Your reading a pre 2010-11 archived article
This is the first of a regular comment column, cutting through the various passing issues of football and getting to the core principle in the shortest time.
Not Jermaine to success.
Listening to Leeds United fans sometimes you’d think the sky would have fallen in if Jermaine Beckford had been transferred in the last window or if he got injured (out with an hamstring injury last game). One Leeds blog (the very decent The Scratching Shed) even has a “Beckford Watch” cataloguing his contribution to the team as if nothing else matters! Now his goal-scoring record over the last two seasons is decent but it didn’t come about in the absence of the rest of the team/squad.
It is with this in mind the Sniffer Nose will be bringing you an occasional update on how Leeds United perform without him (for some reason I’m half hearing in my head a line from Evita “how will we ever survive without her”) in 2009-10, in the hope that the stats will prove once and for all that whilst Beckford could never survive without the supply he gets, the rest of the team can survive without him. Presently the total stands at 2 games played, 2 wins, lets see how it pans out!
Investing all your hope in one player is an exercise in futility, especially one with his limited team game!
Scotland the new Turkey.
Within the over the top hype from Scotland’s victory over Macedonia was a little side issue around the booking received by James McFadden. You may be aware that the Scottish FA has one of its number as a UEFA Vice- President, and this influence was clear to see in the Eduardo fiasco. Those with long memories might recall how any issues involving Turkish clubs or the national team got brushed under the carpet when that post was held by one of their number. Scotland have clearly decided to follow the Turkish precedent, that is the only explanation for their attempt to have McFadden’s booking overturned so he could play against Holland!
Not withstanding the feeling of irritation Everton and Birmingham City fans must feel seeing a player with a massive inconsistent streak lauded as the main man, the real issue is this, if McFadden doesn’t race into a pushing match, if he doesn’t shove an opponent in the chest then the prospect of “mistaken identity” is low. The reality is he and Scotland have no case and the sooner they resign themselves to that the better for their vital qualifier on Wednesday.
The integrity of the game is too important for differential disciplinary processes and Scotland, as a pioneer of the sport should know this!
So what exactly can you do?
Sometimes a story just depresses you beyond belief. One such occurrence is the news that Bedfordshire Police have insisted on the Luton Town v York City game scheduled for 19/09/09 be cancelled indefinitely because some right-wing numpties are threatening to hold an illegal march in the town that day. Now i could understand it if they had moved the game to Friday or Sunday but to demand it doesn’t take place at all is a very bad precedent indeed. Why should Luton’s cash-flow suffer, what is so dangerous about less than 100 York City fans making the trip (which is about 50 more than is likely to attend the march)? It’s pathetic, it’s more than pathetic it’s a national disgrace!
Now if I’m not mistaken both the Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police have a close by sizeable force. Would it be beyond the wit of the Home Secretary to have the march policed by those experts in riot containment the City of London force (who tend to have little to do most weekends)? 25 years ago the Government seemed able to move police around the country in the cause of crushing a legitimate strike but now they can’t handle a small bunch of bigots and Esther Rantzen fans? Heres an idea, police the game and leave the ragbag of racists to the communities they think they can intimidate, should be an interesting outcome! If Bedfordshire and the rest of the Police Authorities can’t deal with this without curtailing lawful sport then heads need to roll!
You can’t defend people from incitement by shutting down normal life, Police take enough off football clubs as it is without actions like this!
