean for the benefit of all football supporters through equal competition. But, look at the huge amount of money now involved in football, and it is hard not to subscribe to conspiracy theories. We clearly have some unsavoury characters involved in running and influencing football. Sadly, RTG believes, we have just lost someone who may have forged a better path for football.
The Keeper
...he's got it covered!
My mate’s wife’s brother-in-law was installing a new kitchen at Carlos Anceolotti’s house when he overheard Carlos’ son saying someone called “Stevie G” was on the telephone asking for him. My mate’s w’s-b-i-l etc managed to listen in for a while and heard them debating whether it was better to sign contracts before or after the world cup. It’s a done deal. You heard it here first!
Yes folks, it’s transfer rumour rubbish time! This year’s opening to the transfer window is again spurred on by the speed of various trophy laden Playstation managers to fuel their own fantasies via websites specifically set up for that purpose (see football rumours.co.uk). The fact that the rumour mill is also given an additional spin by footie journalists who, post season, are having trouble filling column inches prior to the world cup is neither here nor there.
Here’s what the Keeper thinks will happen: a repeat of last summer’s trading. That is, a record year again in transfer spending, but actually very few transfers take place. Records will be broken only because Manchester City will overpay on stroppy prima donnas, Abramovich will let loose a fraction of his billions to try to realise his European ambitions and… everybody else will be trying to stick to whatever their earnings and budgets are in the current economic climate. But the Keeper also predicts that the market might go mad, if England goes on to lift the World Cup, based on the feel good factor that would be engineered. Hmm..ok. Stick with the original prediction bit.
Talking of rumours and Stevie G, he and his wife have had to issue a press statement to deny the rumours that have been circulating over the ‘net in the last couple of weeks. You know the one: Stevie has apparently impregnated a 16 yeard old, whilst his wife, Alex Curran, has supposedly been having an affair with a Derby County player. What utter rubbish! The Keeper knows for a fact she has never been to Derby.
A big up to Fulham, their management and their fans for doing England proud as the lone carriers of the flag into a potential European trophy winning position. Most commentators described their heart breaking extra time loss to Atletico Madrid as a “plucky and proud” glorious failure. Given that Atletico’s first goal was offside and their winner a flukey own goal, The Keeper thinks that the Fulham fans would have been justified in being hugely disappointed. Panning around the crowds, tears from the fat middle aged men, as seems the norm these days, were duly expected. But no. Not even from the “way past your bed time” kids. Their stoicism amidst their disappointed acceptance was laudable.
Sadly, there was one exception. The TV crowd scenes focused, as u
sual, on a celebrity “I only go to finals” person. In this case, Lilly Allen, who was seen blubbing away in the stands looking to all intents and purposes like she should have been more worried about the amorous advances of Pepe Le Pew. But then if you were faced with the prospect of sitting next to Keith “look at me, I’m almost as famous as my daughter” Allen, surrounding yourself with Eau de Skunk might prove to be a very worthwhile exercise.
Congratulations to the likeable (so far, at least) Carlos Anceolotti for clinching the domestic double in his first season in England. A remarkable achievement. But sadly, The Keeper just can’t help but contrast the images of the second highest paid players in the world holding aloft their cups of victory along New Kings Road, with those of old babushkas holding out their begging cups in countless Russian cities and towns. As a French writer (it was Honore de Balzac – OK, so I looked it up!) once said: ”behind every great fortune, lies a great crime”.
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