Chelmsford Becomes A City
It has just been announced that Chelmsford is to become a city.
It’s funny but the football club has always been Chelmsford City.
Rangers Launch Fans Fighting Fund
It has been reported on the BBC, that Rangers have launched a Fans Fighting fund.
I thought, that was what they did anyway!
At least they’ll go down fighting!
Harry versus Stuart
It would appear that the next England manager is still not any closer yet.
In the last two weeks, Spurs under Harry, have lost both to Arsenal and Manchester United.
England under Stuart Pearce, just lost to Dutch, by the odd goal in five. On the other hand his Under-21 side did beat the Belgians easily.
So perhaps Stuart won the last two weeks on points!
But if you think, England are in a mess, just look at Chelski!
What It Is About Stuart?
Broad, Lancaster and Pearce
Can we have ever had three England captains or managers with the same first name?
It Could Have Had A Fairy-Tale Ending, But It Didn’t!
Today, Spurs drew 0-0 with Stevenage in the Cup.
Stevenage’s caption was one Ronnie Henry, who just happens to be the grandson of Ron Henry, who was in Spurs, double side of 1960-61 and probably played for them in February 1962. I saw him play probably near to 100 times.
Ronnie Henry played right full-back today for Stevenage, whereas his grandfather always played left full-back.
I thought at one point that Ronnie was going to do what his grandfather did a few times. As the match neared conclusion, he moved forward and sent over a well-aimed cross, which didn’t come to anything. I seem to remember quite a few of Ron’s crosses leading to goals, but then he had better target men in the middle than Stevenage did. Ron, in fact only ever scored one goal, but it was against Manchester United to win the game. A Spurs corner had been part cleared and the ball bounced out to Ron, instead of redirecting it back in, decided to go for goal. It went straight-in like the proverbial bullet. If there was one player who should have shot more often, it was Ron Henry, but he was a very steady and unspectaculr player and he probably felt defending was his responsibility in the game.
He did nearly score on one other occasion, when Spurs were something like three up and could not be beaten, when he did a mazy dribble into the penalty area only to be upended by the defence. He was mobbed by his team mates and almost dragged towards the penalty spot, but still he could not be persuaded to take the penalty kick to get the second goal he never got.
I’m afraid they don’t make players like Ron Henry any more!
The Netherlands May Yet Win the 1978 World Cup
The Times has a small piece about how the military governments of Peru and Argentina stitched up the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina.
Search the Internet and there’s this article in the Buenos Aires Herald.
Here’s an extract.
The news is that FIFA, soccer’s world body, could annul Argentina’s 1978 World Cup victory. That may be putting it too harshly, but they are focusing on Argentina’s arranged 6-0 victory against Peru in the semifinal group to reach the final and keep out Brazil.
The report states evidence from Peru’s goalkeeper in that match, Argentine-born Ramón Quiroga — originally the main suspect — that a lot of his players played below form, not the strongest team was picked and the defence “did not stop anything”, that then military government president, General Jorge Videla was in Peru’s changing room talking to several players before the match and that a former Peruvian senator, Genaro Ledesma Izquieta, a political prisoner in Argentina at the time, said he was going to be freed if Argentina scored at least four goals more than Peru.
Whether FIFA will act thirty-four years later is a very awkward question. On the other hand, it was posted on an Argentinian website.
According to the report, FIFA is also annoyed that they have named their football championship after the General Belgrano.
But FIFA has also asked the Argentine FA (AFA) why the current closing tournament has been named after an Argentine navy ship (Crucero General Belgrano) sunk by the British during the 1982 Malvinas War. This could be sanctioned under FIFA statutes which forbid any political significance of tournament names. The name was “suggested” by the Argentine government which pays for the TV rights of soccer matches under the “Free soccer for all” programme which could also be looked on as government interference.
The AFA (and/or the government) however has decided to continue to use the ship’s name for the current tournament. What has, and will save Argentina from possible sanctions is that AFA chief Julio Grondona is FIFA’s first vice-president and is close to President Joseph Blatter.
I think the Falklands are the least of the Argentinian President’s problems. I suspect that the average Argentinian might like the Falklands oil, but take away free football on television and the riot would be extremely large.
Chelsea in a Pickle
Chelsea’s pickle is not financial, but the sort of problem you get when everybody tries to pull in different ways. It’s described here on the BBC.
I would think that working for Roman Abramovitch must be difficult in any capacity., from a gateman and a tea lady upwards.
I certainly think that unless something remarkable happens, Andre Villas-Boas doesn’t have long left at Stamford Bridge.
Rangers in a Pickle
Glasgow Rangers went into administration yesterday and it looks more than your average mess, if you read this article on the BBC.
If you read the comments in the BBC article, they are blaming everybody.
I suppose that as it’s the HMRC that has caused the club to go into aministration, then the UK government will get the blame.
Is the Glasgow Premier League Going to Get Smaller?
It has been reported this afternoon that Glasgow Rangers may be going into Administration, so if they did, it would affectively leave Glasgow Celtic as the only major club in Glasgow.
So does this mean the end for Rangers?
The major creditor is reported to be HMRC, who lately have demanded their money.
But whatever happens they’ll get a ten-point deduction, just as Portsmouth will in England, who’ve also gone into administration.
It is also been reported that Celtic’s Chief Executive is not worried if Rangers folds. That in my view is not a very charitable altitude.
The BBC’s North-Western Bias
I listened to all of the BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast Show this morning. Only one of the Premier League matches was mentioned; Manchester United v Liverpool.
You’d have thought no other matches were being played!
The only other match mentioned was Crystal Palace v Doncaster because it had been called off.
So let’s hope no north-western team wins anything this year!
The Anonymous Widower 