There Is No Place In Football For 'That' Kind Of Abuse:
Good natured banter and male camaraderie goes synonymous with the game of football. What with star players earning handsome salaries, buying big houses and wags falling from their arms, isn’t it right that rival fans give footballers a rough gig during a match day? For supporters, the opportunity to vent at the opposing teams players when they play at your ground is standard practice in football. Any honest fan will tell you they have certain clubs, players or even refs’ that they simply cannot wait to get down to their stadium so they can unleash a tirade of colourful yet objective superlatives.
So where do you draw the line? When does swearing at a player go beyond the boundaries of a laugh with your mates? When does light hearted banter turn into discrimination and become an offensive?
Well, for a start, racism is obviously at the very top of the unacceptable list and rightly so, but some Tottenham fans, and I say some, have taken offense to new levels. Sol Campbell left Spurs several years ago now. He was called a Judas then for joining rival club Arsenal on a free, going on to win the league and reaching a Champions League Final with them. However, since then he has joined Portsmouth, enjoying a new found sense of freedom in his football. At the weekend, during Portsmouth’s match at home to Tottenham, a section of the travelling Spurs fans started to sing songs about Sol having HIV or words to that affect: How unbelievably pathetic.
How can a human being wish that on another? How can a player who served Tottenham well, who moved to another club, yes - all be it Arsenal, in a career move get chastised in such a disgusting way. Those fans should be appalled at their behaviour and I for one hope they get brought to justice for it. There is no place in football for abuse like that. It might be better for those travelling fans to chanel their chants towards their own club and their current plight at the bottom of the Premiership than picking on one of their former players.
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Newcastle Have Picked A Character And The Right Man For The Job:
A lot has been made of Joe Kinnear and his ‘52’ swear words during his most recent interview having endured a rather rocky start to his Newcastle spell. It is widely acknowledged by Newcastle fans and the media that Joe Kinnear was not the fans preferred choice nor is he seen by the fans as the kind of man with the necessary experience in football required to manage a club as delicate and as troubled as Newcastle. However, I wouldn’t be so sure.
Yes, he has been out of the Premiership for a long time, Yes he has enjoyed mediocre success at his previous two clubs and yes he has got a colourful tongue, but maybe, just maybe, he has the kind of man management touch, complimented with his forward coaching style that Newcastle players need right now.
He will bring grit, determination and drive to the training ground, some of which you would hope will rub off onto the Newcastle players. I'm very optimistic Newcastle United have a man in Joe Kinnear that is perfectly suited to getting them out of the current mess they find themselves in.
It seems inevitable that Kevin Keegan will soon be back at St James' Park, and when that time comes, Newcastle can start looking forward again. In the mean time, they need to steady the ship and there is no greater character then good ole captain Kinnear. I hope he gets given time to show everyone at Newcastle the qualities that made him so successful at Wimbledon. I wish him and Newcastle the very best for the future.
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Everton and Moyes Will Soon Move Up The League:
It’s simply ludicrous for Everton and David Moyes to even think about parting company. There have been rumours flying around that he has taken them as far as they can go, much like Mark Hughes did at Blackburn. Now it’s correct that Everton haven’t had the greatest start to the Premiership season and the defeat by Standard Liege in the UEFA Cup last night hasn’t helped matters, but now the club is out of Europe I would expect to see them climb up the table very soon. They have too much quality not to be fighting for a top 8 finish come the end of the season.
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Ramos Has The Pedigree, Now Tottenhams New Breed Need To Bark:
Juan de Ramos and Tottenham are having a tough start to the season again. Propping up the Premiership is a place no fan expected to see them at this point in the season. As perennial top six contenders it has been a difficult start for the North London club, but sacking Ramos is both foolish and a rush of judgement. Ramos is a great coach and Tottenham have a great bunch of players. With all the new signings and transfer problems recently it is no wonder they are struggling to gel together. They need time and confidence. This will come with wins and a succession of games together on the pitch, then you will see Tottenham fly up the table, the question is: Will Ramos get the time he needs?.
