| August 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| I'm not going to wind myself up by giving the HSBC any space here. All I'll say is amateurs. Who was in charge of that deal? The works experience girl? | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Well over the summer the HSBC bank pulled out of the finance deal for the new
ground, Transco ended their sponsorship, the playing staff hardly changed with
only a few new signings and the whole non-league pyramid structure is being redesigned
to create a second Conference division. So naturally I'd like to talk about Shirt
Sponsors and Shirt Logos! Yes, you read it right. Think of a shirt that is considered an all time classic. The 1950's Real Madrid shirt, perhaps? Or even the 1960's Tottenham shirt, maybe? You'll have your own favourite, but most probably whichever it is it won't have a huge 'Nike' or 'Adidas' logo inter-woven and a trendy beer name splashed across the front. Is it just me or has shirt sponsorship spiralled out of control? Nowadays at the top level, especially Champions League, games are absolutely plastered with logos. The Juventus shirt for the CL final had a shirt sponsor, a manufacturer logo, a National League logo, a Champions League logo, a number on the front and back, and finally the players name on the back. Some clubs even put their name or nickname on the back also. With kit manufacturer logos being almost the same size as shirt sponsors, I'm amazed that some fans even know what colours their team play in. We've let it go this far and clubs are getting away with more, so where do we draw the line? Will it ever get to the point that instead of clubs being described as playing in Red shirts, Black shorts and Red socks, they'll be introduced as 'Nike' Shirts, 'Adidas' shorts and 'Puma' socks? Look at sports like Cycling or Formula 1 racing. Their shirts and overalls are basically all adverts. If nothing is done to prevent it, how long before football kit looks the same? When I heard that Transco had finished their sponsorship and that no company had come forward to sponsor the shirts, I was secretly smiling. Maybe this season we could get a shirt without the front being blighted by a company name. However the sponsorship lottery put paid to that, and rightly so really because clubs at our level need all the money we can get. I even toyed with the idea of entering the lottery just so that if I won I could leave the shirt blank, but then I remembered I'm skint and came back to the real world. Though despite realising that shirt sponsorship is a very valuable and necessary source of income to non-league clubs, I can't help but get a pang every time I see a classic retro shirt. Just the shirt and the crest that'll do for me. After my rant about sponsorship, I'd like to turn your attention to something that has riddled the beautiful game like woodworm in a, erm, plank of wood. Today I want to talk about how foreign imports are ruining the game. Not football though. Some of the players coming to these shores, like Jay Jay Okocha or Van Nistelrooy for example, are bringing excellent skills and work ethics that can only benefit the youth players at those clubs. No, what I'm going to talk about is something far more sinister. Something that appears to have had such an affect that home grown players are picking it up without even realising it. GLOVES. It seems the slightest hint of inclement weather and the gloves are out. Now you could accept it to a point if it was the African origin players who after all may be a tad chilly in our winters, but every Tom, Dick and Scholes is getting in on it. We all laughed when players in the 70's wore tights for the briefest of times but apathetically accept gloves without blinking an eyelid. I can't remember who was the first to wear gloves, but I can remember the ridicule. It obviously wasn't enough as years later we now come to accept gloves as part of the game. The sinister aspect now comes into being. Sponsorship and advertising rears its ugly head once more. When players started lifting their shirts for goal celebrations (shirt lifters in football?), it started off with badly scribbled message in crayon and progressed to sports wear firm vests with printed logos and messages. Celebrate a goal lift your shirt and earn some dollars. Fifa have cottoned on to this and are trying to ban slogans and messages on vests, and even putting a stop to these type of 'top off' (no, not the Monkey from 70's kids show Pitkins) goal celebrations. So if that avenue is cut off, where will advertising turn up next? Well the next item of unofficial clothing for footballers is gloves. Already some players have little pictures on their gloves. Initials or footy crests are the normal at the moment, but if I can think of it you can bet that Adidas or Nike have. How long before the sports firms start issuing their signed up players gloves with their logo on them. They can get away with it for goalkeeper's gloves so why not outfield players. I always thought that extra clothing had to be the same style or colour as the strip they were worn with. There was a big fuss by Fifa over thigh supports (cycling shorts for the non-league tight arses) being the same colour as shorts they were worn under, but gloves seem to have slipped the net. I have a nightmare vision of the future where players are wearing gloves even in the summer. Celebrating a goal by running towards the nearest camera and waving their hands (just like F1 drivers constantly swapping caps for interviews). Of course this can then be stretched out to include merchandising. If David Beckham wore a pair of gloves, how many Japanese teenagers will go out the next day and buy them? Get all these fans that bought gloves to sit around the perimeter at footy grounds and when players wave their gloves at the crowd, they all wave back. Billions of dollars in free advertising as the Nike logo gets waved about in front of the camera by fervent teenagers. Conspiracy theory gone wild? You decide You might have seen it if you bought the programmes for the matches so far but unbelievably the 'View' has been given column space in Hinckley's programme. Most of which has been regurgitated here. Lazy, I know I am. Match programme today, next step the world - "Hello operator, where can I buy 2000 orange boiler suits and a volcano with a sliding roof?" |
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| August Results | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Well we got off to a great start but obviously playing four of the bookies favourites in the first month was always going to be a 'bridge too far'. With our first choice strikers out injured, the performance against Hednesford was even more surprising. Tiverton was nice, especially after all the pre-season hype they've received. Frankly they weren't even at the game and probably were the worst Tiverton team I've ever seen. We matched Nuneaton kick for kick until the last quarter of the match where their fitness and finishing told in the end. Weymouth were disapointing, but our midfield and forward were all jumbled about because of our injury nightmare, so we too were disappointing. However to lose to an injury time goal was still galling. Considering the teams we've played I think most people would be satisfied with our start, I am. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In out, Shake it all about | ||||||||||||||||||||
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New arrivals for the start of this campaign are Gavin Stone, Shaun Murray,
Tommy Goodwin, Linton Bailey and Simon Tucker. Gavin was signed from Halesowen Town, where the defender was quite a fan's favourite apparently because he also won their player of the season last year. Gavin started as a trainee at Spurs before moving to the Conference with Stafford. He enjoyed a successful period at Bilston too, before they had to drop out of the DM League. Shaun Murray came to us from Kettering Town. The midfielder also started as a trainee at Spurs before moving to Portsmouth, Bradford and finally Notts County, where he played over 250 games for the Magpies. He is no stranger to the DM Premier having won the Championship with Kettering. Dean Thomas eventually signed Tommy Goodwin after tracking him for about 2 years. Tommy signed from Sh*psh*d Albion, but I'm sure that won't set him back. The youngster, well 23, started at Leicester as a trainee but then drifted into non-league playing for Anstey Nomads, until he got his break into Dr Marten football when he signed for Sh*psh*d. Linton Bailey is a bit of an enigma. We signed him from Sutton Coldfield Town and er, well that's about it really. Anyone got any ideas? Simon Tucker played up front for Gresley for what seemed centuries but in the close season moved to Hednesford. With our injury crises up front DT persuaded Hednesford to release him and he signed for us. Unfortunately as is the case nowadays players have had to leave to make way for the new boys. In the out tray this season has been Tim Wilkes, Simon Dakin, Martin Fox and somewhat surprisingly Nick Preston. |
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| World of Football Stuff | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Up to nine million footy fans suffer from depression during the summer when the
matches finish. About two thirds of footy fans feel the blues with end of season
withdrawal symptoms. Some cannot talk to friends or family, and even suffer mood
swings making them irritable and temperamental. (a normal day in the Jackson
household then!) Psychologist John Castleton made a study of supporters and he found that 60% of fans may be psychologically dependent on football. (with the other 40% just psycho!) 75% admitted that football was more important than anything else in their lives, including partners, family, religion and politics. Almost as many said football was the main topic of conversation between friends and a huge 85% said they planned their day around football matches. Castleton said: "football fans have a very deep rooted relationship with their team. Like any other bond, to have it removed can cause a crisis. Often fans will feel a void, an emptiness or sense of loss that comes on a Saturday afternoon. (otherwise know as supporting Sh*psh*d Albion!) Dependence is part of the human condition. It helps us to construct our identity and give meaning to our lives." So there you go. Supporting football is not just a pastime of entertainment, it's a necessity. It's in the Genes, probably Stone Island. Swiss football club Young Boys have been forced to play a UEFA Cup qualifier with Finnish side MyPa away from their Neufeld home after European soccer's governing body UEFA refused to allow temporary seating. Young Boys, who host MyPa in the second leg on August 28, said on Thursday UEFA has not granted either their request to allow supporters to stand or for makeshift stands to be erected at the 6,800-capacity Neufeld stadium. The Neufeld is being used as a temporary home while Young Boys' new Wankdorf stadium, which will become the Swiss national team's home, is built following the demolition of their previous home. This doesn't really set anything alight until you consider the headline: Young Boys cant stand for Wankdorf completion Torquay United are so worried that fans will not be able to afford to watch them that they will allow supporters to haggle over admission prices. (you like? much cheapness.) A survey revealed that south Devon is one of the lowest earning areas in the country and even though Torquay charge £11 owner Mike Bateson feels some fans may not be able to afford it. He said: "If you're struggling to come to matches then give me a ring or come and have a chat. We can do a deal. Those I've spoken to so far have been genuine and haven't been trying it on." Referees have lost their claim for a £20 a week massage allowance. Premiership officials demanded the perk as part of a new pay deal for this season, but it was rejected by the FA due to cost cutting. (well the £600 squillion white elephant at wembley won't fund itself!) The full time referees each received a letter explaining match fees will be halved to £250, plus expenses. The refs wanted a relaxing rub down included but got the brush off. I don't know what they're moaning at, 60 quid down the Narborough Road and you get extras thrown in as well! |
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| Coming next Month: More pre-season favourites in Worcester, Stafford and Newport County. The long trip to new boys Eastbourne, Paul Parker's Welling and off to Hall Green to play Moor Green. Plus we make this season's debut into the FA Cup at the end of the month. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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