Tag: Football
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Pro Test
After yesterday’s match against Fulham, Paul Pogba and Amad Diallo unfurled a Palestinian flag and paraded it around Old Trafford. I thought political statements were banned in football? So sensitive about this were FIFA that the home nations were once punished for displaying a remembrance poppy, which is arguably not a political symbol at all.…
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Closed Shops
Well, that didn’t last long. The European Super League has received the red card, but that will likely not be the end of it. For now, the Big Six can return to the Premier League where they can revert to sucking up cash, buying in the best players, and operating without fear of relegation. One…
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Dropped Ball
Oceans of tears this weekend at the prospect of a European Football Super League, and there we were, being led to believe that Euro-integration was the future? If it is invitation-only, risk-free showboating, this isn’t a competition as such – it’s marketing content. Think Federer and Nadal hotdogging and pinging up 20-shot lob rallies with…
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No Kneed
This week, some footballers ‘took the knee’ and people in the crowd booed. The sweet FA is apparently investigating and has ‘asked both clubs for their observations’. Here’s my observation for the FA grandees – they should start dealing with the nailed-on cases of racism that they routinely bottle rather than pandering to high-profile, super-woke…
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Cheato Jesus
In a week when Cheeto Jesus offered the first hint that he might give up the spectre of his presidency, Cheato Jesus in Argentina gave up the ghost. There will be much penned about the life and times of Diego Maradona, typically juxtaposing the genius and villain motifs. But the infamous Hand of God was…
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Colour Me Bad
Greg Clarke, the FA Chairman, has fallen on his sword for, among a selection of meek faux pas, describing black people as ‘coloured’. From that point, everything was going to get stuffed into the fact-mincer. ‘Coloured’ is a problematic term because while it is deemed by many to be offensive, ‘of colour’ is not. ‘Of…
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Mealy-Mouthed
Congratulations to Marcus Rashford on his MBE for his work to alleviate child hunger in a first world country. In these times, we might very well celebrate altruistic star leverage of personal influence. Most of them are out sharking social media and spouting fatuous twaddle in order to scoop up a sackful of Twitter or…
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Red Alert
Blood vessels are popping in earnest for the Premier League to restart. Players won’t even be able to pop into the local boozer for a pint, but they will be expected to sardine-pack, pull, and Jiu-Jitsu into the penalty area for corners. Sure, the mega-rich moguls of the Premier League have continued to wince at…
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Brass Tax
High-profile personalities and organisations – among them Premier League football clubs – have been slated for partaking in the furlough scheme. They can, apparently, afford to pay their own way out of the current crisis. Now, hang on a minute, let’s get down to the brass tacks. But first, a disclaimer. This isn’t about the…
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Don’t Go for the Juggler
There’s been a notable shift on coronawaffle: originally, the virus itself was used to distract attention from the lamentable shitshow of Brexit and domestic political incapability. Now, the government’s management of the response to coronavirus needs a distraction tool of its own. Or a ventilator – if there’s a spare one available. Step forward Matt…
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