2010/11: ECQ Group G – England v Switzerland (Wembley)

Sometimes you just know with England that it is not going to be easy. You get that sick feeling in the gut. A leisurely late afternoon on a sunny Saturday sat on the sofa in front of the television should have ensued for me as England took on Switzerland at Wembley, but it just wasn’t to be. Yet again it was one of those occasions when watching the national team is a disappointment.

After the tempo England displayed in their last fixtures against Ghana and Wales, you hoped that a ‘same again’ approach would be evident in securing the three points. However, it was obvious from the opening exchanges that this was not to be. The young Swiss team buzzed around and the English played short passes to each other, often without pace and usually in a backward direction. My stomach ached after 32 minutes as a floated free-kick from Barnetta eluded first Ferdinand and left Hart diving in vain as the ball crept in. A knife was twisted further into the gut just three minutes later as the two-man wall of Walcott and Wilshere parted to allow another Barnetta free-kick to embarrass Hart at his near post. A crazy five minutes was completed when Wilshire driving forward, was brought down by Djourou. Lampard put in the resulting penalty to become England’s leading scorer from the spot and put the Lions back in the game. 2-1 down at half-time, things could only get better – couldn’t they?

Well it all started so well. Ashley Young replaced Lampard for the second half and within six minutes the Villa man had levelled with a crisp finish. However, that really was about it for England. Having got back into the game, the fizz went out of the home team and they reverted to the lacklustre display of the first half. Having said that, Darren Bent had a fantastic chance to win the game but lazily blazed over the bar. As the final ten minutes were played out, the Swiss kept hold of the ball and England looked devoid of ideas once more. In the final minute of time added on Downing had a chance to win it, but only found the side netting. In truth that would have been cruel on Switzerland. England now look nervously to the evening game in Montenegro, where if the home team beat Bulgaria they will lead Group G by two points and leave England once more having work to do to qualify for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.

As if the 2-2 draw wasn’t enough to endure, there was then the post match Capello interview. Three years of the Italian and interviews which are still senseless and on the occasions of a poor result, full of excuses. Gabriel Clarke pounced on the limp offering from Capello that the England players were tired, with a riposte that the Swiss players didn’t looked tired and that if we qualify, twelve months hence the issue of “tiredness” does not bode well for England. As ever, more incomprehensible words from the England manager and the moment was gone. On the box, “Britain’s Got Talent” Final was up next. What had gone before had shown, England currently doesn’t have talent.

Category: Football Features, UEFA 2012 Euro Championship | LEAVE A COMMENT

2010/11: ECQ Group G – Wales v England (Cardiff)

If I’m watching England, then to be honest it is usually a nerve-wracking experience. However on Saturday I have to say that just didn’t happen. Wales losing Gareth Bale from a side lacking top class players helped England’s cause and probably helped ease my mind. Despite all the passion of the home fans in Cardiff, there didn’t appear to be a whiff of an upset as the Welsh team belted out their anthem and the English, mumbled or ignored theirs.

Yes, two goals in the first fifteen minutes effectively killed off the game and thereafter England were pretty comfortable throughout the ninety minutes. The reality is though that England were up against the side bottom of the Qualifying Group, who had lost their previous three fixtures. A couple of things made me chuckle though during the game. Both the individuals concerned continue to demonstrate their complete lack of intelligence on a football field. Step forward Craig Bellamy of Wales, who was obviously attempting to rewrite Shakespeare’s Henry IV with a poor impersonation of Owen Glendower, by snapping at everything in a white shirt, but to little effect. Equally clueless was England’s very own court jester, Rooney, who with the game won, carried out not one but two unnecessary tackles in less than a minute, to earn himself a booking. Plus ça change.

So the half-way mark of the Qualifiers and England sit top of the class with the other Group leaders, Germany, Slovakia, Italy, France, Netherlands, Greece, Norway and Spain. Wales under new head-boy Gary Speed (what were the Welsh FA thinking when they appointed him), sit in the corner with the dunces hat and bottom of the class with other Group basement dwellers, Kazakhstan, Andorra, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, San Marino, Malta, Iceland and Liechtenstein, with a collective total of 3 points between them all. The Welsh dragon is a creature currently unable to breath fire and in reality gasping for breath. John Charles must be spinning in his grave.

Category: Football Features, UEFA 2012 Euro Championship | LEAVE A COMMENT

DisRepute – Revie’s England by Robert Endeacott

The true story of Don Revie’s three years as England manager, 1974 – 1977; the follow-up to Dirty Leeds.

July 1974, Don Revie leaves Leeds United to take over the England job from the sacked Sir Alf Ramsey. The departure upsets many Leeds people, he is The Don after all, while his England appointment is not exactly met with universal approval either. Already with enemies within the Football Association, the Football League, the game itself and of course the media, he needs to win over a lot of people, and quickly. Undaunted, he vows to restore the nation’s team to its former heights as well as win over all the doubters and the cynics. But it doesn’t take long for him to realise that there might be too many obstacles in his way to achieve the success he craves, and he can only look on helplessly as his beloved Leeds United slides alarmingly too.

Seemingly forever maligned as being too ‘professional’ and obsessed with money, Revie learns that two reasons for England’s downfall have been the lack of professionalism and the mismanagement of the sport by its penny-pinching and not entirely honest rulers.

Numerous reports and theories abound about Revie’s time as England manager: the players he selected or dropped, the tactics, the dossiers, money, why he resigned and if he was pushed, and the ‘deceitful’ manner of his leaving. DisRepute addresses the myths and rumours and allegations, to paint a clearer, more honest picture. Truth is stranger than football!

The main storyline of the book consists of the trials and tribulations endured by Revie’s England from 1974 to 1977, the High Court in 1979 is revisited too to recount Revie’s appeal case against the FA after their 10-year ban on him from club management after he walked out on England. Revie won the appeal case but took a harsh and unjust verbal beating from the judge nonetheless.

Working from numerous books and biographies, as well as (more importantly) previously unpublished notes written by Don Revie and Les Cocker, DisRepute – Revie’s England tells the truth about his exit from Leeds, his time as England boss and his departure to take charge of the United Arab Emirates national team. The story, which is told from Jimmy O’Rourke’s perspective, sets records straight, corrects myths and rumours and puts right certain ‘selective memories’.

Book details

DisRepute – Revie’s England

Robert Endeacott

ISBN: 9781907183027

Tonto Books

Category: Reviews | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 1 day to decision

Given all the controversy surrounding the media and the England 2018 Bid it is easy to forget that tomorrow FIFA also decide on who is hosting the 2022 World Cup. Today the five Bidding countries make their final presentations to the FIFA Executive Committee. These 30 minute slots are the last chance to impress and capture the necessary votes. Australia are first up, followed by South Korea, Qatar and USA, with Japan the final country to present.

From a purely personal viewpoint, I’d like to see Australia get the nod. It would meet FIFA’s desire of taking the Finals to new countries and would be a reward for all the strides the Aussies have taken in developing their domestic League (A-League). The national team are no strangers to the world stage and have played in three World Cup Finals; 1974 (West Germany), 2006 (Germany) and 2010 (South Africa). Australia has a fantastic sporting tradition and is a sports-mad nation, given this, the Aussies would put on a real show and be a perfect host for 2022.

The bookies however are tipping Qatar as favourites, followed by Australia and USA. Qatar have lined up an impressive array of Ambassadors for their Bid including, French World Cup winning captain Zinedine Zidane, Saudi Arabian striker Sami Al-Jaber, who played in the 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups and was the first Saudi player in England when he made a handful of appearances for Wolves. Others pressing the claims of the Qatar Bid include Argentinean legend Gabriel Batistuta, Netherlands star Ronald de Boer (who has played in Qatar), Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, Cameroon icon Roger Milla and Bora Milutinovic who coached five different teams to five consecutive World Cups,  Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica in 1990, USA in 1994, Nigeria in 1998 and China in 2002.

To rip-off a song used by cricket fans Down-Under, “C’mon Aussies, C’mon, C’mon” As an Englishman I never thought I’d hear myself say that.

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 3 days to decision

Tonight the BBC does its bit to support the England 2018 World Cup Bid with a Panorama programme titled, “FIFA’s Dirty Secrets”. This obviously in-depth 29 minute masterpiece of journalism, “…investigates corruption allegations against some of the FIFA officials who will vote on England’s World Cup bid. Reporter Andrew Jennings exposes new evidence of bribery, and accuses some executives of taking kickbacks. He also uncovers the secret agreements that could guarantee FIFA a financial bonanza if England hosts the World Cup…”

Now will the producers be gathering last minutes facts and interviews before a last ditch edit to ensure the programme goes out at 20:30? Of course not. This piece of work from the Panorama will have long been in the can and ready to show. Why if this programme is as the BBC say, so necessary for the public interest, was it not transmitted before now? The reason, pure and simple, is about the egos within the Panorama team and the BBC wanting the programme to have maximum exposure and controversy, so will put it out just 3 days before the FIFA decision.

If the BBC is so concerned about the publics moral welfare, why didn’t they submit their “evidence” along with the Sunday Times expose to FIFA at the recent Ethics Committee hearing in Zurich? Simple, they want their own slice of the action. It’s rather like a witness withholding evidence until a time that benefits them. The other alternative is that the programme doesn’t actually hold water so has nothing to say based on fact and instead the audience will be treated to less than half an hour of suggestion, speculation, hearsay, coincidence, rumours and assumptions.

Events such the FIFA World Cup are protected under the terms of Independent Television Committee Code on Sports and Other Listed Events. This seeks to ensure that listed events are available to watch on free-to-air channels. For the 2010 World Cup in South Africa ITV and BBC shared the UK coverage.

Whether or not England is successful on Thursday, how wonderful would it be if the Government decided that from 2014 sporting rights for the listed events had to be bid for by ITV, BBC, Channel 4 and Five. The Bid would be to gain a contract to share the listed events for the next 20 years. Let’s see how the BBC would enjoy having their Bid put under scrutiny and damaging articles about the BBC’s Senior Managers and Sports departments spread all over the media just days before the contract is awarded.

As France found out in South Africa, after their controversial World Cup Play-Off win over Ireland – what goes around comes around. Who knows what is ahead for the BBC?

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 4 days to decision

Very much calm before the storm – in the case of the England 2018 Bid Team, a storm of two halves. The first of these is the BBC Panorama programme tomorrow night and the second, Decision Day itself on Thursday.

In these quiet moments before then, the Bid Team should perhaps think of the FIFA 2018 World Cup as the another piece in an amazing decade to come for sport in this country. England has in the next few years an outstanding sporting calendar to feast upon.

Next year in 2012 the Olympics returns to London after a 64 year gap. The capital first held the event in 1908 and was awarded the games in 1944, but with the Second World War raging they never took place and instead in 1948 London hosted the Games of the XIV Olympiad.

In 2013 the Rugby League World Cup returns to these shores for the fifth occasion. Previous tournaments took place here in 1960, 1970, 1995 and 2000. The 1992 Final was also played at Wembley, although the Qualifying games took place around the world over a three year period.

Just two years later in 2015, the Rugby Union World will be on English soil. England was the designated host back in 1991, although the tournamnet was spead around the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In 1999 Wales hosted the event and as with 1991 the fixtures were played in the rest of the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. The intention for 2015 is that virtually all games will be in England, with the Millennium Stadium in Wales being the exception.

If fate decides then 2018 would see the FIFA World Cup in England after 52 years and the sporting decade would be rounded off with the Cricket World Cup in 2019. England hosted the first three World Cups (1975, 1979 and 1983) and then again in 1999. So will be back in England after a 20 year absence.

The message to the FIFA Executives is clear; this is a country that has successfully bid for hosting the bigest sporting events on the planet in the coming decade. That is not a coincidence but credit to this country, its sporting bodies and the fanatical sporting public. It is time to bring the 21st FIFA World Cup back to “The Home of Football”.

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 5 days to decision

Well is this a World Cup winning line-up? Does it contain enough influence to sway the FIFA Executive Members come 02 December? Each Bid is allowed 30 members and the England delegation is as follows:

HRH Prince William of Wales (FA President)

Rt Hon David Cameron, (Prime Minister)

David Beckham (Vice-President, England 2018)

Andy Anson (England 2018 Chief Executive)

David Dein (International President, England 2018)

Eddie Afekafe (Ambassador, England 2018)

Lord Coe (England 2018Board Member)

Roger Burden (acting FA Chairman)

Richard Scudamore (Premier League Chief Executive)

Greg Clarke (Football League Chairman)

Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt (Secretary of State Culture, Media Sport & Olympics)

Paul Elliott (England 2018 Board Member)

Lord Mawhinney (England 2018 Board Member)

Andy Cole (Football Ambassador)

Rt Hon Hugh Robertson (Minister for Sport)

Sir Bobby Charlton (Football Ambassador)

Fabio Capello (England Manager)

John Barnes (Football Ambassador)

Alan Shearer (Football Ambassador)

Gary Lineker (Football Ambassador)

Kadra Ege (Legacy Ambassador)

Boris Johnson (Mayor of London)

The remaining eight places within the 30-man delegation are taken by support and technical staff from the England 2018 Bid Team.

Most of the names are well known, but there are a couple which may be unfamiliar. Kadra Ege, is the founder of Brent Ladies FC. This is a community based youth organisation using sports and education to engage young people and support them in developing projects which benefit the community. The over-arching aim of the club is fundamentally to raise awareness of issues facing youth today including inequality, discrimination and crime and to empower and encourage positive change in their lives. Eddie Afekafe works for Manchester City’s football in the Community Programme and is heavily involved in the Premier League’s Kickz programme that provides opportunities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get involved in sport.

Both of these people have been at the forefront of promoting the England 2018 Bids International Legacy Plans. Legacy, (i.e. what social, economic etc benefits a World Cup leaves and stimulates after the competition has ended), is a key target of FIFA in the award of the tournament.

Let’s hope the legacy of the 30 England’s delegates is the first World Cup on English soil for 52 years.

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 6 days to decision

The news that the South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL) have pledged their 3 votes to the Spain/Portugal Bid should not come as any great surprise, considering the historical and cultural links between the respective countries. Indeed the Iberian Bid team are in bullish mood, with the Spain/Portugal Chief Executive Miguel Angel Lopez confidently claiming they had 8 of the 22 votes.

With the Nigerian and Tahitian members banned from voting the 22 remaining votes are spread as follows:

Continent Organisation

Votes
Asia AFC

4
Central Africa CAF

3
Europe UEFA

8
North & Central America and Caribbean CONCACAF

3
South America CONMEBOL

3
Sepp Blatter FIFA President

1

 The method used to elect the successful Host Nation will be via the Exhaustive Ballot. In the Exhaustive Ballot each FIFA member casts a single vote for the candidate bid of their choice. However, if no nation receives an absolute majority of votes (in this case 12) then the bid with the fewest votes is eliminated and a further round of voting occurs. This process is repeated for as many rounds as necessary until one candidate has a majority. Sepp Blatter has a vote, with the FIFA President also having the casting vote in the event of a tie.

In this scenario a candidate who has the most votes in the first round does not necessarily win through. The trick is to avoid elimination and then pick up the votes of the nation just eliminated as the rounds of voting continue. To try and work out the numerous permutations of voting and the number of rounds it may take is a fruitless exercise in speculation.

This time next week, the England 2018 Bid Team will be waking up to face the morning after the night before. Hopefully they don’t awake to the sight of champagne still on ice.

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 8 days to decision

Just a teenager by a few of months, I remember with affection England winning the World Cup in 1966. For those not old enough to recall it, sorry, but it really was a special day and I shared in the nation’s joy on that sunny afternoon in late July. Our family holiday had taken us down to Perranporth and, sitting in the hotel lounge, we watched the Wembley drama unfold. Winning the Rugby Union World Cup pales into nothingness in comparison, despite all the media hype. That day gripped the whole nation, not just sections of it. As the game built to its extra time conclusion, so the crowd in the lounge grew. The chefs quit the kitchen to watch the compelling final minutes and, after we had won, people were so happy that there were hardly any complaints about our meals not being ready as a consequence. The tv audience was 32,300,000 (the biggest one ever, being two thirds of the total population) but I’m sure they forgot to count our chefs.

Reading the papers the next day was wonderful as each one celebrated that never-before or since event. The triumph lifted everybody, whilst beating a good, strong team and our traditional rivals West Germany made it even sweeter. Mind you, it is a long time ago now.

But all of those memories have made me yearn for the World Cup to return to England and I can’t believe it hasn’t happened yet. Both Mexico and Germany have hosted two since then, France have had two altogether and Brazil are lining up their second. Therefore, it is not unreasonable for the Home of Football to want a second turn – even if it seems tied in with the notion that that is perhaps our only way of winning it again. Sadly, that desire to host has been frustrated many times over the years, however, and if England fail this time, the next possible year will be 2026. 60 years since ’66 and there are no guarantees even then.

I have a great deal of sympathy for all the people who have been part of the 2018 England Bid. So much work has been put in that it will be galling if it is ultimately to no avail. But that must be true for people in the other bidding countries; Belgium & Netherlands, Russia, Portugal & Spain. And this is where I find the whole business unpalatable. There is something wrong with a system that encourages people to spend millions of pounds fruitlessly. I know that much of the stadium redevelopment will only happen if England’s bid is successful and yet an enormous amount of preparatory work has had to be done anyway. A winning bid will probably make it worthwhile but how can FIFA allow so many countries to spend so much? Isn’t there supposed to have been a global economic downturn? Maybe FIFA are from the Lord Young School of Economics?

Once I start to think about the bid and the voting process, I really begin to feel uncomfortable about the whole thing. People bang on about carbon footprints, global warming, saving the planet and so on, and yet bidders are jetting here there and everywhere, carrying wonderful gifts, making sparkling Powerpoint presentations and giving out plenty of free key rings in order to woo some very ordinary people into voting their way.

Most of me still hopes England’s bid is successful but, in the end, I wish FIFA had cut out all the fuss and printed a list saying ‘Here are the World Cup venues for the next forty years.’ And that England realised the best way to win it again is for the team to play the best football.   

 

Author: Graeme Garvey

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT

World Cup 2018 – 9 days to decision

The reality is that this time next week the BBC Panorama programme into FIFA will have been aired and the England 2018 Bid team will be trying desperately to deal with the repercussions. Panorama have been here before with this subject matter with Jack Warner coming under the spotlight previously.

Jack Warner is currently the Trinidad and Tobago football executive, FIFA Vice-President and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean  Association Football) President. His first brush with Panorama came when Warner was accused of corruption for repeatedly taking advantage of his position for financial gain. FIFA’s auditors, Ernst & Young, estimated that his family made a profit of at least $1 million from reselling 2006 World Cup tickets that Warner had ordered. Minutes of FIFA’s Executive Committee show that a fine of almost $1 million, equal to the expected profiteering, was imposed on the family.

Of the impending Panorama programme due to be screened on 29 November, the CONCACAF President has said it was “…deliberately designed to negatively impact…” on England’s bid and claims the programme is nothing more than “…a personal vendetta…”.

The England Bid team are aware that Warner holds the key to three votes which could be crucial to their chances of winning the 2018 decision. Previously, Warner was critical of the England Bid and caused controversy when he said  that “…England invented the sport but has never made any impact on world football…” he added that, “…for Europe, England is an irritant…”, and that “…nobody in Europe likes England…”. However, he has since been seen as an advocate of the English Bid. Indeed England have courted Warner over the last few years. In June 2008 England played Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain and as recently as this September this year, David Beckham was in Macoya (Trinidad) coaching youngsters and pressing the claims of the England 2018 Bid with Warner. This month too has seen more attempts to secure Warner’s support as Prime Minister David Cameron invited the CONCACAF President to lunch.

However, the Bid team know that they have to do more than focus on Jack Warner to ensure they get the 12 votes necessary and as the clock ticks down to decision day England 2018 representatives are out around the world. This week the Bid team is in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion staging a safety and security seminar at the home of CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) as part of its campaign to gain support from their FIFA Executive Committee members. Elsewhere, David Dein, the former Arsenal and FA vice-chairman, travels to Rio de Janeiro for informal meetings with FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Brazil’s FIFA member Ricardo Terra Teixeira. Finally, England 2018 chairman Geoff Thompson, Chief Executive Andy Anson and Ambassador Paul Elliott will travel to Kuala Lumpur with Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, to see the four Asian members of the FIFA Executive Committee.

Gentleman good luck, the hopes of the nations bid rest with you.

Category: World Cup 2018 Decision Countdown | LEAVE A COMMENT