Offside Sarah

Reading Rec: Death by Committeee; FA in Pass the Buck Manoeuvres

Excerpt: 

You can always tell when an organisation is in denial. They set up a lot of committees to look into the symptoms rather than the causes of their problems. From the look of the FA’s response to the DCMS Football Governance Enquiry of last year, it is quite clear that Freud would have a field day if he had them on his couch. Somehow or other, the urgency for root and branch reform has drifted past the moguls of the game. The FA response shifts responsibilities around but essentially does nothing for the key ills of the game – financial instability and fan disaffection. The game is sinking into laissez-faire chaos of evolutionary proportions and the FA chooses to swerve a golden opportunity to restore sporting values and ethics to the game.

Read the full post by @SJMaskell at Two Hundred Percent. 

For explanation of the above visual, visit @andrewcharding’s post below. 

(via Polka Dot: Bayern Munich 7v1 Hoffenheim, Saturday 10th March « AndrewCHarding)

Reading Rec: Guardian writers on their footballing pet peeves

Particularly appreciated David Conn & Paolo Bandini’s submissions… 

There is one thing worse than this rule, by which when a club falls into administration, as has happened 55 times since the Premier League clubs broke away to keep all the TV money in 1992, other clubs and players must be paid in full, but all other creditors get pennies. This rule has meant that St John Ambulance, which does not even charge clubs – it volunteers – to help injured people at grounds, and asks only for expenses, has been left owed thousands, while other clubs and players on huge salaries receive everything. Worse than the rule itself, though, is that when you talk to the football authorities about it, they cannot seem to see why it is so wrong, or why it looks so bad. The Football League has been in the high court recently, with the Premier League, defending it. David Conn 

Read the full article at The Guardian. 

Me and my pre-game jitters before #OM vs #Inter in #championsleague (Taken with instagram)

My emotional highs and lows during the #OM vs #Inter game in #ChampionsLeague (Taken with instagram)

Reading Rec: Why SCAF Is To Blame

Excerpt: 

“Since its founding in 1907, Al Ahly S.C. has been known as ‘the people’s club,’ representing resistance against the many forms of colonialism that have long plagued the African continent. Initially the first sporting club to allow Egyptians to join, Al Ahly remains the most popular of Egyptian teams, wearing to this day the red kits that honour the pre-colonial Egyptian flag.

It is no great surprise, then, that Al Ahly Ultras – officially founded by Mahmoud Ghandour in 2007 (who is reported to have died in Wednesday’s violent attacks) – were on the front lines of both the initial “#Jan25” uprising and the continuing movement intended to topple the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF).”

Read the full article on Soccer Politics. 

Superb Insight Into Yesterday's Tragedy In Egypt on Beyond the Pitch Podcast

Podcast (as described by Beyond the Pitch)

Anto is joined by Middle East football expert currently at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies and is the author of the Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer to discuss the stadium tragedy at Port Said this evening which resulted in at least 73 killed and up to 1,000 injuries in the hours after bloody confrontations. James provides us some background and insight into the background of the ultra movement in Egypt and how these elements have connection to the uprising in Egypt during the fall of Mubarak in the past year. And we also gauge some of the early impressions from the video broadcast around the world showing an overwhelming surge at the pitch and whether police unwillingness to control the violence may indicate some role in the proceedings either by act or omission, which will probably never be known or proven. We also explore the relationship between these ultra groups, their ideologies, motivations and ongoing resistance during the transition since Mubarak stepped down. We also try to examine what will face these ultra groups in the future and how the video evidence reveals some very chilling observations as the crowd has arrived armed and shows no hesitation or concern for the authorities on the scene, which erupted into savage violence at one end of the stadium later set on fire. James also provides clarity into how the players and national team is viewed by these ultra groups and what this will mean for former US National Team manager Bob Bradley who just took on the project of rebuilding the program.

Listen to the full podcast at Beyond the Pitch. 

Vintage Serie A Ultras. Does anyone know what this sign is referencing? 

(via trottwa)

Too bad proper nouns (and foreign words) aren’t allowed in Scrabble, otherwise these would definitely go on my word lists… 

sadgoalkeepers:

Łukasz Fabiański is sad that Wojciech Szczęsny is worth more than him in Scrabble and everything else.

Reading Rec: Real Madrid need a hard-man, but Pepe isn't it

Excerpt: 

‘Yet, at the same time, it’s an oversimplification. To use the aforementioned four examples, Vidic, Terry, Baresi and Desailly – the more aggressive of their pairings – might be able to both take it and dish it out, but they are not merely lunatics. The Venn diagram of imposing centre-backs and violent madmen might have a significant overlap, but it’s not an exact correlation. Such players will always be wildcards, and it doesn’t take a tactical genius to work out that if you have a wildcard in your team, they’re best kept the hell away from your own goal. Which brings us to Real Madrid, and Pepe.’

Read the full article at The FCF.

Vintage Nice 

footysphere:

OGC Nice - Not sure when this team pic was taken. Maybe pre-WWI and almost certainly well before WWII. If you like French Football then check out French Football Weekly - the web’s premier English language French Football site.

• You may also like - Football in France - A Cultural History

Reading Rec: Has a player ever been idolised by a club he has never played for?

“Plenty is the short answer. Clubs around the world have soft spots for those to have never worn their shirts…”

Read the full article at The Guardian. 

Remembering the days before Lyon was a powerhouse… 

footballarchive:

Olympique Lyonnais 1964-65

Lyon ended the season with a 6th place finish in the French League and were eliminated in the first round of the Coupe de France by Toulon. In Europe, they participated in the Cup Winner’s Cup and were also eliminated in the first round, this time by FC Porto.

Source: Football Magazine (via, Foot Nostalgie)

Would Jose ever do ‘a Van Gundy’? I’d like to think so…if he didn’t jump right into the fracas! 

siphotos:

Today is the 50th birthday of Jeff Van Gundy. The former Knicks and Rockets coach may be best remembered for his role in the famous Knicks-Heat brawl of May 1998. As Charles Oakley and Alonzo Mourning squared off, Van Gundy famously grabbed onto Mourning’s leg to prevent the fight. Van Gundy is now an analyst for ESPN’s coverage of the NBA. (Jeff Christensen/Reuters)

SI VAULT: Van Gundy is easy to mock, but he’s shrewd and fearless (10.30.00)

Reading Rec: Soccer predictions for 2012 - Ben Lyttleton

What to expect or what you should want from football in 2012, including Euro 2012 predictions, manager merry-go-rounds, tackling stigma of depression, Jose finally besting Pep, and more! See the full article at Sports Illustrated.