Win2Win Racing
5th May 2009, 20:03
Big story of the weekend? Brum going back up (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/8015130.stm)? Nah, Birmingham City are the quintessential yo-yo team (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2300159/Bitter-end-for-relegated-Birmingham-City.html). 'Keep on going to the end of the road' is fair enough but it'd be nice for the fans at St Andrew's (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/ArticleSearch?contenttype=-1&phrase=Birmingham%20City&phrase=Football) to have a stretch of highway that wasn't dotted with road signs like 'Hidden Dips' on '1 in 4' drop ahead. If you fill in an application form for BCFC supporters club there's a little rider underneath that says 'Football clubs can go down as well as up'. Still, it's never dull, eh? Rather that than mid-table obscurity (http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10429~44118,00.html). Maybe.
You find the big story by looking down to the foot of the Championship and seeing the three names heading down the chute: Norwich City (http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=NewsSplash&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=NewsSplash&itemid=NOED04%20May%202009%2008%3A48%3A40%3A967), Southampton (http://www.southampton.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=152241) and Charlton Athletic (http://www.charlton-athletic.co.uk/newsview.ink?nid=34142). To be honest I was expecting the Boro to be playing at least one of these next season. And not cos of our relegation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/8031076.stm), either.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/robborobson/brumfans_afp595.jpg
It hardly seems like yesterday that Le Tissier was in his pomp (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2008/nov/22/southampton-championship) and the Saints were strutting around their new park (http://www.geocities.com/thehemelsaint/goodbye_to_the_dell_-_by_mark_howie_.html). In fact it's eight years and probably nine managers ago (umpteen more when you start to include little appearances by 'Arry Bassett (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1062589/HATCHET-MAN-Even-Harry-Bassett-Newcastle-job-difficult-stomach.html) - the poor man's Red Adair - the Artful Dodger Wisey (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article658970.ece), Dodd and Gorman, etc.). The stadium is still tip-top (http://www.footballgroundguide.com/southampton/) - it's a cracking venue for corporate events, dinners with 60 executive rooms and enough space for 500 guests, so I've read. It's just a bit cack for footy.
It's hard not to tip the whole hot steaming pile of blame on to the doorstep of one Rupert Lowe (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/reade/2009/04/25/rupert-lowe-to-blame-for-southampton-s-demise-115875-21307759/). Lowe seemed at times to employ novices in order that he might have more sway himself. And yet his footballing acumen was writ large in the appointment of Clive Woodward in the position Extra-Something-Or Other-Cos-He's Good-At-Rugger (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/4714479.stm).
What the hell was that about?! They're different sports, man! Presumably Rupert's conservatory was put together by the best plumber in Hampshire and his yachts are maintained by Kwik Fit.
It was Lowe who set up this Southampton Leisure Holdings Company (http://www.hemscott.com/companies/company-summary.do?companyId=1764) as well. Personally I don't know of one football fan who doesn't express despair when he hears his club is just a subsidiary of some non-descript company who own a load of other stuff that's got nowt to do with the game. It means that financial considerations outside the football club itself can have more bearing on its success that what's put out on the park every Saturday.
(In Liverpool's case it appears that owners seem prepare to take profits out of the football club in order to pay debts acquired in purchasing the damn thing (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2009/01/can_the_man_from_the_gulf_brid.html) in the first place. If you need a good example of how t*ts up footy could be going, you could do worse than start there.)
You find the big story by looking down to the foot of the Championship and seeing the three names heading down the chute: Norwich City (http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=NewsSplash&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=NewsSplash&itemid=NOED04%20May%202009%2008%3A48%3A40%3A967), Southampton (http://www.southampton.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=152241) and Charlton Athletic (http://www.charlton-athletic.co.uk/newsview.ink?nid=34142). To be honest I was expecting the Boro to be playing at least one of these next season. And not cos of our relegation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/8031076.stm), either.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/robborobson/brumfans_afp595.jpg
It hardly seems like yesterday that Le Tissier was in his pomp (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2008/nov/22/southampton-championship) and the Saints were strutting around their new park (http://www.geocities.com/thehemelsaint/goodbye_to_the_dell_-_by_mark_howie_.html). In fact it's eight years and probably nine managers ago (umpteen more when you start to include little appearances by 'Arry Bassett (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1062589/HATCHET-MAN-Even-Harry-Bassett-Newcastle-job-difficult-stomach.html) - the poor man's Red Adair - the Artful Dodger Wisey (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article658970.ece), Dodd and Gorman, etc.). The stadium is still tip-top (http://www.footballgroundguide.com/southampton/) - it's a cracking venue for corporate events, dinners with 60 executive rooms and enough space for 500 guests, so I've read. It's just a bit cack for footy.
It's hard not to tip the whole hot steaming pile of blame on to the doorstep of one Rupert Lowe (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/columnists/reade/2009/04/25/rupert-lowe-to-blame-for-southampton-s-demise-115875-21307759/). Lowe seemed at times to employ novices in order that he might have more sway himself. And yet his footballing acumen was writ large in the appointment of Clive Woodward in the position Extra-Something-Or Other-Cos-He's Good-At-Rugger (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/4714479.stm).
What the hell was that about?! They're different sports, man! Presumably Rupert's conservatory was put together by the best plumber in Hampshire and his yachts are maintained by Kwik Fit.
It was Lowe who set up this Southampton Leisure Holdings Company (http://www.hemscott.com/companies/company-summary.do?companyId=1764) as well. Personally I don't know of one football fan who doesn't express despair when he hears his club is just a subsidiary of some non-descript company who own a load of other stuff that's got nowt to do with the game. It means that financial considerations outside the football club itself can have more bearing on its success that what's put out on the park every Saturday.
(In Liverpool's case it appears that owners seem prepare to take profits out of the football club in order to pay debts acquired in purchasing the damn thing (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/mihirbose/2009/01/can_the_man_from_the_gulf_brid.html) in the first place. If you need a good example of how t*ts up footy could be going, you could do worse than start there.)