Baaad Sports
‘PHEW! The Telegraph leads with the great news that Englands footballers are in the clear over the tunnel dust-up in their game in Turkey.
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| Bleating like a lamb |
That just leaves the London hotel rape case, the Leeds sexual assault case and the drugs case to clear up.
Its clear that football is working hard to clean things up, and tomorrow we will learn the fate of one Rio Ferdinand, perhaps the only rich young man who doesnt spend the better part of his day with a mobile phone glued to his ear.
The Independent says that the defender is likely to learn tomorrow what charges have been levelled against him by the FA. And Fifa, footballs equivalent of Interpol, are talking about the matter today.
The impression is very much that Ferdinand will face some kind of ban. Its a likelihood that causes the Telegraphs Henry Winter to speculate on what will happen next.
In his Seven Step plan, Winter begins, somewhat traditionally, with Step One: Ban Ferdinand for three months. Its a nice idea.
But we call on Rio to write whatever sentence he gets on the palm of his hand lest he forget and accidentally turn up for a match, or even a drugs test. Oh, the irony!
But football is not all about drugs and sexual excesses. Really, its not. Its about money. And today the Guardian learns of how little of it some clubs have.
To begin with, the paper says that Tottenham have just announced a loss of £7.1m. Thats pretty big, but is nothing when compared to the fortunes or lack of them of Leeds United.
A bailiff-style rap on the door now as the Guardian tells the world that today Leeds are expected to announce a yearly loss of almost £50m.
That is, the paper says, the worst in Premiership history.
It all makes for bad sports news. But if we are talking of bad sports, then we should look to the Times and its news from the Australian camp at the Rugby World Cup.
Eddie Jones, the Australian head coach, is calling for a tough punishment for the 34 seconds in which England accidentally fielded 16 players on the pitch against Samoa (albeit only 15 who were able to walk).
They should be reprimanded, says Jones. Its a very serious situation.
Indeed it is. After all, how can it be that Australia can be so superior in minority sporting matters yet so worried by England that they need to bleat?
Anyone would thing they were looking for excuses already ’
Posted: 28th, October 2003 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
