The opening fixture and a very early thought about how the new season will start.
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By Tony Attwood
By and large, I leave commentary on World Cup affairs to others, just slipping in my odd thought on the fact that I don’t find it exciting enough to be worthy of article after article. But one thing is clear – the feeling seems to go both ways as football power people (from those who organised competitions to those who put them on TV) really don’t like the freedom of speech that football supporters have always asserted as their right.
So the arrival of political chants at football matches involving England, particularly those involving the United Kingdom’s current Prime Minister, is really frowned upon by the media.
Which is a bit of a shame because football supporters have a very long tradition of being negative about anyone and everyone in a position of power – unless it is power associated with their own team, and their own team is doing well. In which case everything is fine.
But it appears that the American organisers and facilitators of the World Cup really don’t like English politics – or I suspect any politics – creeping into the football. So we have had the Daily Mail (a right-wing English newspaper) telling us of late that a number of supporters whose St George’s crosses feature images of British servicemen have been denied permission to display them at venues.
Of course, the authorities have to find a reason beyond the notion that “we don’t like it”, and on this occasion, it seems to be that the pictures include the presence of a soldier’s silhouette holding a rifle. And it seems that no weapons can be displayed in any illustrations, according to Fifa regulations.
Now I must admit I had no idea there were such things as Fifa regulations for what you can have on a banner, but it seems so – and it makes me wonder what else is to be regulated. I guess the ultimate is anything said within five miles of a football ground. will soon be under Fifarian control too.
I find that disturbing, not just because I support freedom of thought and freedom of speech, but also because I find some chants, although containing language that I would not normally use myself, to be very amusing. I particularly recall the chants that came after Arsenal had two points deducted, but then still went on to win the league. The chant “you can stick your ****ing two points up your ****” is still in my head all these years later. And yes I do use **** here even though it doesn’t stop you knowing what the stars stand for, because with the censors about, who knows what we can and can’t say.
Mind you, we are also being told that a World Cup broadcasting company has now suspended a commentator because he got Iran and New Zealand confused during a match. I know he shouldn’t have done that, but there are over 200 countries in the world, and many of them look alike. (Although it does make me wonder how he got a job in the first place).
We have also had the news about protests against Hyundai, who are sponsors of the World Cup, because of dealing with a mining company and the issue of Mexico’s ‘disappeared’ population. I am not at all familiar with the politics of that part of the world, so I can’t comment, except to say that I really am not at all happy at this level of the reduction of free speech within football grounds.
Elsewhere, we have the news that Thomas Partey has had a visa appeal rejected by a Canadian judge, and on that point, as I think I have mentioned before, I am concerned about the removal of seemingly most notions of “innocent until proven guilty” – but I would add that I have not been following the case in any detail. It is just that if I got accused of something, I’d like the “innocent until proven guilty” rule to apply.
So what else has happened? Commentators in England generally don’t like the notion of four quarters in a game, and there are reports that England fans were thrown out of a pub by Dallas police after £30,000 drinking session. Oh yes and “England fans face World Cup flag ban” because St George flats were found to be covering an advert, and that is very much not allowed. Adverts first, supporters second, that’s the rule.
Overall, I think it is easier to stay at home and read a book. But then that’s just me.
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The opening fixture and a very early thought about how the new season will start.
Next Post Coming Soon...