Flied Lice Bilds?

What is it with football in the UK?  With the pursuit of money and fortune that history and tradition can be ridden roughshod over the ordinary supporter without hindrance.  It was bad enough when Argyle went Japanese and introduced a new badge and a new song with the so called 'New World', my god it was galling when pandering to Sturrock that orange became out official away colour.  But to annihilate the Bluebirds is beyond belief.  OK, some may argue that Cardiff and imposters in the EFL anyway, but just to insure the bucks come rolling in ('future investment') a 'rebrand' is essential.  Bollocks!

So what do the new Chinese owners of Cardiff want?  Essentially for them to give up their traditions - a blue kit to be replaced by a red one because it's luckier and scientifically more successful (try telling that to Man City fans this season), and replace their club crest with a Welsh Dragon to promote identity.  Now come on!  What utter shite is this - how can you ditch a club's history?  It's not without precedent though - look at Arsenal's new strip including Spurs's blue.  Or QPR's rebrand.  

The trouble with football is that its got too big for its boots - in the persuit of wealth it has forgotten who is at it's heart - the fans; and granted the Cardiff supporters will probably adapt like a lot of others have.  But, if we allow 'outsiders' free reign over what many hold dear, what hope has the humble man or woman got?  And ultimately we are to blame - for it is the supporter who has encouraged such spending and outstripped what our own country has to offer.  When have to appease those who hold the purse string - no matter how incompetent (in Argyle's case) or how much you protest (just look at how influential the Man U traditional were at ousting the Glazers ie naff all) the supporter, the history, the tradition means fuck all.

Day of Sport

Yesterday marked another remarkable day in football - and sport as a whole - especially down here in Plymouth.  Firstly West Ham clinch promotion in a nail biting game, then as the Olympic Torch made its way through the streets, Chelsea would be firing one more penalty home against Bayern to be crowned Champion of Champions in Europe - and thus through a stroke of ill fate knocked Tottenham out of their 4th position into Europa, thus negating the whole of the season. 

Plymouth was in carnival mood yesterday with the combination of Lord Mayor's Day and the Olympic Torch relay, having been bedecked in red white and blue as people came to see the symbol  will dominate the summer, the other half of the city were watching the TV as Chelsea v Bayern descended into English v Germans (though how many English players are there at Chelsea?).  And if you thought that the ending of the Premier League a week ago was dramatic, then the ending of the Champions League was just as heart stopping.

But for all the thrill that this season of top flight football has brought with the race for 1st place, race for 3rd, race for 4th etc, and the subsequent matches that sealed the outcomes, what have we learnt?  That the winning clubs are those that spend their way to victory.  And you don't even have to be that good - in the case of Chelsea, who have ousted a team who were better than them in their own league. 

So what of next season?  Well to be sure that the 'winners' - Chelsea, City. are now out to get whoever they want at whatever cost, and will probably get their way, bolstered by their success.  Arsenal will probably lose Van Persie, and Spurs will probably lose half their squad.  And United are always a safe bet for agents.  I would say that, unlike the Games, next season's football will probably be more predictable.  And what a shame if it is.

Muamba

It's not very often that a football crowd will fall silent. What happened at White Hart Lane on Saturday was something extraordinary. To watch or listen to a Premier League ground full of supporters, players, officials, media and staff stop and be quiet was emotional.

Muamba has at latest been showing signs of improvement, but before the world on TV and radio, he was dead for six minutes. The footballing world were shocked and devastated that such a thing could happen out of the blue to such a young and fit man, and in front of so many people.

Much has been written in the press about Saturday, and emotions are still running high throughout the football across the world. And many have re-examined what it means to be a football supporter, and at the essence, a person. It can be difficult to remember that the people we watch week in and week out on the pitch, the people we praise and then give the foulest shit to the next are infallible people. A spirit of unity has engulfed the football league and premier league throughout the UK, and it's something that very seldom happens. Because at heart, we all know, weather we hate our rivals with passion that never abates, when the life of a person hangs in balance, it overcomes everything.

Get well soon.

Yo Yo Yoing

Rotherham 1 - 0 Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle 1 - 0 Shrewsbury Town

Up and down more than a whore's knickers. Get excited about a win and be out of the relegation zone, a following loss and back down again. Argyle a few weeks ago were 4th from bottom, having lost last week were back in the drop zone and are now again "safe" at 3rd from bottom. At the moment it's not that worth getting too excited about, but as the season gets closer to the end, such yo yoing is going to make a tense ending. But add on that not a few hours from Wotton scoring a trademark screamer goal, his first, and the only one of the game to collect the 3 points, Muamba was effectively lying dead on the pitch of White Hart Lane, it hit home among the eerily silent stadium to every fan there, watching or listening, that football is life and death. But not in the way that Bill Shankly intended it.

Not even Vale can help

Port Vale seek to enter administration on Friday. Normally such an announcement would be welcomed by other clubs in the league purely on a points/league position basis. But unfortunately for Argyle, Vale are currently sat on 50 points, so even with a 10 point deduction from the FL, they still sit way above Argyle who are on only 29. Even if Vale get extra deducted for their second time in admin, they still wouldn't do the Greens any favours.

Richer than Rangers

It's official, Argyle are richer than one of Scotlands top teams, and probably quite a few other English clubs too. Now Rangers have gone into administration, with Portsmouth not far behind for a second time, there could be many more soon to go to the wall. And Argyle have survived. But it could be time for the Green Army to show the support to others that they have shown us very soon.

Snow Joking

Silly season is here with the British weather and games are cancelled by snow left right and centre. Being in league 2 only compounds things when clubs are unable to have the necessary infrastructure to keep games going. Seeing as we had the same situation as a country for the last 2 years, you might have thought we'd start learning something by now. But it did give everyone a day off to enjoy the other delights of the football league, from Spurs 5-0 snowplough of Newcastle, to the Liverpool-United furore over a missed handshake, Exeter losing (for all of, well, 2 minutes), and gives everyone a chance to debate who the next England manager should be - and if it's 'Arry, would he leave Tottenham?

Gary II

This time last year I wrote about a mate of mine:

I have a friend who used to be quite an ardent Argyle fan. But not any more. He hasn't set foot inside Home Park for years. On the occasions we have discussed this his reason has been twofold. Namely, that they don't come and see him when he is bad, and that the good players are always being sold off. So, New World, as you supposedly want to know why the Plymouth public don't give a crap, here's your answer. Now what are you going to do about it?

Argyle, having become even worse since then, have been a topic of many a conversation on a Monday or Wednesday. I have subsequently found out that 'ardent fan' included several social occasions with players and managers, and some 'you scratch my back I'll scratch yours' business dealings, home and away games for many years. Yet even more so now he doesn't give a fuck about his local team beyond looking out for the score and a discussion over a pint. The Exeter league and cup games being the only match he's seen at Home Park for over 5 years, that was a shock and a novelty! He even has a soft spot for Hull City, and they actually achieved the Promised Land - though they are the other end of the country (even so that didn;t stop him driving up some times), in fact 'Ull led him to getting in with the Argyle squad one evening, though that spot is hardening slightly! So what are local clubs, not just Argyle, going to do to attract people who are actually football followers? Certainly not what Argyle have done lately, namely lose 3 times in a row, prostitute their family silver yet again, and show no knowledge of football on the field what so ever, let alone off it.

How clean is your House?

With the high profile cases of football clubs in finanical dire straits at the moment, how well are Argyle, once championed as a well run club doing? The initial start is Todd's stataement of desire to become a debt free club, and when coupled by the well publicised debts of the last few years, are Argyle sliding down the slippery slope to Portsmouth, Cardiff, Wednesday, Charlton etc. The continued selling off of the family silver year on year to keep the club afloat certainly due in part to declining gate numbers and foolhardy signings that cannot be severed, and who knows what else behind the scenes (World Cup Bid?). The failure to finish the ground or buy in decent players are blatant symptoms that have disenfranchised the Green Army. Add in the loss of TV and advertising revenue due to relegation and you have a very big mess. Just how well, or badly, are Argyle doing?

The Sun

Due to Southampton's policy of only allowing game photos from their official source, The Sun newspaper has decided in protest to expunge the name Southampton, except for copyrighted league tables and fixtures, in favour of "South Coast Team". I think that's hilarious, though I think they missed a trick. Portsmouth B Team anyone?

Hope in Hell

Well it seems that England (Wales, Scotland) have only put in a half arsed attempt at a bid for the 2018 World Cup. FIFA have already got their guns out at the FA that England has no "God given right" to host football and the FA seriously need to raise their game. Not really surprising, FIFA don't really like the UK. Even so, it takes the sparkle off any Back the Plymouth Bid. 2018 is a pipe dream for Argyle at the moment in the setting up of a South West bid to host the games that no one else wants, key being Argyle's new all singing and dancing stadium with buttons on.

2018 has, on the face of it, appeared to be concentrating the board's efforts on the finishing of Home Park, and there doesn't seem to be a hope in hell that Plymouth, even if England are successful, will get anything out of the tournament at all. Therefore, finishing the grandstand, with a view to adding on should be the main focus. But even before that, survival in the Championship is more important.

Pie In the Sky

Does anyone actually truly believe that Plymouth could ever become a World Cup host city? Listening to BBC Radio Devon at the insurmountable evidence stacking up against winning in as much as:
- we have crap transport links, the nearest airports that can accept 747s and motorway are an hour away?
- we have no crowds, if the league games attract 8,000 fans, what more will a low-key match attract?
- what will we do with a 40,000 seater folly in the middle of Plymouth with 8.000 people rattleing round in it? Probably much less when we get relegated
- who from Bristol and beyond would travel all the way down to Plymouth for a game when it'll be quicker to go to London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Portsmouth...?

Is it all a waste of time and just something to placate the Pilgrims supporters into believing the newbies are thinking big?

Millwall v West Ham

The reason why football is so sanitised and you feel oppressed for being a supporter.

Your Support is Fucking Shite

Apologies for the obscenity there, maybe "f*****g" would be better, or even "flipping" would be better? What about "shite"? Is that bad? Maybe "your support is rather poor" would be better?

Maybe that's the way that football is heading these days? There has been a rumble going on since the Greens were promoted into League One [as is], that the support of the Green Army is more plastic soldiers than SAS. The days of freedom on the terraces have gone, along with the terraces. Once word out of place and you're out of the place. Stand up for more than 10 seconds and you'll be standing up in the local cop shop emptying your pockets. Moan about poor play and get shushed, cheer and get tutted at. Play a bugle, beat a drum and it'll be inserted into a rather painful place.

Football supporters are an ecclectic bunch and that, like life, makes the world go round. Get rid of everyone you don't agree with and you'll be alone, but hey that makes you a better supporter than they ever were. Someone who comes along every game, has paid money, travelled a distance and moans is not seen as a supporter. Football has always been entertainment, but now it is success lead entertainment - no sucess means no entertainment. And no entertainment means people feel agrieved and want to vent their frustrations. Catch 22, players want the crowd to do their bit, the crowd want the players (who are being paid to play from their ticket after all) to do theirs. But then again when has shouting "Have you ever seen your dick?" at a fat away supporter, encouraging your own team?

Is the changing face of football at the real root of the problems? The Thatcherism dislike of the game that got out of control because men couldn't feel the game was complete until they'd kicked at least 3 opposition supporters' heads in? Or because the police were too arrogant in their handling of games to cause the death of supporters in front of the world's cameras? Or because the clubs were more concerned about profits than their own income and let the grounds get into a deplorable state and forget those that funded them? (That last one sounds familiar.) Some of the changes have been good - why should people be fearful when watching a ball game? But can we go too far the other way? Will singing songs be banned because it will upset the away fans? Will all games be forced to end 0-0 because winning is bad and unfair?

But while supporters fight amongst themselves, we forget what we have in common.
The love of one football team.

Les Rosbifs

Blog, Les Rosbifs*, following the fortunes of English players when the go abroad have a very interesting interview with ex Argyle and Torquay player, Sam Malsom.

I recommend Les Rosbifs, to readers of TBAP who are interested in what English players who have moved abroad are doing, and shall add it to my recommended blogs.

*"Les Rosbifs" literally translated is French for "The Roast Beefs", a term used like "Jocks" and "Taffs" to mean the English.

FFS

Footballers.

What is it about them that turns them into complete idiots. Well we all know that the 'jocks' are not the academic ones at schools, which is probably why many of our countries footballers appear as thick as shit.

And you cannot get much thicker than Shane-White this week who decided to turn the clock back to last summer and emulate Luke McCormick when he was caught driving under the influence. To happen once in a club is a tragedy, twice is incomprehensible. McCormick was sentenced to imprisonment for his role in the death of two young children when his Landrover crashed into the car carrying them on the M6 last summer, killing the two boys and severely injuring their father. Do we never learn?

History has shown that the human race are perpetual failures and 'lessons will be learnt' are never fulfilled, yet for such a tragedy to happen on our door steps, and a colleague of McCormick to be in similar circumstances is beyond words. Argyle players have done nothing to give the club any good publicity in recent years - from Seip's Union Street brawl to Shane-White. This once 'family run club' has been tarnished by such ill discipline. And goes towards showing that footballers think they are above the common people. OK, you can argue that Shane-White is not a First XI player but are we (as a club) trying to produce our versions of Gerrard or Ronaldo or Barton? If they are the type of players we want our children to idolise then it's yet another reason to be out of the 'football la-la land' that the Beautiful Game has built around itself.

Gooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!

If you want to join in the goal music at Home Park here are the lyrics

Ilari, ilari, ilarie,
O-o-o
Ilari, ilari, ilarie,
O-o-o
Ilari, ilari, ilarie,
O-o-o
É a turma da xuxa que vai dando seu alo

in your best Spanish accent of course. Simple really once you know.

Now, this begs the question as to why we have goal music. Quite simple probably because it's friendly, it's American after all and anything they go is so the customer 'has a nice day'. The days when a crowd would cheer a goal are gone for now because we need to inject a certain amount of holiday camp campness into football so it appeals to the family demographic, and be honest were you not happiest when you were at Butlins or Pontins (other holiday centres are available) or a wedding and the DJ would put on Music Man or Superman and the whole dance floor would fill and your gran would struggle to keep up? Fast forward through Saturday Night and the Macarena into the 2000s with The Ketchup Song and Tragedy. Did they not make you smile? Or go hideously wrong? In fact what has been distinctly lacking recently is a summer hit cheesy song with actions. Probably because people have changed and unless you are forced by a Redcoat or bladdered in Ibiza no one does that anymore.

So why do we have to at football? Because we have to. Short of every supporter snipping the PA system's wires the powers that be believe that supporters are incapable of making atmosphere. And again if you're honest, when the crowds are low and the team play crap, Home Park is very lacking. Sometimes even being 4-0 up does little to raise more than a murmur. Maybe the solution is to have an experimental no-music day and see what happens. If we're sat in silence twiddling our thumbs and drinking Bovril. You'd only have yourself to blame.

And why Ilarie? It was played at the Beijing Olympics apparently. At the swimming

Budgetting

Is the credit crunch hitting Argyle? Why does Luggy have to sell players before he can buy any more? How small was our budget this summer? OK, the club broke their signing record with twice with MacLean and Walton (who has so quickly fallen out of favour and looks more like a folly and a waste of money) but £500,000 and £750,000 respectively in the world of football is not that much money. And then there's bench warmer Mpenza rumoured to be on £10,000 a week. Are these players just sticking plasters brought in to heal the board-supporter-manager relationship that was in tatters over the last 6 months, and are already ready to be shipped out in January after not featuring in games and thus won't be seen as great losses? When the day comes that football does finally implode then maybe Argyle will stand tall above those clubs who have gone to the wall, but will that really happen? Until the time comes when every club tightens its belt and footballers are earning minimum wage, Argyle will always be seen as a tight club.

One Step Backwards, Two Forwards?

The speculation about Argyle's ambition has been rife for the last few years but recently it has taken a hard knocking. There seems to be a feeling that rather than being an established Coca Cola Championship club, the board would rather Argyle were a successful League One club. Surely this cannot be right? The thinking behind it is that the success of winning the (then) Third and Second Leagues in quick succession generated loads of interest in the club and high gate prices and thus people were riding the crest of the feelgood wave. And it can be replicated again.

But there's a flaw. In fact several.
1. Relegated clubs do not always do well, there could well be an exodus of players, leaving yet another decimated squad.
2. Relegation means that what extra fans the club had might not turn up.
3. The feeling of 'been there done that'. People have seen Argyle promoted and then stagnate - why should it be different next time around.

Therefore I do not believe that the board want Argyle to be relegated. And anyway if they do, they're bloody stupid. So what is the making of the current situation. Certainly the problems have been deeply ingrained for years and since Sturrock left first time, each subsequent manager has had problems with the frugality of the expenditure. But success was built in frugality so what has changed? Argyle have not moved with the times, football has become one huge megaglomerate money monster. It be anything in the game you must flash the cash. And Argyle have not done that. So far they've been surviving by the skin of their teeth. Sooner or later those teeth will drop out.

Rotten to the Core

This weekend I read an article in the News of the World sports section (see here). Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordon has expressed a damning opinion about football being 'rotten to the core'. Jordon has decided to walk away from football by selling Palace to the highest bidder after becoming fed up with all that football stands for these days.

In particular he cites that Lampard is not worth £150,000 a week, which is hard to disagree with. There was once a time when you could say that footballers' careers are short and therefore they need the money for after their career is over. However now the money situation has got too much. With people facing the credit crunch and tightening their belts, the outrageous demands of these celebrities and heroes is forcing clubs to spend more, to put up their prices and is seeing more and more clubs going into financial problems. the money issue has always been a problem with Argyle and year on year players turn down the club because they cannot compete with the big boys. How on earth can Ronaldo claim that he is treated like a 'slave'?

But Jordon doesn't rest all the blame on the players themselves, but shares it equally among the supporters who, whipped up into the frenzy that football has become' demand more and more from players and the clubs. He says that fans will demand the biggest signings and only the best will do - division winners, champions, cup finalists, Europe and beyond - year on year or else.

At the moment football has become a maelstrom, an unstoppable tempest, of itself going round and round until one day, which surely is coming soon, it will not be able to sustain itself and will explode leaving a big mess. As the economy starts to turn, that day could come sooner than expected.

As Jordon says "The reality is that football is a bulls*** world - an insidious, insipid, egotistical, greedy, self-motivated game ... the game descends into a bickering war over inflated contracts, lack of loyalty, greed, corruption and arrogance."