Tonights program is an unusual mix of subjects:
1. Racism in Football and Foot In Mouth Blatter
The disastrous and objectionable comments made by no less than the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, on the subject of racism. During an Interview with Al Jerzeera, Blatter declared that there was no racism in football and indeed, if anything were said of the type on the field, then a quik handshake between the racially vilified and the racist will clear things up. It was just unbelievable, particularly given the work FIFA has and is doing to stamp out racism – a zero tolerance policy no less and most definitely on the field of play. Remember those big banners at the world cup and other premier competitions – “say no to racism”. Then there is the very serious allegations of racist comments by players on the field of play in the English Premier League this season. Just what sort of message was Blatter sending to the world wide football community, or was it an aged moment, or indeed, is this the way he really feels about it all? We’ll never really know, but what we do know is that the President of FIFA has, not for the first time in recent months, got it all wrong. The FIFA that he presides over is a mess, wracked with allegations of corruption, a patently corrupt world cup bidding process, operating in a world wide financial crisis that threatens most big Clubs in football as their debt levels reach astronomical proportions. In spite of this, FIFA has done some good work and some of it was about eliminating racism in sport – until Blatter opened his mouth. And yet, Mr Blatter, in the face of no credible option, got voted in for his fourth term as FIFA President and he gotAustralia FFA on this subject? Why not? Still hoping we will get a World Cup in 2022 are we? This whole thing is a mess, as is FIFA at the moment.
The disastrous and objectionable comments made by no less than the President of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, on the subject of racism. During an Interview with Al Jerzeera, Blatter declared that there was no racism in football and indeed, if anything were said of the type on the field, then a quik handshake between the racially vilified and the racist will clear things up. It was just unbelievable, particularly given the work FIFA has and is doing to stamp out racism – a zero tolerance policy no less and most definitely on the field of play. Remember those big banners at the world cup and other premier competitions – “say no to racism”. Then there is the very serious allegations of racist comments by players on the field of play in the English Premier League this season. Just what sort of message was Blatter sending to the world wide football community, or was it an aged moment, or indeed, is this the way he really feels about it all? We’ll never really know, but what we do know is that the President of FIFA has, not for the first time in recent months, got it all wrong. The FIFA that he presides over is a mess, wracked with allegations of corruption, a patently corrupt world cup bidding process, operating in a world wide financial crisis that threatens most big Clubs in football as their debt levels reach astronomical proportions. In spite of this, FIFA has done some good work and some of it was about eliminating racism in sport – until Blatter opened his mouth. And yet, Mr Blatter, in the face of no credible option, got voted in for his fourth term as FIFA President and he got
2. Group of Debt in Euro 2011
Then we have a very amusing piece fromBBC 4 radio, titled “Own goal from football’s “Group of Debt”). The fusion of a world financial crisis in Europe and Euro 2012.
Then we have a very amusing piece from
The Times reported these figures at the end of 2010:
THE BIG DEBTORS
£727m Manchester United
£727m Manchester United
£609m Real Madrid* (Real claim only £296m)
£436m Barcelona*
£386m Internazionale*
£348m AC Milan*
£297.7m Arsenal
£240m approx Liverpool
£147m Juventus*
£136m Roma*
£96m Bayern Munich*
£0 Chelsea, after £340m write-off, announced Dec 2009
£0 Man City, after £305m debt-to-equity write-off, announced Jan
2010
The Soccerlens website reported these figures in July 2010:
| Ranking | Club | Debt |
| 1. | Manchester United | £716m |
| 2. | Chelsea (Limited) | £701m |
| 3. | Valencia C.F | £501m |
| 4. | Liverpool | £351m |
| 5. | Real Madrid | £296m |
| 6. | FC Barcelona | £273m |
| 7. | AS Roma | £271m |
| 8. | Schalke 04 | £234m |
| 9. | Arsenal | £203m |
| 10. | Fulham | £198m |
3. Junior Player Development - George Huitker
For the final item in tonight’s program, I have returned to an interview I did about three years ago on Junior Football. I speak toGeorge Huitker , the Director of Co-curricular at Radford College
George is the sort of person we need at the top in Football and certainly on our Capital Football Board. He seems to have done it all. Huitker has written two very good books on junior football and futsal. These two books sum up the issues for all parents and young players, as only a highly capable and thoughtful educator (in football / futsal / academia) could do. Its his massive experience of the age groups we are concerned with and wide view of the game and its role in the development of our young citizens, some of whom are very talented, that gives his writings and observations their power.George Huitker has produced and acted in a play, scripted from his first book on junior football. Books and play received considerable crucial acclaim. Try as I have over the years to get as good an interview on junior player development, I haven’t come close to Huitker yet. The inclusion of Huitker’s interview, timeless as it is, gives us a very useful counter point to the CF Tech Director’s call for complete commitment by players / parents to the CF COE programs. Now this is not a criticism of the TD, who is a fine fellow, with a job to do. An elite program (however we may define or expect an elite program to be) will obviously demand commitment. In one sense the CF Tech Director’s position is almost unarguable, but is it the full story when we think of all of the things that must accompany a young person development as a citizen, including a liberal and balanced education, but who love football with a passion, talented or not so talented. And is it the full story in a small place like the ACT region? The word “elite” is not the same as “develop” in a football sense, nor in an education context, but they circle in football at high speed around anyone young player daubed with the title “talented, and to coin a phrase “its all so often full of crap”! The notion of elite” is always worth challenging. This one is for thinking.
Download Podcast Here:
For the final item in tonight’s program, I have returned to an interview I did about three years ago on Junior Football. I speak to
George is the sort of person we need at the top in Football and certainly on our Capital Football Board. He seems to have done it all. Huitker has written two very good books on junior football and futsal. These two books sum up the issues for all parents and young players, as only a highly capable and thoughtful educator (in football / futsal / academia) could do. Its his massive experience of the age groups we are concerned with and wide view of the game and its role in the development of our young citizens, some of whom are very talented, that gives his writings and observations their power.
Download Podcast Here: