Category Archives: Sport

April 18, 2013 · 5:52 am

Boycotting Sunderland FC is the only appropriate and moral response to their recent installation of a fascist manager

This is the final article in a short series on Social Justice First about the state of modern football.

Paulo Di Canio, a fascist (in all probability), is now sitting at the helm of one of Britain’s most respected football clubs. The only way to remove him from such a prestigious position is for the fans to implement a boycott of the club.

For the last two years I have been calling for a boycott of Swindon Town FC – Di Canio’s former employers.

"I am not political... I do not support the ideology of fascism" - Paulo Di Canio

Few in the midst of the media scrum that followed his appointment to Sunderland commented on his two year reign at Swindon Town. Barney Ronay at the Guardian was the exception to this rule when he wrote, “Di Canio has been manager of Swindon for two years without complaint…there is an excellent point to be made about the lack of attention paid to events in the lower leagues.”

He was right on one count. The whole Di Canio debacle shows the unhealthy media spotlight that is shined upon the Premiership leaving the lower leagues in its shadow.

Just as the next big things can be spotted playing in the lower leagues, so the next big problem can also often be found there.

Barney was wrong however to assert that Di Canio spent two years at Swindon without complaint.

I was complaining and complaining loud.

Back in 2011 I wrote that Swindon should be embarrassed to employ a man who is a symbol of modern fascism and called for all fans to boycott the club.

I finished that article by appealing to the Swindon fans saying, “The message has to come from the supporters. Sack him for the reputation of the club.”

This message was ignored by most, if not all, Swindon fans. Could it be different for Sunderland?

At the heart of every football fan is passionate burning desire for success. Regardless of Di Canio’s politics he delivered promotion to Swindon. Success on the pitch acted to numb the consciousness of many Swindon fans. Promotion enabled them to look the other way.

Although this isn’t an excuse for their silence, it does at least act as an explanation.

For Sunderland fans there is little chance of this level of success and this might act as the catalyst for his dismissal or at least a de facto boycott (drop in gate sales).

The harder question though sits with all of the non-Swindon and non-Sunderland fans. Di Canio has been a manager in the UK for over two years now; why have they not spoken out until now?

Not my club, not my problem was the most common response from non-Swindon fans that I spoke to over the last few years.

Let’s be clear though: it is our problem. Fascism has no place in a modern tolerant democracy. Fascism, by its nature, invokes a support for authoritarianism coupled with a questionable understanding of culture and national identity. Is this what Sunderland want in a figurehead?

This issue moves beyond just fascism though.

In a macabre game of ‘footballing extremist ideology bingo’ we are now erring towards a full house in modern football. We’ve got racists, we’ve got homophobes, and now, to complete the set, we have a self-declared fascist.

While the footballing establishment has at least started to tackle the first two problems, there remains uncertainty about how, or even if they should, tackle fascism.

Once again this is why the message needs to come from the fans that fascism has no place in the game.

Look either side of you on the terraces and you will see people who not only fought fascism but also know people who died at the hands of fascists. The horrors of the 20th century are not as far away as some think.

It pains me to have to write this, but being a fascist is not just being ‘a bit right wing’ – it is lending your tacit support to a movement that oversaw the mass death of millions.

At best Di Canio will stay quiet. At worst though, the poisonous ideology that this confused Italian extrovert follows will drip into his decisions and affect the players underneath him.

Just as Marcel Desailly would probably choose to never play for a team that Ron Atkinson managed, so I doubt any Italian with immigrant descendants would want to play for Sunderland.

For the good of British football, for the good of Sunderland FC and for all those who spent their lives fighting fascism I call on everyone to boycott the Stadium of Light until Di Canio has either renounced all aspects of fascism or left the club.

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March 27, 2013 · 5:20 pm

Reclaiming football – fan solidarity and the battle ahead

I’m an Arsenal fan. I also have more in common with 99% of spurs’ fans than I do with almost anyone playing for, or representing, Arsenal football club. 

Whether it’s spurs fans hating the Arsenal, or Arsenal fans hating the spurs, it’s in my very humble opinion, a gigantic pile of bullshit. Bullshit that has piled up around us to such an extent that we cannot see around it to where our anger should be aimed.

Earlier this week Dave Boyle from Supporters Direct wrote, “The biggest divide in the game is between those people who earn a living from it and those who pay for that living.” - A spot on analysis.

Let’s take the Board of Arsenal as an example. Do I have more in common with the Eton-educated-banker Peter Hill-Wood, or with someone I grew up with, played on the same youth team as and still stay in touch with – who just also happens to be a spurs fan?

You get my point.

Another example…

Take (Tory) Lord Harris of Peckham, a Director on the Arsenal board but not exactly ‘my sort of guy’. I have no doubt he is a big Arsenal fan, but believe me…I also won’t be down the boozer defending him anytime soon.

I would choose 99% of football fans regardless of club affiliation to have a pint with over Arsenal’s Lord Harris.

But this goes much further than the board room. What about the players who we shout our hearts out for? What about the journalists who pen the print we religiously read? What about the agents who bring the players to the clubs. They are all an integral part of my world in a way but they are also all operating in a different universe to me – a much better paid universe.

We know that when the price is right (m)any footballer will jump ship, happy to move to cities, countries and even continents to where the money is. Take Ashley Cole as an example. When he was at Arsenal I used to spend long drawn out pints describing why he was one of the best left-backs English football had ever seen. I think I was genuinely proud of him.

Today I struggle to think of a footballer I am less proud. This isn’t just about him following the scent of an oligarch’s money but also about his whole approach to the game.

At the heart of all this is a distinction that Boyle draws out, but one that the majority of football fans are blind to that “Everyone who makes a living from the game has a fundamentally different perspective to the people who pay to make that living possible. That includes those journalists who get a good view, free hot drinks and never pay for a ticket. It includes agents, and it includes players, administrators, executives and owners.”

For those within most of our club’s structures, it’s a job, a career, a stepping stone to the next level.

For the fans though it’s a different story. Regardless of city you live in or the club you support we have something massive in common – a passion for the beautiful game. This is, and will always be, the driving force behind us.

The challenge is how to get this passion into the boardrooms….

That’s where these guys step in.

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March 17, 2013 · 1:37 pm

Walking the Bwamba Pass with the Mountain Club of Uganda

A low level of laughter drifts in the air through the wood smoke as we crouch around the flickering campfire. Dotted around the fire are bits of bamboo that protrude from the ground. The sticks are sharpened to a point at one end and have chucks of beef skewered on them hanging over the open fire. The beef both absorbs the smell of the wood smoke and gives off a tantalising aroma.

Bottles of warm beer are passed around the circles while those who have learnt from experience sip of glasses of red wine poured from the box perched within arm’s reach. The sun has long since set on this small campsite in the northern tips of the Rwenzori mountains and the only light now comes from the flickering flames of the fire.

Sat around the fire are members of the Mountain Club of Uganda – a hodgepodge of people brought together by a passion for the mountains. The backdrop to this campfire is the highest mountain range in Africa – The Rwenzoris.

Sat next to me is Tom, a British ex-pat who spends his days working as a photographer for NGOs. He happily tears into the meat fresh from the fire and generously passes it around. I comment on how disappointing my oodles of noodles are in comparison and he laughs a knowing laugh as he takes a sip from his wine.

Opposite me I watch as Daivd, an American law graduate working in the Ugandan courts, chats happily with Manjit, a retired Indian British Doctor who is now volunteering in the International Hospital in Kampala. I catch their expressions in the fire light and their faces give away that they are evidently entering a conversation of substance, the sort of conversation that only occurs after a few beers when you are sat around a campfire.

People begin to pull jumpers on as the fire reduces to embers and the cool mountain air pushes the last of the day’s heat from the campsite. Most people head to their respective tents as the evening draws to a close leaving only the tough or the foolhardy passing around the Waragi. The knowledge of the next day’s walk acts as restraint for some but not all.

As I close up my tent door I listen for a few minutes to the conversation continuing between people who just 24 hours ago were strangers to each other. An ease of conversation created at least in part by the evenings consumption allows for jokes and jesting that would never have occurred elsewhere between such an eclectic group of people.

Despite the differences in age, nationality or anything else, we all there because of an unspoken timeless love affair between man and mountains.

I wake early the next morning before sunrise. The cool dew on the ground soaks into my flip flops as I stumble around half asleep making my preparations for the day’s walk. With a mixture of admiration and annoyance I meet the gentlemen who chose to stay the longest round the campfire and they look surprisingly sharp.

We collectively stumble into a convoy of cars and are driven for a couple of hours to the DRC side of the Rwenzoris from where we will trek over the Bwamba Pass back to the Fort Portal side of the mountain. Everyone sits in a dazed early morning silence as scenery slips pass the car window and we bump our way along increasingly pot holed roads.

We start our accent of nearly 1,400 meters with instant-grueling gradient. The group almost immediately splits into two as people begin to struggle in the now severe morning sun. Once again, with a mixture of admiration and annoyance, I note all of those who remained around the fire the longest striding away at the front. I sigh out loud and convince myself that I am at the back because I am being supportive to the others who were struggling with the heat and gradient.

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On the way up I walk the first couple of hours with Stephanie, an American originally from Florida who now lives in the northern Ugandan town of Gulu.  We meander together through agricultural land waving at the cries of the local children as we pass them. With good grace and admirable perseverance Stephanie walks up the unrelenting ascent listening to my equally unrelenting views on the Israel/Palestine conflict.

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To give everyone a break from the ascent and Stephanie a break from my incessant chattering we regroup and stop for lunch. The views are breathtaking as we look down over the steep slopes onto the plains which stretch out into the Congolese rainforest. From this vantage point you can begin to see why Stanley referred the Ituri Forest as “nothing but miles and miles of endless forest.”

With stomachs filled our small group set off in the heat of mid-day sun with nothing but altitude as relief from the heat. We move out of the agricultural lands and into deep thick rainforest. Walking in these conditions is a continuous contradiction as everything is sodden in the humidity and yet the heat forces a near continuous thirst. Many began to realise that their three litres of water might not be enough to get them over the pass.

Five hours, 1,400 meters ascents and some tired looking walkers later we reach the pass surrounded by thick bamboo forest. A second wind enters the group safe in the knowledge that it is all downhill from then on.

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It isn’t long though until the heavens open and hamper our progress.  Heavy balls of rain hit the red earthed paths we are following and reduce them to streams of slippery clay. As I pull on my full waterproofs I watch as Manjit smiles to the sky. With a twinkle in his eye he embraces the rain in his shirt sleeves and skips through the thickening mud.

While Manjit dances his way off the mountainside, others slip and slide their way down a series of precarious paths. Red mud marks the bottoms of those who lose their grip while red faces give away that for some the decent is as hard as the way up.

Walking with now almost unrelenting rain we finish our walk on the Ugandan side of the mountain range some seven hours after we set off.

Manjit stands topless as he wrings out his sodden t-shirt while the rest of us peel off our boots. Looking back I see the cloud curl round the hills and cover the path on which we had just descended. There is no hint at how far into the cloud the path goes or how far we had just come.

This small bit of knowledge remains for those who had just walked the Bwamba Pass.

 

*2 photos taken from Manjit’s blog - http://manjitsuchdev.wordpress.com/ *

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October 31, 2012 · 11:27 am

MPs to back safe standing in football stadiums

Roger Godsiff MP has recently submitted an Early Day Motion (EDM 573) which calls on the government to “accept the case for introducing, on a trial basis, limited standing areas at grounds of clubs in the Premier League and Championship“.

I have written before about safe standing – which you can read here - so I won’t waste your time going through the arguments again.

All I would ask is that you:

1) Watch this video which makes the case for  safe standing in top flight football grounds.


2) Contact your local MP to ask them to sign this EDM. It is an issue I am passionate about!

Thanks.

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October 17, 2012 · 2:48 pm

Racism, it is not just Serbia who has a problem

This article was written for the Tattooed Football blog.

“I was just so angry and I found it hard to concentrate on the game” remarked Danny Rose, the England under 21 defender. Not surprisingly either. Throughout last nights game against Serbia, from the warm-up right through to the last few messy minutes, Rose was the focus of a series a racist chants.

The abuse Rose suffered was not just verbal. Rose commented that he had stones thrown at him when he went to take a throw in.

He left the pitch last evening seeing red and hearing yet more monkey chants echo around him. The referee sent him off for unsporting behaviour after kicking the ball away seemingly ignoring the racist chants. Rose explained his actions saying, “after 90 minutes’ worth of abuse, I expressed my emotions as soon as we scored.

Next thing I know, all the Serbia players were surrounding me, pushing me. I remember getting slapped twice. I got ushered away and that’s when I kicked the ball – and then the referee sent me off”.

Inevitably, the usual suspects emerged to condemn racism in the game. David Cameron said he was “appalled” while the Sports Minister, Hugh Robertson condemned the “disgraceful scenes”. Quite rightly the Football Association reported “a number” of incidents to UEFA.

To the shock of many, the Serbian Football Association today released a statement that denied any racist incident took place. This statement not only contradicts a number of accounts but also video footage where monkey chants are audible in the background. Their statement read:

“FA of Serbia absolutely refuses and denies that there were any occurrences of racism before and during the match at the stadium in Kruševac. Making connection between the seen incident – a fight between members of the two teams – and racism has absolutely no ground and we consider it to be a total malevolence”.

This is quite extraordinary. It is common now for establishments to use the ‘bad apples’ defence, ‘There were a few bad apples but we have a zero tolerance approach’. But this statement by the Serbian FA goes further and constitutes a blanket denial that any racist incident took place. If ever there has been a head in the sand approach to tackling a problem it is here.

This is not the first time either that English players have suffered racist  abuse in Serbia. 5 years ago, Nedum Onuoha was subjected to racial abuse in an England Serbia match at the European Championships. The punishment that UEFA dished out on this occasion? A fine of £16,000.

To put this into context, Manchester City was fined £24,740 for returning to the field less that minuet late in a match against Porto. This same match resulted in a fine for Porto after Balotelli was racially abused. The fine for Porto? Just £16,700.

Whilst it is easy to attack UEFA and the Serbian FA for their inaction/action, we should also take this opportunity to climb down off our high horses and to look around at the modern game in Britain. I won’t talk more about the well publicised cases of Terry “I didn’t call you a” case or Suarez “But it’s fine in my country” case. Where to start?

The outrageous? Remember when Ron Atkinson described (live on air) Marcel Desailly as a ‘lazy fucking thick nigger’?

The continuous? The fact that for almost every season I have been a football fan there has been an example of racism. In 2009 Jason Euell was subject to racist abuse. In February 2008 the then Chelsea manager Avram Grant received anti-Semitic death threats. In 2007 a Labour party cllr was banned from matches for 3 years for racially abusing a spurs player. This sad list could go on and on.

Serbian fans were out of order last night, but don’t fool yourself – English fans/players have been equally out of order for generations. We have moved on leaps and bounds but we still have a long way to go before we can truly say we have kicked racism out of football.

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September 21, 2012 · 1:46 pm

MPs say to football fans ‘you’re still racist homophobes’

John Whittingdale MP says, “racisms bad”

In a damning condemnation of the not so beautiful game, a group of MPs have pointed out that football fans are still a bunch of racist homophobes.

Despite football stadiums being filled with good middle class bankers (it’s an easy rhyme), a report published last week by the DCMS select committee highlighted ‘continuing concerns’ about levels of racism in football.

Specifically it highlighted incidents such as Suarez’s Uruguayan greeting and Terry’s clarification of what he defiantly didn’t say.

Terry, when asked what he thought of the report allegedly said, “I didn’t say that I think it is a load PC bullshit written by a bunch of ageing middle class MPs who haven’t stepped foot in a stadium in their entire fucking lives. This is beyond worthless”.

In an effort to point out the blindingly obvious though, the report went on to state that things had improved dramatically since the 1970s and 80s when ‘racist abuse was common‘.  The MPs reportedly watched Elijah Wood’s depiction of a football hooligan in ‘Green Street’ in extra slow motion to gain an understanding of ‘what it was all about’.

In a move to tackle this problem the report suggests that more ethnic minorities should take up one of the most detested positions in the modern game – the referee. A footballing psychologist who wished to not be named stated, “By focusing the unwavering never ending mindless hatred that spills from football fans mouths, we hope to focus their little minds on simply hating positions of authority – not the skin colour of the man, or *smirk* women”.

In addition to all the racist bullshit in football the report also pointed out that fans didn’t really like gays either. Heterosexual Graham Le Saux declined to comment in any publication other than the Guardian where Robbie ‘the bully’ Fowler wouldn’t read his comments.

Even though no footballer is, or ever will be gay, some people who drive to games in BMWs think that the stands should be welcoming of ‘gayers’ as long as they don’t stand too close to them…or their children. Patrick from North London said, “I agree with the report, we need to make stadiums more family friendly and welcoming to the gays. Maybe we should have a gay seating area opposite the family seating area”.

Sat in a dusty room just off a cobweb filled corridor somewhere in the House of Commons the chair of the committee John Whittingdale MP said, “We heard evidence that ‘social media’ has become a tool for the spread of racist and abusive content but it is also a potential means of combating the ignorance and prejudice that lie behind such behaviour”. It is purported that the FA are considering joining a ‘World Wide Web’ of people – a system that would enable them to not comment to millions of people.

Clive Efford who is apparently the shadow minister for sport, blandly repeated the executive summary of the report saying, “we can never be complacent when it comes to any form of discrimination whether it is racism, religious hatred or homophobia”. Everyone everywhere responded saying, “no shit, find a new bandwagon on which to jump”.

When contacted Paolo Di Canio was unavailable for comment.

 

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August 9, 2012 · 1:32 pm

Dear Dave, The Olympics has nothing to do with the ‘Big Society’

Games Makers – having fun

Whether you like it or not, you are now a symbol of volunteering, a community spirited nation – a ‘big society’ if you will.

If you mix volunteering with community spirit and sprinkle on top some hideous corporate sponsorships, what do you get? Games Makers, and according to Cameron, “[an] expression of the Big Society in action”.  McDonald’s helpfully pointed out that we are all (even the helpless small baby staring blankly) ‘making the Games’ – we are all the Big society.

Nearly a quarter of a million of us applied to volunteer at the Olympics (240,000). Out of these 70,000 were selected based on criteria such as a ‘can do attitude’ and being ‘inspirational’ (I wish I had applied now just to have been in the interview, “So Steve, can you give me an example of when you have been inspirational?”).

I wish to take nothing away from the Games Makers though; they have been a great success.  I take my hat off to you all. What I wish to raise here is what, if anything, Games Makers have to do with Dave and Ronald.

Like the weather and other events that have got literally nothing to with politics, politicians have been falling over themselves to associate themselves with this unprecedented wave of positivity associated with the Olympics.  Cameron cannot help himself but to talk about the Big Society. Before the Games even started he commented, “these Games are the biggest and most tangible expression of the Big Society in action”.

I don’t want to poop on Cameron’s party here, but is it not possible they volunteered because they like sport and/or wanted to be involved in a once in a life time event like the Olympics? Just wanting a little bit of fun without much commitment?

Sunny Hundal the Guardian columnist, got a wee bit of a Conservative backlash earlier when he tweeted, “Chances of Olympics volunteers becoming school sports volunteers wildly optimistic. Most did it to get into watch Olympics”. Ooh the skeptic. It makes sense though, doesn’t it?

40% of those who applied to be volunteers had never volunteered before. Something about the Olympics made people give up their time in a way that the WI, Amnesty International or their local youth club didn’t.

Conservative Dan Hannan MEP however was having none of it. He tweeted back to Sunny in a flash saying, “The ones I’ve spoken to were doing it from sheer decency”.

It rather begs the question though, if this ‘sense of decency’ was enough to inspire them to volunteer why had it never ‘inspired’ them in the past. There is no shortage of very ‘decent’ organisations that are desperate for ‘decent’ volunteers.

Like a one night stand the appeal of the volunteering at the Olympics is simple, it is fun and lacks any real long-term commitment.

Without taking anything away from the volunteers, they are certainly not the foundation building blocks for which to construct long-term social projects. They are there for a quick slap and tickle and then they will be back to their 9-5.

In short Dave, I am afraid the success of the Game Makers has nothing to do with your conceptual Big Society and it has everything to do with the excitement of hosting one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

Oh and Ronald, you and your friends over at Big Mac HQ, you have nothing to do with sporting excellence either. You’re as transparent as the grease soaked wrapper of one of your burgers.

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August 7, 2012 · 5:33 pm

A pissed off Arsenal fan at the Nou Camp

This article was written for the Tattooed football blog.

I knew that my pilgrimage to the Nou Camp would not be easy. I’m Arsenal, always have been, always will be. Barcelona tends to piss off Arsenal fans, especially in Champions League finals.

Throughout the trip I started to come to terms with the fact that this feeling (was it anger?) derived from the continued frustration surrounding Arsenal at the moment. It is not that Arsenal are playing badly at the moment, its worse. We are nearly brilliant.

Worse still, Barcelona have shown themselves to be brilliant over the last few seasons.

I am not bothered about the silverware Barcelona has bagged (10 trophies in 2 seasons alone). I am bothered though about the football they have played. They have beaten the best in the world in a way that would make Wenger weak at the knees.

As I approached the formidable entrance to the Nou Camp, I was hoping that this might be a chance for me to move on.

It was a sunny day and I was surrounded by thousands of fellow football devotes from all around the world. The atmosphere was one of a family day out – almost no-one was scowling.

Once inside the Nou Camp I stood watching video highlights of ‘Barcelona’s greatest goals’.  I sighed out loud at an 8 year old for pressing ‘play again’ on the video board showing Ronaldinho’s notorious overhead kick. I had the feeling I was being a smidgen petulant.

I knew what I needed to do.

I knew I had marvel at Barcelona’s extraordinary footballing success. The cabinets stuffed full with every cup the club could get their hands on. I knew though that this would only shine a spotlight on the dusty 7 years gap in the trophy cabinet at the Emirates.

I knew I had to go there and marvel at their illustrious roll call of football’s greats. Life sized photos of Messi, Ronaldo and Stoichkov were everywhere I looked. I knew however that this would be impossible without thinking about ex-Arsenal greats such as Henry of Fàbregas.

I knew I had to go there and marvel at their ground breaking partnerships with organisations such as UNICEF. I knew though that would only lead me to dwell on the overtly cooperate nature of the Premiership. We play in the ‘Emirates’ stadium for fucks sake!

All of this I knew and I will confess it did slightly hinder my ability to enjoy the “Camp Nou experience”.

Even the grumpiest of silverware deprived Arsenal fan though would be hard pressed to not be impressed with the biggest stadium in Europe (even after losing over 20,000 in capacity from its 120,000 peak). It is a formidable sight and the views from throughout the stadium are impressive.

Equally I enjoyed learning about the quirks of the club. Did you know that no Brit has played for Barcelona since Gary Linker? Interesting, well at least I thought so.

Equally, I was genuinely interested to learn more about the club’s history. Not only do they play beautiful football they also have time to develop a political opposition to fascism (Franco reportedly warned their players in a 1942 game Vs Madrid that “that taking the ball into Real Madrid’s half would be considered unpatriotic by the regime”).

For me however, despite the skill in which they play, despite the trophies in the cabinet, despite their social democratic principles…all I associate with the club is that fateful night in Paris back in 2006.

Why? 7 years of underachieving. Every Arsenal fan knows there is only one way to rectify this. Over to you Mr Wenger.

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June 13, 2012 · 3:52 pm

Euro 2012 Special: Hate crime in Ukraine – Will the police look the other way?

This article was written for the Football Rascal Blog.

UEFA, the governing body of European football comments on their website, “Racism and any other forms of discrimination will never be tolerated. UEFA will not tolerate violence either on the pitch or in the stands. Football must set an example”

Indeed, I couldn’t agree more UEFA. Which rather begs the question, why did you chose Ukraine to joint host the Euro 2012 championships?

Ukraine, is a country that Amnesty International describes as having, “[a] poor human rights record, in particular, widespread criminality, torture and other ill-treatment by the police force responsible for the safety of Euro 2012 fans”. The human rights group goes onto raise, “the issue[s] of racist and homophobic attacks, discrimination, violations of the right to a fair trial, failure to protect asylum-seekers and migrants, and the harassment and prosecution of human rights defenders”. I wonder how many in UEFA officials have read this glowing report card?

Now, I am no expert here but how do “racist and homophobic attacks” combined with “torture and ill-treatment by the police force” sit with UEFA’s image of “zero-tolerance” of either “violence or discrimination”. In fact it seems to imply the exact opposite.

I am not opposed to major sporting events being held in countries with less than perfect human rights records per se. Indeed, life would be a bit boring if year in year out every major event was held in Luxembourg as every other country failed to make the cut. But, there has to be limits, a line that isn’t crossed. My argument here is that fan safety is an example of a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

On 20th May 2012, police told organisers of the gay pride march to abandon the event claiming, “500 ultra-right football hooligans were en route to the rally point with the intention of preventing the march from going ahead”. So, a peaceful march was banned because of “500 ultra-right football hooligans”.

Once again I turn to Amnesty International and their researcher Max Tucker who commented, “Their [Kiev’s police force] reluctance to commit to the event and to put adequate security measures in place to protect demonstrators left organizers fearing for their safety”. After this, two activists were beaten up by a dozen youth in central Kiev. In short, the police failed to protect a group of citizens from a group of far-right football supporters.

So what has a gay pride event and Euro 2012 got to do with each other I hear you ask?

Simple. Why would you believe that the police are going to be more willing to protect LGBT activists at a gay pride event than a LGBT supporters group at Euro 2012? Or come to think of it, a black family or a Jewish supporters group?

The issue is about how authorities respond to trouble makers. Call me old fashioned on this one, but I think authorities shouldn’t pander to the hate filled whims of the far right. Crazy I know.

I think that “immigrants, gays, blacks” or anyone else who doesn’t fit into the far right’s bizarre hate filled outlook, should be free to attend these sporting events without fear of attack. In Ukraine I don’t think this is the case.

The families of  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott have already said they will not travel there because for fear of racist abuse. This lack of protection means that Ukraine has failed in its responsibilities as a host country.

Despite what the BBC would have you believe with their slightly sensationalist ‘Stadiums of hate’ documentary, this is nothing new. Attacks on the LGBT community, religious groups and ethnic minorities have a long and well documented history in Ukraine. A history that too often the state has been complicit in.

At this stage however I don’t believe the tournament should not be cancelled. Nor though do we want an atmosphere where people are arrested on the spot for drunkenly shouted something offensive (in my opinion it shouldn’t be a crime to cause someone offence).

What I would like to see is the Ukrainian state to unequivocally condemn the police’s actions a few weeks ago and make it abundantly clear that the police will be there to protect supporters regardless of their background, sexuality or beliefs. Is this too big a ask?

My worry is that by the time this article goes to print we will already have seen violence on the streets or terraces of Ukraine.

I worry that Sol Cambell’s comment to fans to “Stay at home, watch it on TV. Don’t risk it because you could end up coming back in a coffin” may end up becoming a reality. Fan safety is the first priority and football is the second. UEFA have to be clear on this point.

Is football being overshadowed by events around the tournament? If UEFA had made a better choice in the first place, would such problems even be on the agenda? Let us know your opinion! 

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May 20, 2012 · 7:40 pm

Mahmoud al-Sarsak – Palestinian footballer’s health is ‘deteriorating’

This article was written for the Tattooed Football blog.

As the football season draws to a close most of us are sitting back waiting for a summer of football to begin. With less than a month now until Euro 2012 kicks off, football fans across the globe are gearing up for the tournament, stocking up the fridge and pinning up the fixture list. Here in Israel and Palestine it is no exception. I have already sorted out front row seats for the England/France opener down the local (coffee shop)! There is however one exception, one guy who isn’t joining in this build up. His name is Mahmoud al-Sarsak who is, or at least I should say was, a member of the Palestinian football team.

Mahmoud is currently being held under Israel’s ‘Unlawful Combatant Law’ (a form of administrative detention – held without trial) and has been on hunger strike since the 22nd March 2012 in protest. Mohmoud’s detention is not up for renewal until 22nd August 2012. The insightful amongst you might well notice that this is well after the championships. The even more insightful amongst you might have counted up the days in your head and worked out that this guy might not even be alive come the championships. Amnesty International report that his health is “deteriorating”. The longest ever Palestinian hunger strike is 77 days – this is one record no one wants to see him break but he is coming pretty close. How much longer he can hold on for is debatable but I would count it in days not weeks.

You might well be thinking at this point “Bit of shitter, but there is f*** all I can do about it” (note the compulsory swear words proceeding any badly thought out point on the terraces). Well, I have good news for you. There are a few people over here that have the power to stop all this. One of them is a chap called Ehud Barak – he’s the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel and also the Defence Minister (in other words he holds a bit of sway).  What we are asking is pretty simple. We would like him to firstly ensure Mahmoud is given full and specialised medical care in a hospital suitable to provide such care. And secondly to ensure that Mahmoud is either released or charged with internationally recognizable criminal offences and brought to trial in proceedings that meet international fair trial standards (jargon I know but it’s important – trust me). Not big asks. If you have a chance, get the quill out and put these point onto paper and send them to:

Ehud Barak
Ministry of Defence
37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
Tel Aviv 61909, Israel

I am sure he would love to hear from you.

Mahmoud is not only a footballer, but a relative and a bloody human being. I find it disgusting that someone could be held for three years without charge or trial. All it will cost you is a few minutes (keep it short) and few pence down the post office.

If you are really keen you can find loads more information here. If you are really really keen send this blog onto your mates. It is mad to think, but you have the power to make a difference and maybe save a guys life.

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April 9, 2012 · 9:27 pm

Alan Davies, “I feel that the Liverpool v Everton semi-final could be played on Apr 15th”. I tend to agree

This article was published on the Tattooed Football blog.

The need to obtain justice for those who were taken from us on April 15th 1989 at Hillsborough is as important today as it has ever been. 96 people, fathers, sons and friends were taken away by what was an avoidable disaster. The days that followed filled with the smears and lies as they were are something that no one should have to go through and my heart goes out to all the fans, friends and family who did. The fact that 23 years later we are still fighting for the truth is the ultimate insult to those who died and leaves the footballing world in a collective grief.

It was with surprise then that tweets starting coming through my twitter stream suggesting that the comedian Alan Davies was “cheapening” and “mocking” these events. I was so surprised I took it upon myself to find out exactly what Alan Davies said.  To my surprise listening to him and watching twittersphere implode conjured up more than the inevitable shock at his crass comments – it conjured a feeling of sympathy. The sympathy I felt was founded in an empathy based in shared experience. This shared experience was being hounded by angry Liverpool fans who were on a moral crusade with the Hillsborough disaster as their armour.

Last year I was accused of disrespecting those who lost loves ones at Hillsborough by arguing for the introduction of safe standing (something very different from the reintroduction of 1980s terraces).  For many, it became impossible to have a rational argument about something which was affecting the modern game because of the emotive memories it stirred up. Everybody grieves in their own way, but loss and grief is not a free ticket to act like a complete prick (prick here is defined as someone who emails me with death threats, abusive rants and uses an unnecessarily wide of similes “you are like a…”).

As such, there are two logical conclusions to draw. The first is that grieving or loosing someone (or supporting a club that has lost fans in a disaster) is not a justification to be a complete prick and threaten to kill or beat people. Secondly, the lost that we have suffered should not stand in the way of needed developments within the modern game – it is disrespectful in my mind to use these tragic deaths as a barrier to the development of the game.

In regards to my safe standing article people asked why should we would ‘take the risk’ introducing  safe standing? Apart from highlighting the distinct lack of risk in modern safe standing stadia (the emphasis being on the word safe) I also had to show that a problem existed in the first place that needed to be tackled. The issue of standing in seated areas is one that directly affects the modern footie fan and can easily be sorted through the introduction of safe standing areas. The only thing in its way is an archaic FA and an impossible media hurdle surrounding Hillsborough.

At the time I went on to argue that introducing safe standing was the greatest tribute we could pay (to show lessons learnt).

Equally, it is worth highlighting that to keep the status quo of LFC not playing on the 15th April also has negative repercussions. This year it happens to be Chelsea who suffer but in future seasons it could be any club (including LFC). The problem exists – and if you doubt the depth of feeling surrounding it,  just talk to a few Chelsea fans at the moment.

And thus at the heart of what Davies was saying is what I feel to be a reasonable request – that Liverpool should play football on the 15th April. There are a plethora of arguments against this assertion (many of which can be found in this reasonable response to Davies by a LFC fan) and these views need to be considered and dealt with compassionately.

The choice is not an either or between playing football or remembering the dead though. There are a number of ways of remembering – in football rituals we have the silence before games, the minuet of clapping or the black arm bands. These all serve well as a visual poignant reminder of what we have lost and significantly do not detrimentally affect other clubs.

Liverpool have developed their own ways of remembering – the service held at the ground on the 15th is a particularly poignant one. There is no reason to see why this all can’t still happen in conjunction to football being played.

I am under no illusion to the pain that the Hillsborough disaster and the subsequent mishandling has caused to thousands of people from across the country. It cannot however be used as a full stop in any argument.

I would go one step further and suggest that  by standing and watching LFC play is perhaps one of the greatest tributes we can pay to those who lost their lives 23 years ago and to those who are still fighting for justice.

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February 20, 2012 · 8:46 pm

The universal language of Messi

This article was originally published on Tattooed Football.

In the dusty streets of Jayyus in the West Bank, the language that children use cuts through adult constructed divisions. The names of Abbas or Netanyahu are alien. What rolls off the lips of the children here are the names of Messi, Fabregas and Puyol.

Jayyus is a small farming community situated near the town of Qalqiliya in the West Bank. It has been devastated by the construction of the separation barrier (which is universally acknowledged to be illegal under international law). 75% of the village’s farmland is now on the wrong side of the barrier. Recently, the village has seen a number of Israeli Defence Force incursions that have resulted in a number of local boys arrested.

These events however are just distractions for the children from the more serious business of street football. The challenge is simple – who can get as close to mastering Messi’s majesty as possible. To this goal, the children spend hours trying to match his touch, skill and athleticism. There is one coffee shop in the village where every Barcelona game is watched religiously and you can see every detail being gulped down with enthusiasm. The attendance, dedication and passion given to this cause is unwavering.

In a situation so bleak, it is heartening to see children throw their enthusiasm into football. I am sure it is a more productive use of time than throwing stones at the IDF. Equally, in a time when football seems so personified by casual racists, materialists and playboys, I find it heartening to see Messi being held up as a role model.

Messi manages, both on and off the pitch to balance his enthusiasm with a calm composure.  Messi also represents the dream that every child holds onto. He was taken from his home in Argentina at the age of 13. It is said he was only 4 foot 7 inches when he signed for Barcelona. From this he has developed into undoubtedly the greatest footballer of a generation. Messi has gone from being a small shy boy playing street football to be earning and inspiring millions.

It is this romance that drives children all over the world. Messi provides each child with a chance to dream. Cut off from life chances, it is this hope that keeps children going. This hope is communicated through the language of Barcelona. Football connects the children on the streets of Jayyus to billions around the world. Whatever the language their government or the occupying government speaks – these children will always be fluent in the language of football. No one can take that away from them.

Steve Hynd is currently an EA with EAPPI and is living in Jayyus, West Bank.

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January 18, 2012 · 7:40 pm

The day I was ashamed to be a Cheltenham Town fan

This article was published on the Tattooed Football blog.

We were 2-0 down. The collective voice had slipped out of our supporters. We were silent. Spurs fans responded in the only way they knew, to start mocking our silence. They finished with a collective ‘shhhhhhh’ to illustrate the resonating silence coming from us. What happened next shocked me. It shouldn’t have done, but it did. Someone behind me shouted in a thick West Country accent, ‘you’re not in gas chambers now!’

Read the full article here

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January 6, 2012 · 10:32 am

We are Cheltenham fans – we have to be crass enough to dream

This article was originally published by the ‘Tattooed Football’ blog.

I cannot blame Mark Yates for trying to keep fans expectations low in the lead up to our 3rd round FA cup match against high flying Tottenham Hotspurs. The FA Cup has created a fever pitch atmosphere around the club in the last few weeks and the excitement levels are sky high. It is Yates job to guide us (the players, the fans and the media) through this high, and also through what many predict will be an inevitable low. He will be the one who has to focus on securing important results against Aldershot and then Bristol Rovers in the League.
 
His logic is clear, go there expecting nothing and anything will be a bonus. I cannot, and will not accept this.

Continue reading the full article here

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December 8, 2011 · 3:55 pm

The magic of the FA Cup

The more I tried to push it out of my mind the more it kept flooding back. The more I tried to focus on the work in front of me the more I kept glancing at the TV. There was a matter of minutes until the 3rd round draw of the FA Cup. There was a matter of minutes until a team’s future could be changed for a decade to come. This buzz you get before the draw, let alone the match, is one of the reasons why the FA Cup is so special.

Any diligent reader will know that I am a Cheltenham Town fan. Anyone vaguely connected to the footballing world will know that we have been drawn away against Spurs. I cannot put into words how exciting this is!

There is more to being drawn against one of the big boys than the six figure sums that can accompany it (although for any lower league club these sorts of figures are very welcome), it is the chance of being a giant killer. It is the chance to play against the best that the overpriced and overhyped premier league can offer. It is a chance of a lifetime for a player to go down in history. It is a chance of a lifetime for the club to be on the lips of people around the world.

The FA Cup offers the football fan the chance to dream outside of the constraints of league football. It allows us to think the impossible. Perhaps most importantly it allows us to go the White Hart Lane!

We know that we are the outsiders, that we stand no hope of progressing to the next round and that Wembley is a far far away dream. But what drives us though is the thought of what if, what if we make, what if we win? This is something none of the supporter of any of the big teams can ever experience. The intensity of this feeling is ratcheted up for every league down your team normally plays in. Even the biggest football haters out there struggle to not get excited when non-league teams take on bigger clubs. This excitement is the pinnacle of being a league football supporter. 

Here’s to believing. Here’s to the FA Cup.

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November 28, 2011 · 5:59 pm

Glasgow’s sectarian violence will not be sorted out through more legislation

The sectarianism between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Glasgow has destroyed families, taken lives and crippled communities. This sectarianism is embodied in the rivalry between Glasgow Rangers and Celtic FC. With every Old Firm derby there comes further reports of violence. The violence between the two sets of fans escalated to such an extent that last year Les Gray, head of the Scottish Police Federation, called for the derbies between the two clubs to be banned. 

As a result, the Scottish Parliament tried to rush through the The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Bill. This Bill broadly aimed to do two things:

1) To deal with those who engage in certain behaviour if it is likely to incite public disorder where that behaviour relates to a regulated football match involving a Scottish football team.

2) Criminalise threatening communication generally. It does not have to relate to football supporters.

For the record, I will be the first to admit that something needs to be done to tackle this level of violence, but I am not convinced that yet more legislation is the way forward.

There is a plethora of offences on the statute book already dealing with breach of the peace, violence and incitement of hatred. Section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 outlaws “threatening and abusive behaviour”. Section 74 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 outlaws any action aggravated by religious prejudice. Football banning orders can already be made against individuals convicted of a violent offence which involves a football match. The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) Scotland Act 2009 outlaws action aggravated by the perpetrator ‘evincing malice and ill-will’ towards the victim on the grounds of sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability.

No one has yet explained to me why, with these plethora of legal tools at their finger tips, the Scottish government thinks we need more legislation.

The sceptic in me thinks that perhaps this was a knee jerk reaction to a moral panic created by the unacceptably high levels of violence we saw during the last footie season. Either way, if you want to introduce new legislation you have to A) show how it is different from existing legislation and B) That it is proportionate to the problem it aims to address. Currently I do not believe this Bill does either.

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November 21, 2011 · 5:42 pm

Hatred is penetrating every level of the game

Hatred within football is penetrating every level of the game – it does not respect league tables, geography or levels of professionality. This was highlighted by Worcester City player Lee Smith (formerly of my home town Gloucester City FC) recently tweeting “Respect to all the heroes 11/11/11 now to all the illegal *****, **** off out of are country all, call of duty could become a reality – kill um”. Terry and Suarez might make better headlines but believe me that this sort of hatred is not affected by your ability on the pitch.

When confronted, Mr Smith responded, “It is my right to write what I think – but I didn’t mean any offence”. Sadly for Lee, but probably for the good of everyone else, it is not his “right” to use threatening and abusive language. Indeed, it is a criminal offence (although I am not holding my breath for a prosecution).

Mr Smith later said he had only meant the comments as “friendly banter”, I wonder if this was the same “friendly banter” that Ron Atkinson was using when he describes (live on air) Marcel Desailly as a ‘lazy fucking thick nigger’. Or perhaps it was the same “friendly banter” that fans up and down the country use when they sing the ‘Adebayor chant’.

On the positive side, it looks as though Worcester City has acted quickly and decisively by suspending the player indefinitely while a police investigation is carried out (note to Blatter that a simple handshake is not sufficient).  This also comes in the same week that we see two Southampton fans arrested for homophobic chanting during Saturday’s (19 November) game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Every level of the game from youth football in the local parks through to the head of FIFA have an obligation to be seen to be tackling this problem. Not just racism, but the hatred that runs through footballing culture. It has to be attacked at every level if we are going to see the level of change that we so badly need.

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November 15, 2011 · 6:19 pm

Long live St James Park

St James Park, will always be St James Park to me. This is not because I am a diehard Geordie, indeed I have no real connection with Newcastle. St James Park will always be St James Park to me though because of what it represents.  When you remove the fans, the clubs history and the passion that drives it you are left with nothing but a commodity.

Firstly it is worth noting that this move is madness even from a business point of view. The move to rename the stadium the “Sports Direct Arena” has not earned the club a penny. The only noticeable beneficiary from this move is Newcastle United Chairman, Mike Ashley – who is also the owner of Sports Direct. The justification that it is ‘showcasing’ the corporate sponsorship is based on the bizarre assumption that potential sponsors don’t have the mental capacity to imagine what it might be like to have a stadium named after them. Newcastle seems to have offered Sport Direct months of free advertising for little in return.

Significantly this move has been shown to have near universal opposition from the fans. It is not in the fans interests, nor is it in the clubs. Assuming Ashley’s master plan works and he sells the stadium naming rights with the shirt sponsorship for 10 million quid, what has he really gained – a third of Andy Carroll.  By selling off over one hundred years of history, alienating a fan base and by appearing self interested Mike Ashley has managed to gain the club the equivalent of a half decent defender. Not a great bit of business in my mind. Millions of pounds don’t go far in the modern game.

This however continues the debate as if football is a commodity, and that this move could somehow be justified if it made  Newcastle a small windfall. This argument is dangerous to the long term health of the game, the club and its surrounding communities.

If you make football clubs malleable to your financial desires then you lose what binds so many different so many societies together. If a club breaks down into simply being a financier’s play thing then it will soon lose the passion that binds its
supporters. Football communicates in a way no other force can in society. There is a reason for this and it isn’t simply the shared appreciation of watching skilled sportsman play and exciting sport. It is shared humanity, identity and passion. Humans are social beings who embrace public shared identities. What Ashley has done is attack the humanity, the identity and the passion that provide the bedrock of Newcastle United FC. This is not good for the club, Newcastle or the wider game.

We have seen stadiums renamed, clubs relocated and players sold to the highest bidder. What is left of the game?

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October 31, 2011 · 7:18 pm

It is not banter, it is not just racism, its small minded bigotry

This article was originally published on the football blog ‘In Off the Bar’

This last week saw two allegations of racism come to light. Firstly, John Terry was accused by Anton Ferdinand of calling him a “black cunt”. Terry however claims that this pretty comprehensive video footage is him telling Ferdinand what he didn’t say (obviously)! This incident follows Luis Suárez allegedly ‘using a certain word’ 10 times to describe Patrick Evra.

This is nothing new in English football, but it is a sad reminder that we haven’t perhaps travelled as far as we would like to think from our overtly racist past. Admittedly, gone are the days of Bananas being thrown on the pitch, but it was only a few years ago that we had Ron Atkinson describe (live on air) Marcel Desailly as a ‘lazy fucking thick nigger’. Indeed, even in the last few days Stan Collymore has had to endure a torrent of abuse on twitter with comments such as “at least my mother never slept with a coon” after he raised the issue of racism on his talk sport show.

Perhaps the most telling of tweets Collymore was sent simply said, “Have you heard of banter?”. This is incredibly telling as it is the fallback position of decent people up and down the country for not tackling the small minded bigotry that plagues the modern game. Indeed this was the excuse given by the casually racist Jimmy Hill in defence of Atkinson’s horrific comments. It was just a bit of “fun”.

Many people’s lives are seriously affected by racism and discrimination every day and not just because of verbal or physical abuse. Many people from minority ethnic backgrounds are not getting the same opportunities as others whether it is in jobs, education or access to health services, or affordable housing. Even those who are meant to be working to stop this are not exempt. Police stop and search figures show that black people are at least six times more likely to be stopped and searched as white people. This is shocking.

The complete zero tolerance of racism in football is quite right. Yet there seems to be a gulf between how we treat racists and how we deal with other forms of small minded bigotry. Quite rightly, racist chanting has all but been eliminated from the terraces, but it is still quite acceptable to abuse a player’s, appearance, hair length, family relationship or sexuality.

There is a deep rooted misogynistic culture around football that should not be tolerated. We are in a position where it is common place to chant about abusing a player’s wife. It is common place to call a player a “fucking faggot” if he falls over. Indeed, there are few moral depths that the football fan will not sink to if they think they can get away with it. The deplorable comments that Emmanuel Adebayor was subjected to illustrates this point. At what point did tens of thousands of Arsenal fans think it was OK to sing “It should have been you, it should have been you, who was shot in Angola, it should have been you” in reference to the terrorist attack his team suffered, in which a friend of his died?

So why is there such a gulf between attitudes both within the FA and on the terraces between how we should tackle racism and how we should tackle other forms of discrimination and hatred? Imagine if you and your girlfriend approached a steward on a match day and complained that someone has just commented “I see you let your wife out of the kitchen then…(belly laugh)… that blonde bitch probably had the map upside down and was looking for the shops”. What do you honestly think would happen? Nothing! Change this scenario to any other form of discrimination other than racism, a gay couple being called faggots or a guy with long hair being called ‘gypo’ and the outcome would be the same. No action. Now insert a racist slur and you would witness an eviction, an arrest or if this did not happen a fast moving club to make it look like they were acting on this complaint.

To begin to stamp out the sort of reoccurring prejudice that we see in football we need to break down some basic barriers. We need to proudly say that racism is wrong because it judges a person and their capabilities based on a very limited set of categories, such as religion, nationality or skin colour. Equally however, we have to be able to say that judging a person on what or who they are sexually attracted to is equally as narrow minded.

The suggestion that women don’t have the mental capacity to understand the offside rule is almost as insulting as Jimmy Hill back in the 80’s suggesting that those “black aces” don’t have the mental capacity to understand the game but could be used because boy can they run fast.

Football continues to reflect the most outdated and unacceptable sides of our society. This is deeply frustrating as it has such potential to be a positive catalyst for change. We have understood this in terms of racism. Why can we not see that football has a responsibility to tackle these other forms of bigotry that still blight this beautiful game?

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October 17, 2011 · 4:38 pm

3 good reasons why Arsenal won’t finish in the top 4

Things are starting to look better for Arsenal; things are on an up – apparently. It is therefore my duty, to burst this self belittling bubble of optimism with a harsh lesson on why we will not be finishing in the top 4 this season – surely a bare minimum for a club of Arsenal’s stature.  This lesson will be entitled, “Our squad is still thinner than a wafer biscuit when it comes to quality players”.

3 good reasons include: Koscielny, Van Persie and Chamakh.

Reason 1: Laurent Koscielny.

Apparently he is central to our defensive strategy. The problem is that I have never seen a central defender with a looser grasp on the concept of positioning. Koscielny is the anti Tony Adams (my boyhood hero….a drunk professional footballer!). The only two characteristics these two defenders hold is that they both play(ed) for Arsenal and they both show(ed) an astonishing lack of pace. Back in Adams day, this was made up for by solid positioning throughout the back four. This defence was kept into shape by Adams vocal performance on the pitch. Today we with have no leader in central defence. We have two centre-halves (Mertesacker) who have an unbelievable lack of pace and no guidance.  It is no secret that we are looking dodgy at the back. Until we get this basic problem right, we will continue to throw games away.

Reason 2: Van Persie

An odd choice you might think considering his rich form and undoubted talent. The point of concern behind Van Persie though is why on earth is he captain? The only answer I can see is to pander to his ego and to ensure he does not follow Nasri et al out of the club. Arsenal needs him and his unrivalled ability to the ball in the back of the net.  Do we really want a petulant child as a captain though? This season will be tough, we will concede easy goals and player’s heads will drop. Now more than ever we need a captain to lead the squad. Van Persie is the exact sort of player who is led by events and lets his mood swing with them. Already this season we have seen games where Van Persie has looked lost on the pitch. With such a young squad, this is the exact opposite to what we need to see from our captain.

Reason 3: Chamakh

When Van Persie gets injured (when not if) who are we going to call on? Chamakh. Without doubt the most one dimensional striker in the premier league. He optimises Wenger’s inability to be able to admit when he has made a mistake on the transfer market. When Senderos was shown the door, I thought we might have a new era where Wenger would admit he wasn’t perfect and made mistakes. A ridiculous thought in retrospect.

What other striking options do we have to fall back on?

Well, only Walcott seriously believes that Walcott is a striker. Park Chu-Young is a mediocre replacement at best. We have one world class striker backed up by a series of unimpressive run of the mill strikers that could just about dig out a good career at somewhere likes of Wigan or Wolves (who seem unable to finish the simplest of chances at the moment) but are not worthy of pulling on an Arsenal shirt.

The answer, more substantial money is needed to be spent in the January transfer window – simple.  Not in the knee jerk manner it was this summer though.

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