The Difference Between a Billion Dollars
By Andy Shenk
Grasping, greedy football projects litter the globe. Almost every country has at least one, offering insight into the ambitions of its owner as well as the political and cultural values of the place. Major League Soccer, the audacious North American experiment in ‘soccer’ commercialization, offers an entire miniature army of football ventures. Elsewhere, football may be centralised in one or two elite clubs, monopolies intended to dominate.
We had a chat with a man wearing his two scarves yesterday. Exclusive to Some People On The Pitch - don’t forget to follow us on Soundcloud and receive the latest sound bites.
The leaflet from the march in Huddersfield.
SPOTP Meets the FSF
By Jake Allingan
Football without fans is nothing. That is the mantra of countless supporters across contemporary Britain, yet today’s Huddersfield Town VS Hull City match in the npower Championship saw only 403 tickets sold by an away team whose following outside of the KC Stadium this season has been over 1,000 on a regular basis.
After the restrictions imposed by West Yorkshire Police upon Hull City supporters ahead of their game against Huddersfield Town, Tigers supporters organised a march in conjunction with the Football Supporters’ Federation and fans of The Terriers earlier today. Conor Murphy, Jake Allingan and Galina Skvortsov journeyed to Huddersfield town centre to have a look!
Victory in Wanderland
By Conor Murphy
Tequila, a good team, a Japanese play-maker and the religious experience of Wanderland. Having been born out of a schism between two reckless dullards who failed to work out their differences, they currently lead the A-League with the most furious support in the league.
Can Football Learn From Cricket?
By Jake Allingan
Cricket and football are two sports which traditionally aren’t the most intricately linked. Whilst one relies on vociferous supporters and a game played at a fast pace, the other counteracts that with a more moderate tempo and a serene setting which wouldn’t disrupt the drooling atmosphere of an old people’s home. Although steps have been taken in recent years to modernise cricket - such as the implementation of the Twenty20 game and video technology - old stereotypes die hard and the sport is still viewed through the goggles of yesteryear by many.
Last Tango in Russia
By Conor Murphy
The Russian Revolution was born out of a riot for food. Blood was shed, men killed, a 70 year fist drawn across Eastern Europe. It is poignant how, in that respect, the potential revolution across all of football could be started by a flare and a riot and could end with a footballing power bloc the like of which we have yet to see.
Hate Mail - Mercenaries
By Jake Allingan. Don’t forget to download our magazine at somepeopleonthepitch.co.uk/beapioneer. It will cleanse your footballing soul.
Today’s society carries an unhealthy obsession with money; like a boomerang that was an unwanted birthday present, it unfortunately can’t be disposed of. Although in the past it has been able to dictate some areas of our world, never has the inside of a man’s wallet been so dominant over the way we live.
Character Assassination
Craftily disguised polemic in a column otherwise known as Character Assassination - where no player is safe. Here Conor Murphy looks at the Transfer of David Beckham to PSG in the Transfer Window, and all his other, numerous, multi million pound transfers.
The Transfer of David Beckham to LA Galaxy propelled the MLS into a new sphere of searing heat. It basked in the sun and crisped its reputation, both as a series financial competitor and as a haven for retiring aged stars.
When Hamad Met Blatter
Henry Greenwood on football in the oil-rich state, Qatar, and how Arabian nights could become a regular occurrence in the future. Don’t forget to pre-order your copy of the Some People on the Pitch magazine at somepeopleonthepitch.co.uk/beapioneer.
Before 2010, you may not have heard football and Qatar, the small Arab state, in the same sentence before; it turns out they now go hand in hand thanks to the announcement that they will host the 2022 World Cup. You have to ask the question, however, of just how did one of the poorest of the Gulf states in 1971 (when it gained independence from Britain) get to the stage of hosting the world’s biggest sporting tournament?
