At least one journalist is standing up for us

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Newcastle supporters make their voice heard and Liverpool fans follow suit

By Henry Winter, Football Correspondent

 

Such are the myriad fears clinging to the national game, that Parliament will discuss whether fans are being priced out of football the moment the House returns from recess on Oct 6.

 

Although the intention is to focus on the rising cost of following football from the stand and the sofa as the credit crunch bites, the debate may also scrutinise the behaviour of owners from Newcastle to Liverpool.

 

The idea propagated by some romantics that everything in the English garden is rosy simply because Theo Walcott blossomed in Zagreb lacks credence in the eyes of many powerful figures at Westminster and vocal supporters from St James' Park to Anfield.

 

English football faces significant anxieties, from Wembley's finances to the indebtedness of Manchester United and Liverpool to players' wages, questionable owners, the crisis in the Academy system and the cost of watching matches in person and on satellite.

 

Fortunately, the Football Association now boast a strong, pragmatic leader in Lord Triesman determined to tackle many of these issues. Triesman's erstwhile political allies and sparring partners at Westminster are also gathering an all-party attack on the game's ills. They want to "see what can be done to ease the pain of ordinary football fans'' according to Don Foster, the Lib Dem Shadow Culture Secretary. Speaking at his party's conference in Bournemouth last night, Foster revealed alarming research that found 75 per cent of fans feel it is too expensive to go to matches. Of "lower-income'' families (earning less than £30,000 a year), 60 per cent "watch less sport than a few years ago''.

 

Usual cross-floor squabbling will be put to one side when Foster raises the issue in the House. Nigel Evans MP, the Conservative Culture Media and Sport select committee member, fears "the worrying trend'' that "so many people feel alienated'' from football.

 

Alan Keen MP, the Labour chairman of the All-Party Football Group, bemoans "expensive TV subscriptions'' and "the high cost of admission''. Keen also highlights the "detrimental effect'' of "very wealthy'' club owners polarising football between a few haves and a majority of have-nots. The pincer movement on football's problems comes from angry fans as well as concerned politicians. Anyone wanting to shake some perspective into English football should parade outside the Premier League's offices in central London with a banner declaring "Geordie Mafia In''. Newcastle fans have done the game a service by reminding everyone that supporters matter, that clubs cannot be messed about by businessmen like Mike Ashley.

 

Even if Ashley walks away with a £50 million profit from his dalliance with Newcastle, history will chronicle his departure as a victory for fan-power. The Toon Army fell out with Ashley over his marginalisation of Kevin Keegan in the club's transfer policy. Ashley made the mistake of ignoring both the 'Sheva Rule' and the 'Lerner Principle'. Andrei Shevchenko was beloved by Roman Abramovich at Chelsea but not by a collection of managers, from Jose Mourinho to Avram Grant and now Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Ukrainian departed a chastened figure.

 

Attention will now focus on Robinho at Manchester City. If the Brazilian's form dips, or tactics dictate a switch, will Mark Hughes drop him? The manager is a strong individual and he probably will not hesitate to do what is best for the team, not what is best for the club's brand-enhancement overseas.

 

Politicians and supporters should encourage owners to apply the 'Lerner Principle'. Randy Lerner wants to make money but his stewardship of Aston Villa appears enlightened unlike his fellow-Americans at Anfield. If George Gillett and Tom Hicks do sell up at Liverpool, their exit will partly be credited to groups like Spirit of Shankly, the fans who staged a march against the co-owners on Saturday. "For George Gillett to request a meeting with us shows they are hearing our message,'' said James McKenna of Spirit of Shankly. "Him and Hicks should take a leaf out of Mike Ashley's book, and admit when your time is up, and accept the blame for the wrongs they have done.''

 

At least the supporters' voice is being heard in Westminster. Oct 6 could prove the momentous date when Parliament decides to intervene in football.

[ewerk 27132]

You can always rely on Henry Winter to bring a bit of sense to the situation.

[Jimbo 133]

Winter is one of the few journos that I've any respect for.

[Guest alex]

Obviously it's what we want to hear in many ways but contrast this with the piece by Matthew Syed.

[ewerk 27132]

There's a lot of truth in what he says, for how long now has it been said that football was being taken away from the fans? What our fans have done is to effect change at the very highest level.

 

At the same time it could be said that Ashley didn't exactly put up much of a fight.

[Ketsbaia 0]

I've called Henry Winter every name under the sun over the past few months but this is a decent article.

[NJS 4041]

It's very easy for journalists and other fans (including some of ours) to jump on the "knuckle draggers force decent man out" bandwagon but this highlights the other side which is welcome.

[ewerk 27132]

I've called Henry Winter every name under the sun over the past few months but this is a decent article.

 

Why? Winter is generally decent and seems to have a soft spot for us.

[tinofbeans 91]

At the same time it could be said that Ashley didn't exactly put up much of a fight.

reasoning behind that is he wants to make £60m profit.

 

Good piece. winter and hugh Mcillaveny (prob spelt wrong) are the only 2 writers worth reading in sports journalism.

[The Fish 9340]

Obviously it's what we want to hear in many ways but contrast this with the piece by Matthew Syed.

Aye, this is written by a journalist, the other is written by a hack.

 

and NJS, do you honestly think it's "easy" to swim against the tide? And do you honestly think my argument (any argument) is without nuance? Ashley has made mistakes, but then he's compounded his errors. I've never said that he is a decent man, I'm just tired of the media whipping us into a frenzy and sit back and watch as we tear down the walls and try to start again, because above all else, we're the ones who are suffering from this constant upheaval.

 

I say patience, compromise and moderation are what this club needs. Not quick fixes and soap opera story lines.

[Ketsbaia 0]

I've called Henry Winter every name under the sun over the past few months but this is a decent article.

 

Why? Winter is generally decent and seems to have a soft spot for us.

 

IIRC he wrote a fairly unflattering article on us a few months back. I may be thinking of someone else mind.

[ChezGiven 0]

I've called Henry Winter every name under the sun over the past few months but this is a decent article.

 

Why? Winter is generally decent and seems to have a soft spot for us.

 

IIRC he wrote a fairly unflattering article on us a few months back. I may be thinking of someone else mind.

 

In the light of recent events, most people now realise the articles we saw over the summer were mostly true.

[Guest alex]

At the same time it could be said that Ashley didn't exactly put up much of a fight.

reasoning behind that is he wants to make £60m profit.

 

Good piece. winter and hugh Mcillaveny (prob spelt wrong) are the only 2 writers worth reading in sports journalism.

Pure class that man. I like Brian Glanville as well (also of the Sunday Times). Too old heads who've seen it all. Compare that with Rod Liddle who, amongst other things, has pretentions to be a sports writer in the same paper.