The end of the gravy train for the FA. It may come as surprise to some but apparently the FA gets a 25m subsidy from the government. That is correct the FA the richest football association gets money from one of the most broke governments on the planet. The money is received so that the FA will develop the game. Does this happen, no it does not. The FA takes its money promotes itself, funds junkets around the world then disappears.
The UK has the highest childhood obesity rates in the world after the USA and Australia. The national FA is more concerned with selling its brand to the world so more people will sit on the couch, watch football and not play.
Finally the sports minister has said that the FA has been wasting money. It is not developing the game. It is looking after the professional brand and that is it. Take the subsidy away and give it to school playing fields.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Shock! FA pockets governement subsidy
The end of the gravy train for the FA. It may come as surprise to some but apparently the FA gets a 25m subsidy from the government. That is correct the FA the richest football association gets money from one of the most broke governments on the planet. The money is received so that the FA will develop the game. Does this happen, no it does not. The FA takes its money promotes itself, funds junkets around the world then disappears.
The UK has the highest childhood obesity rates in the world after the USA and Australia. The national FA is more concerned with selling its brand to the world so more people will sit on the couch, watch football and not play.
Finally the sports minister has said that the FA has been wasting money. It is not developing the game. It is looking after the professional brand and that is it. Take the subsidy away and give it to school playing fields.
The UK has the highest childhood obesity rates in the world after the USA and Australia. The national FA is more concerned with selling its brand to the world so more people will sit on the couch, watch football and not play.
Finally the sports minister has said that the FA has been wasting money. It is not developing the game. It is looking after the professional brand and that is it. Take the subsidy away and give it to school playing fields.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Does the premiership have problems?
Does the premiership have problems. It seems odd to say that as on the face of it English rugby does not have any problems, attendances are up. More players coming through than ever before, all is healthy in the rugby garden of England.
A look over the boarders is certainly interesting. The Celtic league is making great strides and turning out great games. The addition of the Italian clubs makes it even more interesting. At the time of writing Scottish clubs top the league. Anything that makes Scotland a more competitive side is good. The question is does relegation make for a more competitive league or does it breed a no risk brand of rugby. The successful Irish provinces make a strong argument for the Celtic league system.
A look over the boarders is certainly interesting. The Celtic league is making great strides and turning out great games. The addition of the Italian clubs makes it even more interesting. At the time of writing Scottish clubs top the league. Anything that makes Scotland a more competitive side is good. The question is does relegation make for a more competitive league or does it breed a no risk brand of rugby. The successful Irish provinces make a strong argument for the Celtic league system.
Welcome Argentina
Sense has broken out in rugby, Argentina has been allowed into the tri-nations. This is an unusual situation normally rugby union avoids making sensible decisions. A tri-nations with Argentina will be fantastic for rugby as it spreads the game secondly it will mean a different type of game will make its way to the tri-nations.
If the game in the northern hemisphere is looked. The contrast between the countries playing the game could not be more stark. The grim effective maul of England to the stylish French back play. In the Southern Hemisphere Australia, New Zealand and South Africa play in a very similar way. Argentina will add a different dimension to the tri-nations.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Welcome back old friend
Thank goodness the games have begun bloodgate behind us game of rugby can continue. Most exciting for the game is the return of the maul. Last season the maul was taken out of rugby union. This is the equivalent of taking the corner kick out of football or the volley out of tennis.
Why was the maul taken out of rugby union. It was simply the political situation in world rugby. Australia is a sports mad nation and very competitive for viewing figures. The Australian Rugby Union then complains to the international rugby Union that the maul is too slow, viewers stop watching. The Australian position is understandable within Australia many sports compete for viewers and advertising revenue. Apart from rugby union, rugby league is popular especially on the East coast. The native sport of Aussie rules dominates the south and west coast and the young upstart of soccer is extremely popular amongst the various immigrant communities.
Despite the Australian position it was a case of the tail wagging the dog. The maul is fundamental to the game of rugby as rugby is a game for all. The maul allows the short barrel chested strong man to survive and thrive. Without the maul rugby union was in danger of becoming a game of clones. Even more dangerously the idea of getting rid of the scrum was being discussed. Again the speeding up of the game was being cited as the reason.
Luckily rugby has found common sense and has accepted the maul as being part of the game. Some people would say that will slow the spread of the game. This could not be more wrong. Rugby 7's has made the Olympics this will do more for the spread of the game then any rule changes. So welcoming back the maul we have missed you.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
ESPN classic
ESPN classic has just arrived on my multi channel platform and it has made me go back and watch some stuff long forgotten. Most recently I watched the 1991 rugby world cup in England. It has got me thinking about the game of rugby and how it has changed.
Obviously the players have got bigger and stronger. The England back line of 1991 looked like the seven dwarf's compared to the current set of backs. The forwards looked kind of lumpy and mis-shapen. Their was no extra thin shirts or grip gloves. What did this mean to the game? It was slower for sure. Did this make the game worse? No! The game was as exciting as the game we see today. If anything the skill levels were slightly higher. Case in point was the way French back line played. They lined up deep and ran at space none of the flat line play we see today. Backs were given time to work. Also national styles were more apparent. New Zealand and Scotland were aggressive rucking sides and England were superb maulers. This made for some fascinating games.
Why blog about this? Sometimes we look at rugby and think about the now and forget where the game has come from and maybe what we have lost in the great rush to globalise the game.
Destroying a boyhood hero
A new blog after the summer break shold be full of the hopes the new season. However, Blood-gate has damaged rugby to an immeasurable degree. The fact that Dean Richards an England legend took advantage of law designed to protect the health of players to gain an advantage over opposition in a European cup 1/4 final puts into question the ethos of rugby union.
Rugby union has always been a game of contrasts on the playing field it is the prerogative of the players to push the limits of offside and technical laws. Downright cheating has always been frowned upon and what Dean Richards did was cheating. To buy blood capsules and then force a doctor to make real cut on a player therefore violating the Hippocratic oath is the sign of a bully.
The question is why? Dean Richards the player was a ferocious beast of a man with a sixth sense on where to be on the playing field. He hated training but never seemed to lack for fitness. He was part of the old school of amateur players, a traffic policeman whose legendary post grand slam kcelebration of kicking the Calcutta cup down Princess street after drinking perfume was legendary.
Dean Richards the coach, was incredibly successful, with league titles and European cup titles. However he was fired from that Leicester Tigers role. The equivalent of this would be Alex Ferguson being fired from the Manchester United job after winning the Champions league. Their was no uproar from the players. Does this indicate that the coach although a legend was not well liked. The rumours from Grenoble and Harlequins echo this. So it seems although the man brings success he brings it by terrifying everyone around him
The question for rugby now is what next, undoubtedly opposing doctors must be allowed to assess players for validity of injuries especially in the front row. Professional ethics rules have to be pushed back into the game breaking ethics codes whether coach, captain, chairman or CEO should result in severe sanctions. Rugby has real credibility issues the problems at Bath, the ridiculous South African protest about a citing on the lions tour and a general forgetting of the principles of the game.
A new blofg Rugby union has always been a game of contrasts on the playing field it is the prerogative of the players to push the limits of offside and technical laws. Downright cheating has always been frowned upon and what Dean Richards did was cheating. To buy blood capsules and then force a doctor to make real cut on a player therefore violating the Hippocratic oath is the sign of a bully.
The question is why? Dean Richards the player was a ferocious beast of a man with a sixth sense on where to be on the playing field. He hated training but never seemed to lack for fitness. He was part of the old school of amateur players, a traffic policeman whose legendary post grand slam kcelebration of kicking the Calcutta cup down Princess street after drinking perfume was legendary.
Dean Richards the coach, was incredibly successful, with league titles and European cup titles. However he was fired from that Leicester Tigers role. The equivalent of this would be Alex Ferguson being fired from the Manchester United job after winning the Champions league. Their was no uproar from the players. Does this indicate that the coach although a legend was not well liked. The rumours from Grenoble and Harlequins echo this. So it seems although the man brings success he brings it by terrifying everyone around him
The question for rugby now is what next, undoubtedly opposing doctors must be allowed to assess players for validity of injuries especially in the front row. Professional ethics rules have to be pushed back into the game breaking ethics codes whether coach, captain, chairman or CEO should result in severe sanctions. Rugby has real credibility issues the problems at Bath, the ridiculous South African protest about a citing on the lions tour and a general forgetting of the principles of the game.
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