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Don't Blame The Big Boys
"he should worry about the increasing number of smaller football clubs (that actually mean something to their local community, even if they have never featured on a sky super sunday) that face the very real threat of ceasing to exist completely, largely due to the ridiculous amount of money being pumped into the game at the highest level and the widening gulf between the top tier and the rest of the football league."
Yeah, in the same way that well run relatively successful businesses should worry about poorly run smaller ones that have been doing badly for years. You're basically saying that IKEA should have looked out for MFI. I'm sorry sir, but that is utter rubbish.
You name the crisis of badly run, poorly attended clubs and try to connect it with the glut of wealth found the very top of the Premier League. Distasteful as anyone - including myself - may find my club's wealth (Chelsea), business practice and wage structure, it simply is not the place of the club's owner and senior staff to bail out those less fortunate from a football perspective. I'd rather see my club putting serious funds into the academy, youth team and actually breaking even than pouring money into a dead horse of a club. When a business is consistently losing money with no end in sight, it goes under. This is natural way of things. I'm very lucky to support a team with a rich owner who has either written off loans or kept existing ones interest free.
I understand that a club can influence a community and "make a difference" - mine, and plenty of other Premier League clubs do this through socially responsible initiatives that benefit communities internationally and locally. I for one would rather see my club continuing to make a difference through say, increasing HIV/Aids awareness in an a third-world country or improving local sports facilities to keep kids off the street in Fulham than bailing out the bad debt/crumbling stadium of a failing club. Your mail seems to suggest that it is the responsibility of Premier League clubs to economically support lesser teams, or that the FA ought to force us to. I could not support this. Socially responsible successful business? Yes please. Forced wealth distribution? No thanks. I want my football club to be run as a decent business that can give hope to people who really need it, not as a semi-socialist experiment designed to help out those who should have got their act together a while ago.
My club are by no means saints (and that is putting it mildly), have a seriously dodgy economic history and the John Terry business recently highlights the wrongs within the game that make us all blush, but I also understand that the big clubs can be instruments of good and can to a degree be commended for this.
Also I would add that the "widening gulf" is not just a money issue, but one of mentality as well. But that is a discussion is for another time.
Stuart, Chiswick
Delighted With City's Money
Right, I'm a Man Utd fan, and I was delighted when Sh**ty got their billions. That might sound a bit mental, but let me explain. I grew up in south Manchester, United are my nearest league team, my father supported them, my grandfather supported them, heck I even lived on Sir Matt Busby Way for 4-freaking-years, so my credentials as a fan, I feel, are in place.
However, as a United fan you can't escape being pilloried, whether it be 'cockney reds', or 'no Utd fans in Manchester' (utter bollocks, we out number city fans like 3 or 4 to 1) and other such glory hunter jibes. This coupled with being the best supported, and consequently most hated club, means that anything you do gets slapped across the back pages and is headline news. As such, there have been times where I've longed to support a lesser light, a Villa, an Everton, Notts Forest, clubs that no one has much beef with. But your club is your club, and that's that, so you're stuck.
So when City sold out to the billionaires, I for one was delighted. Delighted that it would be good for Manchester as a city, establishing it as the UK footballing powerbase, that it would stoke the rivalry (which had descended to sneering contempt from us, and unbelievable bitterness from them. We reserve our real hatred for c*nts down the M62!), but most importantly off all, it would get the City fans off their holier-than-thou soapbox. No longer do I have to suffer jibes about 'buying success', 'selling out', 'Glazer', anything. City sold out. They can't claim moral superiority, or that they're a 'real club' with 'real fans' anymore, they're just like us now. No more sneering remarks about profits, or how much we've spent on players, or even embarrassing moments (the word 'Kaka' shuts them up!).
Roll on the Sh**ty Far East tour of 2010, hawking your shirts round to any Chinese, Japanese or Malaysian guy that'll take one.
Lewis, Busby Way
PS I'd rather Sh**ty won the league than the scousers. We can say they bought, and well.... they're not scouse!
No Panic
I'd love to know how Dan Toomey has detected a 'panicked tone' from Utd fans. All the Utd fans I know are amused by the whole situation.
Panicked is not a word I'd use, because as we all know we've seen the big, over cockiness many times before and we've seen it fail, so I expect nothing less this time around. Its not 12 months since this mailbox was filled with similar giddiness when you'd signed Robinho (Top 6 finish, European football, domestic cups etc)..and what happened? Despite spending another 30+ million in January you went backwards in the league.
Which brings me to the point about being a laughing stock, which is precisely what you are. I could be here all day, but lets just remember getting knocked out of the cup by a balloon, getting into Europe via the fair play league and playing giants such as TNS and Groclin before getting knocked out, having 'This is our city' posters all over town and getting only 26,000 Vs PSG in a UEFA game when Utd were in Tokyo in the World Club Cup, those bananas, drawing a crowd of 3,007 vs Mansfield in division 3, pretending to be a big club having not won a trophy for 33 years, more 'Messiah's' than the Life of Brian ( Keegan, Pearce, Francis Lee, Shinawatra), playing 'keep ball' and then going down because you needed a win, having a council house for a home because you're so big you cant afford your own stadium, blue tomato ketchup because you hate red so much, I could go on, but your constant lies, bitterness and myths are there for all to see.
Enjoy your day in the sun, it won't last.
Ex-Pat Dave (Sorry, but these giddy blues need bringing down a peg)
Loyalty
Re Dom P*mpey's lament about the modern game and more specifically the lack of loyalty, can I suggest the name of Kelvin " Super Kel " Davis, rejected a Premier League subs bench for first team footy in League 1.
Your new stadium and legions of fans should surely see you right though yeah ?
St Shuggy
Harsh On Crouch
I think Dom (used to be an optimist) Pompey is being a tad harsh in deciding that Crouch hasn't shown the club any loyalty. It's pretty clear now that Pompey have been living beyond their means for the last few years, which was fine whilst we had owners who could continue to subsidise us, but that's no longer the case. It's well reported that the club have outstanding bank loans and these commitments have to be met and, as one of our few remaining valuable assets, selling Crouch is the quickest way to cover these.
When Al Fahim's proposed takeover was initially announced the future looked bright and I, like most pompey fans I know, looked forwarded to the big name and big money signings we've become accustomed to continuing. Now it appears that he doesn't have the financial backing we all dreamt he had, so we'll just need to pull our expectations back in a bit. Making Paul Hart our manager is the obvious sign of things to come - he's the cheap option and we'll have to get used to decisions like this as the club tightens it's belt.
I've mentioned our dilapidated facilities before in the mailbox and that's really where the club's problems lie. Fratton Park, despite it's famous atmosphere and old school character is a relic. For the club to grow and eventually support itself as a business, we have to have a stadium that can accommodate more fans with vastly improved facilities. Not only will a new ground help the club financially, but it'll also help us attract players of the calibre of Crouch, Defoe, Campbell, Muntari and Diarra to the club, as would training facilities that aren't a university sports ground with a couple of portacabins for changing rooms and gym.
Hopefully, Al Fahim's grand vision for the club will get us to that point, but in the meantime the club is going to need every bit of help the fans can offer as we go through this significant rebuilding period. Admittedly, it would be better if we weren't constantly fed stories from Peter Storrie saying we should relax and that everything's going to be ok, but if he could be honest with us just once and credit us with the intelligence to understand the situation we're in.
I think it's clear next season is going to be tough, but hey, at least we're in the premiership and not league one.....
John (sorry, couldn't help myself at the end there..) Newton,
Sensible Stuff This
John, Edinburgh writes: "What I would like is footballers to grow a set of nuts and play the game for the same reason we all did as kids. Enjoyment."
The ideology of what he is saying is fairly commendable (I suppose) but what World does he live in?
Playing for your boyhood club is probably a dream for most players even today but if that club can't match your ambition, surely you owe it to yourself and your family to move on and who are we to tell a player what he can and cant do in the name of his career or his bank balance for that matter?
Take two apparent paragons of this virtue Gary Neville and Paul Scholes.
Neville was, at one time, among the best right backs in the World - he can profess his love for Man Utd all he wants but he wouldn't have stayed there if Utd were languishing in Div 2.
Scholes is a self-confessed Oldham fan - you don't see him turning out at Boundary Park for £900 a week.
We can all play football for the 'enjoyment' but can you honestly say you would not be 'corrupt' by money if you were a professional?
If the sport is lacking it's essence (as you seem to allude to), maybe we could remove all cups and competitions from the sport, stop paying the players and watch Man Utd and Chelsea et al battle it out in bi-annual friendlies just for the 'love of the sport' - no tangible prize for the winners but a sense of pride and wellbeing safe in the knowledge that they are playing in the spirit in which the game was intended (obviously that is a rather extreme allegory but, I think you get my point!)
If your dream club is Darlington and you make it there, your head will still be turned (not "swayed" though!) by opportunities elsewhere.
To further your career or better your wealth is human nature - deal with it.
MacAsk, also Edinburgh
Good Guys...
John, Edinburgh - I have two words for you. Jussi Jääskeläinen. As mentioned in the feature on players beginning with J he has stayed at Bolton for 12 years now despite being easily good enough to move to a Champions League Club. He was out of contract last year and could have gone for a big payday on a free transfer but instead he signed a new 4 year contract. Now THAT is loyalty. Got my ticket for his testimonial on 8th August and can't wait to show the great man how much his loyalty is appreciated.
Joe (Finland's Number 1, Finland's Finland's number 1) BWFC
...John, from Edinburgh - There are plenty of footballers who get what they're given and never ask for any more. Paul Scholes and Gary Neville have never, in their entire lives, demanded a new contract from their club. Every contract they've had has been earned by them, and then offered to them by the club. There have been no unexpected pay rises due to interest in them from other clubs. Certainly Scholes has been linked with otherclubs over the years but he's never said a single thing other than how much he loves the club. Neville may not have been linked with clubs but he's been the perfect professional for almost 15 years straight. There are decent footballers out there. Gael Clichy, to my mind, has never demanded a new contact or a move. Every contract he's had has been offered, not demanded, and therefore he's clearly a lad with his feet on the ground.
They are few and far between, ut there are some footballers out there who realise what they've got.
Harry Boulton
...I agree with John, Edinburgh and wish that footballers would all play the game for the right reasons and to fulfil dreams of playing for their boyhood club, however I think he should remember that not all football players love the game.
To some, playing football is just a job. It's not their passion in life so they're going to earn as much money as they can while they play as they view playing football as a job - similar to you or I in whatever we do for a living.
Possibly the best example of a modern day footballer playing for the right reasons has to be Angelo Di Livio. Following Fiorentina's bankruptcy and demotion to Serie C2, Di Livio was the only first team player who stayed with the side to help them try and climb back up the leagues. At the time he was still an Italian international player - wish there were more around like him.
Leon, Guernsey
...In response to John from Edinburgh, there are thousands of players who play football for the right reasons. All you need to do is look at all the players in the football league who give their all week in week out. They may not have the same ability as a Gerrard, Lampard or Rooney but they play football for the love of the game. These players will dream of playing in the Premiership and so will always put in 100% to try to ensure they one day get there.
So, if you want to watch a league with more passionate and committed players just lower your sights a little and watch some Championship games.
Toby (LCFC for life) Mitchell
...Forget Giggs or Shearer, the best example of a player loving his club is Joseba Etxeberria, former Spain international who played for Athletic Bilbao for 14 years and choose to play his last season of his contract for no wages, just out of love for the club.
Kayvan, LFC (Sick of Premier League. La Liga every day, in every way)
...In answer to John from Ediburgh, I give you Joe Cole. He lept at the chance to join the club he supported his whole life when the opportunity came and wants to stay til he stops playing. He has never held contract 'negotiations' that go on for ages like Terry and Lampard have. He gets his offer (which is always reasonable) and takes it. Simple. He also has rarely if ever complained about not playing when he has merited it. I just hope he gets another offer soon. Legend, I say.
Adam Corbett
End The Debate
This has happened more and more in the mailbox recently. With all the talk of what makes a "real" fan a lot of people are putting things like...
Dave - United fan since 1977
Claire - QPR fan since 1988
John - Fulham fan since 1832
How do people get these dates? Are they the dates the moved from their previous club to their new club? Date they were born? Their first year they remember supporting a club. Assuming its the baby option (most likely??), where you really a fan when you were born? Yes your parents might of bought you little baby clothes of your respective club but at what point do you become a fan considering you can't even being sick or sh*tting your pants (sounds like a gooner to me - sorry couldn't resist).
People need to move on. I've seen people even insult their own fans on here claiming they are not real fans because they do not have a season ticket, a tattoo of the club emblem across their chest, etc. If you prefer a team above all others then you are a fan!! Even if you don't/can't make any games that doesn't mean you are not a fan. I am a big fan of Jessica Alba...I have never dated her, or even seen her in the flesh, but doesn't I am not a fan of hers and no ones going to tell me otherwise
Anyway the point of my mail. The dates are pointless. You either support a club or don't. Don't listen to anyone telling you are not a fan if you believe you are.
Liam, London (Spurs since 1983 (whoops - does that make me as hypocritical as SAF?))
RIP Cork
Continuing the "Sad state of the modern game" theme, just a quick post to let people know about Cork City FC. As of Friday July 31st the club will be liquidised. This is largely to do with the poor management of the club over the past few seasons. The club have until Friday to pay an estimated 440,000 euro. Just a quick list of players that have plied their trade at City over the last couple of years:
Alan Bennett (Reading), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Joe Gamble (Cork City), Colin Healy (Ipswich), Gareth Farrelly (formerly Bolton), Dave Mooney (Reading), George O'Callaghan (formerly Tranmere), David Meyler and Roy O'Donovan (Sunderland), John O'Flynn (Barnet 17 goals 34 games with a team struggling in league 2) Shane Long (Reading) Of those players 7 have full international caps.
It's such a shame that was family owned club up to a couple of years ago until it was taken over by business men will be lost. Paltry sums received in transfer fees (120,000 euro for both Doyle and Long?????) have cost us dear. I hope all the Cork based posters on this site will be down the Cross on Friday for what probably will be the last game for Cork City FC.
Luke (To devastated to think up something funny) O'Brien
Hang On, What?
In response to this amazing rumour that Sol Campbell might be on his way back to Spurs on a free transfer, I can't see why so many are up in arms.
Tottenham, with Dawson, Woodgate and King out, are struggling for fit central defenders. Sol Campbell is on a free transfer - it's a perfect match.
Their fans, deep down, love Sol more than any other player that's kissed the Spurs cockerel over the years. Of course they are still hurting but as soon as he puts on that lilywhite shirt again, they'll be singing his name, and for all the right reasons.
I genuinely hope it happens - it will undoubetely be one of modern football's greatest moments seeing Sol Campbell leading Spurs out at White Hart Lane against Liverpool on August 16th.
Jamie 'Citeh's 'Project' will go the same way as my Science Project in Year 7' Doherty
