Ian Mulholland, Tipster at Sports Betting Day - Best Bookmakers and Betting Sites

The FA Side Step Two-Footed Campaign

Ian Mulholland — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:09:46 +0000

The FA never like to make their job easy, do they? They also have a habit of getting things very wrong. Consistently being inconsistent.
By their definition of crime fitting the punishment if you are Luis Suarez then you are twice the racist that John Terry is. Four games for Terry, eight for Suarez. Suarez committed the offense on 15th October 2011 and was handed his punishment on 20th December. The incident with Terry and Anton Ferdinand was on 23rd October 2011 and the FA didn’t see fit to charge him until 27th September the following year.
Although the token gesture of stripping him of the England national team captaincy got lodged in between then it seemed a clearly weak attempt at getting the public backing on all sides. They may have the balls to say they don’t want him as captain but they can’t remove him with a European Championships coming up. Everybody’s happy, except Fabio Capello.
Ah, I see it now. Wouldn’t be good for the upcoming internationals to have a potentially FA convicted racist in the squad had they acted swiftly. So you’re only a racist when it suits the FA’s agenda?
The latest peculiar development has seen Vincent Kompany’s red card for his challenge at the Emirates on Sunday be rescinded.
Now, I want to make it clear that I am one of the older school of fans who doesn’t mind the odd meaty challenge. Having played amateur football I can safely say that the kind of tackle that goes on at that level would be an eye opener for a category one referee. I thought although Kompany had both feet off the ground that he meant no malice in the challenge. I would be more inclined to side with him on that particular incident. But times have changed and the rules have (or so we were lead to believe).

Cast your mind back to the Manchester derby in the FA Cup from January last year. Kompany was sent off for a challenge on Nani 12 minutes into the game. Two feet were off the ground but the ball was won cleanly. On that occasion the red card was not rescinded. Surely Kompany has to recognise that if you run the risk of tackling with both feet off the ground then you’re liable to be punished. When Mike Dean went into his pocket on Sunday, Kompany must have feared the worst. Given his previous even he must have had suspicions that the red could be on its way out.
It was easy for the FA to back the referee on this occasion. Both feet are off the ground. Had they have stuck to the party line then City & Kompany would have grumbled but would have eventually moved on. We have been told week after week by commentators, pundits, ex-referees, coaches and players that these type of two-footed challenges are being snuffed out the game. They are having to adapt and rightly so. Players are an expensive commodity to clubs and anything that brings down the risk of them receiving potentially career threatening injuries is welcomed with open arms.
So why have the FA now decided to go against the grain? What’s the agenda here? Although not all fans maybe agreed with some of the two-footed calls, at least there was an understanding that this was being phased out. What have the referees been doing all these months now? It’s all for nothing if the FA fold the moment one of the decisions isn’t popular with a club or group of fans. Where do officials go from here? The referees can’t just carry on as normal, sending off players for being reckless and then have the FA overturn a two footer on the basis it seemed harsh. They only serve to contradict each other.
Make the rule and follow it through. Two feet off the ground is red. End of. There is no in between. If everyone knows this, the players, staff and even the fans then there is no cause for argument. What’s so hard about that? Again, I and others certainly may not agree with each one but at least the rule is there.
The FA have now opened the flood gates for further appeals. Any player in future who maybe takes some of the ball but just happens to have come off the ground to get it will be quick to point at Vincent Kompany vs Arsenal. The inconsistency in the FA’s actions towards a few players has been nothing short of perplexing.
They now run the risk of players (especially Vincent Kompany) thinking its okay to go in with two feet and they are now back to square one in my eyes.
The Football Association; one step forward, two-footed step back.
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Scottish Football 'Armageddon' A Breath of Fresh Air

Ian Mulholland — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:30:41 +0000

2012 was a turbulent year in Scotland. Something had to give. Not just financially at Rangers FC but for the whole of the Scottish League.
There once was a time when TV money and the sponsorship it brought helped fund big signings such as Chris Sutton (£6m – Celtic) and other top players. They would flock to one of the Old Firm for a chance at silverware and get a tidy wage to boot.
Not long after that particular signing the SPL rejected a reduced offer from Sky TV in 2002 and opted to set up their own TV channel. After that idea proved nothing short of disastrous they ended up signing on severely decreased terms with BBC Scotland, followed by Setanta Sports (which went into administration) and then scooped up at even more reduced terms with Sky and ESPN.
The way Scottish football has went about its business, the past decade has been nothing short of farcical. A failure to understand that the product was no longer as appealing to viewers outside the country is something the league has failed to grasp. It relied heavily on the the two Glasgow clubs bitter rivalry as its main draw and as such the two clubs used their power to gain the majority off what little TV money was available, dominating the league with no other club winning the top flight outside Celtic and Rangers since Aberdeen in 1985. What’s so appealing about a two horse race? Nothing, unless you happen to follow one of the two.
So when Rangers went into administration on Valentines day last year the inevitable media circus that followed predicted doomsday on the horizon. The punters were persistently told a league without the ‘lucrative’ Old Firm clashes seemed akin to simply just shutting down and throwing away the key. The Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan even went as far to say:
‘The only solution for the game now is that Rangers come into the Football League and they come into it at the First Division. Perhaps clubs could survive for a short period of time, but it’s not sustainable.The game is not sustainable, so there would be a slow, lingering death for the game in Scotland. It would then trickle down to the Football League.’

This blatant display of self-interest provoked anger amongst fans. The lack of leadership and short-sightedness from the people at the top struck a note with supporters, many threatening boycotts if Rangers NewCo were allowed instantly back into the SPL or First Division. Club chairmen listened and the SPL, then followed soon after by First Division clubs, voted swiftly against the instant return of a NewCo Rangers and they were forced to start all over again in the Third Dvision.
It’s a short winter break now and we still await the predicted Armageddon. In my opinion things are looking more positive for the league than ever. Celtic have progressed to the last sixteen of the Champions League and other clubs below now feel they can contest for a European place. Whilst the loss of Rangers travelling fans and the funds their supporters bring to the SPL’s cash strapped members has forced budget cuts, the clubs have abided to their fans wishes and the competitions righteousness remains intact. The removal of Rangers has also seen the status quo torn up and forced the issue of restructure and re-branding upon the Football Association. It is something that has been years overdue.
Proposals have been initially agreed by member clubs. A bamboozling new set up of 12-12-18 and it turning into an 8-8-8-18 with play-offs, right, okay, its getting silly looking now but at least it’s showing intent for progression, competitiveness and more importantly an acceptance that change is needed. The next change must then be the removal of Stewart Regan and Neil Doncaster (SPL Chairman) for their disgraceful lack of leadership throughout Scottish Football’s most difficult period.

The death of Rangers has almost been one of sacrifice. Had they sauntered back in as if nothing had happened then any integrity the league had would have been lost. What every club still has failed to recognise though is that the fans got them into this position and preserved the honour that no club is bigger than the league. Without the threats of boycotts we would see an SPL still with Rangers and it all carry on as normal.
The clubs should now reward their fans with lower ticket prices. Their failure to recognise that the quality of the product has declined but yet continue to increase ticket prices serves only to hurt the game even further. If the Scottish fans don’t recognise the game as value for money, then what makes them think the TV companies will?
‘Football without the fans is nothing’ – Jock Stein
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Demba Ba – Money Chasing Mercenary or Ambitious Entrepreneur?

Ian Mulholland — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 19:51:14 +0000

I’m an avid fan of the Football Manager series. The game has evolved so much in the last 10 years by introducing all manner of managerial issues such as individual training options, types of team talks and the most annoying of them all, player contract negotiations.
Often you will stumble across a player who has exceptional talents, be it defensive stalwart or prolific goalscorer, with a buy-out that’s more than affordable only to find he wants a higher though still ridiculously low release clause included in the new contract. I usually swiftly exit talks, withdraw contract offer and call it a day.
From a managers perspective I find it infuriating. Why should I invest my time on a player who will only be looking at the exit door when a bigger, richer club comes in for him? However, is it really bad business for the club? I don’t think so.
When Ba first arrived in the UK he was branded a ‘ticking time-bomb’ and liability by Stoke manager Tony Pulis. Terms had all but been agreed until he failed a medical citing a knee injury as too big a risk for the £6m being demanded. West Ham took the plunge with only a paltry £500k and didn’t really get to reap the full rewards. Even though he was promising to be a prolific scorer he couldn’t save the club from relegation.
This was when Ba first decided to use a release clause in his contract, allowing him to leave for nothing following the Hammers going down and also leaving a very bitter taste in the fans mouth. The Toon was his next destination although from the start it was clear this wasn’t a permanent home. The £7m buy-out in his deal at St James Park was so widely known that speculation was always there in either transfer windows. Hell, even Football Manager knew about it! And for Benitez it was a no-brainer with a departing Sturridge and an inconsistent Torres.
So as a result he now resides in London with the current European champions on a reported £75k-a-week deal, higher profile and talented players around him. Life is good for Demba Ba. But what about Newcastle? They can’t feel too aggrieved. As pointed out above the Geordies directly benefited from Ba utilising a release clause in his previous contract. Signing a proven Premier League goalscorer for free at the age of 26 was a marvellous bit of business, even if there were still lingering doubts about his fitness and must have hurt West Ham and their fans deeply. Newcastle enjoyed the strikers average of just over a goal every 2 games.
Dig a little deeper though and speculation suggests that Ba has made a pretty penny out Newcastle and its not all profit for them. Co-owner of West Ham David Sullivan said:

“I’m told he’s got a £7m get-out at Newcastle and he gets half the money, so if they sell him for £7m they’ll only net about three. Getting £3m is not bad but, for a player of his quality, it’s not fantastic. And Newcastle paid his agent £2m to get him out of here [West Ham]. Newcastle keep denying it but I think you’ll see in the summer he will either leave Newcastle or get a monstrous rise to stay there.”

Not bad for 18 months work. Savvy business skills from Ba and/or his agent.
Nowadays player loyalty is a very rare occurrence and the working man can no longer relate to footballers, especially as the ludicrous wages on offer for their equivalent to a days work cannot be compared. But one thing we must understand is their career can be short lived. Given that it can be such a short playing career I actually understand Ba’s approach to the business side of his work.
The degenerative knee condition that has caused 2 clubs (Stuttgart & Stoke) to promptly cancel previous transfer deals must have caused serious doubt for the strikers career progression. Would anyone else take a risk on him? How many other chances would he get and what kind of level would he be playing at? If the claims by David Sullivan are true then Ba has set himself up for life and can now enjoy the benefits. His parting shot to his previous clubs wasn’t the best choice of words. “[Chelsea] is at another level, it isn’t West Ham or Newcastle.” He definitely isn’t loyal but ambitious? Looks like it.
I believe these types of clauses are actually beneficial for the player who has the belief in their ability and wants to go all the way up the modern game. Make a name for yourself and a bigger club will come and trigger the release clause. Repeat the same club after club until you get to the top.
If you’re a smaller club then come to terms when you sign the player that you are a stepping stone but that he will be playing out his skin to get that move and hopefully resulting in great performances for your club. Although Chelsea aren’t the biggest club in world football they certainly are one of the biggest in England, which is also the richest.
At Ba’s age and the level he has now reached we will see if he really is as ambitious as his rise to prominence suggests or just the mercenary who thinks he’s now made it. And is there another release clause we don’t know about yet? Two goals in his first game suggests he might still have one more move to play for or maybe this is now in his mind ‘the big time’.
Watch this space.
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