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Football - the beautiful game has frankly had an awful few months. The decline of football can be traced back to the 26th of June of this year when Marc Vivien Foe, the Lyon midfielder collapsed and died following a busy spell in the Premiership at Manchester City. Foe was on national duty for his country Cameroon in France when they met Colombia in the Confederations Cup. His death highlighted the over fixturing during the club and international season. His family has still recieved no money from the Cameroon goverment to date.
Everyone in and around football knows of the growing money related problems in the sport, but after the collapse of the television firm ITV Digital a couple of seasons ago, several clubs have been hit hard by administration. In the lesser leagues Wimbledon, Barnsley, Notts County and York City all had to go into administration as well as former Premiership giants Leeds United. The Yorkshire's clubs problems all started when chairman Peter Risdale gambled the club's money on players who they could not afford like Robbie Fowler, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Bridges. The club have been in turmoil ever since going through five managers in seven years, not including the forthcoming manager. As a result Harry Kewell, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate and Nigel Martyn have all left the club for a fraction of their value.
Maybe most disgraceful was the shenanigans at Old Trafford, when several Arsenal and Manchester United players scrapped with Ryan Giggs, Gilberto Silva, Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane and Ray Parlour all involved. For these role models, this left a bad impression with their young fans.
The national set-up has had a bad time with England fans been banned from travelling to Turkey and Macedonia following bad behaviour. Even more embarassing for the FA was the picking of Sven's last squad when he drafted in Leeds' forward Alan Smith only for him to be hurridly replaced a few hours later, on suspicions he threw a bottle in the crowd during a game. The incident in context was the League Cup game between Leeds and bitter rivals Manchester United, when Smith threw a bottle, hitting a female spectator, who was a friend of Alan.
Most recently West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes was arrested by police on reports he caused death by dangerous driving. Hughes apparently failed to stay with the accident, as he and a friend ran away after killing the 56 year old man.
All this has lead to people questioning whether football is a declining sport with poor finance and increasingly bad role models. Rugby is a popular sport and now with something for English rugby fans to celebrate, David Beckham and co. better be ware Jonny Wilkinson and Rugby are here.
The Boston Celtics v Philadelphia 76'ers game was far more exciting for me.
How it ever got to be called beautiful is beyond me. I don't think falling over or passing in the same triangle for 10 minutes can be considered beautiful.
Perhaps all these amazing skills they all have could have some degree of prettiness to them. But they're never used in a game. Ever.
So I'm a little bias.
Now every moron with a flag is suddenly the biggest fan ever and wants to see them cannonised.
Good on the team for winning. I didn't care before and I don't care know.
All this talk of will rugby replace football?
It hasn't done in the last 150yrs so why start now?
Football - the beautiful game has frankly had an awful few months. The decline of football can be traced back to the 26th of June of this year when Marc Vivien Foe, the Lyon midfielder collapsed and died following a busy spell in the Premiership at Manchester City. Foe was on national duty for his country Cameroon in France when they met Colombia in the Confederations Cup. His death highlighted the over fixturing during the club and international season. His family has still recieved no money from the Cameroon goverment to date.
Everyone in and around football knows of the growing money related problems in the sport, but after the collapse of the television firm ITV Digital a couple of seasons ago, several clubs have been hit hard by administration. In the lesser leagues Wimbledon, Barnsley, Notts County and York City all had to go into administration as well as former Premiership giants Leeds United. The Yorkshire's clubs problems all started when chairman Peter Risdale gambled the club's money on players who they could not afford like Robbie Fowler, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Bridges. The club have been in turmoil ever since going through five managers in seven years, not including the forthcoming manager. As a result Harry Kewell, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate and Nigel Martyn have all left the club for a fraction of their value.
Maybe most disgraceful was the shenanigans at Old Trafford, when several Arsenal and Manchester United players scrapped with Ryan Giggs, Gilberto Silva, Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane and Ray Parlour all involved. For these role models, this left a bad impression with their young fans.
The national set-up has had a bad time with England fans been banned from travelling to Turkey and Macedonia following bad behaviour. Even more embarassing for the FA was the picking of Sven's last squad when he drafted in Leeds' forward Alan Smith only for him to be hurridly replaced a few hours later, on suspicions he threw a bottle in the crowd during a game. The incident in context was the League Cup game between Leeds and bitter rivals Manchester United, when Smith threw a bottle, hitting a female spectator, who was a friend of Alan.
Most recently West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes was arrested by police on reports he caused death by dangerous driving. Hughes apparently failed to stay with the accident, as he and a friend ran away after killing the 56 year old man.
All this has lead to people questioning whether football is a declining sport with poor finance and increasingly bad role models. Rugby is a popular sport and now with something for English rugby fans to celebrate, David Beckham and co. better be ware Jonny Wilkinson and Rugby are here.