FSF Parliament – Small Steps or Large Leap Required?

RTG has always been wary of the different fan groups who campaign on various noble, but hardly radical, issues affecting modern day football. It was, therefore, with some trepidation that RTG entered Imperial College London for the Football Supporters’ Federation Parliament on 9th July. Thanks go to the FSF for good organisation of the event and for their continuing efforts on behalf of football supporters. To our surprise, there were important debates about the ownership and governance of football in addition to the long-standing pet projects such as the ‘safe standing’ campaign.

Our hopes for the day, and what might realistically be achieved from such a gathering, were dampened somewhat as we climbed the steps up into the building and overheard one of the delegates say to her colleague, ”I suppose many of this lot are all part of the prawn sandwich brigade”. RTG has always maintained that the important factor is your love of football. It doesn’t matter who you support, how often you go to games or where you come from. If you appreciate the values of sport and fair competition that the game should represent, then you should have a voice in the debate over the soul of football.

It was pleasure to hear key note speaker Andrew Jennings open the event with his talk on the history of FIFA since the 1970s. Andrew gave us a fascinating, yet disturbing, overview of how an organisation that was conceived to work for the good of, and to govern, world football, was deliberately infiltrated and manipulated by corporate interests and a few disreputable people who turned it into their own secret world of dodgy dealings, backhanders and malpractice. The sheer horror of what some of these people have done to football over the years, and what they continue to get away with, illustrates the size of the task that supporters are facing to get back control of our sport. Millions of dollars of our money are being systematically robbed from the game and portioned off to the fat cats to top up their own personal fortunes.

As stated at the beginning of this piece, RTG has been critical from our early days of the well-meaning but committee-driven organisations which tend to focus on their own pet issues without seeming to achieve much in the way of change. It was encouraging to see Andrew Jennings given a platform to spread what is an important word as well as seeing a number of other key issues raised and debated for inclusion in next years campaign. It was worrying, though, that in the session on club ownership, there were 11 points of action that were carried over from last year to be revised and amended, the majority of which had seen virtually zero positive progress in the last 12 months.

RTG has no desire to criticise the FSF - far from it. They are trying to improve the game for supporters and that should be applauded. However, the power of football supporters to change the way the game is run relies on a unified approach rather than small groups trying to fight on a number of issues that reflect purely their own agenda. There may well be a groundswell of support for safe standing but, when you consider the magnitude of the problems Andrew Jennings highlighted about FIFA, there are clearly more major issues facing the game today. When a QPR supporter raised the issue of ticket pricing, the FSF agreed to fight for a cap of £20 maximum, an issue few supporters would disagree with in principle, but that is realistically not possible. After all, who wouldn’t be for a maximum price of £1 per pint?

At one point, a frustrated Liverpool fan called Steve stood up and said the time had come for more direct action because nobody is listening to us. RTG echoes this view. Football supporters have to appreciate the power that could be wielded should we choose to use it by working together. Imagine the loss of revenue if, for one weekend, we were to boycott TV, club shops, drinks and food in the ground or even the matches themselves.

We need a simple headline issue to which we can rally supporters across the board, and even internationally, to fight for the soul of football. The FSF is doing its best to campaign on many fronts while playing within some very laudable rules but unfortunately, at the current rate of progress, your club might well be playing home games in China by the time you’re allowed to stand safely on terraces again.

While we continue to allow the TV tail to wag the football dog; accept an England team that gets further from winning any major honours; turn a blind eye to archaic officials enriching themselves at our expense; adulate overpaid, disloyal players; incentivise agents to encourage that disloyalty; sanction owners who buy our clubs with debt, while still taking money out for themselves; and tolerate incompetent governing bodies who have not updated their organisations since Victorian times; and we take no action, then we will lose the soul of football. Every day we put this off, makes it that much harder to stop.

RTG has always said we don’t have all the answers but we can join together and start the fightback. Sign up here today.

Sexism Exposes a Lack of Intelligence on Wider Issues

When David Beckham received the BBC Sports Lifetime Achievement award in December 2010, it was hard not to argue that this was more a victory for David Beckham’s PR people and their friends in the media, rather than an objective analysis of his sporting contribution in his still young life. Compared with some of the previous winners: Sir Alex Ferguson, Seve Ballesteros, Martina Navratilova and Pele, amongst others, Beckham’s achievements, so far, have been pretty limited. In a similar vein, prior to the 2010 World Cup, Talksport Radio appeared to make it their raison d’être to get Beckham into the England squad – and they were widely supported by a multitude of TV pundits. It was probably just as well, but unfortunate for the injured Beckham, that the England Manager was spared the wrath of populist media opinion by not having to make that decision.

No question he is popular, a great, but not world class, footballer and, according to RTG’s own sources, a genuinely nice person – if a little lacking in the brain department. However, his has been a remarkable public relations turnaround from the totally unfair bile and condemnation he received following his, and England’s, dismissal from the 1998 World Cup.

RTG has no problem with self satisfying award ceremonies, or popularity contests. Issues arise, however, when lazy TV and radio pundits, through lack of knowledge and thorough analysis, jump onto a popular bandwagon to apply pressure for their views to be acted upon. The aforementioned are just some examples of the media influencing, or attempting to influence, football irrationally. There are numerous other converse situations of players being branded as ‘divers’ or troublemakers that have subsequently influenced referees’ decisions. Referees have been suspended or downgraded because of media pundits, who, with the benefit of multiple camera angles and hours of hindsight, have condemned the poor souls to ridicule and humiliation for the benefit of filling TV airtime. There have also been players who have been punished purely based on the attentions of the media, whilst others more deserving have escaped because …well ... who knows why?

There was no real shock in the news that some presenters of a football show on Sky TV inadvertently made some sexist remarks. There was little surprise, also, in the fact that they were stupid enough to allow themselves to be recorded making those inappropriate comments. The big surprise, to RTG, at least, is that it took an incident of this kind for people to finally sit up and question the real contribution of the likes of Andy Gray and Richard Keys to football in the first place.

With all due respect to political correctness, the real issue was not just the ignorant ramblings of a self-aggrandising ex-footballer and his sycophantic side-kick, but also the question of why such men and notable others are being hugely enriched to deliver their lazy, clichéd, one-dimensional view of the game in the first place (apparently Andy Gray was on a £1.7 million salary).

It is quite possible that ‘dark forces’ were at work in Gray’s dismissal. His action against the News of the World in the phone tapping scandal was never likely to sit well with the owner of News International, Rupert Murdoch, who also happens to be the major shareholder in BSkyB. There is every chance he was the victim of one almighty stitch-up. But Sky’s constant arrogance in talking up its contribution to football in England and their sensationalist self-promotion had rubbed off on Gray to the point where, while he really believed he was something of an aficionado on the modern game, his analysis was predictably repetitive and focused purely on picking on the low hanging fruit rather than talking intelligently about the issues in the game.

It’s too easy, after all, to label a player as a diver or a cheat by highlighting him from several different camera angles, than it is to, say, learn the modern offside rule properly (something he belittled female assistant referee Sian Massey for, when it was he who struggled with its interpretation over the years). Did Gray ever criticise the structure and management of the game in this country? Or the money being pumped into the game by billionaires that totally distorts the competitiveness of football as a sport? Has he ever mentioned FIFA, except in his, and Sky’s, self-serving interest in promoting more reliance on TV replays?

Keys was just a below-average presenter who lucked out when Sky won the rights to monopolise Premier League football coverage and simply played the role of arse-licking hanger-on to Gray, feeding him the right lines and questions to make sure his over-sensationalised opinions could be aired to maximum effect.

So what? You may ask: so a few players/referees are inconsistently demonised by TV. Does it really matter? In RTG’s opinion it does. Firstly, we, the supporters have to pay for the pundits through the bloated Sky subscription fees - money that would be better spent on lowering the subscription fee or being invested in grass-roots football.

But there are other forces at work here. These guys influence the game in other more worrying ways. The most professional and impartial of referees can’t help but be swayed by the media, even subconsciously, if they are shown enough on TV. As discussed earlier, highlight a referee’s own mistakes often enough from the comfort of your commentary box and you can put immense pressure on him (or her!) not to give decisions a certain way.

If you doubt the influence of the TV presenter, just look at Italy where Aldo Biscardi hosted the programme ”Il Processo di Biscardi” (Biscardi’s Trial) for 26 years. The programme was considered among the most influential in Italian football but was tainted by publication of phone taps of conversations between him and former Juventus Managing Director, Luciano Moggi, in 2006 at the height of the Italian match-fixing scandal. Moggi influenced the choice of guests on the show, the choice of matches to be analysed, which incidents were to be analysed, the tone of the criticism and even the results of viewer polls. All with the aim of painting Juventus in a better light.

RTG is not suggesting that either Gray, or any other pundit for that matter, was up to the same underhand activity. Although RTG still finds it most curious as to the reasons for Gray’s fawning praise of the early Abramovich regime at Chelsea, where they could scarcely put a foot wrong, either on or off the field. But we shouldn’t take it for granted that this could never happen in the English game or that it hasn’t already. There are huge sums of money in football today. Teams are owned by billionaires who are used to using their money and power to get what they want. We’ll never know if there were other factors involved in the 2007 deal that saw Referee, Rob Styles’ company being awarded the contract to pave Roman Abramovich’s driveway. It was reported but did not receive the scrutiny that it should have done. And let’s not underestimate how reliant the media is on feeding off its own share of the football spoils.

It doesn’t seem unreasonable that we, the paying public, should expect the highest journalistic standards from regular front-line presenters, doing what is, after all, a journalists’ job. They should be guardians of the sport and not a mouthpiece for the businesses feeding off it. We want matches not only to be reviewed consistently, impartially and knowledgeably, but also have the pressing issues that affect all football supporters aired more widely.

Too often it appears that pundits do their research in ‘Hello’ and ‘Ok’ magazines and not in the FA’s rule book. David Beckham as next England manager anyone?

"Carry On" FIFA

As if the dubious back-room dealings in awarding the World Cups of 2018 and 2022 were not an affront to all right minded football supporters, Sepp Blatter then announced unilaterally that the 2022 World Cup may be played in the winter: thus disrupting two seasons in the professional leagues around the world and Europe in particular. Swiftly afterwards, Michel Platini, who now appears to be Sepp Blatter’s ever faithful lap dog, announced that the event may be played out in several other Gulf States. Thus two key elements of the bid process: where and when, don’t appear to have been even considered in the vote process. In RTG’s business experience, the question of timing and location are almost always the most important factors in any bid or pitch.

In Sepp Blatter’s FIFA world, what he wants, he always gets. However, if the Qatari proposal had specifically highlighted a winter timetable, they surely would not have won the bid. At best, this was an amateurish and unprofessional process. At worst, it was yet more devious skulduggery from football’s bete noir. RTG is thinking the worst. Intriguingly, the Qataris themselves have dismissed these two proposals out of hand immediately.

It would appear, though, that the latest shenanigans around the Qatari bid may be the first salvos in a bitter FIFA Presidency election battle between Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari FIFA Exco member, and the present incumbent Sepp Blatter. Given that Bin Hammam has been a shady financier and backer of previous Blatter elections, even if Blatter gets his just desserts in the upcoming election, we should be very wary of someone who has been an integral player in the FIFA “carry on”. The fact that he has mentioned the word “transparency” in his opening gambit for the FIFA Presidency does not bode well.

Those of you who are familiar with Andrew Jennings’ journalistic investigations – both on the Panorama programme and especially in his eye-opening book – will recognise the Sepp Blatter modus operandi:

• say the word FIFA and “transparency” together in the same sentence many times;
• deny vehemently any wrongdoings by him or any of his colleagues;
• when forced by the weight of media pressure, buy some time by announcing a new anti-corruption initiative;
• give the initiative a terms of reference that renders it powerless and unable to do its job properly;
• make sure no significant change happens and if any wrongdoing is found, make sure any sanctions imposed are light – and don’t collect any fines.

Thus, last week, a senior German lawyer, Guenter Hirsch, resigned from the FIFA Ethics Committee citing his belief that the Committee were not interested in sorting out corruption within FIFA.

Recently ex-England manager, Graham Taylor, told the press that, following a visit to FIFA HQ in the 1990’s, he was actively encouraged by a FIFA official to set up a Swiss bank account so that he could defraud his expenses. The official told him that they were all at it and that it was normal. Clearly, the climate of corruption is well established within FIFA’s corporate culture.

It is a climate that also means that genuine supporters find it increasingly hard to attend matches at the World Cup. FIFA officials help themselves to seemingly unlimited amounts of tickets which then make their way onto the black market – and with the proceeds being deposited into secret Swiss bank accounts. When Nigerian FIFA officials were recently investigated for fraud, including tickets for the World Cup, Sepp Blatter played his trump card. He simply suspended Nigeria and all its clubs from all FIFA and African Conference competitions. Hey presto, investigation stopped.

Prior to the recent World Cup bid fiasco, many football supporters had never truly appreciated the levels of corruption that exist within FIFA. This appalling sham of a process revealed to all the atrocious levels to which Blatter and FIFA will go to ensure their lucrative supply of dirty money is maintained. The truth is they have been getting away with this for over 30 years using underhand tactics to sweep allegations under the carpet in the hope that supporters will ignore or forget. For the most part it has worked.

This year Blatter comes up for re-election as President of FIFA. This time, supporters must not forget what happened and join together to bring pressure to bear to get rid of this odious man. However, RTG believes that this on its own is not enough. The culture of corruption is too deeply ingrained within FIFA. As an organisation that runs the game across the world, it must surely be disbanded in its current form and with its current executive members.

Help us to change FIFA by signing up to Reclaim the Game

Sign Up Here To Support Reclaim the Game

World’s Football Supporters Hung, Drawn and Qatared

Ten days ago, FIFA announced that Russia was to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar was to host the 2022 tournament. FIFA President, Sepp Blatter wanted Russia as 2018 hosts and, what Blatter wants, Blatter gets. The strange choice of Qatar is more easily understood when one considers the facts that journalist, Andrew Jennings, has unearthed about the machinations of the FIFA gravy train. Qatari FA President, Mohammed Bin Hammam, has been a long time Blatter supporter, dubiously funding Blatter’s re-election to the FIFA Presidency, as well as providing material support in the form of private jets for his election campaigning, against FIFA’s own rules.

Both of the winning bids were widely thought to be the weakest technical bids and both will require the most amounts of stadia and infrastructure building projects. Whilst the choice of Russia could easily be explained away, in typical FIFA smokescreen bull manure speak, by the old ‘spreading the game throughout the world’ adage, the choice of Qatar is just an affront to the world’s football supporters, and even more importantly, an affront to the world’s environment. Outdoor air conditioned stadia, with outdoor temperatures at 40-50 degrees centigrade, powered by solar energy – all to be dismantled after the hoopla and re-located elsewhere. Carbon footprint? Who cares? Legacy - to a population of native Qataris, who number in six figures? Ridiculous. And once again, Blatter has got away with his subterfuge.

It seems that every move by the current FIFA President is designed as yet another ruse to not only get his way, but also to provide scope for the powerful members of FIFA’s ExCo to do more deals. This time around it was the double bid process which gave more deal mileage to be claimed. It has reached the stage where RTG views FIFA so cynically, that maybe even footballing decisions, such as FIFA’s reluctance to consider technology is motivated by their own desire to have referee control of matches – and referees can be lent on.

It can’t be a coincidence that the two big oil and gas rich states amidst the bidding countries, won their bids. Equally so, bigger game politics – especially France’s courting of Qatar’s resources - played a huge part. How much, we’ll probably never know. But yet more allegations of bribery have subsequently been made, which if true, makes RTG wonder why England and others bothered in the first place. After all, England had its Prime Minister, next but one King and… wait for it… a moderately good footballer who is the darling of OK magazine, as our “three lions”. Actually, maybe our bid wasn’t so good after all.

Irrespective of the technical bid, its praised presentation and the quality of the people who represented England in schmoozing with the FIFA crooks, England were never going to win their bid. Andy Anson, Chief Executive of the England bid, admitted as much afterwards. However, the process that the bid went through legitimised FIFA and its corrupt methods by allowing us to believe that England had a chance of winning, thereby forcing our bid members to kiss the proverbial FIFA arse and criticise our own nasty free press for pointing out what a bunch of crooks they are!

It’s clear that FIFA needs to be completely done away with in its current form. FIFA was set up in the days when football was trying to fend off commercial interests and remain true to a more idealistic amateur spirit. That all changed in 1974, with the election of Joao Havelenge and his subsequent handover to his heir alter ego, Sepp Blatter. Since then, it’s been run like a mafia, involving ever increasing amounts of money and dubious goings on, protected by Swiss financial laws and with no-one daring enough to take on the corruption from within or outside of the game – with notable noble media exceptions.

It is highly unlikely that we will see a World Cup in England in the next two to three decades. England gave the world football. It might be time for England to think again how best it could lead the world in football again. As RTG has long argued before, the organisation of football in this country needs to be totally revamped to deliver a winning football team and a contribution to the nation’s health. The game in this country needs to be in a better place and yes, free from the corrupting influence of commercialism, before it could counter FIFA’s hegemony.

If we can do this, then maybe England will be in a position to challenge finally FIFA’s strangle on the game, get rid of the Blatters and Warners and deliver to the world a game which truly transcends political, secret Swiss bank accounts and commercial interests, for the whole world to enjoy.

Let us know what you think and sign up to Reclaim The Game!

The Keeper

...Riyals or Roubles anyone?

The Keeper, of course, had to focus on the disappointing result to England’s 2018 World Cup bid. England, sadly, only got two votes, one of which was our own (although we’re not even sure about that). But not to worry we can leave Zurich with our heads held high. The England bid centred on football as a sport that crosses boundaries of culture and class. A sport for all. That’s why, for the pivotal part of the presentation, we sent out the future King of England, our Old Etonian Prime Minister and a multi-million pound footballer. Three chaps who can really speak for the common man.

But, to be fair, the lads really pulled out all the stops, working into the long hours to try and rally support for Team England’s challenge. They apologised for the BBC Panorama allegations and refused to accept that it could possibly have damaged our chances, or that FIFA would take any notice of anything other than the quality of the bid on offer. They were dubbed in the press “The Three Lions”. Perhaps “Three Monkeys” might have been more appropriate. See No Evil. Hear No Evil. Speak No Evil!

But sadly England came up short. FIFA assessed each bid on merit (not oil reserves and available cash), what they could do for developing the game of football throughout the world (definitely not oil reserves and available cash) the suitability of the facilities on offer (absolutely not oil reserves and available cash), the summer temperatures (most certainly not oil reserves and available cash) and the transport infrastructure in place (without doubt not oil reserves and available cash).

The end result of course was that Russia won the bid to host 2018 and Qatar, a desert state the size of East Anglia with one stadium holding over 50,000, and summer temperatures of 50°C plus, won the bid to host 2022. The Keeper would like to pose a question of his own at this point. How much money might it take for the 2018 Winter Olympics to be held at the Milton Keynes Snow Dome, Alaska to hold the 2015 Cricket World Cup and China to host the next Tour De France?

Enjoy your sporting memories everyone.

FIFA Vote Unlikely To Be Based On Merit

Next week sees FIFA voting on the hosting of the World Cups of 2018 and 2022. Just a few days before that, BBC’s Panorama programme will be aired, which follows on from the Sunday Times expose of “cash for votes” being available from FIFA voting executives. On top of these recent allegations, new ones in the Italian press about the UEFA voting process in awarding the European Championships of 2012 to Poland/Ukraine, have now surfaced.

It could be that the Italian press is exhibiting a bit of belated ‘sour grapes’ - Italy having been originally the bid-to-beat favourite for that tournament. Now the English press could be similarly preparing the ground for the disappointment of losing out in the 2018 bid. But if you, like RTG, were aware that some impropriety had been taking place in FIFA circles for some time, but really weren’t sure of the extent and impact of them, then a little research can reveal some very disturbing facts about FIFA that threaten the very existence of football in the world.

Basically FIFA is a corrupt organisation, above the law, supportive of despots and tyrants, and totally unsuitable to be the guardians of the world’s most popular sport.

“Trust us and you will see confidence will be restored".

Sepp Blatter, FIFA President, October 2010


In RTG’s research, the best and most reliable source of information and facts can be obtained from the investigative journalist, Andrew Jennings. He is the person who is best remembered as being the target of Jack Warner’s, FIFA CONCACAF president, four letter, racist splattered invective in a BBC Panorama programme investigating the 2010 World Cup and Jack Warner’s behaviour in particular. RTG would strongly urge you to check out Mr Jennings’ work. His excellent writing and thoroughly convincing cases were amongst a whole wealth of information available on the web about FIFA and corruption, and it left RTG seething with rage.

This is the summary of the main points that RTG has learnt, but again, we would strongly urge you to do your own research and visit Andrew Jennings’ work in particular.

• Ever since the election of Joao Havelange in 1974 to the FIFA presidency, who bought the       votes of delegates funded by the Adidas corporation, almost every election and many               business decisions have been tainted by improper financial arrangements. 

• FIFA has been effectively run by commercial interests. Adidas in particular, but a host of other so called “partners” eg Coca Cola.

• The public ownership of football has been privatised via the back door and unbeknown to supporters worldwide.

• No surprise that FIFA and other sporting bodies have made their homes in Switzerland. FIFA uses Swiss law to hide salaries, bonuses, perks and expenses paid to FIFA employees. Because FIFA is a ‘non-profit sporting entity’, it is exempt from Swiss anti-corruption laws. However, any employee who finds evidence of corruption, a so called ‘whistle-blower’, can and has been prosecuted by Swiss authorities. No wonder then that Switzerland has long been such a popular haven for Nazis’ and other dictators’ lootings.

• FIFA has consistently given backing to dubious regimes. A dubious regime will quite often install a relative or other favoured courtier as head of their football association. FIFA will support that regime, both morally and fiscally, allowing further looting of that country’s coffers. In return, FIFA’s President gets that country’s vote in future for whatever he needs it for. The notorious Charles Taylor, currently on trial at the Hague for war crimes, installed his son-in-law as Liberian FA chief and he received funds from FIFA. FIFA were particularly busy in the period during the Soviet Union’s break up, when many new associations were created.

• ISL, a company formed from a spin off of Adidas, handled the marketing rights of world cups for many years (amongst other sporting tournaments). ISL collapsed which led to £100 million in losses to FIFA. A previous investigation by Panorama interviewed employees of ISL, who confirmed that the company had paid bribes to FIFA over a period of 20 years.

• The allegations led to some FIFA officials returning money. Others refused and FIFA repaid some money in a secret deal.

• Swiss authorities did investigate ISL between 2005 and 2010. They uncovered $143 million in kick-backs, some connected to FIFA. Proceedings were settled with compensation payments from accused parties without any admission of guilt.

• The company that took over the marketing rights from ISL, Infront, is run by…the nephew of Sepp Blatter!

• Anybody within FIFA who identifies any wrong doing is ostracised and subsequently ousted. In 2002, for example, Michel Zen-Ruffinen, ex-FIFA General Secretary, completed a dossier into financial mismanagement within FIFA. He was immediately sacked. An internal investigation committee by FIFA was stopped by Sepp Blatter, because members broke “confidentiality agreements”.

• When a financial impropriety is identified and highlighted, FIFA’s own Ethics Committee, which has no real authority, is usually given a very limited brief and scope for investigation. Indeed, the UK’s own Sebastian Coe resigned from it, presumably because he realised that it was a vehicle for ‘white washing’ misdemeanours.

• When FIFA’s own auditors revealed that Jack Warner profited by nearly £1 million from ticket re-sales for the 2006 World Cup, they bowed to media pressure and announced that he was to be fined and banned from dealing in tickets in future. Sepp Blatter, a close ally, defended Warner by saying that he wasn’t really responsible because the sales were done through Warner’s son Daryan. Apparently, FIFA insiders claim that the fine, like many others imposed on FIFA officials, will never be paid. Because of Swiss secrecy laws, we’ll never know.

“It could not be evidenced that Mr. Jack Warner had knowledge of the resale of these tickets at a higher price. The resale is certainly forbidden, but the person who did the re-selling is not subject to the FIFA jurisdiction, because it is the son of Jack Warner." 

Sepp Blatter, FIFA President, December 2006


• If any FIFA official is investigated by their own country’s authorities, FIFA quickly threatens to ban that country from international competition. This is exactly what happened to Nigeria following the last World Cup. This makes FIFA officials above the law in individual countries – after all, which politician is going to risk the wrath of his/her own people by getting their country isolated from competition?

• You can see the effect of FIFA’s influence here in England where many media commentators have accused the BBC of being unpatriotic because it continues to highlight the stench of corruption within FIFA – supposedly to the detriment of England’s 2018 bid.

• You can also draw inferences of the type of organisation that FIFA is through their employment of a PR agency to cloud issues and help sweep them under the carpet. This agency includes Union Carbide (of Bhopal disaster infamy) and sanction busting oil companies from the apartheid era amongst its clients.

The above are just some of the highlights of what RTG has learnt. As stated earlier, we ask you to do your own research for evidence, with particular reference to Andrew Jennings. But what can be done about it?

Originally, RTG felt that it would take a US senate style political investigation, perhaps by the UN: after all, it was a Senate Investigation Committee which pursued the IOC over the voting scandal involved in awarding the winter Olympics to Salt Lake City. However, following a lot of good words and angered sentiment being expressed, and some good senatorial suggestions, nothing has really changed.

And that’s the thing: politicians appear reluctant to push through reforms at the risk of alienating their own constituents. They have other pressing issues at the moment and, in the UK’s case (and indeed other countries), wouldn’t that be the pot calling the kettle black?

Let us know what you think and sign up to Reclaim The Game!

Now for a bit of humour from The Keeper

The Keeper

....always plays to the whistle

The Keeper wishes to express his full support for Harry Redknapp and his stance against the FA. Harry said he would refuse to do any post-match interviews for the TV if they fined him for his comments regarding Mark Clattenburg following the Spurs v Man United game. The Keeper was all for it if not only because it would have made a welcome change on Match of the Day not to see shifty old Harry twitching away and looking sideways rather than at the interviewer. His more dignified number two, Joe Jordan, would have made a welcome alternative….

…hmm…then again the Keeper was always a big Harry fan.

Far more pleasing on the eye than either Jordan or Redknapp is Linda Pizzuti (31), the new darling of the Kop, and wife of new owner John Henry (61). She has endeared herself to the Liverpool faithful by learning to tweet their songs. When Liverpool came back from the brink against Napoli last week she was seen to tweet, “You’re not singing anymore”. Delighted to see her embracing English football culture in this way, and keen to know more about their new advocate, the Kop faithful were straight back on the tweet with a host of questions. “Hi Linda, who’s your favourite player?” “Linda, great song. What others do you know?” “Linda, you seem like a great girl. What first attracted you to ageing billionaire John Henry?”

Talking of events over the pond, LA Galaxy reached their conference’s play-off final. Or rather, according to the media over here, they were “led” to the final by David Beckham. What Becks actually did was to simply take a corner that led to a goal and some might say that Galaxy skipper, Landon Donovan, could be more accurately described as having led them to victory. But in the world that is the Beckhams and the media in England, that doesn’t necessarily apply. All he has to do is fart and the English media would bottle it up as Eau de Beckham and sell it.

Perhaps most shocking of all last week were revelations about Arsène Wenger having an affair with a blonde French singer over 20 years his junior. The Keeper was hoping that this shocking exposé would lay to rest once and for all those disgusting paedophile songs that some opposing fans sing at The Emirates. That was until it turned out he’d been seeing her for the last 25 years!

The Big TV Football Rip Off

It is 18 years since the Premiership took over from the old Football League Division One as the top tier league in English football. That was the point that Sky Sports won the bid to show live games each week and effectively changed the game in England forever. If you listen to Sky Sports commentators, other sections of the media (usually those that benefit financially from Sky through advertising and sponsorship), and even a significant number of fans, you’ll hear nothing but gushing praise for Sky, its ‘wonderful’ coverage and the huge benefits it has brought to English football The actual truth is that Sky needed football far more than football needed Sky.

RTG recognises that Sky has contributed a significant sum of money into the English game. The original deal in 1992 was worth £191 million over five years. The most recent deal starting at the beginning of this, the 2010/11 season is worth £1.72 billion. However, for all the plaudits Sky receives for its contribution to the game in this country in making it the richest league in the world, this money has just gone straight into the pockets of agents and in players’ salaries. Precious little of it has gone towards developing the game at grass roots level. Few supporters would argue that the England team has grown steadily worse during this period and there are fewer English players playing at the top level than there has ever been.

Those of us who grew up in the days when the only live domestic football on TV were the FA Cup Final and England v Scotland, can remember the excitement that was generated when live football league games began to be shown in the 1983/84 season. There was one match live per week and coverage alternated between ITV and BBC. RTG accepts that we can’t go backwards now, but that was probably enough to satisfy the needs of the average TV watching football supporter. In the modern era, where there is so much more live football available, this model, that forces us to watch the games they choose, at times that they also choose (often inconvenient to the travelling spectator), is not meeting the needs of supporters. For this ‘privilege’ we are forced to pay in excess of £50 per month to watch (probably overpaid) ex-players sit around a table analysing controversial incidents from 20 different angles interspersed with as many commercial breaks as is humanly possible. After which we then subsidise minority sports like Nascar Racing and Darts to fill up the airwaves when football isn’t on.

Supporters might have thought there was some light at the end of the tunnel when, in 2007, the European Union decided Sky’s monopoly on football on TV was unfair and forced them to open up certain packages to other companies. As usual, when politicians get involved, they messed it up. What happened was that supporters had to pay yet more money to watch every game in which their club was shown live on TV, while matches were scheduled at even more inconvenient kick off times.

In years to come, people will look back on this era in amazement that we were ever prepared to go along with it. It will rank up there alongside the astonishment felt by younger generations now that TV used to actually shut down during the daytime. The fact that pubs in England are being forced into the courts by Sky for showing games live on TV, via foreign satellite channels, at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, shows that supporters in the modern era want to watch their own team live, or the match of their choice, not that of the TV channel. That’s something that RTG believes supporters would be happy to pay for and could be done, whilst generating equally as much money to the benefit of all clubs and the grass roots of the sport. We know there will be problems in implementing what supporters need rather than what they are being served up but it is better that it is controlled by supporters’ needs rather than those of the TV channels. This goes towards illustrating what RTG has always advocated which is that TV is wagging the football dog rather than the other way around.


“I think it’s unjust. I think it’s a greedy private company trying to dictate to the small people what they can and cannot do, purely for profit. The law needs changing. If I don’t fight who is going to fight?...

...If I wanted to go and buy a car, I could go to any garage I like. Me, as a publican, if I want to show football, I can only go to the Sky garage, and have to pay 10 times the price of anybody else [in Europe]. I don’t believe that’s fair.”

Karen Murphy, Landlady of the Red, White and Blue pub Southsea, Hampshire, 5th October 2010

We’re being held to ransom and it is time that the myth that, supposedly, lucrative football TV deals have been a revelation for English football and a real bonus for supporters, is finally put to bed. We’re paying all this money, so give us what we want. At the very least, the powers that be could ask us how we would like to watch our football on TV rather than giving us Hobson’s choice. Without us there is no professional football and as long as this status quo is maintained we’re just going to be ripped off yet again.

The Keeper
....still doesn't understand offside!

The Keeper was one of the few who didn’t believe that Wayne Rooney would ever leave Manchester. It’s long been known that Wazza is one of those gentle souls who like the comfort and security of knowing that a loving family is close at hand. Close by too are the familiar hookers (young and old), the old watering holes and urination spots…….Still the Keeper is sure that United’s lack of ambition will be more than compensated by the doubling, or trebling of his pay.

Yet more news of financial transgressions by FIFA officials were revealed by a Sunday Times newspaper sting, alleging that world cup votes could be bought from voting FIFA officials. For once Sepp Blatter has sprung into action, suspending the officials concerned and ordering a full investigation. The Keeper does recall previous FIFA investigations being conducted by FIFA themselves. The old jokes about Dracula investigating a theft at the blood bank, or, Bernie Madoff looking into Wall Street financial irregularities, spring quickly to mind.

Apparently, John W Henry’s wife, Linda Pizzutti, was the driving force behind her husband’s successful takeover of Liverpool Football Club. Her pestering of her husband to buy was inspired by her love of the Beatles. Subsequently, after doing a tour of the city and discovering Abbey Road wasn’t actually in Liverpool, she’s changed her mind!

The Keeper used the recent international break for a spot of his own R and R in sunnier climes. Imagine the Keeper’s surprise when he bumped into a less than sober Joe Hart dancing on the table of a Spanish bar. This less than 36 hours prior to the game. Still, after the deadly dull offering of the England team those few hours later, the Keeper was happy to give up his Club England seat for a cold beer on a beach. Clearly, Joe Hart was longing for the same.

What's There to Celebrate, Liverpool Fans?

Liverpool Football Club continues to dominate the financial pages with a series of measures and counter measures to decide the future ownership of the club. Later today, club chairman, Martin Broughton goes back to the high court in an attempt to overturn the ruling of a Texas court that yesterday halted the original high court ruling which effectively allowed the club to be legally sold. Apparently, the case all boiled down to a legal precedent set by some poor soul who locked himself out of his hotel room and who subsequently sued and lost his case for damages against the hotel.

This continuing farce reinforces everything that RTG has been trying to illustrate about the dangers posed by the corporate world in threatening the very future of football as a Sport. More and more of the influencing factors that affect football are discussed in the financial pages, rather than the traditional back pages. The sight of a handful of Liverpool fans emerging from the high courts as if celebrating a cup win disturbs RTG even more. What exactly are they celebrating? Are these the same supporters who welcomed Gillett and Hicks as saviours to the club just over three years ago?

These were, after all, owners who in their time have bankrolled, after Chelsea and Manchester City, the highest spending in English football history. Why exactly have these scarf waving supporters, yet again, satisfied themselves that a new set of saviours are waiting in the wings? The prospective new owners come with their PR led platitudes of humble intent and, supposedly, a commitment to a debt free future. Really?

How will a new football stadium, so prioritised as an essential step for Liverpool FC’s future development, be financed? Maybe, the prospective new owners, New England Sports Ventures (NESV), will do what they did for the Boston Red Sox, and CANCEL the development of a new stadium – despite Fenway Park, the Red Sox’s stadium, being the most antiquated ball park in Major League baseball with a paltry 37 thousand capacity. The CEO of NESV, John Henry, has a successful track record within several sports, including another baseball team, the Florida Marlins in maximising revenue streams for his ‘franchises’. He also has a reasonable track record of delivering success on the proverbial pitch (or diamond, court, rink etc). Not a dissimilar reputation, if slightly less sporting success, to a certain couple of other gentlemen of LFC’s recent acquaintance.

Until football and its powers recognise the futility of successive takeovers and the corporate machinations enveloping the game, this will just be one more bean fest for lawyers and other football hangers on, paid for by us supporters. It has to be recognised that any future prosperity of a football club has to be away from the corporate interests that are continuing to ebb away the spirit and essence of our beloved game. All those scarf wavers and “walk alone” warblers have also to realise that you cannot continue to welcome with open arms the next ‘big thing’ – just because their PR agency say they’re good blokes with tons of money. Whatever happens with the high court rulings, it is unlikely that much will change in reality for Liverpool in the next few years.

The Keeper

.…it’s a lonely life between the posts

In those difficult and tedious afternoons in between spit roasts and training sessions, the Keeper likes nothing more than a nice relaxing round of golf. Naturally then he was delighted with Europe’s Ryder Cup victory over the US last week. One of the interesting things about this victory was that European Captain Colin Montgomerie banned all the European team from Twittering during the tournament. The Keeper couldn’t help thinking modern day football managers could learn from this. I mean who wants to be party to the trivial outpourings of disillusioned millionaire footballers. “The Gaffa’s dropped me for Saturday. He’s a c**t.” or “Think we’re going to get stuffed this weekend.” Perhaps what we’re looking for is more along the lines of, “The Gaffa’s just stuffed my mobile phone up my aaaaaaaah!”

No such treatment from within the England camp where early signs were looking good ahead of the Euro qualifiers. Apparently after Robert Green’s recall following his gaff against the USA in the World Cup, he kept a clean sheet in training despite 100 shots on goal. The not so good news was that Rob and Kevin Davies were in a one to one training session together. Looks like Kev’s vow to England fans in The Sun this week that he will comfortably fill Emile Heskey’s boots is beginning to bear fruit.

Emile, of course, will no longer feature in Fabio Capello’s plans but who knows if the next England manager may also try and persuade him out of retirement. Early indications from whoever is in charge at the FA (and the Keeper certainly doesn’t know!) are that the next manager has to be English. I mean there’s a whole crop of eager English guys out there just itching to be given the chance. Stuart Pearce and Sam Allardyce for instance… well, it certainly is probable the next England manager will possibly be English…Steve McClaren and Ian Holloway, to name a couple…I mean he doesn’t have to be English by any means, that would just be the preferred option! Harry Redknapp (assuming he’s not otherwise engaged in rough sex at Her Majesty’s pleasure)?...we’ll do whatever we have to do to get the best manager….English or otherwise!

What is in no doubt at all is that the next Olympic Games will definitely be an English affair. It seems that West Ham (not really from around there) are still favourites to pip North London rivals Spurs (definitely from nowhere around there) to taking over the stadium as their home when the Olympics is finished. Ed Warner, Chairman of UK Athletics said that the West Ham bid was more sensitive to the Olympic Legacy in that it involved retaining the running track around the stadium. Well, if the Keeper had to watch West Ham in their current form every week, he’d want to be as far away from the pitch as possible also. Not only that, the original ‘innovative’ design actually intended to make the top tier of the stadium easy to dismantle and be recycled after the games. What football fans in the 60’s and 70’s would have given for such an opportunity to be able to wreck a ground so easily!?