Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Over at the Occupied Country Steve has mixed feelings about the takeover of Manchester City by oil trillionaires. I know what he means, (at least our owner knows where the club is) but in reality the game has been going this way for a couple of decades, since the TV money meant that the actual game of football had been replaced by a consumer business with a passing resemblance to the former notion of a sport. Capitalism has certain immutable laws relating to the survival of the fittest, and letting the weak go to the wall, and Manchester City are just the latest example of a football club seeking to avoid hitting that wall.
I can forsee a time in the not too distant future when the weak-chinned public schoolboys that run the FA eventually allow US-style franchises to run football clubs, and Manchester City play some of their games in other countries where even more revenue can be generated. The notion of a "39th game" floated last year is just the forerunner of this. Never mind hanging on to your Academy, Steve, you just might be lucky if you are able to hang on to your club! Could be worse, anyway, you might just have Mike Ashley as your owner. At least your blokes don't pretend to be supporters.
My favourite quote about the takeover of City was from Noel Gallagher who said how good it felt to know that with every gallon of petrol Manchester United fans put in the tank... they were making a contribution to City!
I am dismayed at how football is totally geared towards TV, for example shifting kick-off times to inconvenience those fans who actually bother to attend, because Megacorp makes more money out of people sitting at home or in pubs (another gripe of mine: I avoid all pubs with screens or blaring music, & as a consequence my nights in the few pubs I visit are much better without being marred).
Like record companies, these scum are just trying to enrich themselves, & have priced working-class attenders who are the backbone of football out so they can sit around eating prawn sandwiches, drinking lager (no real beer, please), & braying about how big their cocks are, in a luxury lounge that they don't deign to leave to actually watch the match.
I don't mind foreign takeovers for the most part, but as far as I'm aware British companies (or indeed any foreign company) are not allowed to purchase firms in some Middle Eastern countries yet they are allowed free reign on our assets. Unless its a two way relationship, the government should put an end to this.
Ernesto said:
September 10, 2008 1:27 PM | permalink
And think of all the petrol that'll be used by the loyal Mancers from Polperro, Ebbw Vale, Belfast, Epsom, Dover........
September 9, 2008 5:02 PM | permalink
101% agreed.
I am dismayed at how football is totally geared towards TV, for example shifting kick-off times to inconvenience those fans who actually bother to attend, because Megacorp makes more money out of people sitting at home or in pubs (another gripe of mine: I avoid all pubs with screens or blaring music, & as a consequence my nights in the few pubs I visit are much better without being marred).
Like record companies, these scum are just trying to enrich themselves, & have priced working-class attenders who are the backbone of football out so they can sit around eating prawn sandwiches, drinking lager (no real beer, please), & braying about how big their cocks are, in a luxury lounge that they don't deign to leave to actually watch the match.