Apologies for Shout being late this month. SportTrades is currently going through a dramatic change in structure and operational procedures. We are also close to announcing agreements with high profile clubs and organisations. We will soon be welcoming new National Account Managers to the team, we will introduce them once the ink has dried on their incredibly lucrative deals. It is a very exciting time for SportTrades, with opportunities to compete at the highest level with a team full of quality, commitment and professionalism.The issues of Sunday Newspapers are decreasing as we head fast towards the World Cup Kick off in South Africa. Fabio will then no longer read about our stars private lives, but instead can look forward to debate about his final squad selection. The areas of concern have been highlighted by all experts and the certainty is the only men who will be 100% happy are those involved with selection.
We are after all a Nation of Football Managers. So money where my mouth is and here goes. SportTrades England World Cup Squad:
GK David James, Robert Green and Joe Hart
Def: Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole*, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Joleon Lescott, Matthew Upson and Stephen Warnock
• If Cole fails to recover from injury, replaced by Leighton Baines.
MID: James Milner, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon*, Stuart Downing
• If Lennon fails to recover from injury replaced with Shaun Wright – Philips
Att: Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey
What would be your squad for your World Cup?
* The original squad included David Beckham, who has subsequently being ruled out of the World Cup with a torn Achilles. Good luck Becks on your recovery.
The last month has been a poignant month for English Football Clubs. The well documented troubles at Portsmouth, the court battles of Cardiff City and Southend United. Clubs have succumbed to the pressure of the financial plight; Chester City and Farsley Celtic are no longer able to compete in their respective leagues. Both clubs hope to be reformed in leagues lower down the football pyramid, and we wish them success. For different reasons, although financial management is an issue, the Red Knights are reported to be preparing for a take over at Manchester United and dissatisfaction is widely reported at Liverpool with their owners.
The core to the problem is finance, clubs over stretching to compete in or reach the top. Many clubs do not have the correct financial structure or catchment area to achieve their dreams, for others it is simply mismanagement. The only solution to sustain the current level of investment and wages is unbearable and will rip the heritage from our clubs and sport. The Premier League, to become franchised and regionalised, with no promotion or relegation but licenses been awarded, and renewed on a regular basis. The Premier League being reduced to 18 clubs, the top 3 qualifying for the Champions League with the F.A.Cup winners claiming the 4th place, if they meet the restrictions of the competition. I almost feel sick writing it. One alternative is salary quotas, equal for each team. You can pay a player as much as you want within the set quota. Youth team players, who have been brought through that particular clubs system from a pre-agreed age and born within an agreed area from the club base, will not be added to the salary quota for the first 3 years of their professional contract. The benefits, the league will become more competitive and the development of our young players greatly increased. The quota will have to be realistic for each League. This is a very simplistic idea, and a more detailed structure would have to be built in, but not to complex. I would be interested to here your thoughts. I am afraid to save our clubs financial and operational restriction have to be in place. By all means pay a player a huge salary, but you will be unable to have a squad full of high earners, you can still have a squad packed with talent.
Let us be realistic, there are Club owners and Directors who are responsible in their actions and are more than familiar with the clubs heritage and passion within the community. There are international owners of our clubs, who are more than aware of the history, Mr Randy Lerner being one. We are only too aware of those who are not and sympathise with fans whose clubs are currently been torn apart by owners out to make quick profit and other agenda's. So the F.A. should be encouraged to follow the fitness test for club ownership that it has created but urged to be more stringent and equal for all in the process.
There are systems and procedures in place that allows for the vast sums of money received by the F.A, for image rights and broadcasting etc, to help fund the rest of footballs pyramid and its development in ALL areas. Remember talent does not just come from deprived areas, although I agree more intense assistance is needed for social as well as sporting reasons in those cases, but help is needed at clubs across our society. The procedure of funds filtered down from the Premier League and other sources of income should be even more accessible to grassroots of our sport. The fund, boosted by proceeds received for Football League competitions and private funding, will continue to help football grow, Total Football. Total administration. Again, structures for the process will need to be reviewed, made more efficient and affective and managed so that help is received at all levels.
The question of a play-off place for the 4th Champions League place has been floated and disappeared, probably never to be seen again. I mentioned the F.A.Cup in a moment of madness above, how is this for an idea? The winners of the F.A.Cup gain the 4th Champions League spot, as long as they finish the season within the top 16 of the Premier League, if not it reverts back to 4th place.
This has been dominated by Football this month, next edition we will look at the Super League, BBL and the 6 nations. Look out for the sport of Ringette, Adam will have more details soon. Finally it was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Keith Alexander. I never had the privilege of meeting Mr Alexander, but from all those who had and those who knew him well, he was one of life’s good men, sadly missed. Our thoughts go to his family and friends and the players, staff and fans at Macclesfield Town FC.
IN MEMORY OF KEITH ALEXANDER.
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