Like me, many of you may have had a bad year last year. You might have lost your job, had health worries, had marital problems... It happens, but the key thing is to use the start of a new year as the impetus to move on and enjoy better fortunes. So it is for West Ham too.
During 2009, barely a week went by when we weren't being told about The Hammers' escalating financial deficit. Blah blah blah... we heard it over and over again, just as we ended up hearing the constant drone of stories about West Ham being open to potential takeover offers from mystery consortia.
Their 2009/10 season transpired into a long, slow, lingering death but despite the claims from football writers of all kinds that the Upton Park club should swallow their pride and listen to possible investors, the suits at West Ham denied there was no rush to do so.
Until the end of 2009, that is. With Gianfranco Zola having to field a team largely consisting of youngsters and, perish the thought, even Kieron Dyer week in, week out, something had to be done. The club's debts were growing by the day – an inescapable by-product of annoying everyone from Sheffield United and Millwall through to Alan Curbishley – and suddenly the need to operate on the patient became critical.
With that, The Hammers threw open its doors and welcomed anyone foolish enough to wander in with big ideas and even bigger bank balances. With 2010 not even a month old, David Gold and David Sullivan were chosen from a predictably short shortlist as the men to provide the cash transfusion that would keep the club alive. And everyone lived happily ever after, The End.
As a West Ham fan, I hope it is, and if I'm honest, I'm quietly optimistic that it will be. Why? Let me explain.
Firstly, we're all aware of the pornographic foundations on which Gold and Sullivan's collective and vast personal wealth was built. Yes it's a mildly amusing (if almost worn out) source of laughs for any football fan, and far be it for me to spoil your fun by suggesting we all stop making jokes about them now. I'd probably be giggling about them too if I were in your shoes, and probably secretly wishing I'd earned a vast personal fortune out of selling porn myself as well, I dare say.
Then there are the accusations of financial wrong-doings on the part of the Davids while holding the purse strings at Birmingham City. Despite the alleged suspicions of those that felt Gold and Sullivan had over-valued the club when the time came to sell up and move on, an inquiry on the part of the City of London Police proved that no such crime had taken place and the pair were exonerated. Personally speaking, that'll do for me.
All of which leaves us with two men who are, by all accounts, true West Ham fans that have had shares in the club before and wanted to take full control of the club a long time ago. That alone wouldn't cut much ice with the average Hammers fan, but from what we're led to believe, they're shrewd businessmen who are willing to sacrifice much of the money they have in the bank just to get West Ham back on a neutral financial footing – and that's before they've kicked off any plans to move the club in a forward direction again.
Aside from the small matter of clearing £110 million of debt, they're also making funds available to Zola to buy or loan some much-needed reinforcements for the team. God knows they're needed. Earlier this season you'd have heard me joking that West Ham's hopes ridiculously fell squarely on the inconsistent and at times baffling skills of Carlton Cole. I thought we could do better by aiming to acquire the goalscoring talents of someone far better. Needless to say I've been longing for Cole's return from injury for many weeks now, such are the dire straits my favourite club have been in, and no – I didn't think I'd ever here myself say it, before you ask.
Perhaps now the team will be strengthened by the influx of some better or at the very least 'available' newcomers. They'll have to be available and willing if Zola's to snap them up in the last dying days of the January transfer window. But why not clear out some dead-wood while they're at it too? Kieron Dyer has to go now. It's been tough for the poor lad, but he needs to go. Luis Boa Morte? Get out. Yes, that should do for a start...
Then there's the ambitious plans that Gullivan (hey, it worked for 'Jedward') have for relocating the club to the new Olympic Stadium in Stratford, post-2012. To some died-in-the-wool Hammers fans, it might seem like idle troublemaking to even think about turning one's back on Upton Park. Even West Ham legend Billy Bonds has been saying it'd be a shame, but even he's intelligent enough to realise that a move would be beneficial in the context of the game in the modern era.
At the moment, Upton Park sits cheek-by-jowl with houses and shops in a residential street in East London. Capable of accommodating 35,000 fans on match day, it can be very tricky to reach when the few transport links in the area are fit to bursting with home and away fans eager to see the action. Moving to a brand new stadium only two miles away in Stratford would see up to 55,000 reaching their destination – all generating extra revenue for the club as they make use of the wider choice of transport facilities, and no doubt swinging cats around to show how much extra space there is too.
Yes, Sullivan and Gold have got big plans which they'll carry out with quiet efficiency, I've no doubt. While at St. Andrews, they showed a propensity to stabilise Birmingham City while gradually increasing the value of the club through common-sense wheeler-dealing and resolutely supporting the manager. This is something they've said they'll do again and all from the standpoint of having secured only a 50% stake in West Ham.
And that's the final bit of shrewd business they've done. Rather than fork out for the full 100% (which, admittedly, they've got the first shout on should they ever change their minds), they've promised to offer other interested parties the chance to invest in the remaining 50%. That could see one of the other takeover bidders, Tony Fernandes, getting involved as well. Fernandes, head of the Lotus Formula 1 team and West Ham supporter, will surely find it hard to turn down a second bite of the cherry by adding his financial clout to an exciting project such as this.
So the saga is finally over. West Ham have been saved from potentially plummeting down the leagues thanks to the persistence of two men, much derided by many, but committed to saving the club they love.
Admittedly you won't find many West Ham fans dancing in the streets at the arrival of David Gold and David Sullivan, but give it time. I suspect they'll have a different opinion by the time this season's through.
Showing posts with label West Ham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Ham. Show all posts
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Monday, 6 October 2008
Let's all have a go at the 'keeper...
I realise I might be a lone voice in the wilderness here, but I'd just like to stick up for Robert Green if I may.
In the light of West Ham's 3-1 thumping at the hands of Bolton yesterday afternoon, I could easily jump on the bandwagon and take issue with the part he played in conceding all three goals. God knows everyone else has been over the last 24 hours or so, but I'm inclined to take a different view.
To begin with, I'm not defending Green just because I support West Ham. Far from it - The Hammers played pretty poorly yesterday and probably deserved to be punished accordingly. My main bone of contention is with the criticism he received from the Sky Sports commentary team covering the match and everyone else that followed suit thereafter.
So let's take all three goals in sequence and see what Robert Green supposedly did wrong.
Scenario 1:
Jlloyd Samuel crosses in from the left of the field towards Bolton's Kevin Davies on the edge of the West Ham penalty area. Green comes out to catch the ball, but in doing so spills it in front of Davies who pokes it into the vacant West Ham goal.
In Green's defence it wasn't easy to hold onto the ball once caught due to Davies and Hammers defender Ilunga standing right in front of him. Anyone that can catch the ball in mid-flight and not be distracted by the prospect of falling onto or colliding with two people in your immediate proximity is probably a better man than I am. Add to that the appallingly wet conditions that may well have affected Robert Green's grip on the ball and you see that it wasn't as easy as it looked.
Scenario 2:
Gretar Steinsson volleys the ball towards the West Ham goal from 20 yards out. Green dives to save it but could only block the ball which falls into the path of Gary Cahill who finishes off the move to make it 2-0 to Bolton.
It may not have occurred to any of the pundits sharpening their knives by this stage but when the ball is hit so hard on such a wet pitch, it's actually quite difficult to hold onto (let alone block) the ball when its flight and bounce are as lightning quick. I'd challenge any keeper to hold onto a ball from a shot like that in those conditions and would happily predict the same outcome occurring accordingly.
Scenario 3:
Matthew Taylor hits a direct free-kick from 40 yards out which screams into the far corner of the West Ham net.
Not much Green could do about this at all, to say nothing of the West Ham defensive wall. When seen from behind the goal, the ball clearly swerved massively en route to its destination. Some question Green's positioning here, but given the ferocity of the shot, he'd have been hard pushed to stop it wherever he was stationed.
Taking all that into consideration, if I had to pick one of those three where Green could have done better, perhaps I'd go for the first one as fundamentally it was more preventable than the others, but this is to deviate from my point. It'd be my guess that almost all those people criticising Robert Green in the media have never pulled on a pair of goalie gloves in their lives, let alone played in that position professionally.
It's all very easy to sit back in your favourite chair, watching the action from many miles away, harping on about the poor standard of goalkeeping when you've never even tried it yourself, but believe me, it ain't easy. Not that I've ever played at professional level, I admit, but I've certainly played between the sticks often enough over the last thirty years to know it's a thankless task that requires more skill than you'll ever get credit for.
So to all the journalists out there that picked out Robert Green as an easy target, go easy on the fella. Nobody's perfect and mistakes can happen, but that aside, just stick to criticising stuff you have some experience of or temper your argument with an element of balance.
Here endeth the lesson. :)
In the light of West Ham's 3-1 thumping at the hands of Bolton yesterday afternoon, I could easily jump on the bandwagon and take issue with the part he played in conceding all three goals. God knows everyone else has been over the last 24 hours or so, but I'm inclined to take a different view.
To begin with, I'm not defending Green just because I support West Ham. Far from it - The Hammers played pretty poorly yesterday and probably deserved to be punished accordingly. My main bone of contention is with the criticism he received from the Sky Sports commentary team covering the match and everyone else that followed suit thereafter.
So let's take all three goals in sequence and see what Robert Green supposedly did wrong.
Scenario 1:
Jlloyd Samuel crosses in from the left of the field towards Bolton's Kevin Davies on the edge of the West Ham penalty area. Green comes out to catch the ball, but in doing so spills it in front of Davies who pokes it into the vacant West Ham goal.
In Green's defence it wasn't easy to hold onto the ball once caught due to Davies and Hammers defender Ilunga standing right in front of him. Anyone that can catch the ball in mid-flight and not be distracted by the prospect of falling onto or colliding with two people in your immediate proximity is probably a better man than I am. Add to that the appallingly wet conditions that may well have affected Robert Green's grip on the ball and you see that it wasn't as easy as it looked.
Scenario 2:
Gretar Steinsson volleys the ball towards the West Ham goal from 20 yards out. Green dives to save it but could only block the ball which falls into the path of Gary Cahill who finishes off the move to make it 2-0 to Bolton.
It may not have occurred to any of the pundits sharpening their knives by this stage but when the ball is hit so hard on such a wet pitch, it's actually quite difficult to hold onto (let alone block) the ball when its flight and bounce are as lightning quick. I'd challenge any keeper to hold onto a ball from a shot like that in those conditions and would happily predict the same outcome occurring accordingly.
Scenario 3:
Matthew Taylor hits a direct free-kick from 40 yards out which screams into the far corner of the West Ham net.
Not much Green could do about this at all, to say nothing of the West Ham defensive wall. When seen from behind the goal, the ball clearly swerved massively en route to its destination. Some question Green's positioning here, but given the ferocity of the shot, he'd have been hard pushed to stop it wherever he was stationed.
Taking all that into consideration, if I had to pick one of those three where Green could have done better, perhaps I'd go for the first one as fundamentally it was more preventable than the others, but this is to deviate from my point. It'd be my guess that almost all those people criticising Robert Green in the media have never pulled on a pair of goalie gloves in their lives, let alone played in that position professionally.
It's all very easy to sit back in your favourite chair, watching the action from many miles away, harping on about the poor standard of goalkeeping when you've never even tried it yourself, but believe me, it ain't easy. Not that I've ever played at professional level, I admit, but I've certainly played between the sticks often enough over the last thirty years to know it's a thankless task that requires more skill than you'll ever get credit for.
So to all the journalists out there that picked out Robert Green as an easy target, go easy on the fella. Nobody's perfect and mistakes can happen, but that aside, just stick to criticising stuff you have some experience of or temper your argument with an element of balance.
Here endeth the lesson. :)
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Premier League Kit Parade (Part 4)
It's time for the thrilling climax to our look at the new Premier League shirts of 2008/09. Today, we survey the last five teams in alphabetical order, so let's begin with...
Sunderland
Another case of Umbro tidying up the over-proliferation of diamonds here as they give the Black Cats a much cleaner-looking and rather swish home shirt. A nice use of black around the v-neck and at the top of the arms makes this a rather decent design, mirrored in black and blue for the away shirt.
And here once again we see that black-and-blue-stripe combo that Middlesbrough have used for their own away shirt. Which is the better? It's difficult to say. Umbro have certainly done a decent job with their version for Sunderland and it's fair to say it's a nice contrast with the all-white affair that was used last season. Well done, Umbro.
Tottenham
Once again, there's a trilogy of new shirts to check out for The Lilywhites, thereby maximising those all important takings in the club shop. Yes, we are being cynical, but we're sure we must be speaking on behalf of some Spurs supporters out there...
So what do we have here? For a start, Tottenham's featureless but very stylish all-white home shirt from last year is replaced with one that has navy blue panels under the arms and a navy blue v-neck collar. It's not at all bad, we think, but somehow that plain white one was just a little bit special. Good, but not as good, if you see what we mean.
Then there's the new away shirt which this year is sky blue. It has to be acknowledged that Spurs have one of those constant talking points in place about which colours work best for the away shirt. For them, the debate is 'yellow or sky blue?' and though it will no doubt divide Tottenham fans in equal measures, we think yellow's better, but this blue edition looks really nice. It reminds us of those heady days when Clive Allen was banging in the goals at White Hart Lane, and that can be no bad thing.
And finally onto the third shirt which is a little bit odd. Where Spurs have recently resorted to a dark brown and gold outfit, this is black and gold. Does that suggest the brown colourscheme was a little bit too controversial to keep in place, we wonder? Whatever - this is again a nice shirt with a flappy collar just like the sky blue shirt, but what are those little white stripes on the left shoulder? We think it's a gesture of some sort relating to the Puma King range of boots and styling, but we're not sure. All we know is that it shouldn't be there, and that's an end to the matter.
All in all, three nice shirts from Puma, but don't expect them to be worn by the team next season as they won't be. The modern age of football kit design is a ruthless one, and it's best that we tell you the news now before you're hurt further down the line.
West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies are back! Not only that, but there's a new incarnation of those famous navy blue and white stripes from Umbro. This season, they've tried to invigorate that design with something original by incorporating an extra pinstripe either side of those navy blue bands. You might not be able to see it on our picture, but trust us it's there and it looks... er... not overly remarkable.
Add that to the lack of any significant sort of collar and what you end up with is a fairly featureless design that looks a little boring to us. Sorry Baggies fans, but there it is. We'd even go so far as to say their home shirt from last season was actually better, despite all those Umbro diamonds littered all over the shoulders.
And then there's the away shirt. How can we put this... it looks like something a referee would wear. It's yellow, with incredibly minimal styling and harsh though this sounds, it looks rubbish. Quite what Umbro were thinking when they produced this is beyond us - let alone what West Brom were thinking when they gave it the thumbs-up. This is arguably the worst shirt anyone will set eyes on this season, and that's all we can say about it. It's only our opinion, you understand, but we think it'll tally up with a lot of people. Sorry and all that.
West Ham United
While we're on the subject of Umbro, here's what they've come up with for West Ham this season. At home, they've put together a shirt that we think is OK but we're not sure why.
It looks not unlike Aston Villa's home shirt and seems smart enough in many respects, and yet it isn't a wholehearted nod towards something either traditional or particularly interesting. Basically we're saying it's neat and inoffensive but it won't win any design awards either.
Away from home, West Ham have bought into the Umbro template for this season - a plain shirt with two contrasting stripes across the upper part of the chest (see Everton away, England away, etc). This one's a pleasant summery blue with white and claret coloured bands and is really rather good.
A welcome return to the all-pale blue West Ham away outfit, but what we really want to see is the revival of those two horizontal claret stripes around the middle like Bobby Moore and Clyde Best used to wear circa 1970. No chance of that any time soon, we suppose...
Wigan Athletic
And so we reach the end of the road with Wigan and here we save a small surprise for last because The Latics have joined up with Champion as their new kit supplier. As far as we can remember, Champion haven't really had much to do with football kit production in the recent past, but they've got their foot in the door now and have even secured a contract with the Welsh FA.
All that aside, Wigan's new shirts look really good and are a credit to Champion as a new name on the scene. The home shirt has a crisp, clean look with bold blue and white stripes (take note Umbro/WBA) with some interesting little bits of business going on around the shoulder area too. Nothing too showy or distracting, mind - this is all good stuff and hits the spot nicely, in our opinion.
Then there's the away shirt which perhaps isn't so cut and dried by virtue of the fact that it's that controversial luminous yellow in colour. When Chelsea tried the same trick last season, Adidas' found themselves universally ridiculed for their efforts, but somehow this one looks less 'in your face' (if that's possible for a luminous yellow shirt).
Wigan's version simply uses some bold black piping around the shoulders and down the sides to create a look that's easy on the eye while being bold and, of course, highly visible on the pitch. Jolly good, we think - well done, Champion.
The end...?
So that's it - the end of our 20-team survey of all the new shirts for 2008/09, except for one shirt which has been launched in the last couple of weeks since Part 2 of our guide. It's Manchester City's new third shirt and it's already been worn in the club's opening Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.
It's predominantly Flame Orange with a navy blue sleeve and collar. The colourscheme is distinctive and works well, but ironically its effectiveness is almost undone by that totally unnecessary bit of yellow piping down the left shoulder. What's that there for, for crying out loud?!? We're sorry, Le Coq Sportif, but that bit of yellow you've included there cheapens the overall look and smacks of a designer who didn't know when to quit while they were ahead.
Still, let's not be too harsh. This has some elements of originality to it, like the asymmetrical sleeves and the use of colours, so it's not all bad. A reasonable try on behalf of LCS, but a note for future reference - don't get too fussy during the design stage. Keep it simple and the fans will be happy.
Here endeth the lecture.
Sunderland
Another case of Umbro tidying up the over-proliferation of diamonds here as they give the Black Cats a much cleaner-looking and rather swish home shirt. A nice use of black around the v-neck and at the top of the arms makes this a rather decent design, mirrored in black and blue for the away shirt.
And here once again we see that black-and-blue-stripe combo that Middlesbrough have used for their own away shirt. Which is the better? It's difficult to say. Umbro have certainly done a decent job with their version for Sunderland and it's fair to say it's a nice contrast with the all-white affair that was used last season. Well done, Umbro.Tottenham
Once again, there's a trilogy of new shirts to check out for The Lilywhites, thereby maximising those all important takings in the club shop. Yes, we are being cynical, but we're sure we must be speaking on behalf of some Spurs supporters out there...
So what do we have here? For a start, Tottenham's featureless but very stylish all-white home shirt from last year is replaced with one that has navy blue panels under the arms and a navy blue v-neck collar. It's not at all bad, we think, but somehow that plain white one was just a little bit special. Good, but not as good, if you see what we mean.Then there's the new away shirt which this year is sky blue. It has to be acknowledged that Spurs have one of those constant talking points in place about which colours work best for the away shirt. For them, the debate is 'yellow or sky blue?' and though it will no doubt divide Tottenham fans in equal measures, we think yellow's better, but this blue edition looks really nice. It reminds us of those heady days when Clive Allen was banging in the goals at White Hart Lane, and that can be no bad thing.
And finally onto the third shirt which is a little bit odd. Where Spurs have recently resorted to a dark brown and gold outfit, this is black and gold. Does that suggest the brown colourscheme was a little bit too controversial to keep in place, we wonder? Whatever - this is again a nice shirt with a flappy collar just like the sky blue shirt, but what are those little white stripes on the left shoulder? We think it's a gesture of some sort relating to the Puma King range of boots and styling, but we're not sure. All we know is that it shouldn't be there, and that's an end to the matter.
All in all, three nice shirts from Puma, but don't expect them to be worn by the team next season as they won't be. The modern age of football kit design is a ruthless one, and it's best that we tell you the news now before you're hurt further down the line.
West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies are back! Not only that, but there's a new incarnation of those famous navy blue and white stripes from Umbro. This season, they've tried to invigorate that design with something original by incorporating an extra pinstripe either side of those navy blue bands. You might not be able to see it on our picture, but trust us it's there and it looks... er... not overly remarkable.
Add that to the lack of any significant sort of collar and what you end up with is a fairly featureless design that looks a little boring to us. Sorry Baggies fans, but there it is. We'd even go so far as to say their home shirt from last season was actually better, despite all those Umbro diamonds littered all over the shoulders.And then there's the away shirt. How can we put this... it looks like something a referee would wear. It's yellow, with incredibly minimal styling and harsh though this sounds, it looks rubbish. Quite what Umbro were thinking when they produced this is beyond us - let alone what West Brom were thinking when they gave it the thumbs-up. This is arguably the worst shirt anyone will set eyes on this season, and that's all we can say about it. It's only our opinion, you understand, but we think it'll tally up with a lot of people. Sorry and all that.
West Ham United
While we're on the subject of Umbro, here's what they've come up with for West Ham this season. At home, they've put together a shirt that we think is OK but we're not sure why.
It looks not unlike Aston Villa's home shirt and seems smart enough in many respects, and yet it isn't a wholehearted nod towards something either traditional or particularly interesting. Basically we're saying it's neat and inoffensive but it won't win any design awards either.Away from home, West Ham have bought into the Umbro template for this season - a plain shirt with two contrasting stripes across the upper part of the chest (see Everton away, England away, etc). This one's a pleasant summery blue with white and claret coloured bands and is really rather good.
A welcome return to the all-pale blue West Ham away outfit, but what we really want to see is the revival of those two horizontal claret stripes around the middle like Bobby Moore and Clyde Best used to wear circa 1970. No chance of that any time soon, we suppose...
Wigan Athletic
And so we reach the end of the road with Wigan and here we save a small surprise for last because The Latics have joined up with Champion as their new kit supplier. As far as we can remember, Champion haven't really had much to do with football kit production in the recent past, but they've got their foot in the door now and have even secured a contract with the Welsh FA.
All that aside, Wigan's new shirts look really good and are a credit to Champion as a new name on the scene. The home shirt has a crisp, clean look with bold blue and white stripes (take note Umbro/WBA) with some interesting little bits of business going on around the shoulder area too. Nothing too showy or distracting, mind - this is all good stuff and hits the spot nicely, in our opinion.Then there's the away shirt which perhaps isn't so cut and dried by virtue of the fact that it's that controversial luminous yellow in colour. When Chelsea tried the same trick last season, Adidas' found themselves universally ridiculed for their efforts, but somehow this one looks less 'in your face' (if that's possible for a luminous yellow shirt).
Wigan's version simply uses some bold black piping around the shoulders and down the sides to create a look that's easy on the eye while being bold and, of course, highly visible on the pitch. Jolly good, we think - well done, Champion.
The end...?
So that's it - the end of our 20-team survey of all the new shirts for 2008/09, except for one shirt which has been launched in the last couple of weeks since Part 2 of our guide. It's Manchester City's new third shirt and it's already been worn in the club's opening Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.
It's predominantly Flame Orange with a navy blue sleeve and collar. The colourscheme is distinctive and works well, but ironically its effectiveness is almost undone by that totally unnecessary bit of yellow piping down the left shoulder. What's that there for, for crying out loud?!? We're sorry, Le Coq Sportif, but that bit of yellow you've included there cheapens the overall look and smacks of a designer who didn't know when to quit while they were ahead.Still, let's not be too harsh. This has some elements of originality to it, like the asymmetrical sleeves and the use of colours, so it's not all bad. A reasonable try on behalf of LCS, but a note for future reference - don't get too fussy during the design stage. Keep it simple and the fans will be happy.
Here endeth the lecture.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
A fickle band are we
I was going to call this article 'The Art of Mediocrity' for reasons which will soon become apparent, but I realised its subject was far more wide-ranging. My intention was to write about the team I've supported all my life, West Ham United, and the fact that they've spent most of this season stuck in 10th spot in the Premier League.
I'm not joking. West Ham were tenth in the league at the end of November 2007 and have moved neither up or down since.
You can only wonder at the skill that's involved in keeping any team in one position week after week. I mean can you imagine it - one heavy defeat or a sound thrashing of Derby County and your whole position in the table could be seriously jeopardised, but West Ham have walked this precarious tightrope of a predicament and come out of it with nothing but… well… an acute sense of being average, I suppose.
The thing is, many of us West Ham supporters have been fighting with our consciences this season. We feel frustrated and a little hard done by that our team haven't progressed further up into the top half of the Premier League table, yet at the same time we realise that it was only one year ago that we were having to go to Old Trafford to beat Man United just to stay in the Premier League.
Things have changed, though (including the winning at Old Trafford bit, but enough of this weekend's beating by Sir Alex's men). This season West Ham have steered well clear of a relegation battle, largely thanks to a pre-Christmas spell which saw them undefeated in thirteen of their nineteen league games. All well and good up to that point, but having quickly reached the 40-point mark that's loosely used to denote safety from relegation, The Hammers seemed content to coast over the finish line safe in the knowledge they'd achieved their main objective for 2007/08.
True, Alan Curbishley has had to deal with all manner of injuries to many of his players and in getting them to a creditable mid-table finish we Hammers fans should give him our heartiest applause. Yet there's still that nagging doubt in the back of our minds that says 'Surely we could have done just a little bit better?'
I'm wondering if fans from other teams in a similar predicament are thinking something along the same lines. Tottenham Hotspur have been stuck in 11th place just behind West Ham since January, and though they're a team used to finishing much higher in the Premier League, are they thinking this has been a disappointing season even though they languished near the bottom of the table for the first few months?
The same goes for Newcastle. Many people would have put them down for a top-half finish this season and I'm sure many still feel they should have got it, but is the sense of relief at avoiding a relegation dogfight uppermost in their minds now, I wonder?
It all shows that as football fans we can be a difficult bunch to satisfy. Not content with maintaining stability in any particular league at the expense of glory, we strive only for glory and to hell with the consequences. Perhaps that's how it should be. Why else were the clubs we support created in the first place? To win, win often, and win at the expense of all others. Being average, it seems, isn't what makes us fans tick.
I'm not joking. West Ham were tenth in the league at the end of November 2007 and have moved neither up or down since.
You can only wonder at the skill that's involved in keeping any team in one position week after week. I mean can you imagine it - one heavy defeat or a sound thrashing of Derby County and your whole position in the table could be seriously jeopardised, but West Ham have walked this precarious tightrope of a predicament and come out of it with nothing but… well… an acute sense of being average, I suppose.
The thing is, many of us West Ham supporters have been fighting with our consciences this season. We feel frustrated and a little hard done by that our team haven't progressed further up into the top half of the Premier League table, yet at the same time we realise that it was only one year ago that we were having to go to Old Trafford to beat Man United just to stay in the Premier League.
Things have changed, though (including the winning at Old Trafford bit, but enough of this weekend's beating by Sir Alex's men). This season West Ham have steered well clear of a relegation battle, largely thanks to a pre-Christmas spell which saw them undefeated in thirteen of their nineteen league games. All well and good up to that point, but having quickly reached the 40-point mark that's loosely used to denote safety from relegation, The Hammers seemed content to coast over the finish line safe in the knowledge they'd achieved their main objective for 2007/08.
True, Alan Curbishley has had to deal with all manner of injuries to many of his players and in getting them to a creditable mid-table finish we Hammers fans should give him our heartiest applause. Yet there's still that nagging doubt in the back of our minds that says 'Surely we could have done just a little bit better?'
I'm wondering if fans from other teams in a similar predicament are thinking something along the same lines. Tottenham Hotspur have been stuck in 11th place just behind West Ham since January, and though they're a team used to finishing much higher in the Premier League, are they thinking this has been a disappointing season even though they languished near the bottom of the table for the first few months?
The same goes for Newcastle. Many people would have put them down for a top-half finish this season and I'm sure many still feel they should have got it, but is the sense of relief at avoiding a relegation dogfight uppermost in their minds now, I wonder?
It all shows that as football fans we can be a difficult bunch to satisfy. Not content with maintaining stability in any particular league at the expense of glory, we strive only for glory and to hell with the consequences. Perhaps that's how it should be. Why else were the clubs we support created in the first place? To win, win often, and win at the expense of all others. Being average, it seems, isn't what makes us fans tick.
Friday, 11 April 2008
My First Match
Before we get on with the following article, a quick apology for the lack of new stuff going on this week. My excuse is that I've been on a hastily-organised holiday of sorts in the west of England in a place called Mere. It has few distinguishing features except for the fact that it's probably the last place in Britain to acknowledge the existence of the Internet.
I was staying in a cottage that has no connection to the World Wide Web, the nearest open wi-fi network was about five miles away and the only access I had to my blogsite was via a PC situated in a small local library 100 yards away from our holiday home. They allowed casual web surfers like me one hour to find out whatever you could from the outside world before cutting off my access (painful if you're not ready for it) and that was about it.
So here I am, just back from my holiday, uploading my first article for almost a week, and I hope you enjoy it accordingly. Now I'm back from The Land The Internet Forgot, you should find I'm a lot more prolific than I have been in the days to come.
...
One memory that many of us seem to share with great affection is that of the first football match we ever went to. I'd like those of you visiting SPAOTP to tell myself and the rest of the audience about your memories if you'd care to, but in the meantime let me tell you mine.
The first football match I ever went to was between my favourite team, West Ham United, and Orient (often, as now, known as Leyton Orient) on Saturday, December 26th 1980. I was nine years old and West Ham were playing in the old Second Division. The former was something I'd experience only once in my life, the latter would happen all too regularly for my own personal liking.
The opportunity to go and watch The Hammers for the first time came about when my aunt Sylv suggested it'd be a good idea for her son (my cousin and fellow West Ham supporter) Keith to take me along to see a game at Upton Park as that was where he chose to spend many of his Saturday afternoons anyway.
There was also the added exciting bonus of sleeping over at Sylv's house that same night before returning to my family home the following morning. As you may agree, the prospect of spending the night in someone else's house when you're only nine is about as exhilarating as it gets, so I didn't need to be asked twice on this one.
And then came the big day. I didn't live very far away from Sylv and Keith so I arrived at their house in next to no time that Saturday lunchtime. After a quick hello and goodbye, Keith and I jumped on a bus (I think it was the number 5 but it's both difficult to remember and largely irrelevant) and before long we were walking along Green Street near the Boleyn Ground.
I seem to recall we arrived a little early - probably just before 2 o'clock, but Keith suggested we get our tickets, go through the turnstiles and find our place on the near-empty terraces. And yes, it was terraces in those days. None of this new-fangled all-seater business. You stood on the concrete steps like the 30,000-odd other fans and that was about all the luxury you were afforded.
Anyway, the rest of the afternoon was a bit of a blur. The fans started to arrive the nearer we got to kick-off (a tradition that continues to this day, I can confirm) but the wait seemed to be endless. One welcome distraction, however, came when I looked up at the commentary box behind me and spotted Brian Moore.
Moore was the number 1 commentator on ITV back then and remained in that key position until his death in 2003. Renowned for his balding pate and his friendly, reverential commentary, Moore could often be seen up in his crow's nest at Upton Park surveying the action down below. The ITV cameras often visited West Ham's ground - more, I suspect because it wasn't far away from their studios on the South Bank of the Thames than because West Ham were anything approaching a top side of that era.
Anyway, the thought that West Ham v Orient would be featuring on 'The Big Match' that evening added an extra frisson of excitement to the proceedings, and when West Ham went on to win 3-1, you could be certain that I'd be staying up until 10.30 that night to watch the highlights of the self same match.
And therein lies another difference to the football of today. Back then, us Brits weren't spoon-fed wall-to-wall coverage of every goal from every game on TV. You had one 'highlights' show on a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon and nothing else. They'd show the goals and best bits from three games and not all of those were from the top flight, so if your team wasn't featured, you were out of luck. But anyway, that's another story for another time...
Back to the plot. Keith and I got home from the match, me with my programme rolled up under my arm and a broad smile all over my face. We had our evening meal, talked all night about the game and before you knew it, it was 10.30 and ITV were showing my first ever match in highlight form all over again. It was a strange experience, seeing a game on TV I'd attend only hours earlier, but it nicely rounded off an exciting day that still lives with me as I approach my 37th birthday.
Upton Park was a different place then. It had a certain bleakness about it, but there was some good football played at the time and the players who ran out onto the pitch in their claret-and-blue shirts were, for someone of my age, legends in their own small way. Though I've seen many games at Upton Park since then, I'll never forget the first time I walked through the turnstiles and saw football 'in the flesh'. It was December 26th 1980, West Ham were playing Orient and it was a day to be frozen in my consciousness until the day I die.
I was staying in a cottage that has no connection to the World Wide Web, the nearest open wi-fi network was about five miles away and the only access I had to my blogsite was via a PC situated in a small local library 100 yards away from our holiday home. They allowed casual web surfers like me one hour to find out whatever you could from the outside world before cutting off my access (painful if you're not ready for it) and that was about it.
So here I am, just back from my holiday, uploading my first article for almost a week, and I hope you enjoy it accordingly. Now I'm back from The Land The Internet Forgot, you should find I'm a lot more prolific than I have been in the days to come.
...
One memory that many of us seem to share with great affection is that of the first football match we ever went to. I'd like those of you visiting SPAOTP to tell myself and the rest of the audience about your memories if you'd care to, but in the meantime let me tell you mine.
The first football match I ever went to was between my favourite team, West Ham United, and Orient (often, as now, known as Leyton Orient) on Saturday, December 26th 1980. I was nine years old and West Ham were playing in the old Second Division. The former was something I'd experience only once in my life, the latter would happen all too regularly for my own personal liking.
The opportunity to go and watch The Hammers for the first time came about when my aunt Sylv suggested it'd be a good idea for her son (my cousin and fellow West Ham supporter) Keith to take me along to see a game at Upton Park as that was where he chose to spend many of his Saturday afternoons anyway.
There was also the added exciting bonus of sleeping over at Sylv's house that same night before returning to my family home the following morning. As you may agree, the prospect of spending the night in someone else's house when you're only nine is about as exhilarating as it gets, so I didn't need to be asked twice on this one.
And then came the big day. I didn't live very far away from Sylv and Keith so I arrived at their house in next to no time that Saturday lunchtime. After a quick hello and goodbye, Keith and I jumped on a bus (I think it was the number 5 but it's both difficult to remember and largely irrelevant) and before long we were walking along Green Street near the Boleyn Ground.
I seem to recall we arrived a little early - probably just before 2 o'clock, but Keith suggested we get our tickets, go through the turnstiles and find our place on the near-empty terraces. And yes, it was terraces in those days. None of this new-fangled all-seater business. You stood on the concrete steps like the 30,000-odd other fans and that was about all the luxury you were afforded.
Anyway, the rest of the afternoon was a bit of a blur. The fans started to arrive the nearer we got to kick-off (a tradition that continues to this day, I can confirm) but the wait seemed to be endless. One welcome distraction, however, came when I looked up at the commentary box behind me and spotted Brian Moore.
Moore was the number 1 commentator on ITV back then and remained in that key position until his death in 2003. Renowned for his balding pate and his friendly, reverential commentary, Moore could often be seen up in his crow's nest at Upton Park surveying the action down below. The ITV cameras often visited West Ham's ground - more, I suspect because it wasn't far away from their studios on the South Bank of the Thames than because West Ham were anything approaching a top side of that era.
Anyway, the thought that West Ham v Orient would be featuring on 'The Big Match' that evening added an extra frisson of excitement to the proceedings, and when West Ham went on to win 3-1, you could be certain that I'd be staying up until 10.30 that night to watch the highlights of the self same match.
And therein lies another difference to the football of today. Back then, us Brits weren't spoon-fed wall-to-wall coverage of every goal from every game on TV. You had one 'highlights' show on a Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon and nothing else. They'd show the goals and best bits from three games and not all of those were from the top flight, so if your team wasn't featured, you were out of luck. But anyway, that's another story for another time...
Back to the plot. Keith and I got home from the match, me with my programme rolled up under my arm and a broad smile all over my face. We had our evening meal, talked all night about the game and before you knew it, it was 10.30 and ITV were showing my first ever match in highlight form all over again. It was a strange experience, seeing a game on TV I'd attend only hours earlier, but it nicely rounded off an exciting day that still lives with me as I approach my 37th birthday.
Upton Park was a different place then. It had a certain bleakness about it, but there was some good football played at the time and the players who ran out onto the pitch in their claret-and-blue shirts were, for someone of my age, legends in their own small way. Though I've seen many games at Upton Park since then, I'll never forget the first time I walked through the turnstiles and saw football 'in the flesh'. It was December 26th 1980, West Ham were playing Orient and it was a day to be frozen in my consciousness until the day I die.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Just when you thought it was all over...
from bbc.co.uk:
Great... that means we might see Sean Bean on the news again...
"Sheffield United are to sue West Ham for the cost of their relegation from the Premier League.
The Blades were relegated after the Premier League opted not to dock West Ham points for fielding an ineligible player in Carlos Tevez.
Sheffield United have estimated the cost of their relegation at between £30m-£50m.
The Blades claim West Ham gained an unfair advantage by signing an illicit player in Tevez."
Great... that means we might see Sean Bean on the news again...
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Shirts for 2007/08: West Ham United (home)
A chance now to see the new 2007/08 home shirt for West Ham United, as created by Umbro...
Umbro's domination of the Premiership football market continues apace, taking over in this instance from Reebok while the Hammers' old shirt sponsors JobServe are now replaced with XL, an Icelandic airline company.
The shirt is officially launched on June 16th but you can pre-order it via the West Ham website should you feel the need to do so. Price: £39.99.
Speaking as a West Ham fan, I must be honest when I say that this is rather disappointing, but then I've said that about most of the other Umbro kits we've seen lately, so it must be just an Umbro thing.
What I dislike about it is it's too fussy. Too much going on, too many colours in all the wrong places and too many bloody Umbro logos everywhere. I feel like this could have been a really good design, but somewhere something went wrong.
Well that's just my opinion, but what do you think? Another in a long line of Umbro successes or another in a long line of Umbro failures? Leave us a comment or cast a vote using the facility below...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS SHIRT
The final results were as follows:
Excellent: 60 (31%)
Good: 48 (25%)
OK: 34 (18%)
Poor: 23 (12%)
Terrible: 26 (14%)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Umbro's domination of the Premiership football market continues apace, taking over in this instance from Reebok while the Hammers' old shirt sponsors JobServe are now replaced with XL, an Icelandic airline company.
The shirt is officially launched on June 16th but you can pre-order it via the West Ham website should you feel the need to do so. Price: £39.99.
Speaking as a West Ham fan, I must be honest when I say that this is rather disappointing, but then I've said that about most of the other Umbro kits we've seen lately, so it must be just an Umbro thing.
What I dislike about it is it's too fussy. Too much going on, too many colours in all the wrong places and too many bloody Umbro logos everywhere. I feel like this could have been a really good design, but somewhere something went wrong.
Well that's just my opinion, but what do you think? Another in a long line of Umbro successes or another in a long line of Umbro failures? Leave us a comment or cast a vote using the facility below...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS SHIRT
The final results were as follows:
Excellent: 60 (31%)
Good: 48 (25%)
OK: 34 (18%)
Poor: 23 (12%)
Terrible: 26 (14%)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, 4 May 2007
Sign this and pass it on...
Here at SPAOTP, we like to provide you with the public service you deserve. With that in mind, here's a chance to earn some easy money with our 'I'm Going To Sue West Ham' application form.
Download it by clicking here, fill it in, then send it off to whoever you see fit...
Download it by clicking here, fill it in, then send it off to whoever you see fit...
Friday, 27 April 2007
STOP : Hammer Fine
As many predicted, West Ham have been punished for there 'transfer dealings' of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.
A record fine of £5.5 million was issued to the club but most importantly West Ham were NOT deducted any points.
The consists of 2.5 million pounds for rule-breaking and 3.0 million pounds for the non-disclosure. The Premier League were given the right to terminate Tevez's registration. West Ham have until noon Saturday 28th April to register Tevez.
A record fine of £5.5 million was issued to the club but most importantly West Ham were NOT deducted any points.
The consists of 2.5 million pounds for rule-breaking and 3.0 million pounds for the non-disclosure. The Premier League were given the right to terminate Tevez's registration. West Ham have until noon Saturday 28th April to register Tevez.
A statement on the clubs official site said : "West Ham United Football Club was given an opportunity to present its case and received a fair hearing.
"The club's submission that the contracts gave no actual influence to any third party was accepted by the commission.
"The club has not been found guilty of fielding an unregistered player and speculation about a likely points deduction has proved to be unfounded.
"The club regrets the fact that they fell foul of the FA Premier League regulations, but the new owners of the club now want to focus on matters on the pitch and remaining in the Premiership.
"The club believes that promotion and relegation issues should be decided on the pitch and we are pleased that the commission agree with that view.
"The club will reflect on the financial penalty that has been imposed and will take advice before commenting on the possibility of an appeal or any further steps that might be taken."
Incase your were wondering, the 'FA Christmas Party Kitty' will not be the lucky recipient of the £5.5 million. Instead, it will go to an FA Charity. Here's hoping that Charity is called the 'Steve McLaren Contract Pay Off Fund'.
"The club's submission that the contracts gave no actual influence to any third party was accepted by the commission.
"The club has not been found guilty of fielding an unregistered player and speculation about a likely points deduction has proved to be unfounded.
"The club regrets the fact that they fell foul of the FA Premier League regulations, but the new owners of the club now want to focus on matters on the pitch and remaining in the Premiership.
"The club believes that promotion and relegation issues should be decided on the pitch and we are pleased that the commission agree with that view.
"The club will reflect on the financial penalty that has been imposed and will take advice before commenting on the possibility of an appeal or any further steps that might be taken."
Incase your were wondering, the 'FA Christmas Party Kitty' will not be the lucky recipient of the £5.5 million. Instead, it will go to an FA Charity. Here's hoping that Charity is called the 'Steve McLaren Contract Pay Off Fund'.
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
News Catch-up
A selection of recent news stories from the world of football that we'd love to have talked about earlier but frankly didn't have the time...
Neil Desperandum
How very sad. How incredibly ignorant and pathetic.
That was my reaction to the utterances of Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock last Friday as he was interviewed on the eve of their match against West Ham. Warnock was aggrieved by the fact that West Ham were likely to avoid relegation due to a goal scored by Hayden Mullins against the Blades in their previous encounter which should not have been given and another scored recently by Bobby Zamora against Blackburn where the ball never actually crossed the line.
Such things happen in football as we all know, but because Warnock's side are now slipping dangerously close to the relegation zone that West Ham may now scramble out of, he feels West Ham don't deserve to stay up. By his reckoning, West Ham have played poorly all season as reflected in the poor number of points they've accrued (which no-one can deny), but what an insult it would be if they avoided the drop on the back of those two 'non-goals'?
He even went on to say that “everyone else will be very bitter” if the Hammers were to stay in the Premiership (by a single point) too.
Well here's a reminder for Mr. Warnock: the Premiership is played over an entire season, and if at the end of that season West Ham somehow manage to gain just enough points to stay up while Sheffield United endure months without a win, he'll have no-one to blame but his miserable old self.
It's hard to be spiteful about an individual - especially one who this season has been less irascible and outspoken than in the past - but on the basis of his comments last week it has to be said that this emotionless man deserves to be banished back to the lower leagues he languished in for so long.
Chelsea v Man U x 3
So we appear to be heading for a triple showdown between Chelsea and Manchester United, but what are we to make of it all?
If the great fixture organiser in the sky has his way, we could be seeing a European Champions League Final, an FA Cup Final and a Premiership decider all featuring the top two teams in England. Such a mouthwatering prospect... or is it?
On paper, it could be a chance to see two teams that both think they're the best thing since sliced bread battling it out in a goal-packed and somewhat fractious series of games, but do we need to see the same thing played out in triplicate?
Yes, they're both great teams that at times play to a breathtakingly high standard, but the big games are an ideal opportunity to showcase the variety and talent of as many teams as possible and to that end it's a pity we may be denied the chance to see it.
And I know what you're going to say - it's not the fault of Chelsea or Man United that they've been successful enough to get where they are - but it's got to be a fear amongst many that follow the game that this may be the start of a trend that leads to only the biggest teams battling it out for glory.
In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed that we at least get to see one game between the two that shows the quality they have as a sign of the best that the Premiership has to offer.
Brazil to host the 2014 World Cup... maybe...
On the eve of UEFA's announcement on who's to host the 2012 European Championships, FIFA has given notification that Colombia have now dropped out of the race to host the 2014 World Cup. This leaves Brazil as the only contenders under FIFA's continental rotation policy that dictates that the World Cup after next should be held in South America.
But before you pack your yellow and green shirt and head off for your apartment overlooking Copacabana beach, be warned: things aren't as cut and dried as they look.
The problem is that Brazil lack the wherewithal to host the World Cup. Its stadia are in desperate need of an overhaul, its transport links are feeble and the money to improve both is practically non-existent. Even if the Brazilian government could somehow stump up the money to make such wide-ranging improvements, it would meet vehement opposition from the public who feel it would be better spent on education, crime and poverty.
And yet by taking on such a huge project, Brazil could make things better for themselves. The jobs created to improve the transport systems and build nearby hotels could invigorate the local and national economy. The notoriously low attendance figures for league football would undoubtedly be boosted and who knows - maybe tomorrow's young players would want to ply their trade in their home country rather than in Europe?
Deep down, I suspect many of us would love to see the World Cup return to Brazil for the first time since 1950. It represents the spiritual and emotional aspects of the competition and the game of football itself to millions all over the world, so it seems only right that Brazil should provide it with a temporary home in seven years time. Don't be surprised, though, if sheer practicality dictates that the World Cup doesn't on this occasion return to the birthplace of Jairzinho, Rivelino and Pélé.
Neil Desperandum
How very sad. How incredibly ignorant and pathetic.
That was my reaction to the utterances of Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock last Friday as he was interviewed on the eve of their match against West Ham. Warnock was aggrieved by the fact that West Ham were likely to avoid relegation due to a goal scored by Hayden Mullins against the Blades in their previous encounter which should not have been given and another scored recently by Bobby Zamora against Blackburn where the ball never actually crossed the line.
Such things happen in football as we all know, but because Warnock's side are now slipping dangerously close to the relegation zone that West Ham may now scramble out of, he feels West Ham don't deserve to stay up. By his reckoning, West Ham have played poorly all season as reflected in the poor number of points they've accrued (which no-one can deny), but what an insult it would be if they avoided the drop on the back of those two 'non-goals'?
He even went on to say that “everyone else will be very bitter” if the Hammers were to stay in the Premiership (by a single point) too.
Well here's a reminder for Mr. Warnock: the Premiership is played over an entire season, and if at the end of that season West Ham somehow manage to gain just enough points to stay up while Sheffield United endure months without a win, he'll have no-one to blame but his miserable old self.
It's hard to be spiteful about an individual - especially one who this season has been less irascible and outspoken than in the past - but on the basis of his comments last week it has to be said that this emotionless man deserves to be banished back to the lower leagues he languished in for so long.
Chelsea v Man U x 3
So we appear to be heading for a triple showdown between Chelsea and Manchester United, but what are we to make of it all?
If the great fixture organiser in the sky has his way, we could be seeing a European Champions League Final, an FA Cup Final and a Premiership decider all featuring the top two teams in England. Such a mouthwatering prospect... or is it?
On paper, it could be a chance to see two teams that both think they're the best thing since sliced bread battling it out in a goal-packed and somewhat fractious series of games, but do we need to see the same thing played out in triplicate?
Yes, they're both great teams that at times play to a breathtakingly high standard, but the big games are an ideal opportunity to showcase the variety and talent of as many teams as possible and to that end it's a pity we may be denied the chance to see it.
And I know what you're going to say - it's not the fault of Chelsea or Man United that they've been successful enough to get where they are - but it's got to be a fear amongst many that follow the game that this may be the start of a trend that leads to only the biggest teams battling it out for glory.
In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed that we at least get to see one game between the two that shows the quality they have as a sign of the best that the Premiership has to offer.
Brazil to host the 2014 World Cup... maybe...
On the eve of UEFA's announcement on who's to host the 2012 European Championships, FIFA has given notification that Colombia have now dropped out of the race to host the 2014 World Cup. This leaves Brazil as the only contenders under FIFA's continental rotation policy that dictates that the World Cup after next should be held in South America.
But before you pack your yellow and green shirt and head off for your apartment overlooking Copacabana beach, be warned: things aren't as cut and dried as they look.
The problem is that Brazil lack the wherewithal to host the World Cup. Its stadia are in desperate need of an overhaul, its transport links are feeble and the money to improve both is practically non-existent. Even if the Brazilian government could somehow stump up the money to make such wide-ranging improvements, it would meet vehement opposition from the public who feel it would be better spent on education, crime and poverty.
And yet by taking on such a huge project, Brazil could make things better for themselves. The jobs created to improve the transport systems and build nearby hotels could invigorate the local and national economy. The notoriously low attendance figures for league football would undoubtedly be boosted and who knows - maybe tomorrow's young players would want to ply their trade in their home country rather than in Europe?
Deep down, I suspect many of us would love to see the World Cup return to Brazil for the first time since 1950. It represents the spiritual and emotional aspects of the competition and the game of football itself to millions all over the world, so it seems only right that Brazil should provide it with a temporary home in seven years time. Don't be surprised, though, if sheer practicality dictates that the World Cup doesn't on this occasion return to the birthplace of Jairzinho, Rivelino and Pélé.
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