Don’t call me Hugo any more. I’m English, don’t you know? So you have to change my name. At school, P.E. teachers insisted on branding me “Steckel”, although I suppose I should just be grateful I escaped that awful nom de plume that is the quintessentially British “Macca”.

It’s 10:30pm, and a day both frustrating and unproductive has truckled obeisantly past. I’ve seen the interview with “La Radio” yabbering on about “Berba/The Assassin” and “Keano”. “Curbs” is frustrated — who wouldn’t be? “Stevie G” and “El niño” just won’t stop scoring, and “the Pope” feels a little more secure on his Anfield throne. They once had a cocaine-snorting “God” in Liverpool, you know? They say anything’s possible up north.

As you will have made out from my opening paragraph, this post is going to be about NICKNAMES, and I must extend a note of thanks to my father, who was responsible for informing me about Fitz Hall’s ingenious moniker “One size”, and to Hall himself for inspiring this article. A shout out also to former Everton player Neil “Dissa” Pointin and QPR’s on-loan Chelsea midfielder Michael “Haunted” Mancienne.

I must admit, foreign influence in the Premier League is welcome in my eyes if only because it makes us rethink our sobriquets. The standard Anglican procedure, that of affixing the ‘a’ or ‘y’ sound onto any name whatsoever, nominally the surname — “yes, I thought Stubbsy was mammoth at the back today” — is problematized somewhat by these delicious foreign syllables. Oh, the torments of David Moyes and Alan Curbishley, who are two of the worst culprits. For every “Sheva” and “Berba” that we manage to conjure up (the Bulgarian is also known as “The Assassin”), there is an “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer”, the “Baby-faced Assassin” whose surnames resist all butchering. Although I dread to think what would’ve happened had he ended up at Arsenal, where some awful Gunnar/Gunner foreplay would surely have emerged.

And in truth, we have a lot to learn about nicknaming, us Brits. Where is the imagination? In the World Cup of nicknames, we are destined invariably to be knocked out on penalties. “Wazza” against “The Beast”? “Becks” versus “The Little Witch”? (“Little Witch” i.e. “La Brujita” in Spanish is the name given to Juan Sebastián Verón — whom us Englanders branded simply “Seba”: it is the diminutive form of “La Bruja”, Verón’s father’s nickname back at Estudiantes). For G-d’s sake, as well as playing the best football at the 2006 World Cup, Argentina had by far and away the best set of sobriquets.

Admit it, as a defender you’d cower at the sight of “La pulga atómica”, “El Apache” and either one of “Valdanito” or “El Jardinero” lining up as a united front. It makes me laugh to think of the nomenclatural crisis that would be sparked in Alan Curbishley’s brain when presented with a name like “Messi”. “But it already ends in the “y” sound.” his phrenic cavity would grumble, with furrowed brow, before spitting out the only other sound we seem to know, and “Mezza” he would be forever. Look what’s happened to Rooney. And I much preferred “Roonaldo” to “Wazza”.

And that’s why Mr Hall’s hilarious handle had me in raptures. We can do it, I thought. So I’ve decided to set up a sort of project, if you will. Next time you see a manager refer with desperation to his charge as “Giggsy”, screw up your face, defrost those neurons, and think of something better. Then swing by and let us know what you’ve thought of. And while you’re here, have a vote for your favourite nickname — I’ve provided a long, but no means complete, list below, grouped into countries and continents for ease of browsing and comparison. You could also tell us which country has the best nicknames.

Incidentally, if you’re stuck for inspiration, you could always wham your surname into the Brazilian Nickname Generator and give your alias an aromatic, exotic touch. Now that’s a baptism of fire.

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United Kingdom / Ireland

Darren Anderton = Shaggy, Sicknote
David Beckham= Becks, Spice Boy, Goldenballs
Jamie Carrager = Carra
John Charles = The Gentle Giant
Jack Charlton = The Giraffe
Ashley Cole= Cashley
Peter Crouch – Crouchy, The Giraffe, El Esparagus, Two Metre Peter, RoboCrouch, Bean Pole
William Ralph Dean = Dixie Dean
Jermaine Defoe = Danger Defoe
Gary Doherty = Ginger Pele
Nathan Ellington = Duke
Rio Ferdinand = Snoop, Jar-Jar Binks
Duncan Ferguson = Big Dunc, Slam Dunk
Paul Gascoigne = Gazza
Steven Gerrard = Stevie G/Captain Marvellous
Ron Harris = Chopper
Fitz Hall = One size fits all
Emlyn Hughes = Crazy Horse
Paul Ince = The ‘Guv’nor’
Roy/Robbie Keane = Keano
Kevin Keegan = Mighty Mouse (given to him by Hamburg fans)
Frank Lampard = Lamps, Fat Frank
Aaron Lennon = Roadrunner
Gary Lineker = Sir
Stanley Matthews = Wizard of Dribble
Paul McBride = Super Mac, Macca, Bake, Big Mac
Brian McClair — Choccy Éclair
Darren Moore = Big Dave
Gary Neville = The Neviller
Phil Parkes = Lofty
Stuart Pearce = Psycho
Bryan Robson = Captain Marvel
Neil Ruddock = Razor
Alan Shearer = Big Al
Alan Smith = Smithy, Smudger
Tommy Smith = the ‘Anfield Iron’ (As Bill Shankly once said, “Tommy Smith wasn’t born, he was quarried”)
David Unsworth = Rhino
Chris Waddle = Dribbleur fou [Crazy dribbler] (Named this by the Monaco supporters after his spell in the French league)
Theo Walcott = The Kid
Jonathan Woodgate = Woody
Ian Wright = Dr. Jekyll
Shaun Wright-Phillips = SWP
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Argentina

Sergio Agüero = El Kun
Roberto Ayala = El Ratón (the rat)
Gabriel Batistuta = Batigol
Hernán Crespo = Valdanito
Julio Cruz = El Jardinero
Fernando Gago = Pintita, Doctor Gago, Gagoterapia (Gagotherapy)
González Higuaín = Pipita
Mario Kempes = the Matador
Diego Maradona = El Pibe de Oro
Lionel Messi = La Pulga [Atómica] (Atomic Flea), Messiah
Martin Palermo = El loco (the madman)
Daniel Passarella = El Guerrero (‘The Warrior’), El Kaiser
Ariel Ortega = Burrito (the Little Donkey)
Fernando Redondo = Prince
Maxi Rodríguez = La Fiera (The Fierce One/The Shrew)
Javier Saviola – El Conejo (the Rabbit), El Pibito, Tambor
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Brazil

(this list is virtually endless, so I have just provided my favourites/the most famous ones. It is also worth noting that the vast majority of Brazilian players as they are known to us are actually playing under pseudonyms, abbreviations rather than nicknames)

Adriano = O Imperador (the Emperor), The Horse
Alex (Chelsea) = The Tank
Cafu = Cafu, Il Pendolino
Dida = The Black Panther
Edmundo = O Animal (the Animal)
Emerson = El Puma, El señor
Manoel dos Santos = Garrincha (the type of bird dos Santos hunted as a child)
Gilberto da Silva = The Invisible Wall
Julio Baptista = The Beast
Kaká = The Golden Boy
Edson Arantes do Nascimento = Pelé, O Rei (The King)
Roberto Carlos = Thunder Thighs, Dinamite
Robinho = Robishow, O Principe
Romário = Shorty
Ronaldinho = Dinho, Ronnie, The One Man Show
Ronaldo = O Fenômeno (the Phenomenon), Ronie (with one N)
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France

Jean-Alain Boumsong = Un, deux, trois … BOUMSONG!
Marcel Desailly = The Rock
Youri Djorkaeff = The Snake
Ludovic Giuly = Ludo, The Magic Imp
Yohan Gourcuff = Petit Zizou
Thierry Henry = Titi, TH14, Va Va Voom
Philippe Mexès = Philou, Le Laurent Blond
Franck Ribéry = The Magician, Scarface
Mickaël Silvestre = Mickey So-Fine, Tweety, 50p head
Lilian Thuram = The Philosopher
David Trezeguet = Trez, Trezegol
Patrick Vieira = Paddy, Tentacule, La Pieuvre (The Octopus)
Zinedine Zidane = Zizou
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Germany

Michael Ballack = Balle
Franz Beckenbauer = Der Kaiser, Kaiser Franz
Oliver Kahn = Olli, Titan, Vulkahn
Jürgen Klinsmann = The Golden Bomber
Phillip Lahm = Lahmy, Wireless Lahm, The Magic Dwarf
Jens Lehmann = Mad Jens, John
Gerd Müller = The Fat One, Bomber
Lukas Podolski = Prinz Poldi
Karl-Heinz Riedle = King of the Sky
Bernd Schuster = The Blond Angel, Don Bernardo
Sebastian Schweinsteiger = Basti, Schweini
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Holland

Dennis Bergkamp = The non-flying Dutchman, Dennis the Menace, Beavis, Bergy
Ruud Gullit = Il Tulipo Nero (The black tulip)
Arjen Robben and Mateja Kezman (Serbian) = together, Batman and Robben
Roy Makaay = the Phantom
Clarence Seedorf = Opa (Grandfather)
Marco Van Basten = The Swan of Utrecht
Ruud Van Nistelrooy = Van the Man, Ruud Boy!, The Flying Dutchman, RVN, La Locomotora, Van Gol, Van Nisterror, The Ruud Devil, Van The Crack, Trivilin, Guffy
Robin Van Persie = RVP
Boudewijn Zenden = Bolo, The Rocket
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Italy

Roberto Baggio = Roby, Divin Codino (Divine Ponytail)
Gianluigi Buffon = Gigi, Super Gigi
Mauro Camoranesi = Camo
Fabio Cannavaro = Il muro di Berlino (The Berlin wall), Il Capitano, El Bus Humano (The Human Bus), Cannavoro, Il Bello, Il Duce
Antonio Cassano = Peter Pan, Fantantonio, El Pibe de Bari, Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia (the jewel of Old Bari), Talento di Bari Vecchia, Talentino. Cassano is also the subject of the Italian neologism “Cassanata”, a word invented by Fabio Capello to refer to behaviour against the current of team spirit.
Alessandro Del Piero = Ale, Pinturicchio
Gennaro Gattuso = Rino, Ringhio, Braveheart, Pittbull, The Snarling Dog
Alberto Gilardino = Gila
Filippo Inzaghi = Super Pippo, Inzagol, Alta Tensione
Attilio Lombardo = The Bald Eagle
Massimo Maccarone = Big Mac
Paolo Maldini = Il Capitano, San Paolo
Marco Materazzi = Matrix, Macellazzi
Vincenzo Montella = L’aeroplanino (the little airplane)
Alessandro Nesta = Sandro
Angelo Peruzzi = Ansiano, Pigskin
Gianluca Pessotto = Il Professore (the Professor), Pessottino
Fabrizio Ravanelli = Penna Bianca (white feather)
Salvatore Schillaci = Totò (given to all Italians named Salvatore)
Luca Toni = Tonigol, Bomber
Francesco Totti = Il Capitano, Er Pupone, Gladiatore, Il Bimbo d’Oro, Il Principe
Christian Vieri = Bobo, Bobone, Bobogol
Dino Zoff = Dino Nazionale, The Spider, Il Monumento
Gianfranco Zola = The Italian Maradona, Marazola, Tamburino Sardo
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Portugal

Luís Boa Morte = Good Death, Boa Constrictor
Francisco José da Costa = Costinha
Deco (itself a nickname, as in Art Deco) = Mágico
Nuno Ricardo Oliveira Ribeiro = Maniche
Ricardo Pereira = Mãozinhas (Little Hands)
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes = Pauleta, L’Aigle des Açores (the Eagle from the Azores)
Tiago Cardoso Mendes = Tiago
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Spain

Emilio Butragueño = El Buitre (The Vulture)
Iker Casillas = El galáctico de Móstoles, San Iker
Andoni Goikoetxea = El Carnicero de Bilbao (‘The Butcher of Bilbao’)
Luis Enrique Martinez = Lucho
Fernando Morientes = El Moro (the Moor)
Carles Puyol = Lionheart, Tarzan, Capità, Capitán,Puyi, Corazón de León, Greñol el Puyol, Superman
González Blanco Raúl = El Niño Raúl
Sergio Ramos = El Comanche, Carapony, El Tarzán de Camas, Rambo, Lobo (Wolf)
Michel Salgado = Il Due (el dos), Míchel, la Abuela (the Grandmother), Malulo, La Cabra Loca (Mad goat)
Roberto Soldado = Gudari
Fernando Torres = El Niño, Nando
David Villa = El Guaje (similar to El Pibe)
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Europe — miscellaneous

Gheorghe Hagi = The Maradona of the Carpathians, Baciul (The Sheperd), The Black Sea Bomber
Thomas Gravesen = Shrek
Vladimir Jugovic = Mezzasquadra (Half the squad), Vinci Tutto (Conquers all)
Jan Koller = The Tall One
Oleg Luzhny = The Horse
Pavel Nedved = Duracell, Crazy Peleloid, MedvÄ›d or Meda (Czech for “bear” or “teddy=bear”), The Czech Cannon, Furia Ceca (at Lazio & Juventus)
Robert Prosinecki = The Big Yellow One (Veliki žuti)
Ferenc Puskás = The Galloping Major, Cañoncito Pum (‘The Booming Cannon’).
Hasan Salihamidzic = Little Brother, Brazzo (at Juventus)
Philippe Senderos = Swiss Tony [Adams], Big Phil
Andriy Shevchenko = Sheva, Shevagol, The Eastern Wind, Wind of Passion
Hristo Stoichkov = the Pitbull
Davor Suker = Sukerman
Hakan Sükür = the Bull of Bosphorus
Nemanja Vidic = Hench, The Serbian Ninja
Lev Yashin = The Black Spider
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Africa — miscellaneous

(see also http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/3354137.stm)

Stephen Appiah = Tornado
Henri Camara – Smiling Rabbit with a Rifle
Mahamadou Diarra — The Rock, The Malian Warrier, The Panther
Efan Ekoku = Efan ecuckoo bird
Michael Essien = The Bison
George Weah = King George, Opong, Mister George
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South America — miscellaneous

Faustino Asprilla = the Black Gazelle
Rafael Márquez = The Kaiser of Michoacán, Prince of Cataluña
Wilson Palacios — The Magician/Harry Potter
Walter Pandiani = El Rifle (‘The Rifle’), then renamed El Firo Blanks and The Walter Pistol at Birmingham
Iván Zamorano = Ivan the Terrible, The Helicopter, Bam Bam, The Warrior
Marcelo Salas = El Matador, El shilenoo Salas
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Rest of the world

Tim Cahill = Tiny Tim
Ali Karimi = Asian Maradona , Wizard Of Tehran
Eddie Pope = Benedict XVI
Mark Viduka = V Bomber
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See also:

• http://www.midfielddynamo.com/players/players_nicknames.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_football_%28soccer%29_players_by_nickname
• http://www.guy-sports.com/humor/sports/sports_soccer_nicknames.htm
• http://www.notasdefutbol.com/2006/02/24-apodos-de-futbol

Hugo Steckelmacher is a regular Soccerlens featured author, whose areas of expertise include the Spanish Liga and the English Premier League. Read more of his work here.

Also See: Funny Football Club Names, Funny Football Player Names

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After a turbulent season as replete with failure as success — an extremely disappointing league position and a whimpering exit from the UEFA Cup compensated only by a euphoric Carling Cup win — one gets the feeling that Juande Ramos and his team are to take advantage of the long summer break to effect a heavy clearout of a squad that was by and large inherited from their predecessors.

Ramos has stated on numerous occasions that everybody is playing for their place, and that the attitude of the players will be taken into account, with the last six games of the season — for the most part, totally insignificant — an interesting mirror into which the pride and work ethic of the squad will be reflected.

The 4-1 home capitulation to Newcastle will have done little to help some players’ cause, and with Spurs having conceded more goals at home than any other team in the Premiership, wholesale changes can be expected in the goalkeeping and defensive departments. Meanwhile, a lifeless and uninventive midfield is in equal need of renovation, and I would expect at least ten players to move before pre-season begins. It will also be intriguing to see where signings are brought in from this summer: will Ramos’ presence be felt through the drafting in of a number of Spaniards and South Americans, or will Commoli continue to plunder the hordes of Ligue 1? Let the power struggle commence.

Here is a short analysis of each major player’s contribution to the 2007-08 season and an evaluation of their usefulness to the squad. A very brief range of possible replacements will be listed in brackets, with my preferred choices in bold. I would be interested to hear your suggestions.

Paul Robinson — Robbo’s season has been desperately poor both at club and international level, and despite his popularity amongst some sections of fans, he does not seem to rank high on Juande Ramos’ list. Expect Robinson to move on in the summer, possibly to Aston Villa. Not a second too soon in my books. (Kameni, César López, Jaaskelainen, Carson, Neuer)

Radek Cerny — Cerny has generally done well when called upon, and should have been handed his chance sooner. He will in all likelihood return to parent club Slavia Prague this summer.

Young-Pyo Lee — making around 30 appearances for us this season, Young-Pyo has been okay — defensive lapses on his part have decreased — without ever showing anything exceptional. With old club PSV apparently sniffing around, summer would be an excellent time to let allow Lee to depart. (Rafinha)

Pascal Chimbonda — after an impressive start to the season, Chimbonda has had an exceedingly disappointing campaign. Awful when played at left-back, lacking the attacking quality of last year and beaten in the air on numerous occasions, Chimbonda’s attitude problems have further irked Spurs supporters. I say, sell sell sell. (Rafinha)

Ledley King — despite the rumours that Ramos would like to dispense of King due to the injury burden, Ledley will undoubtedly remain with Spurs during the summer. His departure would certainly signal a mutiny at the Lane, and watching his excellent performance during the Carling Cup Final was a proud a moment as any for a lifelong Spurs fan. Pray that his fitness is better next time around, since he is crucial to the Spurs cause.

Younes Kaboul — Kaboul has had a very difficult first season at Spurs, and has been singled out for criticism after a number of embarrassing errors. My own opinion is that the slate should be wiped clean and the Frenchman given one more season to impress. Call it Titus Bramble syndrome, but Kaboul in my eyes has all of the tools necessary to succeed — height, speed, strength — and could do with playing alongside King for a number of games. (Cáceres, Amorebieta, Jarque, Campagnaro, and many others).

Benoit Assou-Ekotto — injury problems have restricted Assou-Ekotto to just 10 league appearances this season, and he has failed to make a mark in any of them. Get rid whilst we are making wholesale changes.

Michael Dawson — another who has had an awfully poor season, with an early-season loss of confidence seemingly scarring the rest of the campaign. Dawson with King looks confident and accomplished — without him, Dawson is panicky, error-prone and lacking in leadership. If we get a reasonable offer, I would not hesitate in letting Daws go, even though he seems like a top bloke. (see above)

Jonathan Woodgate — apparently one of Ramos’ five “untouchables”, Woodgate has been excellent ever since his January move to the Lane, and was absolutely immense in the Carling Cup Final. Has done enough to prove even the staunchest skeptics — myself included — wrong.

Gareth Bale — a season obliterated by injury, but with enough starring cameos to show that if he is kept fit, the Welsh full-back will be one of the best in the Premiership for years to come. Frightening left foot, superb set pieces, and best of all, a wicked and tenacious attitude far beyond his years.

Da Silva Gilberto — sluggish and disappointing in his limited appearances, I would not expect Gilberto to move on this summer, if only because he was only signed recently, and may profit from the time to settle in. Improvement is needed, however.

Chris Gunter — we have seen practically nothing of Gunter since the Welshman was signed, and I have a sneaking suspicion that he could be loaned out next season. What we have seen has not been conclusive either way.

Ricardo Rocha — bizarrely most of Spurs’ clean sheets have come when Rocha has been on the pitch. Rocha is slow and awkward on the ball, and not particularly great in the air either. Dump and let Dervite take his place.

Alan Hutton — with Woodgate, proof that business conducted during the January rush is not always doomed to failure. Hard in the tackle, athletic, with a hell of an engine, expect Hutton to be a favourite next season.

Didier Zokora — the less said about Zokora, the better. Has been nothing but a disappointment for me since he signed. Whilst the Ivorian is undoubtedly a decent player — he does get in tackles, and never stops running — he joins the likes of Tainio and Boateng in the elite group of mediocre midfielders who will take the club nowhere fast.

Perhaps the most frustrating sight in football is to watch Zokora rampage up the pitch, beat four players and then give the ball away time after time. Should also never be allowed to shoot again. (Albelda, Veloso)

Teemu Tainio — hard-working but frankly not good enough. Has been given some time to prove himself but does not make the cut. I also feel that the player himself deserves better — a starting berth at a slightly less ambitious club. (see above)

Kevin Prince Boateng — impetuous, lippy, unpolished, Boateng is essentially a carbon copy of Zokora. I’d sooner play O’Hara than him any day of the week. Sell sell sell. (see above)

Steed Malbranque — Malbranque has battled away at Spurs this season, playing for the most part out of position, stranded on the left wing. I feel that his level has dropped off somewhat as the season has come to a close, whereas the campaign started very well for Steed. Has done enough for me to earn a place in the squad, though I’m not sure I would want him to start every game. (Susaeta, Capel, Granero, Ben Arfa, Adam Johnson)

Jermaine Jenas — perennial frustration Jenas seemed to have shaken off his under-performing tag at the beginning of Ramos’ tenure, giving a series of invigorated and classy displays, culminating in a start for Capello’s first England game. Predictably, this fount of enthusiasm has dried up, and Jenas has become average once more. Next season must be last chance saloon for JJ. (Arteta, Diego — wishful thinking, I know)

Tom Huddlestone — for me, one of the few players to come out of the season with any credit. Huddlestone, for the most part, is composed and effective, finding the man most of the time and playing some delightful through balls. The Hudd has also chipped in seven assists and a few goals, which tend to be pearlers. The fulcrum of my new-look Spurs side.

Jamie O’ Hara — whether O’Hara will ever be more than a good squad player remains to be seen, but for his efforts and attitude alone he should be retained this summer. Also has a lovely left foot, and can take a reasonably good free-kick. Lovely to have another academy graduate in the squad.

Adel Taarabt — bucketfuls of talent, but where is the decision-making ability? I find it worrying just how little Taarabt has progressed this season, and can only wonder why he has been given so few outings in the first team to grow as a player. Hopefully he can play a little over the next 6 games so that we can see whether or not he has what it takes.

I wouldn’t get rid of little Adel, because we’d be kicking ourselves when he moved elsewhere and turned in stellar performance after stellar performance. But I expect more from him next season, and hope that he is given the opportunities to flourish.

Aaron Lennon — there are times when Lennon looks like a world-beater, or is the only player on the pitch who seems able to create opportunities (in that stagnant game against Derby, for example, Lennon was the one creative spark before Berbatov came on).

However, with just three goals from over forty games, and a measly four assists, Lennon clearly needs to work on his productivity, and the former Leeds man’s crossing has not improved noticeably since joining the club. Left out of Fabio Capello’s England squads, Lennon has work to do if he is to blossom into the very good player he has the potential to be.

Dimitar Berbatov — if we can keep Berba, we should. It’s as simple as that. Some work should be done to figure out why he always starts seasons slowly, and the extent of his commitment to the Spurs cause must also be ensured. Other than that, Berbatov has really grown into the season, and Spurs look a far superior side when the Bulgarian plays. If I am honest, Berbatov deserves better than Tottenham and I would not be overly surprised if he were to leave to go to Milan this summer.

Robbie Keane — Keano has had a really good season, yet again, with 22 goals to his name thus far, including a fair few crackers. Scoring goals has not been our problem this season, as everyone from Earth to Jupiter knows. Has also captained the side with pride.

Darren Bent — unless we get a sizeable offer or are able to target a world-class young striker (Huntelaar, Gómez), I see no reason to replace Bent as a substitute striker, especially since he offers a different option to the preferred front two of Berba and Keane.

Although he has not performed too well, Bent deserves another season to prove himself, and has scored 8 goals in 29 appearances, a record which is not awful for a turbulent and disappointing campaign. I also fail to see with whom Bent would be replaced – the likes of Kenwyne Jones have been mentioned, but Jones has no more experience than Bent does, and his goalscoring record is not even at the same level.

So…who do you think will be shipped out by Ramos? Who will be brought in to help Tottenham challenge for Champions League qualification? Let us know in the comments below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

First off, as a sort of disclaimer I would like to start off by conceding that I am by no means an expert on the topic of football fanzines. I have read a few in my time, but have not yet had the good fortune to contribute to one. Much academic work has been carried out on the subject — for instance, a paper by Richard Haynes immediately springs to mind — but this academic hobnobbing is not necessarily accessible for the average fan, nor does it have any great presence on the general football scene.

So why have I decided to write this brief blog article? The simple answer is that, whatever paths I have chosen to pursue certain leads in recent months, I have constantly come up against figure of the fanzine as a kind of floating phantom, not menacing but quietly persistent. One choice example comes from my piece on West Brom manager Tony Mowbray, where I noted that Middlesbrough‘s most renowned fanzine, Fly Me To The Moon, takes its name from a well-known comment made by Bruce Rioch about Mowbray during the latter’s time with his hometown club. The character who crystallized an historic era for ‘Boro fans would become the emblem for a fan-led initiative that sought to capture this memory and immortalize it.

Writing about fanzines further imposed itself upon me as I began to question the role of the internet in the demise of fanzines and, to an extent, football programmes, and to interrogate what it was that I thought was good and bad about internet journalism — from bloggers to constantly updated but fully-fledged journalists on the books of The Times and The Guardian. It is really quite something to read the sardonic and at times frankly condescendingly offensive responses of Times frontrunner sportswriter Martin Samuel, when you have been following his career at The Times for many years without ever questioning his authorial voice. I wondered, out loud, at times, whether the untrammelled slanging matches to be found on certain football forums — not to be named here — aren’t really another form of footballing hooliganism. Those who wish to instil the spirit of free, fair and unbiased debate are always wont to be belittled and sworn at by the abusive minority who flit from blog to newspaper looking for a verbal fistfight.

Furthermore, fanzines take on especial relevance because this is a time perhaps like no other in recent footballing history. It is an era when the control of the biggest clubs in world football is well and truly edging away from the grip of local fans, when corporate moula renders the historical memory of lifelong supporters null and void.

When centenary stadiums are torn down — a stadium for many a fan is a shrine in which quasi-religious chants are sung, a chapel, a truly harrowed place, a home; the Charlton Athletic fanzine Voice of the Valley, which struck a major blow to the club’s plans to leave their home of 90 years, once stated that the club could not move away from their traditional ground because the one involved the other — and replaced with corporate shells, complete with megacorp baptisms — the Emirates, how long until the Coca Cola stadium? — and breakaway clubs continue to form, it occurs to me that the subversive potential of the fanzine, or the webzine, may not have entirely run its course. Football fanzines, that medium dedicated entirely to football — up until fifteen or so years ago, mainstream newspapers still heaped a fair focus on other sports, especially the more “genteel” ones — once helped and can continue to help to repair a broken bridge to a footballing heritage.

What exactly is a fanzine, and when was the first fanzine made? Do forgive me now for taking you by the hand and leading you for a moment down memory lane.

Despite the widely held assertion that the fanzine is a child of the 1990′s, the advent of the fanzine in actual fact dates back to the late 1960′s, although it was not until the punk music movement of the 70′s that fanzines were truly popularised. The ethic preached by punk was that of ultimate ‘DIY’: away with the bureaucrat, the professional, the guy only in it for the money, and in with the struggling aficionado burning with passion and enthusiasm. Fanzines are licensed to criticise and praise freely and brazenly, are produced in direct opposition to “professional” media, and do not court — and in fact, in many cases, openly reject — advertising revenue. Fanzines consequently could also place a far greater emphasis on humour, sarcasm and creativity, as is evidenced by the imaginative names devised for a number of supporters publications. Such an anti-official line soon caught on in independent sports publications set up to challenge mainstream media, such as Foul, which ran from 1972-1976, and by the early 80′s, new technology allowed the London-based When Saturday Comes to take up Foul’s mantle with extraordinary popularity. The disenfranchised in footballing terms — gays and lesbians — meanwhile appropriated the fanzine in order to acquire a voice in an arena from which they were otherwise excluded, whilst political activism spurred the founding of the Manchester United zine “Red Action”, which sought to protest against racist chanting at Old Trafford. Over 350 fanzines are still thought to be in existence.

The link with the late 80′s and early 90′s, however, is one that is worth bearing in mind when considering the evolution of fanzines in recent years, and it is to this end that I would like to introduce a remark from BBC Sport’s Tim Vickery, a quotation which fatally piqued my interest and finally forced my writing hand. Discussing the problems of crowd control and hooliganism currently afflicting the South American came, Vickery asserts that part of English football’s move towards abolishing crowd violence came due to “due to a shift in supporter culture, where fanzines suddenly became more popular than violence”.

It is no coincidence that the heyday of the fanzine came in the aftermath of the tragedies at Heysel (1985 — also the year in which a young fan died in the clashes ensuing after a Birmingham City game and the setting for the Bradford stadium fire), Hillsborough (1989), and the subsequent clampdown on hooliganism and crowd control. Following the Taylor Report (1990), in which many football fans were effectively branded as vicious, barbarian ne’er-do-wells, fanzines became a form of protest on the behalf of the vast majority of supporters eager to demonstrate that to be a football fan was not synonymous with being loutish and uneducated, that supporting your football club could be a constructive and well-thought-out act. At the same time, FSA’s began to emerge, as masses of supporers set out to change the media’s representation of football and its disciples, as well as attempting to finally acquire some control of the clubs that they so loyally followed. A quotation from the Sunday Times bears this issue out eloquently, stating crudely that “[Football is] a slum sport, watched by slum people.” (June 18, 1985), a view that by necessity had to be opposed.

These points were reinforced by the formation of the Premier League in 1992, with fanzines providing fans with a thitherto unavailable forum in which to discuss the multitude of changes, both exciting and daunting, that were taking place in the hard-to-navigate waters of the contemporary game. In that age of sea change, many fanzines looked wistfully back at their clubs’ greatest players of the 20^th Century, as if to attempt to apply adhesive to their club roots before the woods of history could be felled. In the words of Matt Stone, the co-founder of The Spur, the first Tottenham Hotspur fanzine, and a regular contributor to the superb MEHSTG (My Eyes Have Seen The Glory),

“Sadly Spurs fans continue to be characterised in the media either as extremists who publish Sugar’s phone number or as the most fickle fans in football – a charge which has never remotely rung true in my experience [...]We started the fanzine to provide a forum for fans to prove they were far more knowledgeable, opinionated and interesting than they were given credit for. We printed any letter which made sense and wrote many articles which didn’t. I like to think that the fanzine movement helped to change attitudes”

It is doubtful whether the likes of Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch could have been as successful without the path first paved by fanzine publication.

The significant role played by fanzines and fan protest in the 80′s — I am thinking here of the likes of the Queens Park Rangers Loyal Supporters Association, formed in 1986, who crucially opposed Fulham chairman David Bulstrode’s plans to merge Fulham and QPR into Fulham Park Rangers — allows me to dream that local fans and fanzines can still have an important say in the development of their football clubs, leading me to support such ventures as the “Hicks Out” campaign. Meanwhile, attempts by clubs to “cash in” on the fanzine phenomenon have by and large been unsuccessful, with the extortionate prices, un-amateurish feel and “official” spin offered by club publications — my Spurs’ “Hotspur”, although of pretty high quality, is a glossy case in point — failing to break the market. The recent trend demonstrated by clubs to attempt to exploit their fans financially shows no signs of abating, with expensive DVDs of Spurs 5-1 demolition of Arsenal up for sale almost as soon as the dust had settled on the semi-final victory, and both North London clubs having recently assembled and released bafflingly expensive club opuses claiming to package into one volume the entirety of a club’s memory. For me, the collation of a thousand fanzine issues would make a far cheaper, and more effective job.

Whilst some might view my fascination with fanzines as naïve idealism, a search for a bridge with the lost past — a new species of fan-tasy, if you will — I have sought to demonstrate here that the subversive potential of the fanzine remains in spite of all of modern football’s advances. Although I have not yet had the time to do the relevant research, I would be intrigued to see whether the likes of AFC Wimbledon and FC Manchester have utilised the potential of the fanzine to unite fans around their cause. Whether or not the pervasive use of internet forums and noticeboards can ever emulate this potential — rather than serving as a nail in the zine coffin — remains to be seen, but it is my opinion that fanzines continue to be worth investing in.

What do you think? Is the fanzine an anachronism in the modern-day game? Will all fanzines be superseded by ezines or club publications? Tell us your thoughts!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

For one reason or another, this season has seen a number of long-suffering back-up goalkeepers finally venturing into the first eleven on a regular basis.

Almunia at Arsenal has at long last cast off the albatross of Mad Jens Lehmann from around his neck, leaving Lehmann to vilipend and gnash his teeth together like Muttley from Wacky Races — to the chagrin of Arsene Wenger, but to the utmost amusement of other spectators. Almunia has been one of The Gunners most consistent performers so far this campaign.

Meanwhile, over the last two seasons a goalkeeper who has spent so long glued to the bench that doctors might have pronounced him comatose — Steve Harper — has profited from the injury misfortune of Shay Given to notch up 17 and 11 league performances in 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively.

This run of games, if it continues, could allow Harper to reach the milestone of 100 games in a Newcastle jersey, spread over some 10 years in the first-team squad, as well as opening the possibility of surpassing the 18 league appearances managed in the 1999-00 season — an impressive record considering the three bareen seasons in the early noughties when Harper did not make a single league appearance.

With Newcastle having announced yesterday that Given will be out of action for six more weeks, having gone under the knife in a bid to cure his persistent groin problems, Harper will have few chances as precious as this one to stake his case for a first-team berth. Radek Cerny usurped Paul Robinson in the Tottenham Hotspur goal, albeit briefly, whilst at Man City, Joe Hart has gone from being third choice at the beginning of the season, to one of the first names on the team sheet, and in so doing has positioned himself on the verge of an England call-up.

The examples of Harper and Almunia go some way to illustrating the difficult predicament with which back-up goalkeepers are faced, a turmoil which puts to shame the relatively banal struggles of an outfield player, such as Vikash Dhorasoo, when not being selected. On the one hand, any foray into the first-team for a sub goalie generally comes with a costly proviso: either the number one has pulled up with an injury, or he is having one hell of a Weston super and needs to be hauled off pronto before things get worse.

When Eduardo was stretchered off with his terrible double break on the 25th February, substitute Nicklas Bendtner could well have been forgiven for finding it difficult to focus. Now put yourself in the position of Carlo Cudicini, who had to take the place of Petr Cech after the giant Chelsea keeper had suffered a serious collision with Reading striker Stephen Hunt and been taken to hospital with concussion.

A noxious hybrid of relief — finally, a chance to get onto the pitch! —; guilt — how can I be pleased when my team-mate is flat out on a gurney? —; and apprehension — how do I go into the next challenge with the same conviction? or, Jesus, we’re already three down and my tea hasn’t gone cold yet — such is the fare of the substitute goalkeeper when his name is finally called. For footballing understudies, a new meaning is brought to that ever-so-common theatrical phrase uttered from backstage to the star: “Break a leg!”. Either way, for the back-up the omens are less-than-flattering, and the type of concentration and manual awareness necessary to keep goal at the top-level — for a speedy winger, getting prepared might entail as little as pirouetting a few times up the sidelines — are hard to preserve or instil when sitting on a bench.

Meanwhile, for the manager, a substitute goalkeeper is a necessary inconvenience, the leather-handled umbrella one carts about hoping desperately not to have to unleash. Taking the place of an outfield player who could legitimately change the game — a hefty centre-back to shore up a pressured defence and protect a lead; a diminutive midfielder to play the killer pass and set an attacker free; or a brutish goalscorer who is only good for ten minutes a game — a sub keeper offers nothing in terms of flexibility or tactical variation, which is another reason why he is unlikely to get minutes on the pitch, unlike, say, a lanky substitute forward brought on to play out-of-position and defend an aerial siege from corners and free-kicks.

The result is that a back-up goalie is never introduced at the behest of his gaffer, who will invariably plot his game-plan on the firm basis of not having to resort to the traditional number 13. Whilst any injury invariably disrupts the flow of a game, as well as the preconceptions of the manager prior to a game, an injury to the established number 1 is a huge setback to a manager and serves to forcefully reroute his thoughts with regard to the remainder of the match.

Neil Warnock ranks amongst the managers that regularly decide against utilising a sub goalie, with Phil Jagielka memorably slipping on the keeper’s jersey in The Blades’ 1-0 triumph over Arsenal last season. The Scottish FA’s decision to make it obligatory to name a keeper on the bench caused quite a stir, and the methods devised by clubs to contravene this shackle prove to what extent a sub goalie can be seen as a liability.

The number 13 thus joins an asinine and paradoxical group of workers for whom a good day at the office means not having anything to do — bracketing him with the likes of a fireman, a police officer, or a customer services operator wary of pesky clients. In fact, it would hardly be an exaggeration to say that a backup keeper is, as Victorian parents used to snarl at their children, better “seen but not heard”, and contingent as is a keeper’s performance on such things as concentration, patterns, confidence and consistency, it is virtually impossible to give a sub goalie a “run out” in the way that one might do with a forward when 2-0 up.

Meanwhile, whilst the brooding rivalry between Almunia and Lehmann is certainly entertaining, it can hardly be taken to be the norm. In general, a substitute goalkeeper must gregariously swallow his pride and put to one side any residual resentment towards the number one: a replacement keeper can be like a shadow, is heavily involved in everything his counterpart does, and is indeed often responsible for helping the man who has been chosen before him to warm-up before a game. The opportunity ripe, it must be some challenge for a number thirteen to avoid becoming Iago to his majestic Othello.

What’s more, goalkeepers do not tend to experience any age-related downturn in form, the corollary of which is that an up-and-coming goalie of, say, 19, could in theory play second-fiddle to a keeper ten years his senior for some 5-10 years. Being stuck behind the likes of Peter Shilton in a queue must rank as one of the most disheartening experiences on offer in football, whilst being the man to replace a long-standing keeper is an equally thorny issue. In a similar vein, watching from the sidelines makes it impossible to replicate the big-match environment and match play necessary to take one’s own game up a notch, meaning that back-up keepers are unlikely to ever reach their peak potential and may often look back at their forsaken careers with wistful eyes.

It is in this light that we can see the desertion of a trio of excellent goalies from a Liverpool side that seems to have delighted in stockpiling exciting guardians: we are talking, of course, about Scott Carson, Chris Kirkland and Jerzy Dudek, although the latter rather insanely opted to join Real Madrid, where he is kept out of the side by a goalkeeper in Iker Casillas who is a good deal better than the man who had blocked his path at Liverpool!

If all goalies are crazy, as goes the mantra, then back-up keepers must be barmily off their rocker. The fact is that substitute goalkeepers are amongst the most disdained individuals in the modern game. Accepting one’s role as back-up leads to nasty generalizations. Whilst Harper is applauded for his loyalty and patience (despite having been born in Easington, which although relatively close by, is by no means a province of Newcastle), Cudicini is, in the eyes of many critics, necessarily a money-grabber. Courted by a multitude of massive clubs throughout Europe, Cudicini has chosen to remain at Chelsea despite the formidable obstacle of Petr Cech.

It is indeed difficult to understand how a player could take any sort of satisfaction, personal or vicarious, from watching the actions from the sidelines week-in week-out, especially with the knowledge that a transfer would allow him to participate far more directly in the game he supposedly loves. However, if we look at it from a rational point of view, how many of us wouldn’t instantly quit jobs if offered the same salary but with a dramatically decreased output demand? About as many as Derby have Premiership points, I’d wager. Additionally, being a back-up keeper does have its fringe benefits. For one thing, you are unlikely to find yourself displaced, and so earn a steady wage with little job precariousness. Conversely, the lack of playing time frees you up to do other things — Steve Harper, for example, has gained qualifications as an FA-approved referee, as well as having a degree from the Open University.

Finally, it is worth noting that the union of replacement goalkeepers represents from the point of view of the neutral spectator’s excitement an unwanted lot, since a significant percentage of the elder generations still look back nostalgically upon the days when sub goalkeepers did not exist, and outfield players deputising between the sticks was a far more common experience. In terms of entertainment, a large number now feel that we are getting a raw deal: recalling the time in 1980 when Glenn Hoddle was forced to don the keeper’s jersey in an FA Cup tie against Manchester United (Spurs were victorious thanks to Ossie Ardiles’ goal), it is hard not to agree that such occurrences ought to be more common. It certainly might spice things up a little.

Survey question: Who are your top five backup goalies? Let us know in the comments below.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

“See I was supposed to be a footballer
but they kept pickin’ the other kid
who was a foot taller
I got lazy and less enthusiastic
I stopped trainin’ and turning up to matches
started sabotaging the manager’s tactics
but when I did play I used to score hat-tricks
then I gave up
now I’m in the music biz
and I wont ever let my laziness ruin this” (Kano — 9 to 5)

“I appreciate football because without football I wouldn’t have anything else” (Ince, interview with The Independent, 1998)

“I love tackling, love it. It’s better than sex”
(Ince in an interview from England’s World Cup training camp in France 1998)

In my article on Tony Mowbray, I noted that certain images of the West Brom manager during his ‘Boro days have crystallized in time to encapsulate a certain experience of the triumph of a working class club when sailing through rocky economic seas. Paul Ince is another such figure: more than a player, Ince is an icon. And it is indeed this iconic status that can be found both at the source of Ince’s considerable success and the root of the series of outlandish faux-pas that have plagued his career.

Ince’s story, like that of a number of footballers, presents an alternating amalgam of free-fall and tragic resistance in the face of significant social and economical adversity; his plot is that of the Hollywood protagonist teeter-tottering between good and evil and ending up going in for both.
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Early Life

Born in Ilford, which was incidentally also the breeding ground of Naseem Hamed, Ince’s father left when the future Manchester United star was just 2, and this was followed eight years later by the departure of his mother to Germany. Paul, at this time without the “Guv’nor” appendix, was forced to move in with his aunt in Dagenham, and, despite being spotted by West Ham coach John Lyall at the age of 12, a move into football and the signing of YTS forms at 14 was not enough to shelter Ince from the possible nefariousness of outside influences.

As Ince recounts:

“I grew up in a two-bedroom council flat with my mum, brother, sister, cousins and aunties [...] I shared a bedroom with my brother, sister and cousin. But I didn’t see it as poor; it was just the way it was. I had to fend for myself from a very young age”
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A rudderless young scrapper, Ince battled with the demons of drugs and gangs throughout his teenage years, later explaining that between the ages of 13 and 17 he and his mates would get plastered and go to Kings nightclub looking for a fight. It was not until things reached breaking point that Ince began to see the way back from the edge, with one of the lowest moments of his life as a trainee footballer coming when John Lyall had to spend an hour persuading the police not to send Ince to prison for his part in a punch-up involving Ince’s ex-schoolmates.

However, thanks to a mighty dollop of grit and determination — we are talking, of course, about a man who elected himself the ‘Guv’nor‘ on the football pitch — Ince was able to conquer his demons and progress as a footballer.
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Professional Debut for WHU

At the age of 19, Ince made his debut for the West Ham United first-team, and a series of excellent performances over the next couple of seasons, including two stand-out showings against Liverpool in the Cup — the first coming in 1986, a 1-0 victory in which Ince bossed the midfield, and the second in 1988, when two stunning goals and a domineering all-round performance saw Ince and the Hammers destroy then League Cup holders 4-1 — had many big clubs, including Liverpool, casting their greedy eyes over Ince as a potential signing.

Ince’s signature was, in the words of Stephen Orford, “one of the most highly sought after of the era“. The subsequent cup run, inspired in no small part by Ince’s performances, would come to end with a semi-final defeat to eventual winners Luton Town, and the long-awaited upturn in West Ham’s league form was never to materialize; the club were relegated at the end of the season, and coach John Lyall was out on his ass after 15 years at the helm.

The sacking of Lyall, the man who had brought Ince to West Ham and given him his chance in the first-team, was the catalyst for the transfer that would make Ince one of the most hated men in East London. Prior to Lyall’s departure, Ince had negotiated a new contract of £1,100 a week with the Hammers hierarchy, counting upon the increased salary in order to move his wife and family out of his Dagenham house, where local youths were vandalizing his car; slashing the tires and smashing the windows. However, new incumbent Lou Macari refused to ratify the wage hike, telling Ince that the figure agreed upon was far too much for a young player to be earning. It was this betrayal, as perceived by a player with full confidence in his worth, on the part of the club that would lead Ince to perpetrate an act of treason much more grave, turning his back on the club and in the process turning adulation to abhorrence and love to hate in the hearts of fans of that very same Academy of Football out of which Ince had sprung.

Ince’s eventual move to Manchester United was not without its complications, and it is unfortunately these peculiar events, rather than Ince’s efforts in a claret-and-blue shirt, that are immortalized in the mind of many a Hammer. In a saga that has its modern-day equivalent in the Tévez or [Ashley] Cole dramas, Ince’s transfer from one United to another was initially put on hold due to concerns over the player’s fitness. However, then something happened to make Ince’s position in London truly untenable: he was snapped by a Daily Star reporter wearing a Manchester United shirt. Or at least that’s the way the media presented it: Ince had given up on West Ham and had traded his loyalty for a shirt of blood-red, a view that was seemingly compounded by a lacklustre Ince performance in the first game of the new season, with the club stranded in the Second Division.

West Ham fans quickly bought up the hype, and Ince was suddenly a treacherous outlaw, as unpopular as a picture Fat Frank chomping on a donut displayed on a giant screen at Upton Park. With Ince left in limbo in London, Alex Ferguson (then sir-less) personally resurrected the £1 million deal, and Ince’s transfer was completed not long after, thus drawing to a close the first chapter in a colourful career.

The explanation for the photos of Ince in the Manchester United strip is actually rather simple, and is recounted with characteristic bluntness and eloquence by the man himself in an interview with Four Four Two:

Man United then became interested, so I spoke to Alex Ferguson and the deal was close to being done. I then went on holiday, and my agent at the time, Ambrose Mendy, said it wasn’t worth me coming back to do a picture in a United shirt when the deal was completed, so I should do one before I left. This would be released when the deal was announced. Lawrence Luster of the Star took the picture and put it in his library. Soon after, their sister paper the Express were looking for a picture of me playing for West Ham, and found the one of me in the United shirt at the bottom of the pile. They published it and all hell broke loose.

I came back from holiday to discover West Ham fans were going mad. It wasn’t really my fault. I was only a kid, I did what my agent told me to do, then took all the crap for it. The most annoying thing was Luster never had the balls to come out and say what had actually happened. He has killed me. If I ever see him again I’ll give him a good hiding.

I went up to United, but then failed the medical, so I had to return to West Ham. I sat on the bench for a couple of games, but my wife was getting stick in the stands, so I thought, nah, I’m not having this! Alex Ferguson got in touch to tell me that he was resurrecting the deal and that he’d look after me. I have to thank him for that. That is the story, but God, all the crap I get from West Ham fans!

If you think about all those fans at Upton Park, they must have made a mistake and been forgiven. What do they get at games? About 25,000? I bet about 10,000 of the men have been unfaithful and asked for forgiveness from their wife. You have to forgive and forget. When I played for England against Italy in Rome, when we qualified for the 1998 World Cup, West Ham fans were probably standing by the bar saying, “There’s our boy from the East End”, but as soon as I came back I was still a Judas. I’ve held my hands up and told you the story as it happened.

When all is said and done, I still consider myself a West Ham boy. That is where I come from. That will never change. I probably still have more affection for the club than any other.
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At The Court of King Ferguson

After leaving behind his spiritual homeland of East London, Ince’s career followed only one trajectory: up, up, up! A key part of the Manchester United midfield of the early ’90s, and captaining the team of a number of occasions, Ince, playing alongside such luminaries as Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona and Andrei Kanchelskis, won every domestic honour in the game during his tenure up north; first came the FA Cup in 1990, then the League Cup in 1992, and finally, the League Championship in 1993, ending United’s 26-year wait for a league title in the year of the Premier League’s inception. The European Cup Winner’s Cup was also added with victory over Barcelona in Rotterdam in 1991. In 1994, the club won the first of Fergie’s magnificent league and cup doubles.

Ince was, for a while, the incarnation of Ferguson’s reformed United: hungry, snarling, enthusiastic, energetic, ambitious, fiery, and forming together with Roy Keane (who joined in 1993) one of the most frightening midfield tandems in English football history, a pair of tacklers ferocious and motivated enough to make a WWE wrestler squeam. Ince’s form did not go unnoticed at national level, being called up to the senior England squad for the first time during his stay at Old Trafford, and retaining his place for some years to come. It was also during his time at Liverpool that Ince became the first black man ever to captain the English national team, a feat of which he is immensely proud.

Not everything was hunky dory for Ince and United, however, and the season after the glorious double had been achieved, the trophy cabinet was once again bared — The Red Devils finished second to Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn in the League and lost out to a Paul Rideout header in the FA Cup final, a goal that many people blamed on an Ince mistake moments before — and the result came in the shape of Ince waving goodbye to Old Trafford, once more amidst a storm of controversy.

The “official” story of Ince’s exit reads that Ferguson had concluded that his former captain was surplus to requirements due to the emergence of a trio of young midfielders from the academy, who went by the names of Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, and David Beckham. Whilst this version is undoubtedly creditable, it would be fair to say that it is a somewhat selective interpretation of events. In actual fact, the quick-fire departure of Paul Ince signalled the first of a series of run-ins Alex Ferguson would have, and continues to have, with his more personable players, and the way in which the row was dealt by Fergie prefigured the brutality shown in the sale of the likes of Stam, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, and others.

Ince left not with the blessing of the Old Trafford faithful, but instead branded a “Big Time Charlie” by a Ferguson who claimed that the midfielder thought too highly of himself and put himself above the team; the tag stuck like superglue, and the tragic consequence was that Ince was again immortalized for a supposed attitude problem off-the-pitch instead of being remembered for his exceptional exploits on it.
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Bye Bye England, Ciao Italia!

And so, from the tropical climes of Manchester, Ince the “Big Time Charlie” headed to the stars and stripes, the Nerazzurri, the multinational phenomenon that was Football Club Internazionale Milano, then managed by Roy Hodgson. One of few English players to take any credit from time spent in Serie A, Ince’s two years at Inter, although of absolutely no note in terms of trophy haul, were supremely successful on a personal and professional level. An Inter crowd that had initially shown a mild scepticism towards Ince was soon cooing to the Ince tune, won over by the England man’s complete commitment and all-action style, as well as that continued knack to pop up with vital match-winning goals. In his first season, Ince played in all but four of the club’s league fixtures, and this set him up nicely for Euro 1996. His time at Inter also made him a better player, with the ever-present speed and tackling ability complemented by a newfound two-footedness born of the player’s desperation not to be humiliated amongst his technically superior team-mates.

Euro 1996 again saw a conflict arise between Ince’s footballing and non-footballing personalities. On the pitch, Ince was an ever-present and crucial cog in England’s exciting run to the semi-finals, the man responsible for parading the central midfield, winning the ball or committing tactical fouls and therefore allowing one Paul Gascoigne to play with absolute attacking freedom and gusto, a job he did with minimum fuss and maximum effort. Gascoigne and Ince’s partnership was synchronized like clockwork, the two became great friends, and it is a time Ince remembers fondly; he even goes as far to say that Gazza’s Euro 1996 form made him the most talented player Ince had ever had the privilege to play with. However, questions were asked about Ince’s leadership and teamwork skills when, when it came to the penalty shoot-out against Germany at the semi-final stage, Ince not only opted out of taking a penalty — Gareth Southgate took the 6th spot-kick and the rest is history, despite Ince having later admitted to have volunteered and been assigned the 6th spot — but steadfastly refused to watch his team-mates’ efforts, instead sitting in the centre-circle Gallas-like, with his back turned away from the action throughout.

1997 was a better year for Inter, and Ince had a significant part to play in this rejuvenation. As well as finishing 3rd in the race for the Scudetto, Inter reached the UEFA Cup Final, with Ince scoring an important goal against Boavista in the second-round. However, penalties again proved Ince’s undoing, as his side succumbed to a 4-1 penalty defeat against Schalke, and Ince and Inter again finished the season empty-handed.
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From San Siro to Anfield Road

Despite being offered a new and improved contract by Inter supremo Massimo Moratti, Ince decided to return to England in 1998, primarily so that his son Thomas could attend an English school. And ironically, it was to Liverpool, the team against whom he had performed so admirably at West Ham, and Manchester United’s arch-rivals, that Ince now deserted. Ince added his name to the amputated handful (2) who have played for both clubs, and is surely the only player to have captained both of the deadly rivals; indeed, news of the move brought more than a few mischievous whistleblowers to claim that Liverpool had been Ince’s choice as he had been keen to find a way to kick Ferguson in the teeth, so to speak, something he would later accomplish when scoring in a 2-2 draw against United at Anfield. The transfer to Liverpool was not a popular one with either set of fans, and leaves Ince with the curious, unenviable and almost unique accolade of being able to return to nearly all of his former clubs and receive a frosty, or downright hostile reception and at least a minority chorus of boos and jeers: some record indeed.

Courter of controversy and frozen in time by a series of biased snapshots, Ince’s memory has been obscured by this “larger than life” status. An anecdote from Jamie Redknapp perhaps best illustrates Ince’s love-him or hate-him status and slightly conceited personality:

“We used to tease him about his nickname. He said he didn’t like it but when I first played against him, it was on his car number plate.

He cultivated the image, although really it was all a front, something he used as a weapon against the opposition.

I’ve seen teams shrink in the tunnel as Incey would walk along from the dressing room, playing up to it — chest exposed, muscles tenses.

He had a terrific physique, which is remarkable given that he was prone to scoffing McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The whole ground would be waiting for him and he’d be last out, shirt in his hands, naked chest out. ‘I’m here, now the game can begin…’”
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Ince’s time at Liverpool can be read in two contrasting lights. On the one hand, his link-up with a blossoming Michael Owen was exciting for all to see, he reached a career high of 8 goals in a single campaign, not bad for an essentially destructive midfielder, and his appointment as captain was a testimony to his leadership skills and determination. Nowhere else were these attributes displayed more conspicuously than in England’s crunch World Cup Qualifier against Italy in Rome, where, despite a bloody head injury, a heavily bandaged Ince turned in a man-of-the-match performance as England secured the draw needed to obtain qualification, with Ince’s showing providing the “enduring image of the night” (The Guardian, 28th October 2006), a warrior image to which Ince would regularly allude and the hype surrounding which led to the creation of yet another congealed Ince portrait.

On the other hand, like so many others, Ince failed to live up to his tag of the Pool’s “missing link” (he is in good company there), and the Reds’ pursuit of the League Title, or indeed of any other trophy, continued to be fruitless. This failure in major competitions ran over into World Cup 1998, where for the third time running, Ince’s heart was broken by a penalty shoot-out; although on this occasion, Ince did in fact take a spot-kick in England’s second round loss to Argentina, his somewhat tame effort saved by Carlos Roa. What’s more, the over-exuberance of the “Spice Boys”, whilst refreshing for fans and pundits alike, did not necessarily reflect too well on Ince’s contribution, calling into question both his performance on the pitch, and his ability to effectively martial the team; it is said that Ince’s fate as dispensable was sealed when, in a reserve match, he was nutmegged by a young rookie, a sparky central midfielder who proceeded to dominate proceedings. That rookie’s name? Steven Gerrard.
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From Stev-O to Boro

After leaving Anfield, Ince moved on to what could essentially have been labelled the “Old Englanders Retirement Club”, or so it seemed. I’m talking about a Middlesbrough side managed by Ince’s former team-mate Bryan Robson, who was later joined in the dugout by ex-England boss Terry Venables, and contained the likes of namesakes and once England colleagues Paul Merson and Paul Gascoigne.

Once more taking on the responsibilities as skipper, Ince performed admirably, making over 100 steady and committed appearances for a team primarily founded on the principles of flair and entertainment, always happy to do his talking on the pitch and let Juninho shine in his shadow, and helping ‘Boro to maintain their previously fragile Premiership status. What’s more, Ince again managed to have the last word over his detractors, as within a month of moving to the Riverside, he put in a Man-of-the-Match performance against Gérard Houllier’s Liverpool to give the Yorkshire side a 1-0 victory.
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The Call of the Wild: Wolves

Next stop was Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2002, where for the first time in his career Ince played outside of the top-flight on a regular basis (he had made one appearance in the Second Division for West Ham). However, never one to shirk a challenge, and certainly not about to be phased by a drop down in division, Ince catalyzed the Wolves team and, playing in 29 of the club’s 38 league matches, inspired Dave Jones‘ side to promotion to the Premiership.

Although they were relegated immediately, Ince continued to play an important role as the fulcrum around which Wolves’ game was built, and garnered much respect from the fans and fellow players alike for his perseverance and dedication, in counterpoint to his advancing years, especially since he had already prolonged his retirement in 2004 following a talk with journeyman Teddy Sheringham. The high stead in which Ince was held at Wolves, where he was known to periodically up his energy levels and charge at opposition players like a rampant bull, or an angry Wayne Rooney, can be summed up in this quotation taken from a Wolves fanzine:

“When he was with Wolves he ran his socks off and tried harder than any other player on the field [...] his efforts and his tackles go to another level”
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Trading Football Boots for Manager Vest

However, in tune with previous events, Ince was not ushered quietly out of the back door of Molineu, instead leaving amidst a cloud of controversy and allegations of institutional racism for the final controversial snapshot of a headline-filled career. Having applied for the manager’s job in the summer of 2006, Ince, who has since claimed, with some justice, that he was the choice of both the players and the fans, was overlooked in favour of former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy, leading him to remark that English football still suffered from the problem of institutional racism — “other countries have moved on, we still have our heads stuck in the sand” — and calling for an inquest into the lack of black managers in the football league. Indeed, the extent of the vocal complaints launched by Ince, who is married to a white woman to whom he feels his career is indebted, were instrumental in the PFA’s decision to carry out a full review on the subject, as well as a survey of current managers and coaches, with the results seemingly confirming, if not the definite existence of racism in the upper echelons of British football, at the very least the clear perception on the part of black managers that they are not wanted in the same way as their white counterparts.

By this time, however, Ince had had his first taste of management, and was hungry for more. Taking advantage of his close friendship with Dennis Wise, Ince took up a player-coaching role at Swindon Town in 2006, although he bizarrely played just two games before hanging up his boots, claiming that he could not devote himself adequately to both roles. Ince stayed on at Swindon, nevertheless, in a non-playing capacity in order to obtain the requisite coaching badges, and with his coaching qualifications safely under his belt, began to prowl more and more actively for management positions, whilst completing the LMA Certificate of Applied Management funded by the PFA.
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League Two Management

Although he had not really expected to start his management career until mid-2007 at the earliest, a chance enquiry by owner Bashar Alkadhi, fielded through the PFA, led to Ince being appointed manager at struggling Macclesfield Town in December 2006, a move that drew both consternation — why was Ince dirtying his hands in League Two, in fact, at the club with the lowest average attendance in the Football League, when the likes of Stuart Pearce and Gareth Southgate were walking into Premiership jobs? — and praise — good on the man for doing a proper apprenticeship — from the media. When Ince linked up with the club, they found themselves 7 points adrift at the bottom of the League Two table, looking perilously beneath them into the Stygian of the Conference.

Managing at a League Two club proved quite a culture shock for Ince, a man accustomed to playing for some of the biggest clubs around the globe and making headlines on a weekly, or daily basis. The new gaffer expressed his surprise at the cost-cutting measures in place — instead of having a team of delegates disposed to take care of all of the nitty gritty and administrative work, Ince found himself having to answer mail from potential triallists and scouting players himself — and this surprise later turned to anger at the lack of media exposure received by lower-league clubs, when the news that four of his players had broken their legs within the space of just three weeks, including a freak collision between goalkeeper Jonathan Brain and defender Andrew Teague, was only sparsely reported in the mainstream media.

“What annoys me more than anything is that this story, more of a tragedy, has cost me four main players, four players who are really important to me, and yet because we’re in the lower leagues, it’s like nobody cares. There’s been no get well messages sent by any of the bigger clubs. You can guarantee that if it had been Chelsea or anyone like that it would have been on the news every bloody day, but because it’s Macclesfield, nobody cares, and I find that hard to take sometimes”

“The admin stuff is long, something I’ve not really been used to [...] When you go to a big club they’ve got so many people to delegate things; here [...] you have to do them. But that’s partly just becoming a manager — as a player you’re usually home by half one, and on a golf course by two o’ clock”
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Despite these setbacks, and a loss in his first game in charge, a number of radical changes introduced by Ince, including a review of players’ diets; double fitness sessions with his own fitness coach, ex-Army man Duncan Russell; bringing in two masseurs; and compulsory team lunches, soon paid dividends, and thitherto winless Macclesfield took their first three-point haul of the season on December 5th 2006. During his time at Macclesfield, Ince went about demonstrating a side of his personality that had not been quite so evident in his on-field persona and had only really manifested itself when Ince was called upon to appear before the media: a soft-spoken, cerebral intelligence and rigor to accompany his overarching desire to win, his commitment and professionalism.

The confidence inculcated in the team by Ince — he confidently remarked when taking the job that “I could see something in the players” and denied the need to seek help from any one of his more experienced ex-team-mates, “I haven’t seen any need to call them [...] I feel that we’re progressing” — soon transformed the club’s fortunes, and a nine game unbeaten streak in league and cup took The Silkmen away from relegation danger and into a glamour 3rd-round FA Cup tie with holders Chelsea. No cup magic was produced, however, as Macclesfield were duly slaughtered 6-1, in part due to the questionable sending-off of goalkeeper Tommy Lee early on in the game. Although a late slide nearly plunged Ince and Macclesfield back into the relegation dogpit, a draw with Notts County in the club’s last game of the season was sufficient to secure the Silkmen’s League status for another year, and Ince took many plaudits for his Houdini-like rescue job, which allowed him to

“Stick two fingers up at the people who questioned my sanity and my abilities”
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Ince admits that taking the job was a risk and that he was the one with a reputation on the line, but the gamble paid off, and in this humble writer’s view, for Ince failure was never really on the cards.
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MK Dons

It soon became clear that Ince’s days were numbered at tiny Moss Rose as he sought a bigger challenge and a club with greater resources to match his ambition. In spite of the rumours linking him to a job in the top two leagues, Ince somewhat surprisingly opted to take on what looked like a poisoned chalice at MK Dons, a club with two relegations in three seasons and the black sheep of the football world due to the controversy over the Milton Keynes/Wimbledon merger. However, Ince’s judgement has once again proven excellent, as a string of astute signings and a firm guiding hand has helped MK Dons to the brink of promotion to League One: the Dons currently sit on top of the league, level on points with Peterborough (who are managed, would you believe it, by Sir Alex Ferguson’s son Darren) with a game in hand. Not only has Ince set the club up for promotion, but he has also taken them to their first ever cup final under the Milton Keynes franchise, reaching the final of the Johnston’s Paint Trophy courtesy of a semi-final victory over Roberto Martínez’s Swansea City, who are currently leaders of League One; the result will have been even more pleasing for Ince, since it was sealed on a penalty shoot-out, the first major penalty triumph for Ince in a career spanning more than twenty years.

Despite continued hearsay surrounding his future, and the reported interest in his services of Derby County, Wigan Athletic, and a number of Championship clubs, Paul Ince has repeatedly affirmed his desire to fulfil his contract at Stadium:mk, and for the man who had a career full of tumult, a couple of years or more of stability and the thrill of a long-term project in Milton Keynes might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Style of Play

“A lot of clubs at this level think the only way to get out of a position like this is to kick your way out of it. We’re going to try to play. That’s what I’ve always been used to, and that’s what the boys can do”
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One of the most refreshing aspects of Paul Ince’s management regime is his focus on attractive, attack-oriented passing football, with his team set out to prove that it is wholly possible to get out of the lower leagues without kicking the opposition off the park. Although best known for his tackling and battling qualities, Ince was an extremely cultured midfielder with an excellent passing range, and is attempting to impart to his teams a global footballing philosophy based on a wealth of knowledge accumulated in his much-travelled career.

Although Macclesfield’s escape from relegation last season did not produce scintillating football on the scale of Arsenal or Barcelona, it was easier on the eye than would be expected from a club in a relegation scrap at the bottom of the Football League. Equally, whilst MK Dons are by no means the top scorers in League Two this campaign, their game is founded upon short, mixed passing, in the mould of Dario Gradi’s Crewe, for whom Ince expressed masses of admiration before the two teams met in November’s FA Cup tie. Though the Dons eventually ran out 2-1 losers, the two combined to produce an open and attractive game that was a credit to the Football League.

The football on offer, as well as the promise of promotion, has led to a huge increase in gates attendance at Stadium:mk, with a new bunch of local fans starting to mobilize around the club and a good 8,500 often attending games. The Dons’ 25,000 tickets to Wembley for the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy were reportedly sold out within hours.

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Transfers and Management Style

The contrast between Paul Ince the player (Guv’nor) — arrogant, forever haranguing the reserve players, swearing at team-mates, always up for the first tackle and delighting in the crunch of jaunty bones — and Paul Ince the manager (Governor) could hardly be more marked. About the only thing that remains undeterred is Ince’s fierce desire to win; otherwise, gone is the stubborn combativeness, replaced with a cool and collected manner, a self-effacing humility, and a faith in players, and indeed in human beings, that suggests a significant maturational process on the part of the ex-United captain.

“Getting the best out of players is about caring about them as individuals [...] You have to be a father, a mentor, a role model and a motivator. If they can see that you are on their side, they will go the extra mile”
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All the signs point to Paul Ince having a superb eye for talent as a manager, both in terms of bringing in players from outside the club, and in the matter of getting the most out of players who previously found themselves out of the first team picture, as was the case of John Miles, who was excellent in Macclesfield’s successful relegation battle and has since accompanied Ince to Milton Keynes. This ability to stretch players to the height of their abilities has seen Ince take risks on those who have struggled to demonstrate top form at other clubs, and has also permitted the manager to work extremely effectively with Keith Andrews — whom he made club captain — despite the fact that the two had a very public falling-out during their time together at Wolves.

Macclesfield’s recovery was in large part down to the efforts of the players who were already at the club prior to Ince’s arrival, although a special mention should go to John Murphy, Adam Murray, Ashan Holgate and Simon Wiles, all of whom proved useful and reliable signings for the Silkmen, especially during their injury crises. Ince deposited a reservoir of faith in his stooges at Moss Rose, and this is poignantly demonstrated by the fact that several of his former charges have now joined Ince at Milton Keynes: including John Miles, Alan Navarro and Danny Swailes, with the latter two having a big role to play in the season’s success up to this point.

With a relative bounty of funds to choose from this summer, Paul Ince has shopped extremely well, bringing to Milton Keynes a mix of youthful enthusiasm and experienced and reliable performers. Goalkeeper Willy Gueret, signed from Swansea in the summer, has performed ably and reliably whenever called upon, and indeed his excellent showing in the Johnston’s Paint Trophy semi-final against Swansea was enough to prompt Ince to state that the Welsh club had made a huge gaffe in letting the Frenchman go. In central defence, the additions of the vastly experienced Drissa Diallo and Sean O’Hanlon, both of whom have played the majority of the Dons games, have helped stabilize last season’s leaky backline, and MK have the second best defensive record in the division, behind only Dave Penney’s Darlington.

Mark Wright, who was a vital part of Walsall’s League Two-winning side last season, has added badly-needed consistency, trickery, and experience — he has just gone through a promotion-winning season — to the Dons midfield line. The club pulled off a real coup to sign Colin Cameron (who played with Ince at Wolves) to complement Wright, with Cameron a former international and a multi-million pound player earlier in his career; a further steal came with the free transfer of ex-Blackburn and Manchester United forward Jemal Johnson, whose lightning pace has started many an attack, whilst up front QPR legend Kevin Gallen, Ince’s first signing for the club, has added experience, teamwork, and a few vital goals here and there.

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Achievements

Manager of the month, Coca-Cola Football League Two, Macclesfield (December 2006)

Manager of the month, Coca-Cola Football League Two, MK Dons (October 2007, January 2008)

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Managerial Statistics

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Statistics provided by Soccerbase
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Future — Every Ince a Premiership Manager

Meanwhile, as far as the long-term has been concerned, Ince’s ambitions remain as lofty as ever: to manage every club he played for, and to become the first ever black England manager.

As Ince rightly puts it:

“Why not? Life has taught me that if you’re determined enough you can achieve anything [...] Racism prevented a lot of extremely talented black people from getting involved in football, but it inspired me to change people’s attitudes. Captaining my country was the proudest moment of my career, but it was somewhat overshadowed by the issue that I was the first black player to do so [...] What I achieved encouraged black kids to play the game and chase the same dreams that I had fulfilled, and that is my biggest achievement in football”
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As for the Old Trafford Royal Rumble, ex-Manchester United stars Steve Coppell, Roy Keane and Mark Hughes have all been mentioned as key candidates in the gaggle of names desperate to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson when the great Scot finally abdicates the Old Trafford throne, but at this rate, few would be willing to argue against Ince throwing his name into the ring, or against him eventually coming out on top. He’s not a Governor for nothing, you know.

Author’s note: the Kano quotation is provided as an epigraph both due to thematic relevance and because Ince and Kano are both from East London (and both lived in Newham for a while). So don’t knock it as spurious. Author’s note #2: since originally writing this article, Ince has received coverage from Chris Kamara.

Hugo Steckelmacher is a regular Soccerlens featured author, whose areas of expertise include the Spanish Liga and Tottenham Hotspur. His profile on Paul Ince is part of Soccerlens’ “Under the Radar”: The Top 5 Up-and-Coming English Managers in the Football League series.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The stage is FC Barcelona’s famous Camp Nou stadium. The scoreline? 1-0, although you’d be forgiven for thinking that no-one cared. The reason for this lack of interest? One of the divo’s clothed in red and blue is prostrated pitchside, tears streaming down his youthful face. The moment is frozen in time. Thousands of fans hold their hearts in their hands. A legendary Dutch player, now FC Barcelona manager, looks down at the ground. After just thirty-five minutes of a Champions’ League 2nd leg tie, suddenly Europe’s premier club competition doesn’t seem so important any more. As Nietzsche once wrote, “God is dead”; and in this case, Lionel Messi lies injured yet again.

The injury to the biceps femoris sustained by Lionel Messi on Tuesday evening will stop the Argentine wizard from playing for a minimum of six weeks. Whilst the news has come as quite a blow to all those associated with the club, few can genuinely claim to have been shocked by the night’s events. The diminutive Argentine has already suffered a number of such injuries in his short but eventful career, and the continued saga of Lionel’s instep has left many experts wondering whether there mightn’t be some murky monster hidden beneath the surface of the official medical report, some defect that will plague Diego II for the rest of his career. In this article I’d like to try to get to the bottom of the circumstances that could well rob world football of one of its most worshipped princes before he has time to don the crown or settle on the throne. In the words of Enrique Vaquerizo,

“La ansiosa búsqueda de nuevos genios con los que seguir haciendo girar la rueda de la información deportiva, convierte a jugadores en mitos antes de tener la oportunidad de demostrarlo en el campo”

“The desperate search for new geniuses with which to keep the wheel of sports reporting spinning, turns players into myths before they have had a chance to demonstrate it on the pitch”

The Injuries

Since exploding onto the world football scene three years ago with his spellbinding performances in the Champions League, Lionel Messi has suffered no fewer than seven significant muscle injuries, which have kept him out of action for a grand total of 246 days.

On the 5th of February 2006, Messi pulls up in a crucial match against then high-flying Atlético Madrid, with an elongation of his right biceps femoris causing him to miss eighteen days of matches and training, including an important encounter against Valencia. Having surmounted this hindrance, Messi finds himself immobilized just a couple of weeks into his comeback. Jostling for position with William Gallas in Barça’s Champions’ League knockout tie against Chelsea, Messi feels a sharp pain in his right leg, but tries not to think the worse. He had been eagerly anticipating the match, desperate to show Chelsea that the accusations of theatricality made against him during the first leg are wholly unfounded. He says nothing to the bench, and keeps on running, pursuing fellow injury-prone starlet Arjen Robben up the pitch, before suddenly falling to floor. The same performance. The same anxious look, the same salty tears dripping from his eyes, and the same muscle, although a significantly worse outcome: the right biceps femoris was this time ruptured, along with Messi’s heart, and Messi trudges off the pitch before receiving a fatherly hug from his manager. Mr Rijkaard says that the relapse is due to Messi’s unbridled desire to get back on the pitch even when he’s not fully ready. After two months on the sidelines recuperating, disaster strikes. A relapse of the same injury, and Lionel Messi is ruled out of FC Barcelona’s biggest match in several years: the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal, a match they would win 2-1. Weeks later, with still no improvement to show for his efforts, Messi is told that he won’t be able to play in the opening match of the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and El Pulga never makes quite the impact he might’ve done at the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.

Just a month into the following season, Messi is wounded once more, although thankfully the injury, sustained in training, is not a direct repeat of earlier models, and the Argentine gets away with just a fortnight off for a sprained ligament in his right knee. After reappearing on the scene, Messi plays for 90 minutes in games against Chelsea — banishing the nightmares of his last fixture against the Blues, despite the 1-0 loss — and the Real Madrid, showing no signs of discomfort, although his performances are disappointing and Barça fail to score for two successive games for the first time in three years. A knock picked up in training forces Messi to sit out Barça’s 3-0 win over Recre, a game which saw los culés return to form, according to Rijkaard. 90 minutes are completed in the return match against Chelsea, with Barça drawing 2-2 thanks to goals from Deco and Gudjohnsen, but Messi’s input is minimal.

A low-key run-out away in A Coruña, where Ronaldinho’s penalty and Iniesta’s immense performance from the subs bench help Barça come away with a draw, is followed by a rest midweek as Barcelona dispatch Badalona in the Copa del Rey with consummate ease. Fully rested for the crunch match against Champions League hopefuls Real Zaragoza? You betcha. Or not. Catastrophe strikes once more, as the injury that has taken the scalps of the likes of Rooney and Beckham, the break of the fifth metatarsal, takes Messi under its spell. The wizard is sidelined for three months, with the only consolation coming in the fact that this time it is his left foot, and not his right (where he had suffered all of the other injuries), that it is affected.

Messi is back in February 2007, and is soon in scintillating form. Although powerless to stop Barça crashing out of the Champions League against Liverpool, a truckload of Messi magic against Real Madrid see the Argentine put his injury problems behind him and write his name into footballing folklore. In what is generally considered one of the best “El Clásico” fixtures in recent years, Messi tortures a depleted Real Madrid defence, scoring all three equalizers as Barça peg back Los Merengues for a 3-3 draw. All three goals demonstrate a different part of Messi’s massive talent; the first coming from a supremely collected finish having been sent through one on one by a Deco through ball; the second, a lashed volley into the top of the net after Ronaldinho’s low drive is kept out by Casillas; and the third goal, in second-half stoppage time, an excellent individual effort, with Messi beating two defenders before angling the ball expertly into the bottom right hand corner to send the Camp Nou into raptures.

The months that follow are to be the most productive of Messi’s short career so far. Injury-free and keen to make up for lost time, Messi scored an excellent 11 league goals in 13 games to take his tally to 14 league goals in a season in which he had missed almost 4 months of playing time. Messi also completes his transformation into Diego II by replicating Maradona’s two most famous goals. In a game against Getafe in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey, Messi ran about 62 metres and beat six opposition players before scoring from almost exactly the same position as Maradona had put the seal on his “Goal of the century” against England in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. As if to fuel the comparisons, Messi proceeded to run towards the corner-flag as his idol had done in Mexico 21 years before. Messi compounded the hype by going on to score a crucial equalizer against city rivals Espanyol using his hand, thus completing the reincarnation of Maradona’s most iconic moments on the football pitch.

A free run of games in this summer’s Copa América had Messi and his fans across the world believing that, his injury problems behind him, this season would be the one in which his status as the world’s best player was consolidated. And for a while, it looked like this might be the case. Despite suffering a minor spasm in his isquiotibial muscle (the muscles at the back of the calf, next to the femoris) on the 11th of September, tragedy does not strike, Messi misses one sole week due to the injury, and proceeds to go on a scoring run to help Barça keep pace with Real Madrid at the top of the league. However, in mid-December, the unthinkable happens. In the middle of Barça’s 3-0 destruction of Valencia at the Mestalla, Messi again pulls up, with no other plays in a two metre radius. The omens do not look good. And the medical tests are there to confirm the worst: the biceps femoris, this time of his left leg, are ruptured, forcing Messi to sit out a month’s worth of action, including the crunch match at home to Real Madrid the following week, a game in which a melancholic Barça are outplayed and lose 1-0.

Messi’s return to the Barcelona team prompts in an upturn in their form, and his performances and goals — including two at Celtic Park in the Champions League, and the goal to regain the lead for Barça against Levante — help cut Real Madrid’s lead at the top of La Liga to just two points, albeit briefly. Rested by Frank Rijkaard in last Sunday’s 4-2 defeat at Atlético Madrid, a decision for which the Dutchman was roundly and peremptorily derided, there was little question of Messi being left out again at home to Celtic, and the rest is history: a tear of the same biceps femoral, and Barça without their talisman for a minimum of 6 weeks.

Why so many injuries? Possible causes

The case of Lionel Messi is interesting for many reasons. What is notable about all seven of his injuries is that not a single one of them has come as a direct result of a heavy challenge from an opposition player — thus the Wenger/Ferguson tirades about their players being the most fouled and consequently the most susceptible to injury cannot be applied with any truth to Messi, in spite of the desire to do so on the part of some desperate Barcelona fans, who have pointed to the “shock tactics” of Schuster and co. when faced with Messi as evidence for their complicity in his injuries.

First off, it is worth noting that FC Barcelona have suffered a massive number of muscular injuries over the last few years, with more than half of the squad having sat out games due to this type of problem, including Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Touré Yayá, Gianluca Zambrotta, Carles Puyol, Sylvinho and Deco. This is enough to suggest that something is not right with the treatment players are receiving at the club: either there is some problem with the warm-up, or the players are not being asked to do the requisite muscle-building work in the gyms. Barça teams over the last two years have tired noticeably after the 60th minute, leaving question marks over the physical preparation offered up by Frank Rijkaard’s coaching team, and the training regime tailored to Messi’s physical needs by FCB’s coaches has clearly failed in its objectives, leaving Txiki Beguiristaín to state after Tuesday’s match that perhaps Messi’s every activity would have to be supervised by the FCB hierarchy.

However, it is my belief that a number of specific factors related to the player have contributed to Messi’s chequered injury record over the last three years. The first and second of these can be directly linked: the fact that Messi demands too much from himself, and the pressure on the part of Barça fans, whose expectations will not allow their favourite son to sit out as many games as might be required to regain full fitness. Messi’s footballing style is characterized by his immense speed and acceleration, and he often operates in short bursts, stopping and starting constantly and suddenly and twisting and turning in several directions, at varying speeds. According to some commentators, Messi’s electric and explosive style on the pitch demands too much from his body, and this problem is compounded by the fact that the crack himself is loathe to admit to an injury, a sign of immaturity that is quite understandable, but can cause great amounts of damage, as indeed it did for Messi in the game against Chelsea.

As the Argentinian nacional team doctor, Dr Homero de Agostino says, in a description that will sound familiar to fans of Wayne Rooney, who is another who suffers from regular injury setbacks, “what he asks of himself is too much [...] he wants to kick every ball, to be involved in every move, to score every goal [...] if when running one does more than one really can, at some point the muscle is fatigued, coordination between the contraction and relaxation of the muscle is offset by a millisecond, and an injury occurs”.

What’s more, for Barcelona fans Messi’s status as the “Messiah” means that he is virtually impossible to drop from the team, as we can see from the barracking received by Rijkaard when Messi was rested against Atlético, in spite of the declaration on the part of Frank Rijkaard’s assistant Johan Neeskens, before kick-off, that Messi’s muscle was slightly overburdened. All of this has led to Puyol’s blaming Messi’s injury on the insatiable Barcelona media, and although he would later retract the statement, it does to a certain extent ring true.

Whilst Rijkaard should of course be censured if he was guilty of listening to the media instead of to the requisite medical bulletins, the pressure applied by Barcelona’s top newspapers on the team as a whole, and on the figure of Messi himself, leaves player and club in an impossible position in which Messi’s absence will forever be used as a weapon against the coaching team, whilst the media recriminate Rijkaard and his henchmen every time Messi is injured due to not being used properly (those at El Mundo Deportivo, for example, first lampooned Rijkaard for having left Messi out of the startling line-up against Atlético, then complained a day later because Messi had participated quite actively in a training game at La Masía, and then proceeded to contradict themselves by having a go at Rijkaard for not leaving Messi on the bench against Celtic!). Doctor Ramón Balius, a specialist on muscular injuries and a member of the Barça team has explained that the great majority of modern-day footballers play under excessive train, and that from a medical point of view, a squad of 50 players would be necessary in order to permit players to avoid their muscles being overworked.

A series of other theories related to Messi’s body have been advanced. First off, Messi’s physical constitution is apparently different from that of his peers; his musculature has been said by his doctors to have a quite distinct shape from that of other footballers, whilst the response of his body to treatment and to sudden movements is inevitably conditioned by this singularity. However, talk of Messi having an especially weak musculature has been discounted by medical experts, such as the Argentinian national team’s doctor, who maintains that the exhaustive biomechanical tests carried out on the 20-year old have revealed no exceptional qualities about his muscular composition.

A further theory suggests that the hormones medical staff in Argentina injected into Messi’s body between the ages of 10 and 14, paid for by FC Barcelona in order to facilitate his muscle growth, may be at the root of his injury nightmare. Proponents of this hypothesis suggest that his physical development as a child was “unnatural” and that as a consequence, whilst the muscle contains the same surface properties as that of other footballers, it fails to react in the same way or hold up under the same amounts of physical pressure. Despite this premise being again quashed by the medical teams of FC Barcelona and the Argentinian national team, as well as by Diego Schwarsztein, the doctor who treated La Pulga back in Rosario, it remains a tempting and potentially elucidatory one.

A Messi future — bad tidings we bring

Lionel Messi is not the only player to have suffered from chronic injury problems throughout his career, and we must only look at the likes Milan striker Ronaldo to understand the demoralizing effect of constant injuries on a player’s desire and ability to keep going. Whilst Messi has yet to suffer an injury of the same severity, his struggle to get fit only to suddenly relapse is reminiscent of the toothy Brazilian, as well as of another great striker, also of A.C. Milan: Marco Van Basten, who, after a series of troublesome ankle problems, was forced to retire at the tender age of just 28. All of the signs point to Messi suffering similar problems.

Whilst I hope that such a prognosis is proven wrong, it is my hope that Barça and world football fans alike, so quick to proclaim Messi the “king”, will stop pressuring El Pulga to play in every game, will respect his need to take time to recover from even minor knocks — as Juande Ramos has had to do with Ledley King — and give him time to let the crown settle, before it falls off for good.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Back with the fourth installment of his series on exciting young English managers in the Football League, Hugo Steckelmacher looks at Scunthorpe United’s Nigel Adkins, a man hard to pigeon-hole. Come back next week for Paul Ince!

Who needs Mourinho, we’ve got our physio — Scunthorpe fans’ regular chant, home and away.

Nigel Adkins (born 11th March 1965, age 42) is different from other football managers. For one, he was a goalkeeper, and precious few ‘keepers make it into management at the top level. What’s more, his playing career was nothing to write home about, especially compared to his young English managerial colleagues, such as Tony Mowbray and Paul Ince. And finally, he has worked for several years with a Sunday league team, has managed in Ireland, and is a qualified physiotherapist. Confused? Welcome to the hybrid world that is home to Scunthorpe United’s highly-rated manager Nigel Adkins.

Adkins’ playing days were less than colourful, although I will offer a brief outline of them to help you get a picture of the man. Of Adkins’ time in English football, the entirety was spent in the nether regions of the football league, where he gained the know-how necessary to survive in the notoriously scrappy League One and Two (perhaps one of the reasons some young English managers fail is the lack of football league experience in their playing days; conversely, the fact that Adkins never played in the top divisions may ultimately, though not necessarily, inhibit his managerial progression).

A Merseyside native, the formative years of Adkins’ professional career were spent at local side Tranmere Rovers, stuck in the wilderness of the fourth division. Having broken into the first-team at the age of 18, Adkins made 86 performances in four years as a professional for The Whites, but left in 1986, just before Rovers’ recovery and ascent under the leadership of Johnny King. This unfortunate pattern of leaving just a couple of years before his former club underwent a massive overhaul and shot up the leagues would later be repeated at Wigan. Adkins took advantage of his injury time at his local club to attend night school and gain a degree in business and finance, at the same time taking his first managerial role, obtaining huge success: he led a team from the youth division to the premier division of his local Sunday league.

Adkins’ move to Wigan Athletic was hardly a prosperous one, although he served the club extremely well, making 155 appearances, and is still fondly remembered by many fans. However, Wigan at this time were by no means a force to be reckoned with, had only ten years of football league experience (having entered the football league in 1978 in place of Southport), and remained a small-town club with limited financial clout. Having been promoted into Division Three (later Division Two after the formation of the Premiership) in the early 80′s, the club spent a decade hovering dangerously above the relegation places, before eventually succumbing to relegation in 1993, at which point Adkins departed for pastures new. As for The Latics, it was not until Dave Whelan bought the club in 1995 that their upturn would begin, by which time Adkins was long gone.

Back in 1993, meanwhile, Adkins took the unusual decision to make the step into Welsh football, joining a Bangor City side that had housed four different managers in the previous few years, and was still attempting to adjust to the Welsh league after close to 100 years in English football. Having finished a disappointing 4th in the 1992-3 season, Bangor started the 1993-4 season in excellent fashion, form which gained manager Paul Rowlands a move to Conference side Altrincham. After an impressive interview, the Bangor board showed no hesitation in giving Adkins the reins, and a string of astute signings (including the loan acquisition of Dele Adebola — the man who is currently firing Bristol City towards the Premiership — and the transfer in of Adkins’ former Wigan team-mates Carberry and Appleton) brought Bangor their first league title in several years, as well as qualifying the club for Europe for the first time since 1985.

Although the 1995 European campaign was ended before it had really got going — Bangor, crippled by Welsh football’s 3 foreigner rule, were beaten by Icelandic champions IA Akranes in the preliminary rounds — Adkins and Bangor repeated their Welsh league success in what was a memorable season for many reasons. The league was secured by a huge margin (at one juncture as many as 22 points separated Bangor from their closest rivals), the trophy presentation was celebrated in style in an 8-0 away demolition of Connah’s Quay Nomads; relative giants Wrexham were nearly knocked out in the Welsh Cup (having been unlucky to get no more than a 2-2 draw from the first game, Bangor were defeated 1-0 in the replay in front of a crowd of more than 5,000), and Adkins’ signings continued to flourish; Mark Lloyd Williams, in particular, had a sparkling campaign, and his form earned him a move to Stockport County in the Football League.

The 1996-7 season was a disappointing one by all accounts for both Bangor and Adkins, neither of whom seemed to recover from the loss of a number of key players, including Lloyd Williams. Hopes were high after a spirited performance in the UEFA Cup saw City hold their own in the away leg of a tie (in which they had been outclassed in the first leg 4-0) against a Widzew Lodz side containing 5 full Poland internationals, but good league form did not follow. After an early Welsh Cup exit, Adkins was fired only to be re-instated some three days later by the Bangor City board of directors. Adkins’ return would prove brief, however, and he moved on after a 4-0 loss in Conwy, leaving the club in 5th position. They would finish the season in 8th.

Adkins’ next move was to pitch up at Scunthorpe United, where he took a job as a physio, having completed a four-year chartered therapy course earlier in his career (part funded by the PFA, I would add). At United, Adkins played a vital role as both coach and physio, and also put to use the sports psychology degree he had taken at Newcastle University, developing an extremely close bond with his players, a relationship which would prove extremely useful when appointed manager. As Adkins relates in an interview with the Daily Mail:

“As a physio, your door is always open. Players aren’t injured but come to you and say: ‘I’ve got nowhere else to go’. I’ve had to deal with the drug problems, the drinking problems, the gambling problems, the women problems.

“Or: ‘The supporters are absolutely slaughtering me. I just need to be out of the fishbowl where I’m getting bombarded, so I’ve got a groin strain’. He hasn’t got a groin strain. It’s just a cry for help to get him out of the environment. I realised I was more like a social worker, a counsellor.”

Having been nearly relegated to the Conference in the 2003-4 season, Scunthorpe’s promotion to League One the following season was odd-defying, and due in no small part to the input of then manager Brian Laws. In 2005-6, the club that had boomeranged up and down League One and Two in recent years was expected to head straight back down. However, Laws continued his excellent work, and a number of brilliant purchases, particularly that of Billy Sharp from Sheffield United, helped the Irons consolidate their position in League One, finishing in twelfth place. Scunny were also playing some exciting stuff, with attacking flair and defensive indiscipline on the part of Keogh and Sharp and Hinds and Crosby respectively on display in equal measure, having scored 68 and conceded some 73 goals during the campaign. Sharp, meanwhile, shared the top goalscorer gong with Southend’s Freddy Eastwood (now at Wolves and once signed by Mark Stimson).

After a great pre-season, Scunthorpe had a rocky start to the 2006-7 season (poor league form and Roman Calliste, a summer signing, ruled out for 6 months), and these problems were compounded by the departure of Brian Laws to Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday. Following Laws’ resignation, the board turned to Nigel Adkins, and, despite the prognostications to the contrary, the former physio blossomed in his new role, thanks in part to his closeness to the players.

“Bringing in someone from outside of the camp at the moment who does not know the players could have caused uncertainty, so it has been beneficial,”

Whilst early doubters argued that Adkins was simply taking the benefit for Laws’ hard work — the “Avram Grant” role as it is now called — Adkins managed not only to hold the fort, but to reinforce it. Sorting out what was a leaky defence became the first priority, and it is one that Adkins accomplished with great results. An excellent run of form, including several notable away wins (a 2-0 win against local rivals Doncaster Rovers joining victories at Carlisle and Yeovil) took Scunny to the brink of top position, and the summit of League One was finally reached on the 30th of December 2006, when the Irons defeated Bournemouth 3-2 at home, whilst rivals Notts Forest could only scrape a draw with Adkins’ old club Tranmere Rovers.

The January 2007 transfer window saw the sale of young superstar striker Andy Keogh to Wolves for a club record fee of £600,000. Adkins’ chosen replacement — Jermaine Beckford, signed on loan from Leeds United — was a revelation, and a key part of Scunthorpe’s continued push for promotion. A club record run of seven straight wins — including away triumphs at Swansea, Walsall and Brentford — took Scunthorpe 10 points clear at the top of the table, and a month a half later, another club record was broken; Scunthorpe extending seven straight wins into nineteen matches unbeaten (breaking the previous record of 16), until United were finally beaten 2-1 at Northampton Town on the 8th of April, a match in which a positive result could have sent Scunthorpe up.

Promotion was secured at the second time of asking, however, as two goals from Billy Sharp ensured a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield and a place in the second division of English football for only the second time in their humble history. The title was then clinched on the 28th April 2007, with three games still to play, and the Iron finished the season with the highest number of points in the football league (91), six points above second-placed Bristol City.

Although it can be frustrating to hear Adkins harp on about it, keeping a club with a fan base and budget as limited as Scunthorpe’s afloat in such a competitive division as the Championship was always going to be a mean feat. This difficulty is attested to by the hardships experienced at this level by other small clubs such as Crewe Alexandra and Brighton & Hove Albion, both of whose stadia were only slightly larger than Scunthorpe’s 9183-capacity Glanford Par stadium, which is the second-smallest in the Championship (bigger only than Colchester’s Layer Road). If one compares this to Bristol City’s 21,497 capacity Ashton Gate, the monstrous difference in scopes between the two clubs becomes immediately obvious.

Following promotion to the Championship, Adkins was philosophical about the club’s survival chances, instead choosing to focus on the positives to come out of their foray into foreign territory.

“It’s a voyage of discovery for the club. A lot of the supporters have said: ‘It doesn’t matter where we finish, it’s going to be a great year’. Our goal is to stay in the Championship. If we do that, for Scunthorpe United, it’s like winning the European Cup.

Adkins had comparatively little money to play with in the summer transfer market, instead making a number of free-transfer, tribunal-determined or loan signings, including Martin “Pato” Paterson from Stoke City (fee later set at £400,000), Jonathan Forte from Sheffield United and Kelly Youga from Charlton Athletic. Player of the season Steve Foster left the Irons to reunite with former gaffer Dave Penney at Darlington, and a number of other fringe players were also released. However, by far the biggest blow for The Iron’s survival hopes came in the shape of a departure: after a number of rejected bids, lifelong Blades fan Billy Sharp left Scunny to rejoin boyhood club Sheffield United for a Scunthorpe club record fee of £2 million, a figure that chairman Steven Wharton simply couldn’t refuse. Sharp had been the fulcrum around which Scunthorpe had based their team for the last two seasons, had become a club hero, and had scored 53 goals for the Iron in just 82 matches.

Scunthorpe started life back in the second division in impressive style, clawing their way back from 1-0 down to get a draw away at promotion hopefuls Charlton in front of more than 23,000 fans (hardly the norm at League One level, though with Leeds and Forest there this season, attendance records have been broken for the division). After this opening draw, The Iron embarked on an incredible run of eight matches in which losses were followed by wins and then losses again, a pattern that was only broken when drawing at Carrow Road in early October. A topsy turvy start that left Adkins and Scunthorpe was a highly respectable record after ten games: played ten, won four, lost four, drawn two. At this point, Nigel Adkins’ name began to be linked with a number of managerless clubs, and United held their heads high and proud in the top half of the table (they indeed reached a high-point of 4th, the club’s highest ever league position).

An inconsistent October (two draws, a loss and a victory) was proceeded by ten consecutive winless games, rooting The Iron firmly into the relegation zone in which many had expected the club to nestle all season. An important away victory at Preston brought the club some respite, although North End would later avenge the league loss by knocking United out of the FA Cup, before four straight losses in January left Scunthorpe stranded out at the bottom of the league table, in spite of the nine signings made by manager Nigel Adkins during the Winter transfer window.

Recent form has seen a slight upturn in Scunthorpe’s fortunes, with a victory over Charlton at the beginning of February — thanks to yet another crucial Paterson winner, a draw away at struggling Sheffield United — for whom ex Scunny-favourite has yet to net a league goal — and a battling but unfortunate home draw with Southampton (Adkins came out and criticized the refereeing as a late sending off and penalty cost his side the victory) sandwiched in between losses to the top-two, Stoke and Bristol City. The 3-2 reverse at the Britannia stadium was particularly painful for Adkins and his side, as the Iron had gone into the half-time break two goals to the good. March has started in the same way as February, however, giving cause for optimism: Scunthorpe beating fellow strugglers Coventry on Saturday 1st to give the whole club a lift, situating them in second-bottom position, but just two points off safety.

Style of Play

Adkins has a rigorous approach to football management, and frequently varies his tactics based on opposition strengths and weaknesses. Although he has only been managing at league level for two seasons, and has managed in two vastly different divisions during that short time, certain patterns have emerged with regard to Adkins’ preferred style. At Bangor, Adkins created a team which played from the back, with a more patient style. He used strong midfielders and created chances from both clever passing moves and through placing a strong emphasis on wing play and crossing.

During his first season as Scunthorpe boss, Adkins had two main focuses: set pieces, and defensive discipline. He knew from his previous time with the Iron that they were a real handful going forward, and continued to favour young, enthusiastic, and pacy forwards (Keogh and Sharp, Beckford and now Paterson). However, it became necessary to shore up a leaky backline, which he promptly did by conducting extra training sessions with the brief of stopping opposition goals from set pieces, and retaining defensive discipline until the last (United had been conceding late goals on a regular basis).

Defensive soundness was the key to Adkins’ early success, and it is telling that in a season in which the club won the league with a massive 91 points, the player of the season was Steve Foster, and the club only let in 35 goals all season, the best record in the division by some length. Adkins also worked assiduously and ardently on attacking set plays, and whilst The Iron have not been known for their attacking flair, either in the title-winning canter or in the relegation scrap — one of the few charges we can level at the man — his side outperformed all others in League One in terms goals scored from set pieces. A great percentage of United’s goals this season have come from dead ball situations, and the club can expect to continue in this vein now that Grant McCann is fit to deliver.

Transfers

Although he does not necessarily possess the scouting eye of, say, a Mark Stimson, Adkins has made a number of very shrewd signings whilst at Scunthorpe, such as those of Izzy Irekpien and Tomi Ameobi, and this working on a budget that — he is quick to note — is probably the smallest in the Championship. During his first season, Adkins made few signings, instead choosing to rely on his rapport with the players to get him through; although he did add Wigan’s record appearance holder, and former team-mate, Kevin Langley, to the squad, benefiting from the former Everton midfielder’s experience. As chieftain of a “selling club”, Adkins dealt very well with the losses of Keogh and Sharp – signing Beckford on loan and then Paterson, and earning the club a huge net profit in the process — and has also plundered the loan system astutely so far this campaign, with Chelsea schemer Jack Cork and Liverpool’s former Grimsby central defender Jack Hobbs the pick of a bunch of more-than-capable loan signings. Cork got the winner in Scunny’s most recent victory over Coventry City, and has performed to a very high standard throughout the campaign. Not all of Adkins’ signings have necessarily come off, and the handing out of a contract to Kevin Horlock on reasonably big wages has not been popular with the Scunthorpe fans. The acquisition of Geoff Horsfield on a free transfer could, in my opinion, prove to be a master-stroke, as Horsfield is just the sort of player who relishes a good relegation battle and is capable of popping up with the odd vital goal.

Management style

Adkins is a very passionate and popular manager who treats his players with respect and sensitivity and generally eschews the spotlight. Hardly the hairdryer type, he is evidently very approachable, as shown from his time as a physio, when his players would use him as a “shoulder to cry on” and pick his thoughts when they had problems. He is also very much a thinker, and can be clearly seen to be attempting to mould together his own particular philosophy, lacing together disparate strands of knowledge — his full UEFA A badge, his physiotherapy qualifications, his sports psychology diploma, his business and finance degree, and his experience from the Warwick Business School “applied management in professional football” course, which can count the likes of Mark Hughes, Aidy Boothroyd and Paul Ince amongst its graduates — to offer his players and his club a holistic service. As Adkins told the Daily Mail:

” All of it is put to use [...] Knowledge is valuable. Everything is relevant to somebody. It’s all about finding a trigger to get the best out of that individual”.

A “modern” manager, he is not afraid to try new things to motivate his players, as we can demonstrate with an anecdote. At the beginning of the season, one of his players suggested, with some temerity, that they mightn’t be able to cut it at Championship level. Adkin’s response? He cut a film, intersticing shots of the players’ title-winning season with scenes from the movie Gladiator, to demonstrate the power of resistance and positive thinking.

Achievements

League titles

League One Champions (2006-7) — 91 points garnered, more than any other team in the football league in the 2006-7 season.

Domestic cups

Nothing. Although he had a good, but not spectacular, cup record at Bangor, Adkins has been unable to reproduce this form with Scunthorpe, whom he has not taken past the second round of any cup trophy. Indeed, the first round League Cup loss to Hartlepool (2-1), in front of a measly crowd of just 2,965, can be considered one of the low points of Adkins’ managerial career.

Personal awards

Manager of the month, Coca-Cola Football League One (February, March 2007)

The Sun’s “Emergency Manager of the Year” (2007)

Managerial statistics

Adkins’ first 50 games in charge gave him the highest win percentage out of any Scunthorpe manager ever (48%) and his record at Scunthorpe compares favourably with that of Brian Laws, with whom he is now involved in a Championship relegation scrap. His win rate is now just 40%, but I would bank on this to improve by the end of the season.

Adkins took Scunthorpe to their highest ever league position, 4th in the Championship. It is also worth noting that Adkins oversaw the club’s first ever sell out of Glanford Park, versus Nottingham Forest in 2006.

Future? More than just a physio

Many people’s tip for the Southampton and Norwich jobs, Adkins’ immediate future may well be determined by how well his side manage in the ever-exciting Championship relegation rumble, although I would not expect Wharton to be so rash as to sack Adkins if the Iron do end up dropping down a division. As we can see, Nigel Adkins has not had things all his own way as a manager so far, and his debut season in the Championship is proving a tough apprenticeship. Still, one thing is for sure: this learned man who once specialized in alleviating the unseen tension and curing the knocks and strains of league football will not give up, and few would bet against him making the step up to the Premiership in the end. After all, the last high-profile case of a physio stepping up to become manager of a league club? A certain Bob Paisley. And Mourinho was just a translator. Who needs Mourinho, anyway?

Also See:

• Top 5 Up-and-coming English Managers
• Have Your Say: Who is the best young English manager?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

“If the FA Cup final is football’s Ascot, then the League Cup final is its Derby Day.” — Alan Hardaker

Now that the euphoria over my beloved Spurs’ Carling Cup win has abated somewhat, I thought it might be a good time to voice an idea as to how to salvage the dignity of a competition for which the general media, big clubs, fans of big clubs, and even some players (David James) have about as much respect as for the average fat paper-boy.

Sneering at the League Cup is, in actual fact, nothing particularly new. When the tournament was first introduced, or rather re-introduced, since the original trophy goes all the way back to 1895 — bringing the League Cup back was the brainchild of Sir Stanley Rous, member of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, whose brief it was to regenerate British football at the end of the 2nd World War, the League Cup was originally conceived as a tournament whose pool of teams would consist of clubs knocked out of the early rounds of the FA Cup — entrance was not made compulsory, and a number of clubs, including Tottenham and Arsenal, refused to participate in the inaugural competition.

The first final was played out between Rotherham and Aston Villa, and the first leg was watched live by just 12,226 people at Milmoor. It was only the promise of increased TV revenue, as well as the concession of a European place to the victors, that persuaded many of the initial doubters to take part, and attendances later bloomed, with the final selling out Wembley stadium for decades.

However, although this year’s final was again a sell-out (as much due to the presence of two London clubs and the novelty factor of the rebuilt Wembley), attendances in the early rounds were far from burgeoning. The highest crowd in the first round (in which only Football League clubs compete) was the just under 14,000 who came to see Norwich destroy Barnet 5-2 at Carrow Road, with only two other matches breaking the 10,000 mark. The second round understandably attracted a few more spectators, although North East giants Middlesbrough and Newcastle were some way from filling their stadia, and only 5,440 witnessed Wigan’s home defeat to Hull City. In the third round, just 9,205 saw Blackburn take on Birmingham at Ewood Park, Luton Town continued to attract attendances of under 5,000 despite their giant-killing, and Manchester City and Fulham hosted crowds of around 20,000 and 10,000 respectively — hardly impressive considering the capacities. The fourth round all-Premiership match-ups between Portsmouth and Blackburn and Bolton and Manchester City were played out to only 11,788 and 15,510; whilst a Quarter-final between Blackburn and Arsenal drew only 16,207 spectators! Even the first leg of the North London derby between Arsenal and Spurs was some 8,000 fans off a sell-out.

What are the problems with the trophy in its current format? The drawbacks seem obvious. The early rounds offer up ties that are generally unappetizing even for League One and Two clubs, with the exception of local derbies, and the Premiership stranglehold over the competition leads Football League fans scratching their heads as to the point of the whole thing. It has been over 30 years since a team outside of the top flight won the competition, and the cliché romance (Cupsets) associated with the F.A. Cup have never been transplanted onto the League Cup trophy. All-Premiership ties fail to attract large attendances as clubs often have other priorities — if the F.A. Cup is not taken seriously, the League Cup has little chance — clubs are guaranteed to meet each other later in the season, therefore eliminating the sensation of excitement/novelty, and prohibitive prices continue to factor out the casual fan who might not get, or might not be able to afford, a seat for a league encounter.

Is the League Cup really worth rescuing? The short answer is no, not in its present format. For all parties involved, it is more an inconvenience, that is until the big clubs that are having a bad season decided to unite around it and assign it value (Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs have all done so in recent years). It is, at best, a stop gap.

However, I have written elsewhere that the League Cup plays an important role in the development of youngsters, both local and imported, in British football. England is one of the few countries in world football to possess two “major” domestic cup competitions, and as such, offers one more guarantee of first-team experience for young players up against seasoned internationals in jam-packed competitive squads. One only has to look to the excellent use put to the Carling Cup by Arsene Wenger in recent years to take note of the trophy’s useful potential.

My first thought when redesigning the trophy was to impose an age limit on players. That way, fans would have a greater motivation to go to matches, knowing that the Carling Cup offered a “sneak preview” at future teams. However, the FA Youth Cup already exists, as does the Reserve League. So, I asked myself, how can one place an emphasis on youth development, without encroaching upon Youth Cup territory? And presto, it came to me. The 5+6 rule.

Sep Blatter’s controversial 5+6 rule focuses on the importance of home-grown talent in team selection. My idea differs from his in that the focus is on a mixture of youth and experience. In my opinion, one way to return the importance to the Carling Cup would be to create a rule whereby teams would have to field at least 4 players under the age of 22, but with a minimum of, let’s say, 4 squad members over the age of 25, or with a certain number of league starts behind them. The result being that the Carling Cup becomes the ideal scenario in which young players are bred and integrated into the first-team set-up, where Cesc Fabregas proves that he can play with Henry & Co. and earns his first Premiership starts in the process.

How else can we add some spice to a moribund competition? Another idea would be to return the competitive element to the trophy and encourage upsets by imposing some sort of limits on the players Premiership clubs may or may not select. Forcing Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal to field a side with no more than 100 league starts between them, or giving each club just one “regular”, would certainly foment the idea that the trophy was meaningless for Premiership clubs, other than as a testing ground, but it would prevent these clubs from then bringing in big stars against lower-league opposition when they realize that their challenges on other fronts are flailing. Liverpool’s 2-1 triumph over Cardiff City at Anfield, for example, might have ended quite differently without the contribution of Gerrard, Carragher and Crouch. Imagine Gerrard martialling a side composed entirely of youth players, and think what an occasion this could be for the young hopefuls.

The final thing that needs to be done to curb falling attendances is quite simple: reduce ticket prices. I seem to remember a scheme being piloted last season to encourage fans to flock to the FA Cup: £5 tickets and free coaches for many away supporters. Imagine paying £5 to watch a hybrid of first-teamers and up-and-coming stars playing against a highly-motivated league side who are actually in with a chance of winning, and you have my idea of a worthwhile trophy.

And if all that fails, we could always move it to Singapore, eh Scudamore?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

“You give your life to football and then it often forgets you. Football clubs have a bad habit of taking players in, making the most of them, and then vomiting them up once they’re too old or injured [...] That’s where the Professional Footballers’ Association are so wonderful, because they do not forget anyone”.

- Malcolm Macdonald

Hugo Steckelmacher takes a very analytical look at the world’s oldest professional sportsman’s association: is it needed, what is it for, and ultimately, is it doing its job? Soccerlens investigates.
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Speaking up for the PFA

True as it may be that the invective directed PFA-ward did not come from the most reliable source — I would like to remind readers that the purveyor of bad press, Stan Collymore, pledged just a few sunny months ago to make a quick return to the Premiership — I still feel that the issue is one worth investigating. What exactly does the PFA get up to? If many players, managers and fans, don’t seem to know the basic rules of the game of football, as attested to by Mr Ian Blanchard, I’d be willing to wager that the great majority of fans don’t quite understand the role of the PFA, either.
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Why do footballers need a strong union?

Job uncertainty

A footballer’s career is extremely short compared to the average worker, and dependent as it is upon his body, it is both constantly exposed to risk — we hope that Eduardo da Silva, for example, will be able to make a full recovery from his injury — and subject to a rapid decline after a very short “peak” period. Seeing as many players are forced to neglect their education, finding a job post-football can be nigh-on impossible, therefore leaving the impetus on football to provide for these men long after their retirement.

By the age of 21, 75% of professional footballers have given up the game. The PFA renders a massive service to unemployed footballers, working extremely hard to try to find them new clubs and hosting a comprehensive “transfer directory” of unattached players on its website; a site endorsed by Bolton manager Sam Allardyce, who was known for his ability to bring in exciting free transfers. Such a service is vital in the context of greater employment insecurity: indeed, at the end of the 2002-3 season, a record number of some 595 footballers were released from their clubs, around 20% of the total number employed in the industry.
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Emotional strain

People tend to look at the average footballer and presume that he is emotionally vapid. The “larger than life” role of the modern day superstar can lead to such assumptions. It’s hard to take seriously the emotions of these multi-millionaire men, whose eyes stare down at you from billboards and posters everywhere. What’s more, players are, reasonably, expected to keep their emotions in check on the field.

Off the field, however, is another kettle of fish. Being larger than life itself offers complications. You work short hours and are left to your own devices for most of the day. However, you can’t do anything too “normal”, because you will be harassed in public. Your every action is analyzed by the uncompromising media, your emotions are dismissed due to cash flow — how can a millionaire possibly be hurting emotionally? —, you perform week-in week-out under enormous amounts of pressure and are, more than most, subject to the vicissitudes of chance and randomness. Loved by millions one second, you can be hated by billions the next. Furthermore, the money you earn renders you a prominent target for gold-diggers, so that it’s difficult to know whom to trust outside of the closed circuit of football.

For the most part, you have forfeited a good education for the sake of pursuing a career in football, and as such don’t necessarily have a great deal of economic nous or common sense. Picking up a windfall at a young age brings a host of temptations, and it can be difficult to keep one’s head on the ground. You need only look at the likes of Collymore, Merson, Pennant, Barton and Best in football; Frank Bruno, Mike Tyson and Benny Lynch in boxing; Capriati in tennis; Freddie Flintoff in cricket; Ronnie O’ Sullivan in snooker; to realise that being a wealthy star, far from precluding depression/anxiety, actually harvests it. If you add to that football’s particular degenerative drinking culture, it’s easy to see why there’s a problem.

In an interview with Mohammed Bhana, PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor spoke the following words, which I believe to be very apt:

“I want to caution the perception that footballers are overly fortunate, too highly paid and arrogant. I believe footballers are some of the most vulnerable people in society. [...] Footballers certainly get hangers-on. They need to be careful as they are targets for newspaper stings and people wanting celebrity status [...] They are never as confident as they appear to be. When I meet footballers off the pitch, even the Joey Barton’s and Roy Keane’s of this world, who have a reputation for being aggressive, are in-fact very mild mannered.”
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The Charges

Collymore’s basic accusation is that the PFA does not offer generally offer players enough support. The former Nottingham Forest and Liverpool striker goes on to recount his own experiences with depression, which he suffered to the extent that he was nearly sectioned. Collymore equally protests against what he sees as double standards in the footballing world — with Gazza receiving preferential treatment due to his personality and reputation, with other players left to fend for themselves. Are these arguments fair?
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Case for the defence

First off, it is worth dealing with Collymore’s situation directly, before proceeding to a more general evaluation of the role of the PFA in English football. Against Collymore’s anti-hierarchical protest, there is relatively little to be said: in theory, a player’s status should not be taken into account when he requires aid from a trade union, which constitutionally treats all of its members as equal. On the other hand, it is perhaps naive to expect a figure such as Paul Gascoigne — a national icon, no less — to fail to attract additional media attention.

What’s more, Collymore’s other two assertions can be called into question: PFA chief Gordon Taylor has declared that full support was offered to Collymore (including going to visit the player personally after his release from Aston Villa), whilst the testimony of a number of lesser-known players is sufficient to demonstrate that unglamorous footballers are not swept under the carpet by the Footballing Union. Each case of depression is singular and Collymore’s contumely can be comprehended within the context of his own feelings of abandonment; this is not to say that his words are objectively well-founded. What’s more, the constitutional equality enjoyed by PFA members does not account for differences in personality and approach: Collymore, notoriously difficult to deal with, did not according to Taylor ask for further help, whilst Gazza, likeable and praised by his fellow players for his generosity, clearly turned to the PFA prior to being picked up.
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The PFA — what does it do?

The English PFA is not only the most implanted trade union in the United Kingdom (with 100% density: i.e. members and at least one appointed PFA representative at each and every league club), but also the longest established professional sports association in the world; it celebrated its centenary in 2007. Its management committee contains representatives from all four divisions, including Gary Neville, Moritz Volz and Markus Hahnemann from the Premiership, alongside a few former professionals or unattached players who offer a bit of perspective to the loftier performers, and the union/its representatives give annual talks to academies across the country.

Starting out as a dyed-in-the-wool trade union, responsible for fighting the players’ cause uniquely in terms of wages and working hours, the PFA, and more specifically, the great Billy Meredith and Jimmy Hill, were crucial in the struggle to demonstrate the precarious nature of a career in football and remove the wage cap, then set at £4 a week, moved to £12, before eventually being abolished under Hill’s stewardship in 1961. Jimmy Hill had also previously defended the Sunderland players who had been offered illegal “bonus payments” in addition to their capped salaries, and was eventually successful in having the suspension and fine with which they had been hit revoked. Another famous case saw the “Bristol City eight” defended for breach of contract after the Club had nearly folded. As Harding (1991) has shown in his history of the PFA, the footballers’ union was crucial in inverting the controlling tendencies shown by clubs with respect to players, empowering the latter and equipping them with an individual bargaining power befitting their talents (football players, especially top ones, have an outstanding scarcity value).

The PFA has a hugely important role in the future of English clubs. The organisation secured millions of pounds worth of loans to prevent the likes of Middlesbrough and Fulham in the 80′s and Crystal Palace and QPR in the 90′s from going bust, a job it continues to do with the likes of Leeds and Bournemouth, whilst Taylor was influential in the renegotiation of parachute payments for teams relegated from the Premiership following the collapse of ITV Digital, as well as paying more than £1 million worth of Bradford City wages after relegation in 2001. The association also offers regular financial advice to beleaguered clubs. Equally, the PFA’s “Meltdown” report displays the association’s dedication to finding a solution to the woes of England’s national team.

Since those days of player vs. club economic labour dispute are pretty much behind us, the PFA has had to branch out. The new-look PFA offers absolute a series of services devoted to helping footballers, both current and former, navigate the tricky waters of professional football. The PFA has its own player agency, is heavily involved in player education, and a firm supporter of community service, as well as a vocal backer of a number of charity programmes.
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General “counselling”

The PFA offers emotional support to footballers suffering from depression, alcoholism, drug or gambling addiction, or lack of confidence. Gordon Taylor played an important role in the recovery of the likes of Paul Merson and Tony Adams from their respective addictions, and after helping the two kick the vice, gave his full backing to Adams’ Sporting Chance Clinic for afflicted footballers. Matthew Etherington and Richard Dunne are two current Premiership footballers who have pledged their thanks to the PFA for its intervention: the former was recovering from a gambling addiction, whilst the latter was nearly sacked by Manchester City for alcohol use, before the PFA got involved.

It is worth noting, however, that as far as I can tell, the PFA does not employ any full-time counsellors/psychiatrists of its own, instead offering impartial advice and referring players to external institutions, such as the Sporting Chance Clinic. Perhaps this is an area that could be due some improvement.
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“Rehab room”

Contrary to what one might expect from the name “rehab room”, the rehabilitation in this case is not related to drugs or alcohol but to rehabilitation therapy following injuries. The PFA’s excellent website, www.givemefootball.com, hosts a spot called “rehab room” where players suffering from long-term injuries or breaking down incomprehensibly can write in and have their problems analysed by fully-trained specialists. “Rehab room” is a superb free resource for players of all levels, especially when such advice ordinarily comes at the cost of significant financial outlay.
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Management agency/contract disputes

Gordon Taylor, head of the PFA, was influential in the setting up of the PMA (Professional Management Association), offering players a stand-out, ethical and impartial option amidst what can only be described as a sea of possible representatives — England currently employs 238 FIFA licensed agents, compared to 149 in Spain, 121 in France, 115 in Germany and 46 in Italy.

The PMA itself can call on the services of 9 FIFA qualified agents who, since they receive a basic wage from the PFA and do not generally earn through negotiation, can be trusted to negotiate based on what is best for the player, rather than attempting to line their own pockets. Another advantage of negotiating through the PMA is that everything can be done “in house”: once a contract has been sorted out, the player may take advantage of the financial services offered by the association so as to make the most of every penny (perhaps more important in the case of League One and Two). The PMA works extensively within the individual circumstances of each player, and places an especial focus on player adaptation, in particular helping players with relocation after transfers and loan moves. The PFA and PMA’s role as impartial mediator is worth considering in the context of Gary Neville‘s comments regarding the nocuous contribution of agents to modern-day football’s ambience of hostility and mistrust between player and club.

The PFA has a long history of working with young players, whom it feels are particularly susceptible to the problems associated with being a footballer, especially when players are increasingly hounded out by clubs at a young age and often struggle to remain focussed on their playing careers.

The PFA in general is at the forefront of defence of players’ rights, and has intervened in numerous cases of dubious dismissal (e.g. Adrian Mutu and Mark Bosnich). The PFA managed to have Lee Bowyer removed from the transfer list at Leeds United — the West Ham midfielder had been immediately put up for sale after news had broken regarding him being charged with assault. Other big names helped by the PFA include former Oxford midfielder Joey Beauchamp, whose case of wrongful dismissal was handled by the PFA, and eventually won; and Al Bangura, who was eventually granted a work permit to remain in the country, following much campaigning from Watford fans, local MP’s and the PFA.
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“Reconversion” — life after football

“Reconversion” is the French term for the reinsertion of former football players into working society and the prolongation of their careers after they stop playing. As well as encouraging all players to pursue education as far as possible at academy level (see below), the PFA works at length with former players who are unsure of what to do with their lives outside of the world of football. This can be particularly vital in the case of players whose careers are ended early due to injury.

As well as functioning as a type of “careers service” for footballers, the PFA offers financial support for players looking to get into new fields. In an article entitled “Our debt to the PFA“, David Busst (ex Coventry City), Danny Thomas (ex Tottenham Hotspur) and Ronnie Wright (ex Preston North End) voice their appreciation for the succour offered by the PFA in their times of crisis. For the first two, it was a matter of “what to do after a career in football?”, after both had their playing days brought to an end by injuries, aged 29 and 26 respectively. In both cases, the PFA approached the player (and not vice versa), and paid for the players to attend courses in order to build a new career. Busst became a manager following a sports therapy course at Solihull College, and had each and every one of his UEFA badges funded by the PFA. Thomas, meanwhile, opted for a degree in physiotherapy, following consultation with the association, and is now a successful and respected physio with his own practice.

Wright‘s case is different in that his career as a footballer never took off — despite being one of the most exciting youngsters at his age level, he was released by Preston at the age of 20 and decided to pursue a career elsewhere. Wright recounts that the PFA hammered home the importance of obtaining his school qualifications — GCSE’s and A-Levels — and paid his way through an excellent college in order to do so. When Preston let him go, the PFA then collaborated with Wright to find him a suitable university course — he studied for a diploma in genetics at the University of Manchester — and paid for both his fees and his accommodation.

Interestingly enough, Busst asserts that in his experience with the PFA, player status is of little relevance. He tells the story of two of his players at little-known Solihull Borough, who both desperately needed operations after retiring from the game. The PFA stepped in to fund the operations and helped them to rebuild their life.

Many current professionals are being helped to plan for life after football by the PFA, including Accrington Stanley’s two-time 2UP Player of the Month Andrew Proctor, who is attending the PFA chartered physiotherapist course at Salford University part-time.
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Financial management/pensions

The life of a footballer (outside the Premiership) can be littered with financial insecurity, or at least unpredictability, particularly when one’s career is in its infancy. A typical footballer’s career will last around 15 years, with only 5-10 of those spent at the player’s peak level.

However, the 2004 Finance Act, introduced by the Labour government, removed the special exemption given to sportsmen to enable them to receive their pension before the age of 50.

The PFA, the Trustees of the Players’ Non-Contributory Cash Benefit Scheme (CBS) and the Football League Players’ Retirement Income Scheme, have linked up with respected financiers Butlers Wharf Independent Advisers to provide footballers a streamlined and reliable source of financial counseling. The PFA now employs 22 qualified financial advisers, and has conducted, together with Butlers Wharf, some 350 club visits over the last year a half, as well as contacting more than 1000 former players.

The PFA and Butlers Wharf deal with Pensions, Investment, Insurance, Mortgages, Loans, Tax and Relocation to offer footballers a comprehensive service such as they have never enjoyed before.
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Education/charities

The PFA is not an orthodox union in that only a tiny percentage of its funds come directly from members’ subscriptions. Thanks to a healthy income — largely due to the money received from TV subscription money, which was itself increased after the union’s industrial action, supported by 100% of members, back in 2001 — the PFA is able to offer financial assistance to a number of good causes related to sport and football.

As we have seen above, the PFA continually stresses the importance of footballers’ education, both in terms of general well-roundedness and in order to provide unsuccessful players with a platform with which to relaunch their lives in the world of work. In this vein, the PFA and its officers consistently help young players combine improvement on the pitch with development off it, sponsoring college attendance and purchasing books for club academies. The PFA is one of the leading supporters of the excellent Kick into Reading scheme (a subset of the National Literacy Trust), through which footballers visit local schools and read stories to students, and was influential in securing a £500 book grant for Fulham FC’s academy in recent years. In this way, the PFA helps footballers and fans to improve “Reading the game“.

The issue of testicular and prostate cancer amongst boys and men has been really brought to the attention of the public over the last 5 years, in no small part thanks to the Keep Your Eye on the Ball campaign run by the PFA. Keep Your Eye on the Ball was set up after a number of high-profile players, including Milwall’s Neil Harris, for whom £60,000 was raised by Milwall fans, Alan Stubbs and Jason Cundy, were diagnosed with testicular cancer a few years back. KYEOTB now dedicates itself to sensibilizing children to the risks of testicular cancer — the organisation have given talks at hundreds of schools, and supplies posters, adverts and leaflets to over 80 Football Clubs and County FA’s — as well as to raising money for sufferers.

The PFA is a staunch supporter of the Kick It Out and Show Racism the Red Card campaigns, which have had enormous success across Great Britain. The PFA has also provided support and coverage of Football Unites, Racism Divides, as well as carrying out surveys to try to get to the bottom of institutionalized racism at clubs and national organizations.

Vast amounts of clubs have set up successful community services in recent years, with particularly notable schemes coming from the likes of Middlesbrough and Tottenham. The PFA has been a vehement backer of community action on the part of players and ex-players, with Gordon Taylor pointing to the fact that over 10,000 visits to hospitals and schools are made by players every single year.

Other charities supported by the PFA include OCD-UK, The Prince’s Trust, Opportunity International UK and Kids Taskforce.
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The Verdict

Throughout this article I have sought to demonstrate that Stan Collymore’s complaints regarding the inactivity of the PFA could hardly be further from the truth. Whilst I sympathise with Stan as a fellow sufferer of clinical depression, it is my belief, and this is I think borne out by the facts, that English footballers are exceptionally lucky to enjoy the backing of an institution that can proudly claim to be amongst the best of its kind in the world. In examining the systems in place in Spain, France and Italy, I wish not to detract from these countries, but to put in context the excellent work carried out by the PFA and its officers.

The PFA and Gordon Taylor should be congratulated on the integrity, sincerity and social consciousness that they have exhibited in helping thousands of footballers, and disadvantaged children, over the last few years.

N.B. The present is a good time to celebrate the League Football Education association, since today marks the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week in the UK. Do check out their website at www.lfe.org.uk.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The subject of slavery is one that rouses reactions verging from the understandably passionate to the frankly irrational. I can recall with a pang of melancholy the furore issuing from José Mourinho’s assertion that the French Football Federation’s treatment of Claude Makelele was tantamount to slavery. As such, slavery and football themselves share a formal similarity, since my opening statement might be applied, with some accuracy, to the spectrum of opinions brandished by the average cluster of football fans.

There are the thousands who routinely belt out verses in which their teams — often starved of glory and competing in the third or fourth division, or even in the local leagues — are anointed the “greatest team / the world has ever seen”. The fan for whose support we can read addiction — precisely that group which would undoubtedly be most affected by the proposed “39th step” —, who attends each and every game, irrespective of venue or weather. Even the less radical bunch are hooked: often trundling through their daily existence, depending upon a flutter of gossip from the BBC website (we at Soccerlens don’t engage in such flummery, of course) along with the prospect of an evening match live on the telly in order to come out of a 9-to-5 in one piece. In a manner of speaking, football enslaves us all.

Unfortunately, the slavery about which I find myself writing these words is not of the metaphorical variety. The paradoxical slave/master dynamic that underlies a fan or (increasingly rarely) a player’s dedication to his team has, in this case, been traded in for a model in which draconian clubs exploit the dreams of thousands of young footballers, preying on their financial vulnerability in order to force them to sign illegal contracts, keeping them in inhumane conditions or simply abandoning them on the streets after first extorting them for vast sums of money. Much in the way that human trafficking has been revived by widespread currents of immigration, so too the massive numbers of African and South American footballers who flock into the European game has given rise to a new category of human exploitation: the football slave.

When I read the BBC’s report on the trafficking of young African footballers — a superficial document, but an important one in terms of promulgating news of the issue — my first reaction was one of shock. Could the “beautiful game” really have a hand in such an ugly business? A few moments of reflection later, I was able to uncloud my judgement. Modern day football is as beset by corruption as US Foreign Policy, and a summary glance at the track record of the figures whose money courses through our game — from Abramovich, to Berlusconi, to Shinawatra — is enough to hammer home the unsavoury links between crime and modern sport. Hell, if Rothstein could fix the World Series back in 1919, why couldn’t this be true?

Whilst the exact details of football trafficking remain unclear, the basic procedure seems fairly standard. Young players with varying amounts of potential are snapped up by the bucketload by corporations (mostly South America), football clubs (especially in countries with lax labour laws, such as Belgium) or opportunistic agents or traders. The latter often tether themselves to their clients, tricking them with cleverly worded contracts in which the young players promise their representatives 60, 70, 80% of their future earnings. Unregistered agents demand wads of cash from hard-up families in order to negotiate with European clubs or to provide the children with better opportunities to succeed.

Players as young as 14 or 15 are often transported to European cities, purportedly so that contracts may be signed and the player can start a new stage of his footballing career, and then abandoned by their “agents” in hotels or on the streets, with no possessions and unable even to speak the native language. A host of unlicensed “academies” — these often turn out to be nothing more than a couple of dilapidated buildings and a field or two, if the boys are lucky — have sprung up across the major African footballing nations, such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast, and children of seven or eight are effectively being “bought” from their families by coaches and traffickers, often taken out of school and away from their hometowns before being peremptorily discarded onto a trash-heap of stunted promise.

The legitimacy of the African Cup of Nations, supposedly a tournament in which the nation’s footballers provide a positive pipedream for their beleaguered countrymen, is cast into doubt by the revelation that thousands of young players from all over Africa bribe officials in order to purchase the fake passports required for them to be accepted at the academies in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, with Burkina Faso and Nigeria two of the main sources. Ages and nationalities altered, the players then go on to represent their surrogate nations at international level, in clear contravention of FIFA rules.

The BBC report offers the example of a Cameroonian man who, at the age of just 13, was taken to France by an unlicensed agent, supposedly to join up with a French club. His family had shelled out the relative fortune of 750 euros for the service. Within hours of arriving in France, the young boy was abandoned by his agent, from whom he never heard again. Such a case is by no means rare.

Thousands of teenage footballers up sticks every year in the hope of living out their dream. Of these thousands, the great majority fall by the wayside and end up homeless, without a visa, and scrapping to survive, with a number of them forced to turn to crime. In May last year, one of the hundreds of boats headed illegally from Africa to the Canary Islands was shipwrecked on the coast of Tenerife, with a cargo of 130 young Africans. Some fifteen of the load, all of whom suffered from hypothermia, were young footballers who believed — erroneously — that a trial at Marseille or Real Madrid awaited them.

A charity — Culture Foot Solidaire — has been set up by ex-Cameroon player Jean-Claude Mbvoumin, in order to attempt to bring relief to those youngsters in the most desperate of circumstances, whilst the “FAQ” section of the site reveals that many more are unfortunately out of the organisation’s reach, and that most young players and their families are unaware of the difference between a registered and an unregistered agent, and this despite the fact that employing an unauthorized representative is itself an act for which players may be fined up to 10,000 Swiss Francs and suspended for 12 months. As Mbvoumin states, “It is important to dream, but the dreams about football now are not realistic”

“Vulnerable people are lured into a kind of debt slavery in the expectation of a better life. These brokers are getting $3,00 per child and offering to smuggle them out on the promise that they will sign for a better club. So many boys have gone missing in this way.”

The situation in South America is little different. Dodgy agents and multinational corporations purchase hundreds of young players in one go, knowing that the discovery of just one Ronaldo will be enough to pay off the measly contract endured by hundreds of thousands of not-so-fortunate youngsters. Players are deceived by the “larger than life” status of the likes of Drogba, Essien, Tévez and Aguero into thinking that their success is guaranteed. Things are rarely plain sailing. Raffaele Poli, a Swiss academic, has demonstrated through his studies that of the 600 African footballers who played in the top European leagues in 2002, just 13% had climbed the ladder four years later, with a third having disappeared from professional football entirely. As in Africa, agents often have restrictive clauses inserted into the contracts, so that players, even when enjoying limelight success, are rarely financially emancipated and can be uprooted and told to play for this or that club at the drop of their agent’s hat.

In 2005, Jean-Marie Dedecker spoke about the problem of human trafficking in Belgium at the “Play the Game” conference. According to Dedecker, over 170 maverick agents exist in Belgium, where income tax laws provide an especial financial incentive for budding footballers. Many of these rogue agents are also linked to prostitution and drugs, and their young clients are kept as virtual prisoners in abhorrent conditions. Belgian ministers are said to be compliant in cases of forged identity papers, with protection afforded to agents and clubs alike. Lokeren, a fairly small Belgian club, have five “satellite” clubs in Africa, each of which prioritises profit at the cost of social wellbeing. In the documentary “Ball and Chains”, Dirk de Vos of the Belgian football players’ union showed the spectator how major clubs got away with paying young Africans next to nothing for their services. Two contracts were drawn up: the first, quoting the correct minimum wage and benefits, was sent off to the football federation, whilst a second, hand-written version displayed a far smaller sum.

Major clubs have showed few reservations in plundering the hoards of needy African and South American youngsters. Harry Redknapp has assembled a veritable legion of African performers. Just this week, Charlton Athletic announced a link with the Asec Mimosas academy in the Ivory Coast — with chief exec Peter Varney citing the players’ desire as their distinguishing feature, a desire clearly born of economic misery. Dutch giants Ajax and Feyenoord both run expensive academies in Ghana, whilst PSG and Monaco, amongst other French clubs, are known to scout the region heavily. Manchester United, meanwhile, have bought a controlling interest in Fortune FC, a team in the South African second-division.

Tim Vickery of the BBC has written extensively on the impoverishment of the Brazilian and Argentinian game that has been effected by the big European clubs, who are quite willing to snap up tens of young players and cut their losses if or when things don’t work out. This “feet drain” may well occasion the foundering of the grassroots game in newly developing footballing nations, such as Zambia, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter accusing European clubs of “social and economic rape” in their haste to unearth and uproot young talent across the globe. Much like in the ghettos of New York and California, where hip-hop artists are branded traitors for leaving the projects, the relationship between millionaire footballers and the nations they have left behind is often fraught with tension and ambiguity.

The line between “fair” scouting and footballing colonisation is almost impossible to draw, but outside of such issues, it seems fairly clear that the money generated by the transfer (and exploitation) of young footballers is not being reinvested in the societies out of which the talent is wrenched. University of Paris Professor Wladimir Andreff has proposed the idea of a “transfer tax” according to which a percentage of all transfer fees would be used to support sports training in developing countries, thus contributing towards the easing of gaps between countries and disincentivising the “feet drain”.

Such a consideration is well-founded but seems somewhat misguided in its focus on the depravity of sporting facilities rather than on the general societal misery that is at the root of the players’ desperate departure, although the existence of a series of well-equipped free academies across the continent would surely do something to at least slightly alleviate the problem.

The continued embezzlement and mismanagement of aid funds by African governments should leave us in no doubt as to breadth of the challenges posed, a series of challenges we should, as football fans and as world citizens, bear in mind the next time Kameni dives panther-like to his left to keep the ball out, one of the brothers Touré makes a last-ditch tackle of vital importance, or Drogba scores the winning goal.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News