There were a lot of tweets yesterday suggests that some of the crowd at the FA Cup Final at Wembley booed the National Anthem when it was played in the traditional pre-match build-up.
I was watching the match on television and hadn't noticed much in the way of booing. Certainly, though, the crowd didn't quieter down for the anthem.
There were suggestions that the booing came only from the Liverpool fans, but, unless you were in the stadium, I think that's impossible to judge.
There could be many reasons for booing the national anthem:
1) The later kick off time (5.15 rather than the traditional 3pm) probably gave fans more time to consume alcohol before they got to the ground.
2) Maybe football fans have had enough of the pointless traditions before the FA Cup Final which not only include someone (often a quasi- opera singer who they've never heard of) performing the National Anthem but also the old Christian hymn, Abide with Me.
3) It's possible that it wasn't made clear what was happening, and in the excitement of the event the fans continued chanting because they didn't realise it was anthem time.
4) The tide is turning and, in this Diamond Jubilee year, the public are starting to reject the notion of monarchy and privilege. Maybe they link the awful dirge-like French hymn tune with its requests to an imaginary superbeing to look after one person, and one person only, to be out of touch with the mood of a nation that has just electorally rejected the party of the privileged and wealthy.
5) Maybe the crowd were booing something (or someone) specific in the stadium - Suarez and Terry both seem to get increasingly hostile receptions from rival fans due to their unacceptable behaviour on and off the pitch.
I suspect it's beer talking, or booing. I 'd love it to be the rejection of monarchy. Whichever it is, it's worth keeping an ear out for future events.
Maybe it's time for a new National anthem - one that's inclusive, doesn't plead to an imaginary friend, and one that's genuinely about the nation?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Showing posts with label fa cup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fa cup. Show all posts
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Saturday, 5 May 2012
How the F.A. killed the F.A. Cup
The F.A. Cup final used to be the climax of the season - the last match of domestic football before the summer break.
T.V. and radio used to spend the whole day building up to the 3 o'clock kick off - we'd catch up with the teams having breakfast, getting on the team coach, Keith Chegwin would host silly games of supporters of the two teams playing against each other, there'd be the F.A. Cup final songs. Even my mother, a fervent opponent of sport on television, would watch and, on occasions, even wear a rosette!
The F.A. Cup final would transcend football. It was more than just 90 minutes of sport, it was a social event - a national event.
But, in recent years, the F.A. has done its best to kill the F.A. Cup final.
It's been a long slow death but the F.A. Cup is close to the end. It needs to be saved from the F.A... and from television schedulers.
I guess the first nail in the coffin was the play offs. This meant that the domestic season, even though it was just in the lower leagues, went on beyond the natural end of season, and meant that the F.A. Cup final couldn't be the last match of the season.
Then the F.A. decided to remove the possibility of a replay in the final (and semi-final?). Yes, I know the players and managers complain about how many games are played in a season but if they were truly concerned about burnout they wouldn't take their teams on long far eastern tours pre-season, or would agree to reduce the number of teams in the league and, consequently, the number of fixtures.
Sure, if the score is level after extra time in a replay then a penalty shoot out makes sense, but not at the first time of asking. There haven't been many F.A. Cup final replays but that is no reason to stop them happening in the future.
Let's not forget the year that Manchester United were given a bye to the 4th round to enable them to play in the utterly futile World Club Championship.
For the last few years the F.A. Cup final has been a week before the end of the Premier League season. The F.A.'s logic was that wanted the Premier League to be the biggest trophy, the one that counted. Of course, in reality, the league has often been won and most issues done and dusted well before the final weekend, leaving dead rubbers and pointless fixtures as the grand climax to the season.
This season, not only are there Premier League fixtures tomorrow but there's one today - on the same day as the F.A. Cup final (though, admittedly, a few hours earlier). And if you support a League One or League Two side, and go to watch them play this afternoon, the chances are you won't be able to get to a television in time to see very much of the F.A. Cup final.
Then the F.A. decided that the semi-finals would be held at Wembley. It started back in the '90s when Arsenal drew Spurs in the semi-final but is now, apparently, the norm. It should ONLY be the final that's held at Wembley. That's what makes it special. If the semi-finals are held there, why not the quarter finals too? Why not selected matches from the third round?
This year, things were worse because one semi-final was Liverpool vs. Everton. So all the fans travelled down from Merseyside to London (around 225 miles) instead of the match being hosted at the neutral ground of, say, Old Trafford (just 34 miles away). It was an imbecilic decision that brought the game into disrepute and, of course, created a mammoth carbon footprint.
I don't think the years that the F.A. Cup final took place in Cardiff, at the Millennium Stadium (while the new Wembley was built) helped much either. Yes, the Millennium Stadium is a tremendous stadium, fans seemed to like it, but in FIFA and UEFA terms, it is in a foreign country. They may as well have held it at Hampden, or Stade de France, or at the Yankee Stadium in New York!
Playing the F.A. Cup out of the F.A.'s domain took away some of its significance. It dulled the silverware and made lifting the trophy less important.
This year, the F.A., in it's infinite wisdom, has bowed to pressure from television broadcasters and moved the F.A. Cup final from its tradition 3 o'clock k kick off to a 5.15 kick off. 5.15?! WTF?! This is simply nonsensical. Rarely do I find mysf agreeing with Akex Ferguson, but he has spoken out about this saying that the oldest cup competition in the world (it started in 1871) should be saved from the whims and fancies if television schedulers. As far as I am concerned this, alone, is a good enough reason to stop ITV having the broadcasting rights to the F.A. Cup ever again.
This year Chelsea play Liverpool in the final and then, on Tuesday, they'll play each other again in the Premier League totally belittling the final and making a mockery of footballing history.
Teams, of course, have increasingly taken the F.A. Cup less seriously too. It's not worth as much financially, as achieving a higher league position due to the way television money is paid out, and so "squad rotation" has meant several top sides, serious contenders for the trophy, have fielded heavily weakened sides in early rounds. Thankfully, the situation hasn't got as bad as the League Cup whi h is now a discredited and Mickey Mouse trophy. It is time that the League Cup was scrapped or, at the very least, the European place given to its winners was removed.
The F.A. Cup should be the F.A.'s crowning glory. It helped to bring football to the world, but, I suggest, it is no longer safe to be left in the hands of the F.A. Something needs to be done to rejuvenate this great, world-famous trophy and put it back at it's rightful place as the climax of the football season.
T.V. and radio used to spend the whole day building up to the 3 o'clock kick off - we'd catch up with the teams having breakfast, getting on the team coach, Keith Chegwin would host silly games of supporters of the two teams playing against each other, there'd be the F.A. Cup final songs. Even my mother, a fervent opponent of sport on television, would watch and, on occasions, even wear a rosette!
The F.A. Cup final would transcend football. It was more than just 90 minutes of sport, it was a social event - a national event.
But, in recent years, the F.A. has done its best to kill the F.A. Cup final.
It's been a long slow death but the F.A. Cup is close to the end. It needs to be saved from the F.A... and from television schedulers.
I guess the first nail in the coffin was the play offs. This meant that the domestic season, even though it was just in the lower leagues, went on beyond the natural end of season, and meant that the F.A. Cup final couldn't be the last match of the season.
Then the F.A. decided to remove the possibility of a replay in the final (and semi-final?). Yes, I know the players and managers complain about how many games are played in a season but if they were truly concerned about burnout they wouldn't take their teams on long far eastern tours pre-season, or would agree to reduce the number of teams in the league and, consequently, the number of fixtures.
Sure, if the score is level after extra time in a replay then a penalty shoot out makes sense, but not at the first time of asking. There haven't been many F.A. Cup final replays but that is no reason to stop them happening in the future.
Let's not forget the year that Manchester United were given a bye to the 4th round to enable them to play in the utterly futile World Club Championship.
For the last few years the F.A. Cup final has been a week before the end of the Premier League season. The F.A.'s logic was that wanted the Premier League to be the biggest trophy, the one that counted. Of course, in reality, the league has often been won and most issues done and dusted well before the final weekend, leaving dead rubbers and pointless fixtures as the grand climax to the season.
This season, not only are there Premier League fixtures tomorrow but there's one today - on the same day as the F.A. Cup final (though, admittedly, a few hours earlier). And if you support a League One or League Two side, and go to watch them play this afternoon, the chances are you won't be able to get to a television in time to see very much of the F.A. Cup final.
Then the F.A. decided that the semi-finals would be held at Wembley. It started back in the '90s when Arsenal drew Spurs in the semi-final but is now, apparently, the norm. It should ONLY be the final that's held at Wembley. That's what makes it special. If the semi-finals are held there, why not the quarter finals too? Why not selected matches from the third round?
This year, things were worse because one semi-final was Liverpool vs. Everton. So all the fans travelled down from Merseyside to London (around 225 miles) instead of the match being hosted at the neutral ground of, say, Old Trafford (just 34 miles away). It was an imbecilic decision that brought the game into disrepute and, of course, created a mammoth carbon footprint.
I don't think the years that the F.A. Cup final took place in Cardiff, at the Millennium Stadium (while the new Wembley was built) helped much either. Yes, the Millennium Stadium is a tremendous stadium, fans seemed to like it, but in FIFA and UEFA terms, it is in a foreign country. They may as well have held it at Hampden, or Stade de France, or at the Yankee Stadium in New York!
Playing the F.A. Cup out of the F.A.'s domain took away some of its significance. It dulled the silverware and made lifting the trophy less important.
This year, the F.A., in it's infinite wisdom, has bowed to pressure from television broadcasters and moved the F.A. Cup final from its tradition 3 o'clock k kick off to a 5.15 kick off. 5.15?! WTF?! This is simply nonsensical. Rarely do I find mysf agreeing with Akex Ferguson, but he has spoken out about this saying that the oldest cup competition in the world (it started in 1871) should be saved from the whims and fancies if television schedulers. As far as I am concerned this, alone, is a good enough reason to stop ITV having the broadcasting rights to the F.A. Cup ever again.
This year Chelsea play Liverpool in the final and then, on Tuesday, they'll play each other again in the Premier League totally belittling the final and making a mockery of footballing history.
Teams, of course, have increasingly taken the F.A. Cup less seriously too. It's not worth as much financially, as achieving a higher league position due to the way television money is paid out, and so "squad rotation" has meant several top sides, serious contenders for the trophy, have fielded heavily weakened sides in early rounds. Thankfully, the situation hasn't got as bad as the League Cup whi h is now a discredited and Mickey Mouse trophy. It is time that the League Cup was scrapped or, at the very least, the European place given to its winners was removed.
The F.A. Cup should be the F.A.'s crowning glory. It helped to bring football to the world, but, I suggest, it is no longer safe to be left in the hands of the F.A. Something needs to be done to rejuvenate this great, world-famous trophy and put it back at it's rightful place as the climax of the football season.
Monday, 16 April 2012
COMMENT: Too many minute silences
At yesterday's F.A. Cup semi-final at Wembley a small group of Chelsea fans disrupted the pre-kick off minute's silence. This has re-ignites the debate about respect in society and, specifically, the behaviour of football fans.
But doesn't that miss the point, to some extent?
In recent years there has been a massive proliferation of minute silences for all sorts of things. Increasingly the reason for the minute silence isn't known or understood, and, increasingly, the minute silence has no relevance to the fans.
Yesterday, for instance, the minute silence was to mark the 23rd anniversary (hardly a significant one) of the Hillsborough disaster - a match that was between two completely different teams, the most affected of which, Liverpool, is a fierce rival of the two teams playing.
Sure, I get the point that it is polite to respect a minute silence whenever it is done and for whatever purpose. In an ideal world that would be the case but, as far as I can see, there are now do many minute silences at sporting events that they have been made insignificant. There currency is now worthless
To me there are two solutions:
1) Restrict minute silences to truly significant memorials, and, on the whole, only ones that the teams playing are affected by
2) Have more minute of applause when that is appropriate - I accept it isn't always appropriate but when it is it is vastly preferable.
But doesn't that miss the point, to some extent?
In recent years there has been a massive proliferation of minute silences for all sorts of things. Increasingly the reason for the minute silence isn't known or understood, and, increasingly, the minute silence has no relevance to the fans.
Yesterday, for instance, the minute silence was to mark the 23rd anniversary (hardly a significant one) of the Hillsborough disaster - a match that was between two completely different teams, the most affected of which, Liverpool, is a fierce rival of the two teams playing.
Sure, I get the point that it is polite to respect a minute silence whenever it is done and for whatever purpose. In an ideal world that would be the case but, as far as I can see, there are now do many minute silences at sporting events that they have been made insignificant. There currency is now worthless
To me there are two solutions:
1) Restrict minute silences to truly significant memorials, and, on the whole, only ones that the teams playing are affected by
2) Have more minute of applause when that is appropriate - I accept it isn't always appropriate but when it is it is vastly preferable.
Sunday, 15 April 2012
COMMENT: Video technology - why not?
Why on earth FIFA, or UEFA, or even just the FA, hasn't introduced video technology is beyond me. This evening the FA Cup Semi-Final became a nonsense after Chelsea were awarded a goal that despite the fact that the ball hadn't crossed the line.
It's been a bad weekend for British sport, what with the bloodbath that was the Grand National and now goals being awarded that clearly weren't goals, and in both instances it's the authorities who are to blame.
Ok, so the ref was unsighted - it happens - and apparently neither if his assistants could see either - I guess that can happen - but despite not seeing the ball cross the line the ref still awarded the goal. Why? What made him decide that the Chelsea celebrations were more genuine than the Spurs players' protests? Surely, if he didn't see it he shouldn't award it?
And what of the Chelsea players who did see that the goal hadn't crossed the line, but still celebrated as if a goal had been scored? I do hope that the FA take action against these cheats. John Terry, in particular, should never be chosen as England captain again and, I'd go as far as to say, he shouldn't be selected for the national team ever again. Today he blatantly cheated to ruin an important match. If there was any justice he should be banned for life from all football - his cheating was as bad as Ben Johnson or Dwayne Chambers drug offences. He is morally corrupt and his prescience on any football field again is unwelcome.
So what should happen?
The FA should order an immediate re-match. The ref should be struck off - you can it award something you didn't see. And the Chelsea cheats should be banned for life.
I know it won't happen. The football authorities don't act in the interest of fair play. After all, they upheld Shaun Derry's red card for QPR against Manchester United last week, when everyone who saw the replay clearly saw that Ashley Young cheated by taking a dive. This weekend the same cheat took a dive in the match against Aston Villa, again resulting on a penalty for Man U - he shouldn't even have been on the pitch.
Football must weed out the cheats. They subvert the sport, they ruin the game, they make a mockery of the rules of the game. Ashley Young, along with John Terry, should be banned for life.
And then video technology has to be introduced. It happens on cricket and rugby, why not football? The delay, at crucial moments, is a matter of seconds, but it ensures fairness, justice and the correct result.
If Chelsea win the FA Cup, Manchester United win the league, and John Terry represents the national team they may as well insist that, in future, all players wear a red nose and have a squirty flower.
It's been a bad weekend for British sport, what with the bloodbath that was the Grand National and now goals being awarded that clearly weren't goals, and in both instances it's the authorities who are to blame.
Ok, so the ref was unsighted - it happens - and apparently neither if his assistants could see either - I guess that can happen - but despite not seeing the ball cross the line the ref still awarded the goal. Why? What made him decide that the Chelsea celebrations were more genuine than the Spurs players' protests? Surely, if he didn't see it he shouldn't award it?
And what of the Chelsea players who did see that the goal hadn't crossed the line, but still celebrated as if a goal had been scored? I do hope that the FA take action against these cheats. John Terry, in particular, should never be chosen as England captain again and, I'd go as far as to say, he shouldn't be selected for the national team ever again. Today he blatantly cheated to ruin an important match. If there was any justice he should be banned for life from all football - his cheating was as bad as Ben Johnson or Dwayne Chambers drug offences. He is morally corrupt and his prescience on any football field again is unwelcome.
So what should happen?
The FA should order an immediate re-match. The ref should be struck off - you can it award something you didn't see. And the Chelsea cheats should be banned for life.
I know it won't happen. The football authorities don't act in the interest of fair play. After all, they upheld Shaun Derry's red card for QPR against Manchester United last week, when everyone who saw the replay clearly saw that Ashley Young cheated by taking a dive. This weekend the same cheat took a dive in the match against Aston Villa, again resulting on a penalty for Man U - he shouldn't even have been on the pitch.
Football must weed out the cheats. They subvert the sport, they ruin the game, they make a mockery of the rules of the game. Ashley Young, along with John Terry, should be banned for life.
And then video technology has to be introduced. It happens on cricket and rugby, why not football? The delay, at crucial moments, is a matter of seconds, but it ensures fairness, justice and the correct result.
If Chelsea win the FA Cup, Manchester United win the league, and John Terry represents the national team they may as well insist that, in future, all players wear a red nose and have a squirty flower.
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