Things that make you go Hmmm . . .

There are many things that make you crazy. Things that drive you to talk and act in a way that is totally different from how you’d normally approach everyday life. Certain subjects bring out the beast in you! Fox hunting polarizes public opinion. Once upon a time The Rolling Stones were subject matter in the House of Commons. They still do when the subject of music crops up. Should they still be touring, making records, how is Keith still alive?! (If you read his excellent autobiography you’ll have a better idea!) One more subject comes to mind – Manchester United!

You either love the team or hate them. When players play for Manchester United you either think they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread or the biggest pain in the butt going. I was reminded of how the team that Linda and I love splits the football-loving nation straight down the middle the other weekend whilst walking from Antrobus Street car park with my lovely wife.

We were minding our own business when a man who I’d never met suddenly blurted out “What about that Rooney, eh? What a bloody fool!” Here we go again I thought, it’s time to dust down my tin helmet and be ready for the ABU (Anybody but United) flak!

Wayne Rooney had been sent off playing for England the previous night. He lashed out at a player and kicked him. It was silly and he deserved to go off. He got a three match ban from UEFA. I just hope that England for once do themselves justice and get through the group stages in the finals next year because if they don’t, you can be sure United’s loveable Scouse rogue will get the blame. You know why – because he plays for Manchester United and happens to be the most skillful player this country has produced since Paul Gascoigne. Funny how the hopes of a nation rest on one player . . . football is a team game played by eleven people isn’t it?

Manchester United fans, of which I am one of them, have seen players suffer in one way shape or form for many years. Steve Coppell, the right-winger signed by Tommy Docherty for £40,000 in 1975, severely injured his right knee playing for England in 1981 during a World Cup qualifier against Hungary. A career finished – at 28.

The 1990’s saw media coverage explode with the advent of the Premier League. The World Cup in Italy in 1990 helped as well. The game suddenly became the subject of the “chattering classes” in the coffee bars as well as the pubs. The first season of the Premier League saw the arrival in Manchester of a Frenchman who would leave his mark on the game and an abusive Crystal Palace fan! I refer to my hero, Eric Cantona.

One of the most charismatic players I have ever had the pleasure of watching play, I first saw him play in September 1992 in the white of Leeds United, our hated rivals. Here, the fickleness of fans was rammed home to me.  In the red of United it was “Ooh, aah, Cantona!” However, in the white of Leeds United it was “F@#k off Cantona, I said F@#k off Cantona!”

 Little did those fans who were hurling that abuse realize that a few months later the start of a glorious four and half year era was about to begin. It was the start of United’s rock and roll era!

Skillful stylish and charismatic, Eric brought a freshness to United’s play. A swagger, maybe symbolic of the “Hollywood” image of the club, was personified in the Frenchman. Trophies started to arrive. 1995 was to be a pivotal year for Eric. It was the year when, in my humble opinion, the Football Association finally had their chance to go after Eric and United.

The incident at Selhurst Park, South East London, on 25^th January 1995, has been well documented. United had struggled on a bad surface against Crystal Palace. A 1-1 draw, with the benefit of hindsight, probably cost us the League. We lost the League by 1 point that year.

Eric’s game had suffered. His usual slick passing game wasn’t as good as normal. Being the big star, he was the primary target for Richard Shaw, their defender, to be upset. His plan worked to perfection. Constant niggles from Mr. Shaw culminated in Eric lashing out at him. Eric got his marching orders and was sent-off. The vultures in the crowd saw their moment to pounce, especially one Matthew Simmonds.

This “fan” ran down the stairs in that stand and started giving Eric all kinds of abuse. Now, here’s where the cultural differences kicked in. Here in England the word “bastard” has been almost sanitized. It doesn’t have anywhere near the level of seriousness it does in Europe. Over there its literal meaning still has some gravitas! Eric had had enough. To be sent off is bad enough, but to criticize your Mother and question her integrity . . . well, a karate-kick is deserved!  

It was a sensational moment. It was shown on TV dozens of times. United acted quickly and consequently suspended Eric within 24 hours of the incident. Eric would not play again that season. Here’s where the F.A. stuck their nose in.

They wanted Eric banned for a further month. They wanted him banned from all football activity. He couldn’t even play in a practice match. For some reason, even now, sixteen years on, the words “restraint of trade” comes into my mind. Eric decided to quit. It wasn’t until a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson in a quiet restaurant in Paris that summer that Manchester United fans were guaranteed and reassured that their star player would return. He did, and we had a couple of wonderful years with Eric captaining a side that contained youngsters by the name of Scholes, Neville and a young Londoner called Beckham . . . more of him later!

Having lived in the United States for five years, I’m well aware that a good conspiracy theory is well appreciated. One of the top men during the 1990’s at the FA was a man by the name of Brian Barwood.  Once head of BBC Sport, he famously told Greg Dyke, a fellow BBC big-wig (who happened to be a big Manchester United fan and a one-time director)   that if he had any say Manchester United would never be BBC’s “Team of The Year”. It was only when the Reds had won the League, the F.A.Cup and the European Cup during that celebrated season of 1998-1999 that the BBC were able to announce that we were “Team of The Year”.   Now I’m sure you’re wondering why the conspiracy theory allegations? Well, dear reader, the head of BBC Sport was a Liverpudlian who supported Liverpool . . . as the Americans say “I’m just saying!” 

That famous year saw Manchester United fans take David Beckham into their bosom and cradle him from the marauding hordes of away fans. He’d been a blossoming star at United for a couple of years, becoming the Cockney Red “of whom we are so proud” (Pete Boyle’s words) and gaining fame and notoriety with his skill and liking for spectacular goals, most notably the goal I witnessed at Selhurst Park in August 1996 when he scored from just inside his own half. It was a beautiful goal – Eric said so!

Anyhow, let’s get back to 1998. David got sent-off playing for England in the World Cup against Argentina.  England played valiantly for over an hour with ten men. England had a goal disallowed because of a foul on the goalkeeper. People missed penalties and eventually England lost yet who got the blame for the defeat? David Beckham.

The treatment dished out to him was disgusting. So-called reputable newspapers, papers that campaign for justice and proclaim to have the nation’s interests at heart should have been closed down. Papers like The Daily Mirror, who printed a dart board with David’s face on it, were the same papers who three years later were proclaiming him a savior when his specialist free kick skills saved England’s back side and got England into the 2002 World Cup Finals.

Two years later in the2000 European Championships David was the subject of vile abuse from England fans. He was pictured giving the fans the finger when he was subjected to abuse that went beyond “banter”; chants of “hope your kid gets cancer” make you wonder why he continued to play for England as long as he did. Well done to Kevin Keegan, the manager at the time, for highlighting this disgraceful abuse.

David’s foot was the subject of front page headlines when he injured a metatarsal playing for United. These papers are a hypocritical disgrace.  “Pray for David’s foot” and other such rubbish filled the pages of the tabloid papers for weeks, eagerly read by the idiots who were only too willing to hurl abuse when it suited them. One day they’ll realize that England haven’t been world beaters for many a long year and that before long we’ll be having a World Cup/European Championship song like the Scots had . . . “Don’t Come Home Too Soon!” (For the record, it was sung by Del Amitri – great band, saw them once in Manchester!)

David did eventually get fit in time to take some part in the World Cup that year. He scored the winner against Argentina - from a penalty no less. Everybody was happy. There were quite a few Manchester United players in that World Cup squad. They used to get booed.  Why – because of the team they played for. No wonder fans at Old Trafford used to sing a song that went like this (to the tune of “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain”) “You Can Stick Your F@#king England up Your Arse!!!!”  For the entire media circus that still accompanies David Beckham, I’ll always be a supporter of David’s. He’s a genuine, hard-working player who loves Manchester United.

Talking of Manchester United players from the capital city, Rio Ferdinand walked into a hurricane made by the Football Association in 2002. He forgot to go to a drugs test. The F.A. wanted the manager of the England team to not pick him. His team mates were on the verge of going on strike in protest. The ring leaders were Gary Neville and David Beckham. So, why the fuss you ask?

Under F.A. rules players were supposed to be guaranteed anonymity on cases of such severity until a verdict had been reached. The F.A., under the ruling of Chief Executive Mark Palios, a Liverpudlian ex Tranmere Rovers centre half, were going to clean up football’s image. Rio walked head first into a storm.  He was banned for nine months and fined £50,000. No anonymity, just a big fine and loads of publicity. The F.A. was grinning from ear to ear.

Now, Manchester United fans were outraged to say the least. It seemed another case of one rule for United, another for the rest. What made it particularly galling was the fact that it emerged in the press that a Manchester City player had committed the same “crime” and was only fined £2000 and had all the anonymity you could want! He couldn’t have asked for more anonymity if he’d ticked the box when doing the lottery!

You know, what goes around comes around. There’s a saying that goes “empty vessels make the most noise”; well our Liverpudlian friend Mr. Palios was one very empty vessel. It later emerged that the holier than thou Mr. Palios was issuing edicts on such issues whilst sleeping with someone who wasn’t his wife! What made it more intriguing and funny at the same time was the same woman was sleeping with the England manager!

So we come to the present day. Wayne Rooney has even drawn The Guardian, that bastion of respectability, into the debate. “Can Rooney Be Trusted?” or words to that extent. Yes of course he can. He can be trusted to have that extra bit of skill that no England player of his generation has to deliver that killer pass and score that great goal.  Manchester United players who play for their country are no different than players who represent their country and ply their trade with other clubs and should be treated so.

The level of expectation on England teams at tournaments is ridiculous. The sooner fans realize that England don’t automatically have the right to be classed as world beaters and that we have to work hard at generating skillful players who can pass the ball like Spain, the current World and European Champions, the better. It’s time we had the opportunity to celebrate . . . and not counting how many years of hurt it has been – currently it’s 45 and counting.

Cheer your country when they play and don’t have a grudge. When England fans stop having a go at players of my beloved Reds, I’ll stop thinking John Terry is a complete and utter . . . (insert your own expletive!!!) We all want our country to win. Even Manchester United players do, believe me!

Enjoy following football,

Ed

   

“Shirty” – The Wonderful Adventures of a Football Shirt

A timeless classic...the shirt too!

It’s amazing how a simple garment can have such power over a person or a group of people. The simple act of someone wearing something can determine the desires and actions of many. The world of fashion has known this for many years of course. However, the world of football has been equally aware of this for many years as well.

Attending a Congleton Town game last week at Booth Street, when “The Bears” or “Da Bears” as I now know them as (it’s amazing how powerful American popular culture is) were playing Alsager Town,  Linda and I noticed that Town’s number 11 had a different shirt on than the rest of his team mates. It took the referee a few minutes to realize this . . . ah, the joys of non-league football. Once Town was in unison kit-wise, they managed to beat their near neighbours 2-1. It was a good game, full of tension and drama. There were some great tense moments: a penalty save, an injury to Congleton’s excellent keeper which resulted in quite a few minutes of injury time and two well-taken goals scored by the home team. That period of injury time saw an onslaught on Town’s goal. A woman sat across from me had to avert her gaze from the play, so tense was the goal mouth action.

“I can’t look” she said. Evidence, if you needed any, that a fan, someone who feels happiness and pain in equal amounts dependent on the actions of eleven men on that pitch, can be a man or a woman.

There may be some women who watch football just to ogle the players. However, those who go understand the game and can be as vociferous as a man. Just ask my wife! The pictures coming out of Turkey of the Fenerbache game attended by women only are further proof that football is the people’s game, not just the stronghold of men. That game was attended by women, if you didn’t know, as a result of crowd trouble resulting in the club saying that no boys or men were allowed to watch as punishment.  You know it would be a good idea if clubs over here did something to promote more women to watch games.  In my opinion, I think that the more people who watch and care for the game the better. Not all women who follow football are W.AG.S. (This stands for “Wives and Girlfriends” for the uninitiated. These ladies do women a disservice in my opinion. They seem to be with their men just for the glamour that they can buy, courtesy of their men’s grossly over inflated wages.)

Give me an F! No trouble fellers, take note

The other moment during the afternoon at Booth Street that caught my attention was the sight of a happy little lad making his way towards the main stand with his Dad in a Barcelona shirt with “Messi 10” on the back. It was a stark reminder of the power television has over the game. In an interview with the BBC here in the North West, the manager of our little football team, some feller called Ferguson (you might have heard of him!) spoke rather elequently and very truthfully on the power TV has in this country.

"When you shake hands with the devil you have to pay the price," he said, "Television is God at the moment.  It is king.  When you see the fixture lists come out now, they can pick and choose whenever they want the top teams on televisioin."

Why did this little lad have a Barcelona shirt on? According to a copy of Four Four Two magazine I have, the aforementioned shirt costs £54.99! That’s well over $100! In this current economic climate, that’s amazing. Of course that shirt will be out of date at the end of this season when new kits come out. I have become a big fan of “old fashioned” football shirts. The Old Fashioned Football Shirt Company (www.toffs.com) is great for fans who want to wear their team’s colours without being slaves to football fashion.

 Where was the boy’s Manchester United shirt, or his Stoke shirt or, God forbid, a Manchester City or a Chelsea shirt?! Why did he want to have a replica shirt of a team that’s about a thousand miles away? I would have expected to have seen something like this if I was back in the United States with Linda. There, the tribal rivalry is still in its infancy, relatively speaking. It is compared to over here. Over there, loyalties are developed through the ever increasing exposure the game has courtesy of the Fox Soccer Channel, ESPN, and GolTV. There are encouraging signs that the loyalty, the desire to wear the shirt of your team of choice in the MLS, is developing in the right way. Check out the crowd at a Seattle Sounders game if you’re undecided as to how well the game is progressing over there.

So, to see a boy with a Barcelona shirt on was surprising to me. Loyalty to a club is something that is passed on from father (or Mother) to son (or daughter) and on through the generations. Organized league football has been in existence in this country for nearly 130 years. I can only assume that the little boy who pestered his Dad for that Barcelona shirt (this season’s version as well – the one with UNICEF demoted to the back of the shirt and replaced with “Qatar Foundation” on the front) with “Messi 10” on the back has been sucked in by the power of television.

The UEFA Champions League has excellent coverage in the United States. We never missed a game over there.  Fox Soccer Channel’s coverage was really good. For the Final, they flew their people over to Wembley especially for the game that was shown live on Fox nationwide. Over here, Sky Sports and ITV do a good job in promoting the best competition in the world. So maybe that little boy was mesmerized by “Little Lionel” as GolTV’s Ray Hudson might have said. You know, one day I hope that boy goes to a game with a Manchester United shirt on (or whoever he supports).  Mind you, let’s hope an English team can one day produce someone as good as Messi! We can only hope!

Enjoy your football wherever you see it, preferably at a live game . . .

Ed

“And Now On BBC One . . . “

When I was asked to take over Valley Free Radio’s (www.valleyfreeradio.org) soccer show slot in May of 2007 from Carson Cistulli there was only one name I could think to call the show I was inheriting. The show which was on Valley Free Radio at the time was called “Goal! The Soccer Show” and quite frankly the whole name and format of the show didn’t appeal to me. If the show was going to be mine then there would be changes.  The name of the show would pay homage to a highlights show that became a household name in Great Britain – “Match of The Day”

 Now I was of the opinion that I couldn’t use the exact name as that would be cheating! So, seeing how the show was being broadcast in the USA meant that the name would be “Match of The Day the USA Way”.  I knew I always wanted to have a theme tune to my radio show, so what better theme tune than the music that is synonymous in a lot of ways with football. I had theme tunes for the other shows I was involved with (“The Late English Breakfast” www.thelateenglishbreakfast.blogspot.com  and “The Nightclub”) so why not the football show? It certainly made sense to me!  

Why do I reminisce about theme tunes today? Well, last Saturday night I had a trip down memory lane when the continuity announcer on BBC One said “And now on BBC One,highlights of today Premier League action with Gary Lineker on Match of theDay” and cue the music!  

I had looked forward to watching the show all day. You see, for most people of my generation, “Match of the Day” was the main source of football on the television back in the 1970’s. It was part of a stellar line-up of programmes on BBC One back in the day. It was on after 10pm back then, like now, but it was the weekend so I was allowed to stop up to watch!  

It was funny watching the show last Saturday, because deep down, although I was obviously aware that it was 2011 it felt like I was transported back in time to the 1970’s. Although the format of the show has changed dramatically from the halcyon days of the 1970’s, the excitement of the programme starting was just the same.   

Jimmy Hill the presenter of Match of The Day in the 1970's and the man who got on ym Dad's nerves!

Back in the 1970’s there was just two games covered on that show. Even in the 1980’s, when I started going to Old Trafford, if you saw the cameras at the stadium you got that extra sense of excitement knowing that the game you were about to see was going to be “on telly”.  

Live football on television was a rarity in those days. There were a handful of games covered live all season; now there are several each week on Mr. Murdoch’s Sky Sorts channel (which charges £1500 A MONTH –outrageous!). I have to thank the Landlord of the Castle Inn Public House here in Congleton for that fact. I was reminded of a conversation I was involved in several years ago with another Landlord here in Congleton. He said he couldn’t afford to show live football in his pub, but couldn’t afford NOT to. His way round the exorbitant fees charged by Murdoch was to show an Arabic channel’s coverage of the BBC’s coverage of Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur. What made the afternoon more exciting and slightly clandestine was that what we were watching was being viewed illegally!

You see we (my friend Richard and I) were watching the game at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, with, if my memory serves me correctly, the curtains of the pub drawn. In England, it is illegal to show games that kick-off at the traditional 3pm on television. That’s why games that are shown on television live on television live on Sky are known as having being “skyjacked”! We’ve only been back in England for nearly a month so I don’t know if ESPN has its own version of skyjacked yet!  

Not everyone has satellite television. I commend the landlords and landladies who install Sky Sports in their pubs. It takes a lot of courage to be bold enough to spend that much money in the hope of pulling in the punters, especially in this economic climate. It’s a bold move. So, highlights shows that are on free to air channels like the BBC (yes I know there’s the Licence Fee but it’s not a pay per view channel) are essential and play a role in the cultural make-up of this country.  

Thinking back to my time on Valley Free Radio, my co-presenter Tim told Stokes told me that friends of his who were ex-pat Brits were instantly taken back to their childhood when they heard the theme tune to our show. That’s how I felt when I heard that music last Saturday night. Happy Days! 

Enjoy your football wherever you are in the world – it’s still the beautiful game and will always be the people’s game, despite what you see and hear!  

Best Wishes,  

Ed

Match of the Day the USA Way goes on the road to . . . Booth Street Congleton via Foxborough, Massachusetts?!

“It was the third of September, a day I’ll always remember” The Temptations famously sang when warbling about their dad being like a “Rolling Stone”. Well, for me, the 3^rd September 2011 was the day I discovered National Non- League Day back home here in England and that meant a chance to visit the ground where my love of live football began – Booth Street, Congleton, home of Congleton Town Football Club – our version of “Da Bears”. (For the uninitiated, my hometown has the nickname of “Beartown”, a name that relates to the town’s ancient past, when it had a bear for entertainment.)

The premise of “National Non-League Day” was to generate interest in the lower levels of English football. It is a day when fans of the bigger clubs, like yours truly, get the opportunity to go and watch non-league, or semi-professional football. It takes place when there’s an “international break” as was the case this weekend. To add extra spice to the occasion, Congleton Town was playing in the F.A. Cup, the oldest domestic competition in world football. Their opponents were Runcorn Town, a team they had drawn (or tied if you’re reading this in the USA) 2-2 in the League the previous Tuesday.

Booth Street Congleton is a million miles from Foxborough Massachusetts. Let me make that perfectly clear. There was no car parking charge of $40 to contend with on this occasion. Linda and I parked by the side of a nearby street and walked up to the ground.

It cost £6 each to get in. The admission fee is a long way from the exorbitant fees charge by the more glamorous grounds around the world (hello Old Trafford and Gillette Stadium). Once you’d made your way through the turnstiles the programme was the next thing to be bought. The cost of one of these programmes was the princely sum of £1.20. Again, very refreshing from the £3.00 we last paid at Old Trafford three years ago or the $10 we paid in Foxborough (admittedly, that was a very glossy brochure so I’ll let them off on this occasion!)

Hindsight is always 20/20, but maybe things weren’t meant to be when the announcer, when welcoming everyone to the ground, said “Welcome to Booth Street, home of Congleton Town, for this North West Counties League . . . oh, wait a minute, it isn’t a league game, it’s the F.A. Cup isn’t it? Anyway, welcome to our visitors Runcorn Town!”

Could it be possible that it might just be 1989 all over again, when Congleton famously got to the first round proper of the F.A.Cup, the game’s oldest domestic competition, only to be beaten by neighbours Crewe Alexandra? Congleton lost that day by 2-0 to a side that was several divisions higher in the football pyramid. I went to that game and remember it vividly. The score was 0-0 for 70 minutes until Town‘s resistance finally gave way to their near neighbour’s superior fitness. What made that day even more memorable were the commemorative scarves made to celebrate the occasion.

Quality control went missing as the scarves famously said “Congletown Town” on them instead of “Congleton Town”! That rogue “W” was the inspiration for the title of a Congleton Town fanzine I once featured in entitled “What W?” Anyhow, let’s get back into the DeLorean and get back to 2011!

Would the game have a similar outcome to the recent league meeting or would “The Bears” win and continue on the road to Wembley? Sadly the game would prove to be the last Town would play in this season’s F.A.Cup as they lost 6-0. Tragedy struck after 14 minutes when the team’s goalkeeper, making his debut, broke his fibula and tibia.

There has always been a concern over how money is distributed in football in England. The inequality between the top level and the bottom was never more visible than watching the goalkeeper getting treatment for his quite nasty injury. Those of you whose football viewing is limited to the glamour of the Premier League or MLS would be astounded by how limited resources are at the semi-professional level.

It was necessary for an ambulance to be called – no ambulance on standby here; no doubt they couldn’t afford that – don’t blame Congleton in any way shape or form. They did the best they could. It took 45 minutes for the aforementioned ambulance to arrive. I’ve never seen a game held up for that amount of time in nearly 40 years of watching football, but hey, this is the harsh reality of life in the lower leagues. The poor goalkeeper needed morphine and gas and air to ease the pain.

I’m of the opinion that the injury to the goalkeeper had a detrimental effect on the team’s morale. The team that had drawn only 4 days previously looked second best right throughout the game. Runcorn passed the ball better and looked hungrier to win the ball whenever they lost possession. Defensive errors were costly for the home team.

An honourable mention must go to the number 8 for Congleton, Walsh, who battled ferociously for the 90 minutes and looked composed on the ball. Even though his team were getting a “thrashing” his head never went down and he always made himself available to a team mate. Both Linda and I liked the way he played very much.

So, although the result was not the one Linda and I hoped for, it was nice to go to watch Congleton Town again. It was a lovely fresh Saturday afternoon with an autumnal breeze that made it very refreshing after another hot and humid New England summer. Going to a game at a lower level is great because it gives you an understanding of how much it means for people to give up a couple of nights a week to train, because these guys have “day jobs” and then play on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm – the traditional fixture  kick-off time. No games commandeered for satellite TV here my fiends! 

I first watched Congleton Town play back in the 1970’s . . . I think I’ll be going to a game again soon – despite not winning the half-time raffle!

Enjoy your football wherever you watch it,

Ed

  

The Kids Are Alright!

They knew what they were talking about!

Morning all and welcome to another of my blogs about the beautiful game. If this is the first time you've read this blog, well, thank you for finding it and if you've read it before thank you for reading it again! It's a blog that commemorates the time when Valley Free Radio (www.valleyfreeradio.org) had the good sense to keep me happy and broadcast the only radio show about football in the Pioneer Valley here in Massachusetts!

I watched the F.A.Community Shield with my wife Linda at the weekend. It is, if you're unfamiliar with the game, the traditional curtain raiser to the English season. It is competed for by the winner's of last season F.A.Premier League (in this case my beloved Manchester United) and the winner's of last season's F.A.Cup (for the first time since 1969 the noisy neighbours from across town Manchester City).

I'm not going to give you a match report (suffice to say United came back in grand style after being 2-0 down to win by 3-2). What motivates me to write is the fact that for the first time in what seems like ages the youthfulness of Manchester United was evident for all to see.

The team put out by manager Sir Alex Ferguson had an average age of 22. It showed. The players on display, in particular Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Rafael Da Silva, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling (I could have listed the vast percentage of the team) showed an immense desire to chase after the ball, to put in strong challenges. The desire to win was there. Yes Manchester United have won trophy after trophy, but not everyone has the medal haul of Ryan Giggs!

Mentioning Ryan Giggs leads me nicely onto the last time there seemed to be an influx of talented young players permeating their way into the team. I refer tot he now famous "Class of '92".

Ryan is the last man standing still at Old Trafford of that famous group of players. I remember vividly going to Old Trafford on a Friday night in May of 1992 to see United play Crystal Palace in the 2nd leg of the F.A..Youth Cup Final.  It was a lovely sunny evening as I remember, and it was fun and interesting to watch the group of players win the trophy. United won the F.A.Youth Cup with players who later on would become household names, players such as Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and David Beckham.

Here's the "Class of "92" with another trophy!

Manchester United had always put a lot of emphasis on the development of youth. This first started under the guidance of Sir Matt Busby in the 1950's. United had no money after the 2nd World War. The ground was in ruins after being bombed by the Germans.

In keeping with the times, the club decided to develop their own players. Sir Matt (who I once had the pleasure of meeting 25 years ago) knew that the vitality of youth, as long as it was good enough, would shine through. Over the coming years players would be found who would be legends. Their names are still legendary now to any United fan worth his salt. Duncan Edwards, Roger Byrne, David Pegg, Bobby Charlton . . . just a few of the names who were like a breath of fresh air, bringing excitement to football fans all over England with their exhilarating play, much needed in those austere times.

Yet sadly for some their careers were to be painfully short. The plane crash at Munich Airport on Thursday 6th February 1958 cut short the lives of eight players. The oldest - the captain Roger Byrne - a few months shy of his 30th birthday. So tragic.

The Busby Babes pictured together on the 5th February 1958 - the last time they played together

Yet Sir Matt, himself badly injured, remained convinced that youth was the key to success. The 1960's wouldn't see the degree of success for the youth policy as had been previously witnessed, as the club needed time to regroup and had to buy players to augment the staff cruelly decimated. There was one bright light for the youth policy at Old Trafford. One very bright light. His name - George Best.

The club's Irish scout, a man by the name of Bob Bishop, sent Sir Matt a telegram saying "I think I've found you a genius." This was May 1961. Little did they know that for the next 13 years Old Trafford would be witnessing its own rock and roll years. There were other people who broke through the ranks, like Brian Kidd and Johnny Aston, but "Bestie" was the shining light above shining lights.  The youth policy would stagnate during the 1970's and early 1980's. It wasn't until the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson in November 1986 did youth get to shine again.

Bestie celebrating his goal in the 1968 European Cup Final

 "Fergie" had noticed that rivals Manchester City had stolen a march on United in terms of attracting the best young talent. It is alleged that City had more scouts in Manchester than United had nationally. City were building a team for the future. I have a personal interest in this, as one of the players signed by City was in my class at school, a boy by the name of Ian Brightwell. His brother David would soon follow. Ever the keen football historian, Sir Alex went about correcting this "wrong". Sir Matt approved . . .

The story more or less has come full circle. The success of the famous "Class of "92" has been well documented. Now only Ryan Giggs and David Beckham are the only two left who are playing. Gary Neville and Paul Scholes retired at the end of last season.

So, to see good energetic young players playing with so much conviction for "the shirt" did this Manchester United fan proud. Yes times have changed and now it's not uncommon to have Brazilians "coming through the ranks" but providing they're good enough and have the right habits and have the desire to learn, it doesn't matter too much where they're from. Having said all that, seeing Mancunian Danny Welbeck performing so well on the highest domestic stage leaves me thinking let's play the younger players. Let's test them in Europe against the rest of the best. Tom Cleverley has shown immense promise. He looks like he's another Paul Scholes in the making. The defeat to Barcelona in last season's Champions League Final, which saw a wonderful Barcelona give United a footballing lesson, was a good reminder of how the right training and a good youth policy can reap dividends.

It would be great to have Wesley Snejider on the payroll, but as long as there are players coming through from the Youth team, you can guarantee fans will be happy. What most fans won't tolerate is a bunch of mercenaries playing for the team. The player who just joins for the money and the prestige of playing in the Premier League. I can guarantee no glory hunting prima donnas will last long in a team. It is a team game after all.

So, if you're good enough, you're old enough!

Enjoy your football,

Ed

Mecca Comes To Massachusetts!

One Happy Chappy!

Morning All!

The pilgrimage to Foxborough has now started to become a memory . . . yet it seems so fresh, as if it were yesterday. Going to see United play New England Revolution for the first time in three years with my wife Linda was a wonderful experience. It was so enthralling to see the players play that it seemed superfluous to indulge in anything else that seems so commonplace amongst other fans . . . I'm thinking of playing with beach balls and summoning the vendors to satisfy their need for burgers, beer and lemonade! More about beach balls later.

The trip to Foxborough, by my standards, is a long one. It is a 2 hour, 106 mile drive. We had the misfortune to encounter a torrential downpour whilst en route, which makes driving difficult. However, we got to the ground, which is a splendid site when you see it, only to find another downpour welcoming us! Undeterred, we sat patiently in the car until the rain had finally disappeared.

In all the times I've been to the Gillette Stadium, it's been natural for me to compare the experience with my times going to Old Trafford. I remember the last time Linda and I went to Old Trafford in August 2008 it cost us the princely sum of five quid to park. We were dumbfounded to be charged $40 to park at the stadium! It had doubled from when we went to see Brazil versus Mexico in 2008. Talk about capitalizing on a big opportunity! Oh well, as they always used to say at Old Trafford, whenever United came to play another team it was like their "cup final"; better change that to "Superbowl"! The fact that it proved to be the biggest attended friendly the Revs had played in certainly backed up the Gillette Stadium's view that Manchester United is indeed a cash cow and therefore every opportunity to make money should be acted on.

One other thing we were given when we got to the ground was a piece of orange paper entitled "Fans Code of Conduct". This piece of paper boldly told us that the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution valued their fans and that in order for them to retain their self proclaimed title as "the best in the business" they needed to adhere to certain codes of conduct. Under no circumstances should fans be caught in the act of showing anything that resembles, and I quote, "verbal or physical harassment of any of our guests, including other fans, players, coaches or staff".  This isn't surprising to me. It was announced at the McGuirk Stadium, the home of the University of Massachusetts football team, that any fan caught verbally abusing anybody of the opposing team would be ejected from the stadium.  Linda and I were there to support United so we would be fine!

On the reverse side of the paper there was a a list of"prohibited items"; items that were banned from being brought into the ground. We noticed that beach balls were one such item. We were pleased to see this as on previous occasions at the Gillette Stadium we were dismayed, bewildered and annoyed to find beach balls being batted by children whilst the game was in progress! It has been amazing to contrast the American sports fan with the British fan: the average British fan doesn't, as a rule, bring beach balls in (unless you're a Liverpool fan!)! He or she is, for the most part, there to watch the game.

One more issue I have to mention is the subject of banners. Banners, or flags, call them what you like, are deemed, in the eyes of the Patriots and the Revs, important in projecting a loyal fan base. However, the stadium management says that it "reserves the right to prohibit banners due to space availability, banner size, interference with other fans, or message content." Now you have a picture of what we were expecting when we sat down in our seats behind the goal. We were in the "away end"!

The Revs "hardcore" support entered the section, like gladiators ready for battle. Holding their scarves above their heads they looked eager for the game to commence. Then, the fun started!

That bloody flag!

You see it in the picture don't you? It's as clear as day! Complaints were made to the security staff. Chants started to rumble, getting louder and louder "put the flag down!" No response. Linda complained, then I did. One member of the staff even had the cheek to tell me, even though I'd read the code and could clearly see that this flag didn't meet the requirements laid out in the aforementioned list, that flags were appropriate and if we weren't happy go sit somewhere else! Wow! This loyal hardcore member of the Revs "family" could wave his flag to his heart's content.

We'd had enough. This wonderful event, seeing United for the first time in three years was becoming sour by the second. We found the office we were told to find. We weren't on our own. We were given tickets for another section of the ground. Other people who were in our section who complained followed our lead. They were equally as pleased to find other seats. What was interesting was that the people who complained weren't "stuffy" or "pompous" old people but people of all ages.   One guy felt so enraged by the whole affair he said he'd cancel his Season Ticket. Now that's serious in my book.

Half Time: New England Revolution 0 Manchester United 0

In the second half, we got to see our beloved Reds turn on the style. Their passing was smooth and accurate, and soon the goals started to flow. Goals from Michael Owen (looking like his old self), two from Federico Macheda (back from his loan spell in Italy with Sampdoria) Ji-Sung Park (nice passing between him and Michael Carrick) saw United come out worthy winners. The Revs scored with a deflected free kick from Mansally. Benny Feilhaber won a free kick after being felled by Rio Ferdinand. Mansally was in the wall and deflected it passed Anders Lingaard in United's goal. Anders had a competent game, showing "good hands" as they say in the trade. He looks a sound and competent acquisition and will provide good competition for new star signing David de Gea.

Full Time: New England Revolution 1 Manchester United 4

You'd think I have had my whinge. Not finished yet! To our dismay, we saw this flying object in the second half . . .

Is it a bird? No! Is it a plane? No! It's a bloody flying beachball - a "banned" object!

A BLOODY BEACH BALL! For the record, we were subject to an airport "pat down" before we went into the stadium. Honestly, the "Code of Conduct" isn't worth the paper it's written on. The Security Staff didn't seem too bothered. I think they were enjoying the whole occasion of having the second best team in Europe, the reigning English Champions or the most recognized team on the planet, whichever name you wish to use, playing good football and showing the United States that although great strides have been made by the game in this country there's a long way to go yet. Real Madrid's 4-1 thrashing of Los Angeles Galaxy shows that there still is a gulf in class. I think what sets the Galaxy and the Revs apart from the Uniteds and the Madrids of this world is the speed of thought and first touch. It is just that much better.

It was good to see United again. It seems funny to think that the next time Linda and I will see a game of football live will be at Booth Street Congleton. Life takes you on many paths, that's why it's good to have as many experiences as possible and venture out whenever possible and experience life.

Here's some more pictures from the game and enjoy the coverage ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel give this summer. There's plenty of opportunity to enjoy football before the season starts!

Ed

Scoreboards have changed a bit!

The Revs warming up

United!!!

USA's finest.

The game kicks-off!

Mark your men Reds

Job done! Substituted Nani, Young and Carrick can say job well done.

The words say it all - United 4 Revs 1

Just one more word . . . want to know a little bit more about the hardcore loyal fans known as "The Fort"? We saw the second half of the Revs' league game on Sunday when they played Philadelphia Union. They were soundly thrashed 3-0. The place echoed as players' shouts could be heard. Where was the loyal fan base? Gone home, sulking, taking their flags home in protest at the sad demise of their team. Not so loyal now are they? Let me tell you about loyal fans. Let me tell you about a team you fans were asking about on Wednesday Surely you must remember the song "Who the fuck are Man United?" I'll tell you who Manchester United are. They are the reigning English Champions. They are the most successful team in English league history. They are the team that has the highest attendance average year in year out, and has done for more years than I can remember. How's that for a statistic, you stat-obsessed lot? Even when they were in English football's second tier, the fans turned up, week in, week out. I rest my case. Revs fans - stick with your team, no matter what the result. If you want to sing English football songs, here's another one to remember "Part-time supporter!!"

The Beautiful Game Needs A Face Lift

About the only good thing happening in football right now!

The game we love has been in existence for a long long time. I've been following it for nearly 40 years now. Yet today I fear for the game of Association Football.

The game whose goals mirror real life, namely hard work, honesty, teamwork and skill are in danger of being cast aside through no fault of the game's itself. The ugly spectre of greed and corruption are in danger of enveloping football like a cancer, killing off the notion once and for all that football is indeed a sport.

From F.I.F.A. down, corruption is infiltrating the game. The only man to attempt to contend the recent F.I.F.A. Presidency, Mohamed bin Hammam, is under investigation on corruption charges. Sepp Blatter claims that his mission for the rest of his tenure as President he will rid the game of corruption. This from the man who famously said women should wear skimpier kits to promote the women's game! Yet what evidence do we see of this happening? Jack Warner, the man who was adamant that "Blatter must be stopped" is now "retired" and on a 20 year pension. Smacks of a pay-off don't you think?

Just recently, in an attempt to see "real news" over here in the States, my wife and I have taken to watching Al Jazeera and "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on Current TV. Al Jazeera recently highlighted the current plight of corruption in the game with an excellent programme. It is well worth watching. The situation is increasingly getting worse.

In Finland, players have been offered hundreds of thousands of Euros to alter the outcome of games. The betting rings centre around Singapore and Malaysia. However, the plight in Turkey is particularly worrying. In some ways, you'd expect struggling footballers to be susceptible to financial "rewards" but not players who play in the top flight of a league. Fenerbache is a name that is familiar to me and anyone who has followed European football for any amount of time. Today their name is mud after serious match fixing allegations were levied against them. Their President is included in the scandal.. 22 people are in jail.

So what causes this malaise? Well, my Mother was rather apt at trotting out sayings to me as a little boy. They have proved to be very true as I have grown older. The phrase that comes to mind now is "money is the root of all evil" is very very appropriate!

There has been such an influx of money into the game in the last twenty years. Players earn in hours what most fans earn in a year. Corporate sponsors are falling over themselves in their attempt to have their name plastered all over tournaments, stadia, shirts etc. Yet this fuels the greed. F.I.F.A.'s revenue in 2010 went passed $1 billion dollars for the first time. There needs to be a drastic change in policy in ensuring that there is a greater redistribution of the wealth the games generates. Image is wonderful but there needs to be a complete change in what the money does. Obviously what is going on is not good enough.

U.E.F.A. - the game's governing body in Europe -  had the idea of charging ridiculous prices for the game's showpiece event, the Champions League final that took place at Wembley Stadium between Barcelona and my beloved Manchester United. The cheapest seat at the game was $171 if you happened to use a wheelchair. Otherwise it was $284 (don't forget the astronomical booking and administration fee), rising to $7,562 for the "prawn sandwich brigade" in the corporate suites.  The idea was to deter people from buying from ticket touts, or scalpers as they're known over here. Yet touts won't care: they know that there are people who are desperate to see a game will buy whatever the price. So they show good Keynesian Economic principles and speculate to accumulate! Michel Platini, once a tremendously gifted footballer and now President of U.E.F.A., apologized for the decision. Having prices that high in today's economic climate was insensitive to say the least. Bloody stupid would be accurate! Wembley has been granted the final in 2013 to commemorate the F.A's 150th birthday. I await with bated breath what the prices will be for future finals.

The game is the people's game. It is a game born out of the working class areas of Northern England and exported to over 200 countries worldwide. F.I.F.A. has more members than the United Nations for goodness sake! F.I.F.A recognizes Palestine!

The desire to cater to to the corporate masses leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Don't the game's governing bodies realize that increasing ticket prices will lead ultimately to falling attendances and fans seeking games that are more competitively priced to watch? The knock on effect will lead to companies not wanting to advertise in the game which will lead to falling revenues if they see that their product isn't getting maximum publicity. What's next, companies dictating to TV stations and the Premier League saying if it isn't a sell-out crowd then the game can't be shown live on TV, because we won't get the exposure we want and demand the game be "blacked out" because we put in millions of pounds?

Players need to look at themselves and say "how much do I really need?" I don't blame players for wanting to secure a good life style for themselves in what is a relatively short career but the figures touted around today are ridiculous. A salary cap is needed. I've said it on here before and it needs to be said again - the game I love can learn from the N.F.L. and their attitude towards players' wages.

I've been to a United game on a "corporate outing"; it was a Champions League tie against Bayern Munich 10 years ago. The rep who I bought cardboard boxes off was a big United fan. Bigger than me for certain. Paul Knowles was his name. Used to refer to Old Trafford as "Mecca". Paul and myself were the only ones who seemed to actually care about the game. The others in their suits seemed to not give a hoot. I love United very much but the prices keep going up and up. In the 1993-1994 season I didn't miss a home game. I can't see that happening ever again. Linda and I will follow United with the passion and intensity we have since we've been together but for live games we'll be going to see more lower league games. United trips will be a treat. Sad to say but true.

The game is the people's game. Its whole raison d'etre reeks of socialism! Teamwork, togetherness and a desire for the common good are core values when those players cross the white line. Win together, lose together. The game's governing bodies need to realise that by spreading the income they receive more evenly will result in a more well balanced game, a more open game and ultimately a more honest game. Football is the best sport in the world in my book and we need to make sure it stays that way and not become any more rotten that what is sadly happening now.

Anyhow, I don't want to end on a sad note. We're off to Foxborough next week to see United. We can't wait! There'll be a full match report and plenty of pictures to share.

Thankyou for reading this article wherever you are in the world. I am so pleased with the statistics I have seen. This is my first foray into "blogging" and I enjoy writing. Please contact me with ideas for blogs etc. Please be nice with your suggestions!

Ed

Emlyn Hughes - How Could You?!

Kevin Keegan, Mrs.Thatcher and Emlyn Hughes

Image is everything in today's world don't you think? How a famous person comes over means an awful lot. A great example of this is in the simple act of writing your name.

You wouldn't think writing your name could mean so much but the truth of the matter is it does. 

The man on the right of the picture was one of my early childhood football heroes. He didn't play for a team I supported but for some reason I latched on to him. His name - Emlyn Hughes.

He was Captain of Liverpool in their heyday in the 1970's. He also was Captain of England. He played for England 67 times. An enthusiastic player, what he lacked in skill he made up for in endeavour. He always seemed to play with a smile on his face. He made such an impression on little Eddie Kennedy that when I went to get my haircut at "Jack's Hairdressers" on Park Street in Congleton I would say "Can I get my haircut like Emlyn Hughes please Dad?" and Jack would duly oblige.

Anyhow, Emlyn later left Liverpool for Wolverhampton and after that Rotherham United, a team in Yorkshire. This is where the story kicks in big time of how Emlyn broke my heart, left my Mum fuming and the feelings still haven't gone all these years later!

Rotherham United, under Emlyn, came to Congleton in the early 1980's to play a pre-season friendly against Congleton Town.

"Wow!" I thought. Here was a chance to meet a famous footballer and one who'd been my favourite for years. So, off to Booth Street, Congleton Town's ground we went. To give you a flavour of what a semi professional ground looks like, here's a picture of the ground taken when Linda and I saw an  F.A. Cup tie there in 2008.

Booth Street Congleton 2008

So, alive with nervous anticipation at the prospect of seeing a hero in the flesh, I, along with several others hung around pitch side with our autograph books. The teams came out to warm up. Both Congleton Town and Rotherham United. There he was, the one time captain of England in the flesh, Emlyn Hughes!

Naturally we clustered around him. He said he was busy getting ready for the game and that autographs would be signed at half time. With a slightly heavy heart, we all resigned ourselves to waiting for half time to come.

Half time came and the excitement resurfaced. Now's the chance to get it, said my Mum. I waited and waited. Nothing! It would have to be at the end of the game now: he wouldn't disappoint his fans now would he?

He did. Word got out a few minutes after the match had finished that the celebrated ex- Captain of England and Liverpool, a man who would be a captain of the TV quiz show "A Question of Sport" and charm the nation had proved to be a complete sod and escaped out of the back of the ground and got on to the bus and gone.

It left a sour taste in my mouth. It still does. A degree of humility never does anyone any harm at all. An autograph is a cherished possession. I still have my autograph book. It looks battered now but all the signatures are still there. Emlyn's isn't and that memory will never go away. I wrote about the joy of meeting celebrated keyboard player Ian McLagan at The Ironhorse in Northampton (www.iheg.com) in my companion blog www.thelateenglishbreakfast.blogspot.com; the joy he gave to my wife and I cannot be quantified. The contrast in emotions felt couldn't be more obvious. The signed copy of his autobiography is one of our treasured possessions. I once got Sir Alex Ferguson to sign a copy of his autobiography. That was at the inaugural Hall of Fame Induction Dinner in 2002. A cherished memory.

Many years later Linda and I attended a Manchester United reserve game at Altrincham F.C.'s ground, Moss Lane. A couple of young lads were desperate to get some autographs. They tried to get them at a a time when the players had finished their pre-match warm up and were just going off to get their final instructions. They asked me for some inexplicable reason (or was it?!) when would be a good time. Now I swear I wasn't thinking about that night in Congleton but my explanation seemed to work. I'm glad I helped them. I didn't want them to have the feelings I had about Emlyn Hughes.

It's a shame we've become more cynical and opportunistic . . . clubs train behind closed doors and ban the players from signing autographs as they don't want the signatures on eBay. However, the joy a signature of a player or any celebrity gives to a fan can last a lifetime.

Enjoy the summer of football - United are on their way to the USA!!! Look out for pictures and a blog post on the big game from yours truly.

Thankyou for reading this whereever you are in the world,

Ed