First there was discussion between gentlemen.
Then there were Umpires with the impartial Timekeeper to refer to.
Then came one Referee with Linesmen.
Then there were four Officials.
Then there were six Officials.
Then there was Goal Line Technology.
Then there was Video Assisted Refereeing.
Then ...
The football rules and the way to implement them on the pitch have evolved both before and after the founding of The Football Association and (later) the International Football Association Board. Many of the changes have been made to adapt the rules to the growing seriousness of the game and the remarkable speeding up of the play. You would also probably question if the level of gentlemanliness in today´s football is on a level high enough to do without referees.
The last few years, technology has been introduced to help the officials. From the voice communication system between the referee and the assistants, via Goal Line Technology we have lately became acquainted with Video Assisted Refereeing. So you would think that this, combined with the growing number of officials surrounding a game, would make every call crisp and clear. Well, think again. No one can say that the debate over right or wrong calls has disappeared or even diminished. Rather the IFAB, who is responsible for the rules through the yearly revised "The Laws of the game", seems to have put itself in a situation of being forced even to change the rules during a World Cup tournament. Moreover, many feel that a lot of the joy disappears when neither the players or the audience can be sure that a goal made will stand, when everything can be scrutinized by the VAR team.
I realize that there might be no way back in using technology that in theory should make the refereeing more correct. However, in parallell with that, I strongly would like us to go back to some basics that would make the play flow smoother, with fewer longueurs. There is a debate about the delays of play that are so common and so
often destroy the flow of the game. Should football use effective
playing time as in ice hockey or something in-between as in handball? I think it´s not necessarily a matter of changing the rules. To start with, it´s really about some simple reading and counting.
In Law number 13, section 3 you can read:
"..an opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly must be cautioned for delaying the restart of play.".
Please read it again:
"...an opponent who deliberately prevents a free kick being taken quickly must be cautioned for delaying the restart of play."
"Cautioned" means a yellow card. How many yellow cards have been given this season following this offence? How many would it take before we always would see the defending player take the proper position directly?
Law 12, section 2 states:
"An indirect free kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area ......controls the ball with the hand/arm for more than six seconds before releasing it." If you start counting you´ll find that in many, not to say the most, cases it usually takes 7-8 seconds, and it´s not that unusual to see the keeper hold on to the ball even 10 seconds. I don´t think I ever have seen a call against a goalkeeper breaking this rule. So, we have come to a point where we feel we need several video replays and an extra team of match officials to get more correct decisions about the whereabouts of a player´s nose in relation to another player´s chest, but we don´t care if the ref can´t count to six seconds.
A stricter interpretation of these two rules would of course not change anything when it comes to decide if a player has been in an offside position or if the ball has crossed the goal line, but it would certainly make the game more fun to watch. So, referees all over the world - start counting!
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Silly Season judges - better off without them!
The Silly Season is undoubtedly here. Transfers rumours are everywhere, all the time. Now and then some of them transform into done deals, some more silly then others. I mean, 235 million quid for a player with less than 20 international caps and less than one hundred Premier League appearances is just utterly ludicrous. Oh, sorry it wasn't 235, just 49? Well, the figures don't really seem to mean anything anyway.
As an eager tweeter, I'm amazed by the amount of arrogant judgements on if a player has made the right choice. "Asmir Begovic doesn´t really think he will play any matches for Chelsea, so he must just be after the salary! Nabil Bahoui of Swedish AIK is moving to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. That must be a VERY bad move for a 24-year old still in the beginning of his international career! Claire Lavogez doesn't have her heart in Montpellier! And why oh why would Big Zlatan ever move to Milan and miss the chance to play Champions League?"
You can quite rightfully criticise the lunacy of the transfer market, but are you and I in a position to criticise a certain player's choice?
Each and every player is (more or less) a grown-up man or woman with a unique set of life circumstances. Some are young, single and adventurous. Some are older with families to support. Some have grown up in the toughest suburbs of big cities, some in the safest and most prosperous. Among today´s top players there are more than a few that have awful memories from wars in West Africa or the Balkans.
We can't ever be certain how these circumstances influence a player's choice.
We all go through different phases in our lives, with different incentives. Most of us have other people to take into consideration before making life-changing decisions. Personally I would never move to another city if I didn´t think I could find a good school and a good life for my children. I would like to think that even the best athletes in the world actually are humans who care about their loved ones, don't you?
Moreover, there are of course the questions connected to the game itself. "Will I be able to compete for playing time? Who is manager? What kind of physiotherapy is there? What kind of football is played?" and so on.
I hope, and sincerely think, that our favourite players are mature enough to balance all aspects well enough. Now and then, time will show that someone perhaps took the wrong turn, but all put together, we as outsiders should refrain ourselves from playing presumptuous judges in advance. We should respect the players' choices!
That said, humble analysing and speculations are always welcome! That's what makes the Silly Season sizzle!
As an eager tweeter, I'm amazed by the amount of arrogant judgements on if a player has made the right choice. "Asmir Begovic doesn´t really think he will play any matches for Chelsea, so he must just be after the salary! Nabil Bahoui of Swedish AIK is moving to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia. That must be a VERY bad move for a 24-year old still in the beginning of his international career! Claire Lavogez doesn't have her heart in Montpellier! And why oh why would Big Zlatan ever move to Milan and miss the chance to play Champions League?"
You can quite rightfully criticise the lunacy of the transfer market, but are you and I in a position to criticise a certain player's choice?
Each and every player is (more or less) a grown-up man or woman with a unique set of life circumstances. Some are young, single and adventurous. Some are older with families to support. Some have grown up in the toughest suburbs of big cities, some in the safest and most prosperous. Among today´s top players there are more than a few that have awful memories from wars in West Africa or the Balkans.
We can't ever be certain how these circumstances influence a player's choice.
We all go through different phases in our lives, with different incentives. Most of us have other people to take into consideration before making life-changing decisions. Personally I would never move to another city if I didn´t think I could find a good school and a good life for my children. I would like to think that even the best athletes in the world actually are humans who care about their loved ones, don't you?
Moreover, there are of course the questions connected to the game itself. "Will I be able to compete for playing time? Who is manager? What kind of physiotherapy is there? What kind of football is played?" and so on.
I hope, and sincerely think, that our favourite players are mature enough to balance all aspects well enough. Now and then, time will show that someone perhaps took the wrong turn, but all put together, we as outsiders should refrain ourselves from playing presumptuous judges in advance. We should respect the players' choices!
That said, humble analysing and speculations are always welcome! That's what makes the Silly Season sizzle!
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Saturday celebrations
Today I just want to be a happy football fan and celebrate the efforts of:
- Crusaders FC of Belfast, who virtually have secured the Northern Ireland Premiership title.
- Arsenal, who by beating Burnley (albeit by only one goal) now have a Premier League winning streak of 8 matches.
- Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace, who achieved a hat-trick in 11 minutes against Sunderland.
- Mia Jalkerud of Djurgårdens IF, who scored a double hattrick - in one half - in the first round of Swedish top tier Allsvenskan.
- The eleven years old boys of my own team who in good spirits showed up at 7.45 AM for their first Saturday training session this spring.
Yep, that felt good!
- Crusaders FC of Belfast, who virtually have secured the Northern Ireland Premiership title.
- Arsenal, who by beating Burnley (albeit by only one goal) now have a Premier League winning streak of 8 matches.
- Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace, who achieved a hat-trick in 11 minutes against Sunderland.
- Mia Jalkerud of Djurgårdens IF, who scored a double hattrick - in one half - in the first round of Swedish top tier Allsvenskan.
- The eleven years old boys of my own team who in good spirits showed up at 7.45 AM for their first Saturday training session this spring.
Yep, that felt good!
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
All that was needed: Swiss coffee and croissants
The 6th of June is Sweden´s National Day. Television viewers will, as every year, by live broadcasting watch the royal family attend the ceremonies in Stockholm. The 6th of June is also the day when the king of Swedish football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, may at last win the UEFA Champions League.
While the ceremonies in Stockholm are going on, some 70 000 out-of-city football fans will take the U-bahn or the S-bahn and head towards western Berlin and start filling up the imposing Olympiastadion.Together with me and hundreds of millions other viewers in front of screens of all sizes, they will follow the fate of the players lucky enough, or rather skilful enough, to reach the final of the world´s biggest club tournament. Starting at 8.45 CEST, we will all hopefully witness ninety minutes (and then some) filled with fabulous football and big excitement. May the best team win!
By the time the teams have left the pitch and the stands of the Olympiastadion are emptied, two other nervous teams will be warming up far far away, eight time zones westwards. In Edmonton, Canada, the host nation will face the People´s Republic of China in the opening match of the Women´s World Cup, hopefully in front of a capacity crowd of 54,000. Kick-off is set to 4 pm local time. That´s less than ninety minutes after the final whistle of the Berlin match.
As I´ve written in an earlier post there are signs that 2015 can be a breakthrough year for women´s football. Great efforts are made in marketing the World Cup, and more than 600,000 tickets have been sold by the end of March (link here).
The two most powerful football organisations FIFA and UEFA both talk and write about the importance of supporting the development of women´s and girls´football in different ways. However, with these two matches being played on the same day, a lot of potential attention will be drawn from the match in Edmonton. The Champions League final is a huge, huge match, and there are not many events that would not lose the battle for attention with the build-up talk for a clash between Bayern München and FC Barcelona or between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
I don´t know which schedule was set first, and it doesn´t matter. If UEFA and FIFA really meant something with their words on women´s football, they could have just sat down and reached an agreement over some coffee and a few croissants. If the 256 km distance between Nyon and Zürich felt too far to travel, they could have settled with one or two domestic calls.
I can easily accept that the Champions League final is played on Sweden´s National Day, but it will be much harder to overcome the lack of decency in not caring for the top athletes of the World Cup. FIFA and UEFA have a lot of work to do if they want some credibility in this matter. For starters UEFA could celebrate Easter by announcing major changes in the prize money structure and the choice of venues for the Women´s Champions League 2015-16, but that´s a totally different sad story.
While the ceremonies in Stockholm are going on, some 70 000 out-of-city football fans will take the U-bahn or the S-bahn and head towards western Berlin and start filling up the imposing Olympiastadion.Together with me and hundreds of millions other viewers in front of screens of all sizes, they will follow the fate of the players lucky enough, or rather skilful enough, to reach the final of the world´s biggest club tournament. Starting at 8.45 CEST, we will all hopefully witness ninety minutes (and then some) filled with fabulous football and big excitement. May the best team win!
By the time the teams have left the pitch and the stands of the Olympiastadion are emptied, two other nervous teams will be warming up far far away, eight time zones westwards. In Edmonton, Canada, the host nation will face the People´s Republic of China in the opening match of the Women´s World Cup, hopefully in front of a capacity crowd of 54,000. Kick-off is set to 4 pm local time. That´s less than ninety minutes after the final whistle of the Berlin match.
As I´ve written in an earlier post there are signs that 2015 can be a breakthrough year for women´s football. Great efforts are made in marketing the World Cup, and more than 600,000 tickets have been sold by the end of March (link here).
The two most powerful football organisations FIFA and UEFA both talk and write about the importance of supporting the development of women´s and girls´football in different ways. However, with these two matches being played on the same day, a lot of potential attention will be drawn from the match in Edmonton. The Champions League final is a huge, huge match, and there are not many events that would not lose the battle for attention with the build-up talk for a clash between Bayern München and FC Barcelona or between Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
I don´t know which schedule was set first, and it doesn´t matter. If UEFA and FIFA really meant something with their words on women´s football, they could have just sat down and reached an agreement over some coffee and a few croissants. If the 256 km distance between Nyon and Zürich felt too far to travel, they could have settled with one or two domestic calls.
I can easily accept that the Champions League final is played on Sweden´s National Day, but it will be much harder to overcome the lack of decency in not caring for the top athletes of the World Cup. FIFA and UEFA have a lot of work to do if they want some credibility in this matter. For starters UEFA could celebrate Easter by announcing major changes in the prize money structure and the choice of venues for the Women´s Champions League 2015-16, but that´s a totally different sad story.
Friday, February 06, 2015
2015 - The Big Breakthrough for Women´s Football?
In July 2013 more than 41,000 people gathered in Solna, just outside Stockholm to watch the final of UEFA Women's Euro 2013. In November 2014 England and Germany attracted a record attendance of 45,000 to Wembley stadium.
In France, the first division is dominated by Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais. In England´s Super League Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea struggle. In the top of the tables in Germany and Spain you find household names like Wolfsburg, Bayern München, FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Perhaps the time has come for women´s football to take the next step towards more attention. The big clubs seem to see the potential value to their brands. If the clubs work together with FIFA and the continental associations in highlighting the achievements of top female players, it could result in more young girls playing and following the game (and buying jerseys and calendars).
I think football can strengthen girls and that girls strengthen football. (Read here about the project "Futebol dá forca" to get an idea of what the further implications can be.)
It´s not that strange that women´s football doesn´t get as much attention as men´s. Whatever the issue is, I think that it usually takes at least two generations to really achieve a change in general attitude. Women´s football has of course been around in some form as long as men´s, but it was not until the 1970´s that it began to wear a somewhat more modern costume, with semi-professional teams in Italy. The first World Cup was arranged in 1991 with just twelve teams. Now another 24 years have passed and we are looking forward to the World Cup in Canada. With a record number of 24 teams the tournament promises to be a success, judging from the U20 World Cup last year which attracted tens of thousand spectators.. Could it be that in the future we might look back at 2015 as the year women´s football got a real breakthrough? I repeat the last lines from my post during the U20 tournament, aiming at Canada 2015:
Hopefully, the media attention will be bigger than ever.
The players deserve it.
Young football-loving girls all over the world deserve it.
We all would benefit from it.
In France, the first division is dominated by Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais. In England´s Super League Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea struggle. In the top of the tables in Germany and Spain you find household names like Wolfsburg, Bayern München, FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Perhaps the time has come for women´s football to take the next step towards more attention. The big clubs seem to see the potential value to their brands. If the clubs work together with FIFA and the continental associations in highlighting the achievements of top female players, it could result in more young girls playing and following the game (and buying jerseys and calendars).
I think football can strengthen girls and that girls strengthen football. (Read here about the project "Futebol dá forca" to get an idea of what the further implications can be.)
It´s not that strange that women´s football doesn´t get as much attention as men´s. Whatever the issue is, I think that it usually takes at least two generations to really achieve a change in general attitude. Women´s football has of course been around in some form as long as men´s, but it was not until the 1970´s that it began to wear a somewhat more modern costume, with semi-professional teams in Italy. The first World Cup was arranged in 1991 with just twelve teams. Now another 24 years have passed and we are looking forward to the World Cup in Canada. With a record number of 24 teams the tournament promises to be a success, judging from the U20 World Cup last year which attracted tens of thousand spectators.. Could it be that in the future we might look back at 2015 as the year women´s football got a real breakthrough? I repeat the last lines from my post during the U20 tournament, aiming at Canada 2015:
Hopefully, the media attention will be bigger than ever.
The players deserve it.
Young football-loving girls all over the world deserve it.
We all would benefit from it.
Monday, December 29, 2014
New challengers - or...?
Lately AFC Bournemouth have continued to impress in the English second tier The Championship, with five straight victories. They will celebrate the new year as league leaders. In the German Bundesliga FC Augsburg are upsetting the top teams, now in sixth place. I love to see new clubs breaking ground. But hey, are these REALLY new clubs in top football?
For most of us our childhood experiences defines normality, whether it concerns sports, politics or technical gadgets. I still think it's a bit odd that the Swedish parliament consists of eight parties and not five. After 25 years, a united Germany is still kind of a new concept to me, since the wall stood my whole childhood. Streaming services aside, I'm amazed by the more than 13 or 57 channels to choose from on television.
When IFK Göteborg were promoted to the Swedish top tier in 1976, I saw them as a new team that probably wouldn't challenge the likes of AIK and Malmö FF. I later realised that this was one of the big clubs with seven championships, and that they only quite recently had been relegated. Of course they stayed up and later won the UEFA cup twice.
Many youngsters today probably look at my favourite English team in the same way. It was only a few years ago that Stoke City reached the Premier League. However, if you read your football history you'll learn that the club was founded back in 1863, and was one of the original league clubs (I'm sorry to say that great victories are scarce, to say the least...).
We need to make our young ones realise that by learning about history, you understand more about the present. As a Stoke fan I can read about the decline of the pottery and mining industry, partly coninciding with the club's years in the third division. Then I can reflect on the success of gambling giant Bet365, coinciding with the re-establishment of The Potters as a PL club.
If you read about Spanish history (e.g. in Jimmy Burns' excellent "Barça - a People´s Passion") you get a better understanding of why FC Barcelona is so much "more than a club". You can read about the shipping trade to get clues on the origins of many of the great European football clubs.
What about Bournemouth and Augsburg, then? Well, Bournemouth would actually be a new club in the top tier if promoted. Augsburg currently play their fourth season in the Bundesliga, so they have to be considered a new challenger. I will welcome Bournemouth to the Premier League and will be happy to analyse the importance of the fact that their hometown´s population has grown by 15% percent since the birth of the Premier League, and that their stadium is sponsored by a "lifestyle concierge services" company.
For most of us our childhood experiences defines normality, whether it concerns sports, politics or technical gadgets. I still think it's a bit odd that the Swedish parliament consists of eight parties and not five. After 25 years, a united Germany is still kind of a new concept to me, since the wall stood my whole childhood. Streaming services aside, I'm amazed by the more than 13 or 57 channels to choose from on television.
When IFK Göteborg were promoted to the Swedish top tier in 1976, I saw them as a new team that probably wouldn't challenge the likes of AIK and Malmö FF. I later realised that this was one of the big clubs with seven championships, and that they only quite recently had been relegated. Of course they stayed up and later won the UEFA cup twice.
Many youngsters today probably look at my favourite English team in the same way. It was only a few years ago that Stoke City reached the Premier League. However, if you read your football history you'll learn that the club was founded back in 1863, and was one of the original league clubs (I'm sorry to say that great victories are scarce, to say the least...).
We need to make our young ones realise that by learning about history, you understand more about the present. As a Stoke fan I can read about the decline of the pottery and mining industry, partly coninciding with the club's years in the third division. Then I can reflect on the success of gambling giant Bet365, coinciding with the re-establishment of The Potters as a PL club.
If you read about Spanish history (e.g. in Jimmy Burns' excellent "Barça - a People´s Passion") you get a better understanding of why FC Barcelona is so much "more than a club". You can read about the shipping trade to get clues on the origins of many of the great European football clubs.
What about Bournemouth and Augsburg, then? Well, Bournemouth would actually be a new club in the top tier if promoted. Augsburg currently play their fourth season in the Bundesliga, so they have to be considered a new challenger. I will welcome Bournemouth to the Premier League and will be happy to analyse the importance of the fact that their hometown´s population has grown by 15% percent since the birth of the Premier League, and that their stadium is sponsored by a "lifestyle concierge services" company.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Congrats Føroyar!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
The day the result really, really, really didn´t matter
For totally different reasons the friendly between Sweden and Germany in Örebro this evening became a game where the result mattered next to nothing, at least for most Swedish football fans.
This morning, one of the country´s rare World Cup medalists, Klas Ingesson, passed away after a few years' illness. He was an admired teammate, as a player, coach and manager. It´s just over two weeks since the death of Brommapojkarna´s captain Pontus Segerström (see "A Day of Sorrow"), and just a few days since the events in South Africa. October is very dark this year.
Read more about Ingesson here (The Guardian).
Immensely more uplifting is what happened on the pitch. Two great Swedish records were set. Lotta Schelin of Olympique Lyonnais became the national team´s best goal-scorer in history with her 73rd goal, surpassing Hanna Ljungberg. Therese Sjögran of FC Rosengård made her 200th appearance in the national jersey. This is more than any man, and puts her in top 15-20 or so among women.
This post will not contain any opinion or arguments.
Tonight it suffices to say:
Congratulations Lotta and Therese!
Rest in peace Klabbe!
This morning, one of the country´s rare World Cup medalists, Klas Ingesson, passed away after a few years' illness. He was an admired teammate, as a player, coach and manager. It´s just over two weeks since the death of Brommapojkarna´s captain Pontus Segerström (see "A Day of Sorrow"), and just a few days since the events in South Africa. October is very dark this year.
Read more about Ingesson here (The Guardian).
Immensely more uplifting is what happened on the pitch. Two great Swedish records were set. Lotta Schelin of Olympique Lyonnais became the national team´s best goal-scorer in history with her 73rd goal, surpassing Hanna Ljungberg. Therese Sjögran of FC Rosengård made her 200th appearance in the national jersey. This is more than any man, and puts her in top 15-20 or so among women.
This post will not contain any opinion or arguments.
Tonight it suffices to say:
Congratulations Lotta and Therese!
Rest in peace Klabbe!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
New icons in Central America
We are used to see The United States qualifying, but today I want to bring some attention to Las Ticas. They have copied the achievement of their compatriots La Sele or Los Ticos. If you still need some clues on what I´m going on about, I give you the heroes from Fortaleza and Recife: Keylor Navas, Cristian Bolaños and Celso Borges.
On Friday night Costa Rica perhaps got some new icons when their women´s national team qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever. After a 1-1 draw against Trinidad & Tobago the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Katherine Alvarado, Carol Sánchez and Wendy Acosta all scored while the goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz, amazingly enough, saved three penalties in a row, securing the historic victory.
The come-back from a knee injury that almost made her quit football and the saving of three penalties (quite week ones, but still) in a decisive WC qualifier is more than enough to make Diaz a proper "Heroina".
I hope Costa Rica and its football federation will support the ladies on their road to Canada to give them a chance to upset the big countries like the men did last summer. The game gains from old champions being challenged, and young girls in any country can get strength from the success of female athletes in male-dominated sports.
Viva Las Ticas!
Diaz´s saves (video)
On Friday night Costa Rica perhaps got some new icons when their women´s national team qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever. After a 1-1 draw against Trinidad & Tobago the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Katherine Alvarado, Carol Sánchez and Wendy Acosta all scored while the goalkeeper Dinnia Diaz, amazingly enough, saved three penalties in a row, securing the historic victory.
The come-back from a knee injury that almost made her quit football and the saving of three penalties (quite week ones, but still) in a decisive WC qualifier is more than enough to make Diaz a proper "Heroina".
I hope Costa Rica and its football federation will support the ladies on their road to Canada to give them a chance to upset the big countries like the men did last summer. The game gains from old champions being challenged, and young girls in any country can get strength from the success of female athletes in male-dominated sports.
Viva Las Ticas!
Diaz´s saves (video)
Monday, October 13, 2014
A day of sorrow
This post will be a little more personal than usual.
After several weeks of inactivity I had planned to write something about the ongoing Euro qualifiers. It could have been some words on the soon-to-be record holder Wayne Rooney or the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Perhaps more in the style of this blog, it could have been about Ebba Wieder, Camille Surdez and the other young women struggling to qualify for the U17 Championship.
However, this day became a sad day in Swedish football. The Stockholm club IF Brommapojkarna, my club, announced that the captain of the top tier men´s team, Pontus Segerström had passed away during the night, 33 years old. It was just this August the brain tumour that ultimately ended his short life was discovered. He leaves behind a wife and two kids.
He also leaves behind a club in deep sorrow. Pontus Segerström was not just an ordinary player or even an ordinary captain. He was one of few "old" players in a club mostly consisting of youngsters between 18 and 24. Several referred to him as something of a father rather than a brother.
It has since long been clear that Brommapojkarna will be relegated this year. As always when tragedy strikes, the outcome of matches and series lose in importance. It sometimes even feels meaningless to play at all.
Still, we know that the remaining players WILL play again. Pontus´ teammates will face AIK on Sunday. The same day I will myself coach my 10 years old "Boys from Bromma" in this year´s last competition. We will play, because Pontus would never had wanted anyone in his club to refrain from playing the game he loved for his sake, and we will dedicate our efforts to him.
Later we will keep on playing week after week, year after year. Most of the time, we will struggle, win and lose without giving him a thought. Now and then, though, when the sun shines on the football fields in the western suburbs of Stockholm, his spirit will strengthen us and lead us to new victories.
IF Brommapojkarna (official website)
After several weeks of inactivity I had planned to write something about the ongoing Euro qualifiers. It could have been some words on the soon-to-be record holder Wayne Rooney or the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Perhaps more in the style of this blog, it could have been about Ebba Wieder, Camille Surdez and the other young women struggling to qualify for the U17 Championship.
However, this day became a sad day in Swedish football. The Stockholm club IF Brommapojkarna, my club, announced that the captain of the top tier men´s team, Pontus Segerström had passed away during the night, 33 years old. It was just this August the brain tumour that ultimately ended his short life was discovered. He leaves behind a wife and two kids.
He also leaves behind a club in deep sorrow. Pontus Segerström was not just an ordinary player or even an ordinary captain. He was one of few "old" players in a club mostly consisting of youngsters between 18 and 24. Several referred to him as something of a father rather than a brother.
It has since long been clear that Brommapojkarna will be relegated this year. As always when tragedy strikes, the outcome of matches and series lose in importance. It sometimes even feels meaningless to play at all.
Still, we know that the remaining players WILL play again. Pontus´ teammates will face AIK on Sunday. The same day I will myself coach my 10 years old "Boys from Bromma" in this year´s last competition. We will play, because Pontus would never had wanted anyone in his club to refrain from playing the game he loved for his sake, and we will dedicate our efforts to him.
Later we will keep on playing week after week, year after year. Most of the time, we will struggle, win and lose without giving him a thought. Now and then, though, when the sun shines on the football fields in the western suburbs of Stockholm, his spirit will strengthen us and lead us to new victories.
IF Brommapojkarna (official website)
Saturday, September 06, 2014
"It has to be Gordon Banks!" - or has it?
"It has to be Gordon Banks!"
That was my answer when asked by PottersForum on Twitter who's the best player I´ve seen play for my favourite English club Stoke City. It felt natural, and it wasn´t until next day I reconsidered. I didn't replace Banksey with Peter Shilton, Mark Chamberlain or Peter Crouch, however good they may have played. Rather, I reconsidered the whole question. Is it really possible to pick one top player?
Who is the greatest swimmer of all times? It´s not that easy to choose from Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps or Dawn Fraser. They all won great success, but in different eras in different circumstances.
Most people would probably rank Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer. ESPN doesn´t. (link here)
Was Eduardo Mangiarotti a better fencer than Aladár Gerevich?
These are examples from sports measuring individual efforts. In football, the success of one player is always depending on the teammates.
Fans and journalists all over the world are counting and compiling statistics on goalscorers, completed passes, penalty saves et cetera, which is marvellous and fun. These achievements do of course influence the results, but at the end of the 90 minutes (and then some) it is the team that wins the match, through the sum of all individual efforts.
I reluctantly accept that great players like Neymar, Zlatan and Messi become icons for youngsters all over the world, and perhaps the game needs them to keep up the interest (and to sell zillions worth of of merchandise). However, the sometimes obsessive need to pick The Top Player of the year or the tournament or in all history, just shows an unprofessional lack of understanding of the mechanisms of the game. For one thing, how do we explain that only three defenders have been awarded the Ballon d'Or in nearly sixty years?
To say that Lionel Messi has to win the World Cup to be considered as the best player ever is not only insulting to him. It also belittles the efforts of Vavá, Rivellino, Burruchaga and Passarella. You know, Pelé and Maradona didn´t win their World Cups by themselves.
I want young players to recognise the strength of the team effort, and the fact that no one can win great football success without good teammates. Athletes, parents and leaders hungry for individual glory should try other sports.
Post Scriptum:
A clear candidate for the "Perhaps Best Stoke Player Ever If One Could Choose Just One" award would of course be one I'm too young to have had the pleasure of watching play, and who actually won the very first Ballon d'Or in 1956: Sir Stanley Matthews.
That was my answer when asked by PottersForum on Twitter who's the best player I´ve seen play for my favourite English club Stoke City. It felt natural, and it wasn´t until next day I reconsidered. I didn't replace Banksey with Peter Shilton, Mark Chamberlain or Peter Crouch, however good they may have played. Rather, I reconsidered the whole question. Is it really possible to pick one top player?
Who is the greatest swimmer of all times? It´s not that easy to choose from Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps or Dawn Fraser. They all won great success, but in different eras in different circumstances.
Most people would probably rank Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer. ESPN doesn´t. (link here)
Was Eduardo Mangiarotti a better fencer than Aladár Gerevich?
These are examples from sports measuring individual efforts. In football, the success of one player is always depending on the teammates.
Fans and journalists all over the world are counting and compiling statistics on goalscorers, completed passes, penalty saves et cetera, which is marvellous and fun. These achievements do of course influence the results, but at the end of the 90 minutes (and then some) it is the team that wins the match, through the sum of all individual efforts.
I reluctantly accept that great players like Neymar, Zlatan and Messi become icons for youngsters all over the world, and perhaps the game needs them to keep up the interest (and to sell zillions worth of of merchandise). However, the sometimes obsessive need to pick The Top Player of the year or the tournament or in all history, just shows an unprofessional lack of understanding of the mechanisms of the game. For one thing, how do we explain that only three defenders have been awarded the Ballon d'Or in nearly sixty years?
To say that Lionel Messi has to win the World Cup to be considered as the best player ever is not only insulting to him. It also belittles the efforts of Vavá, Rivellino, Burruchaga and Passarella. You know, Pelé and Maradona didn´t win their World Cups by themselves.
I want young players to recognise the strength of the team effort, and the fact that no one can win great football success without good teammates. Athletes, parents and leaders hungry for individual glory should try other sports.
Post Scriptum:
A clear candidate for the "Perhaps Best Stoke Player Ever If One Could Choose Just One" award would of course be one I'm too young to have had the pleasure of watching play, and who actually won the very first Ballon d'Or in 1956: Sir Stanley Matthews.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
How much can my love withstand?
The plan was to write something joyful about my twelve-year-old daughter´s first participation in a tournament abroad. I also wanted to share a little of the good feeling coming from my own first post-WorldCup/EuropaLeague-summer match as a coach for my son´s team.
However, my mood was darkened early this morning by the news that Cameroonian striker Albert Ebossé had been killed in Algeria. Killed just after a match by someone calling himself (probably not a woman, I reckon) a football supporter. I can´t write with joy.
My daughter has returned home. My son scored twice.
I´m still in a dark mood.
How much can my love for football withstand? How much violence will it take before I tell my kids to quit playing the game they love?
There are, of course, no straight answers. Today, I just hope Algerian supporters from all teams can refrain themselves from vengeful rage, stop the madness of stone-throwing, and instead stand up for less violence in and around the football arenas.
However, my mood was darkened early this morning by the news that Cameroonian striker Albert Ebossé had been killed in Algeria. Killed just after a match by someone calling himself (probably not a woman, I reckon) a football supporter. I can´t write with joy.
My daughter has returned home. My son scored twice.
I´m still in a dark mood.
How much can my love for football withstand? How much violence will it take before I tell my kids to quit playing the game they love?
There are, of course, no straight answers. Today, I just hope Algerian supporters from all teams can refrain themselves from vengeful rage, stop the madness of stone-throwing, and instead stand up for less violence in and around the football arenas.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
A teenaged football hero
Martin Ödegaard has been selected to represent the national team of Norway, at the mere age of fifteen. That's obviously the News of Today in the football world, and most football bloggers in Europe will probably write more than a few lines about him. I will leave him with some good luck wishes and then turn my, and hopefully your attention towards another teenager. A real hero.
Last Sunday I watched my twelve year old daughter play in a big youth tournament in the western suburbs of Stockholm. As always on these occasions the ground was bustling with joyful and anticipating young boys and girls, hundreds of them, together with their coaches and families. The August sun was shining. Games were going on on six pitches. Parents were serving hamburgers and coffee.
As a father it makes me happy to see my girl be a part of this, and to be a part of it myself.
However, as a father and football lover it also made me very sad to see and hear the behaviour shown by some of the parents and leaders. Let me be a bit clearer. I mean the behaviour shown by some of the male parents.
While my daughter and her teammates were preparing for their quarter-final, I witnessed a tight game between two very good teams of eleven year old boys. As usual the referee was just a few years older than the players. This one was perhaps sixteen years old. As always, there were no assistant referees to help him, nor any fourth official. Furthermore, I´m afraid the goal line technology is not implemented in the Swedish youth leagues yet. Still, the aforementioned parents, I mean fathers, were so engaged in their sons' potential success or failure, and so convinced of their own football knowledge, that they regularly let out loud shouts, protesting against the ref´s decisions.
Generally, the level of engagement from some of these parent, I mean fathers, was actually pretty scaring. The never-ending shouting, telling the kids to do this or that, and the sometimes merciless criticizing of the referee is not only detrimental to their own health and the good spirit of the sport, but also plain stupid. The referees are all in the beginning of a potential career. It may be their very first season, or even their first game. For every young referee that the stupid parents, I mean fathers, make quit the trade because it's not worth the effort, the risk grows that the kids actually can´t play as many good games. Their own kids. My kids.
I hope this guy, in spite of all, walked away from this game with a good feeling, since he actually was a good referee. If he can withstand all the negativity he will meet from some parents and leaders (and from the young players sadly mimicking the adults) a few more years, he will be a bigger hero than he already is.
Last Sunday I watched my twelve year old daughter play in a big youth tournament in the western suburbs of Stockholm. As always on these occasions the ground was bustling with joyful and anticipating young boys and girls, hundreds of them, together with their coaches and families. The August sun was shining. Games were going on on six pitches. Parents were serving hamburgers and coffee.
As a father it makes me happy to see my girl be a part of this, and to be a part of it myself.
However, as a father and football lover it also made me very sad to see and hear the behaviour shown by some of the parents and leaders. Let me be a bit clearer. I mean the behaviour shown by some of the male parents.
While my daughter and her teammates were preparing for their quarter-final, I witnessed a tight game between two very good teams of eleven year old boys. As usual the referee was just a few years older than the players. This one was perhaps sixteen years old. As always, there were no assistant referees to help him, nor any fourth official. Furthermore, I´m afraid the goal line technology is not implemented in the Swedish youth leagues yet. Still, the aforementioned parents, I mean fathers, were so engaged in their sons' potential success or failure, and so convinced of their own football knowledge, that they regularly let out loud shouts, protesting against the ref´s decisions.
Generally, the level of engagement from some of these parent, I mean fathers, was actually pretty scaring. The never-ending shouting, telling the kids to do this or that, and the sometimes merciless criticizing of the referee is not only detrimental to their own health and the good spirit of the sport, but also plain stupid. The referees are all in the beginning of a potential career. It may be their very first season, or even their first game. For every young referee that the stupid parents, I mean fathers, make quit the trade because it's not worth the effort, the risk grows that the kids actually can´t play as many good games. Their own kids. My kids.
I hope this guy, in spite of all, walked away from this game with a good feeling, since he actually was a good referee. If he can withstand all the negativity he will meet from some parents and leaders (and from the young players sadly mimicking the adults) a few more years, he will be a bigger hero than he already is.
Saturday, August 09, 2014
The evening belonged to Black Army
When Bauyrzhan Dzholchiev all too easily put the ball behind the keeper Patric Carlgren, making it 3-0, the European dream died for the Swedish hosts AIK. The guests FC Astana from Kazakhstan won 4-1 on aggregate and thereby advanced to the play-off round of the European League for the first time in the club´s short history.
The performances of the AIK players this evening in Friends Arena didn´t make anyone wearing the black and yellow colours feel any pride, but something else should have. Just a few seconds after the last goal, the fans on the northern stand started to sing "Que sera sera, vi håller på AIK (=we support AIK)", and they kept tirelessly on singing and chanting for the last twenty minutes. The fan group called "Black Army" has through the last 35 years mainly been known for the hooligan activities that often, but in very varying amount, have been present during and around the matches and away trips. During the matches I´ve seen the last couple of years, I have been impressed by the positive attitude that almost totally has dominated the northern stand, even when the players underperform like last Thursday. The songs and chants are about the own team, any booing against the referee is soon replaced by more singing and so on. The trend was there earlier, but I think the sudden death of the goalkeeper Ivan Turina in 2013 made a difference. The whole club gathered in shock and common mourning.
Sadly enough, in the section I was sitting together with my kids you could not avoid a totally different attitude. Men in their forties and fifties (yes, all of them were) were shouting and swearing the whole game. It was almost always in a negative manner, complaining about the performances of the players they claim to support. How they can endure and perhaps enjoy being in a negative mood for ninety minutes beats me. It was a depressing experience and next time I will try another section.
I wish the good forces will prevail, and that the atmosphere in the football arenas my kids will visit in the future will be one of joy and sportsmanship. I wish that spectators not accepting this will stay at home.
The performances of the AIK players this evening in Friends Arena didn´t make anyone wearing the black and yellow colours feel any pride, but something else should have. Just a few seconds after the last goal, the fans on the northern stand started to sing "Que sera sera, vi håller på AIK (=we support AIK)", and they kept tirelessly on singing and chanting for the last twenty minutes. The fan group called "Black Army" has through the last 35 years mainly been known for the hooligan activities that often, but in very varying amount, have been present during and around the matches and away trips. During the matches I´ve seen the last couple of years, I have been impressed by the positive attitude that almost totally has dominated the northern stand, even when the players underperform like last Thursday. The songs and chants are about the own team, any booing against the referee is soon replaced by more singing and so on. The trend was there earlier, but I think the sudden death of the goalkeeper Ivan Turina in 2013 made a difference. The whole club gathered in shock and common mourning.
Sadly enough, in the section I was sitting together with my kids you could not avoid a totally different attitude. Men in their forties and fifties (yes, all of them were) were shouting and swearing the whole game. It was almost always in a negative manner, complaining about the performances of the players they claim to support. How they can endure and perhaps enjoy being in a negative mood for ninety minutes beats me. It was a depressing experience and next time I will try another section.
I wish the good forces will prevail, and that the atmosphere in the football arenas my kids will visit in the future will be one of joy and sportsmanship. I wish that spectators not accepting this will stay at home.
Thursday, August 07, 2014
Another World Cup to follow, and another.
Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal. These are since long well-known places for ice hockey fans all over the world. Moncton is not. For three August weeks, these four cities will draw interest from people mainly interested in football, the soccer variety, that is. Since we are in the middle of the European pre-season with daily transfer rumours and big friendlies like Arsenal vs Boreham Wood, there is some competition for the attention by fans and media, but there is a big championship going on in the land of maple leafs.
Partly as a rehearsal for next year's senior world cup, Canada is hosting the U-20 World Cup.
Probably you understand, or already knew, that it´s not real football going on, but the kind played by women. Well, the rules are the same, the playing time is the same, but still... I mean, they don´t play as GOOD as all men, and they don´t earn as much money, so you can´t really call it football, can you?
The tournament started on Tuesday, and I´m very (unironically) pleased to see how much FIFA is highlighting it on their website. It massively headlines the start page, and you can read a lot about every team and follow every match live.
The first four matches drew a total attendance of almost 50,000. I think that's as remarkable as the 41,000 attending the Women´s Euro 2013 final game in Stockholm, considering this is a youth tournament.
Hopefully, these are steps to a broader acknowledgement of women´s football worldwide. Hopefully, FIFA will soon have more women in power. Hopefully, the teams that are good enough to qualify for the senior tournament next summer will meet an even bigger audience in Moncton and the other five host cities. Hopefully, the media attention will be bigger than ever.
The players deserve it.
Young football-loving girls all over the world deserve it.
We all would benefit from it.
FIFA U-20 WWC
Partly as a rehearsal for next year's senior world cup, Canada is hosting the U-20 World Cup.
Probably you understand, or already knew, that it´s not real football going on, but the kind played by women. Well, the rules are the same, the playing time is the same, but still... I mean, they don´t play as GOOD as all men, and they don´t earn as much money, so you can´t really call it football, can you?
The tournament started on Tuesday, and I´m very (unironically) pleased to see how much FIFA is highlighting it on their website. It massively headlines the start page, and you can read a lot about every team and follow every match live.
The first four matches drew a total attendance of almost 50,000. I think that's as remarkable as the 41,000 attending the Women´s Euro 2013 final game in Stockholm, considering this is a youth tournament.
Hopefully, these are steps to a broader acknowledgement of women´s football worldwide. Hopefully, FIFA will soon have more women in power. Hopefully, the teams that are good enough to qualify for the senior tournament next summer will meet an even bigger audience in Moncton and the other five host cities. Hopefully, the media attention will be bigger than ever.
The players deserve it.
Young football-loving girls all over the world deserve it.
We all would benefit from it.
FIFA U-20 WWC
Friday, July 25, 2014
Can you divorce a club?
Last night, I enjoyed watching the club I started follow and support when I was about six years old make its way to the third qualifying round in the UEFA Europa League. But even before the final whistle was heard in the arena, I started to shift my attention to my smartphone, where live results from tonight´s late games started to come up. Faraway, another team faced the same challenge, and I was just as interested in that game.
I admit, there's some serious doubt concerning my sympathies. Am I a cheating bastard? A despicable adulterer? Can you love more than one club? Can you divorce a club? Most football fans would probably answer with a somewhat annoyed "NO!", as would I a few years ago. But think about it again. Most of us have probably at least once changed favourite rock group. Wives and husbands divorce, even if their vows were taken in front of their god. Sometimes people actually change god as well. Or become atheists.
That Other Club has its home where my own has been for seventeen years. It is the club where my daughter and my son are learning the art of football. It is the club whose colours I wear while training and coaching my son and his friends. I like the club´s football philosophy. There´s a picture of a friendly handshake in its crest.
Is it any wonder that the attraction grows? It may come to a point when you need to end an old relationship even if, as in any divorce, it comes with a considerable amount of angst and pain.
Perhaps this question will be of no relevance for future generations. Some players change employer as often as I change socks (well, not really but you know what I mean......). Kids tend to follow superstars rather than clubs. They´ll buy a Neymar or Balotelli jersey of any colour. You can find a player whose skills and playing style you admire and follow him or her, wherever the hat is laid. That´s not totally a bad idea.
However I don´t want my kids to ever forget that football is a team sport. It's the teams that win championships and build the structure of the football family. You can worship individual stars in sports like boxing or tennis.
Find a club that deserves your love and devotion, but accept that your relationship might not be life-long.
I admit, there's some serious doubt concerning my sympathies. Am I a cheating bastard? A despicable adulterer? Can you love more than one club? Can you divorce a club? Most football fans would probably answer with a somewhat annoyed "NO!", as would I a few years ago. But think about it again. Most of us have probably at least once changed favourite rock group. Wives and husbands divorce, even if their vows were taken in front of their god. Sometimes people actually change god as well. Or become atheists.
That Other Club has its home where my own has been for seventeen years. It is the club where my daughter and my son are learning the art of football. It is the club whose colours I wear while training and coaching my son and his friends. I like the club´s football philosophy. There´s a picture of a friendly handshake in its crest.
Is it any wonder that the attraction grows? It may come to a point when you need to end an old relationship even if, as in any divorce, it comes with a considerable amount of angst and pain.
Perhaps this question will be of no relevance for future generations. Some players change employer as often as I change socks (well, not really but you know what I mean......). Kids tend to follow superstars rather than clubs. They´ll buy a Neymar or Balotelli jersey of any colour. You can find a player whose skills and playing style you admire and follow him or her, wherever the hat is laid. That´s not totally a bad idea.
However I don´t want my kids to ever forget that football is a team sport. It's the teams that win championships and build the structure of the football family. You can worship individual stars in sports like boxing or tennis.
Find a club that deserves your love and devotion, but accept that your relationship might not be life-long.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
In a way it was a sad sight in Tele2 Arena on Thursday night. One of Stockholm´s two top modern stadiums was filled to something like 2-3% of its 30,000 capacity, for a game in the second qualifying round of UEFA Europa League. The host team IF Brommapojkarna normally plays its home games at Grimsta IP, a much smaller ground some 15 km west of the centre of Stockholm. Grimsta seldom sees more than a couple of thousand spectators, and is not a UEFA approved venue. The opponents Crusaders FC from Belfast is not what you would call a Big Club either, playing at Seaview, with a capacity of about 3,000. The cheers and applause echoed like in a near-empty cathedral, as did the sounds of feet hitting the ball.
Let me try another perspective.
In a way it was a beautiful sight in Tele2 Arena on Thursday night. Although being the biggest youth club in Europe, known for supplying other teams with a lot of talented players through the years (e. g. Anders Limpar, John Guidetti, Albin Ekdal), Brommapojkarna has only in recent years reached the Swedish top tier Allsvenskan and is this summer struggling in the very bottom. The place in the Europa League was earned through UEFA:s Fair Play Competition and is the club´s first international appearance.
The Europa League gives small clubs, often in less successful national leagues, the chance to compete internationally, against legendary teams in famous arenas. The winners of the clash between Crusaders and Brommapojkarna will face Torino FC in the next round, which promises to be a great experience, not only for the players, but also for the rest of the club including youth players, employees and supporters.
I wish the gargantuan amount of money circulating in Champions League and the top European Clubs won´t kill the Europa League. I wish more small teams could enter Champions League. Football feeds on dreams and teams like Brommapojkarna, Crusaders, Sligo Rovers, Diósgyőri VTK and Shakhtyor Soligorsk deserve the chance to make their dreams come true.
Crusaders FC
IF Brommapojkarna
A piece on a visit to Grimsta, the home ground of Brommapojkarna
Let me try another perspective.
In a way it was a beautiful sight in Tele2 Arena on Thursday night. Although being the biggest youth club in Europe, known for supplying other teams with a lot of talented players through the years (e. g. Anders Limpar, John Guidetti, Albin Ekdal), Brommapojkarna has only in recent years reached the Swedish top tier Allsvenskan and is this summer struggling in the very bottom. The place in the Europa League was earned through UEFA:s Fair Play Competition and is the club´s first international appearance.
The Europa League gives small clubs, often in less successful national leagues, the chance to compete internationally, against legendary teams in famous arenas. The winners of the clash between Crusaders and Brommapojkarna will face Torino FC in the next round, which promises to be a great experience, not only for the players, but also for the rest of the club including youth players, employees and supporters.
I wish the gargantuan amount of money circulating in Champions League and the top European Clubs won´t kill the Europa League. I wish more small teams could enter Champions League. Football feeds on dreams and teams like Brommapojkarna, Crusaders, Sligo Rovers, Diósgyőri VTK and Shakhtyor Soligorsk deserve the chance to make their dreams come true.
Crusaders FC
IF Brommapojkarna
A piece on a visit to Grimsta, the home ground of Brommapojkarna
Friday, July 18, 2014
I have decided to be in a positive mood today.
There is a good amount of reporting from the Women's Under-19 European Championship on UEFA's webpage. Even if they are a bit lesser exposed than the draw results for the qualifying rounds of CL and EL, some Philip Lahm nostalgia and an old Maradona video, you can read good reports from all the matches.
In their first game on Tuesday Sweden beat England with 2-0 which Swedish news giant Expressen did write about, right under the result tables for the daily horse races and a nice picture of a happy David Lafata in Sparta Praha on page 13 of the sports pages.
I am sure that once the last qualifiers for Canada 2015 are closing in, we will be able to read about them on webpages without scrolling too much, and perhaps on page 7 or 8 in national newspapers.
You can see I am in a positive mood today.
The ladies aside, David Lafata was really worth some attention. It´s not every day someone scores five times in Champions League.
There is a good amount of reporting from the Women's Under-19 European Championship on UEFA's webpage. Even if they are a bit lesser exposed than the draw results for the qualifying rounds of CL and EL, some Philip Lahm nostalgia and an old Maradona video, you can read good reports from all the matches.
In their first game on Tuesday Sweden beat England with 2-0 which Swedish news giant Expressen did write about, right under the result tables for the daily horse races and a nice picture of a happy David Lafata in Sparta Praha on page 13 of the sports pages.
I am sure that once the last qualifiers for Canada 2015 are closing in, we will be able to read about them on webpages without scrolling too much, and perhaps on page 7 or 8 in national newspapers.
You can see I am in a positive mood today.
The ladies aside, David Lafata was really worth some attention. It´s not every day someone scores five times in Champions League.
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