Tiny Tim: A Tribute to a Role Model

In the Modern day game of Association Football, characterised by mercenaries, champagne life styles, fast cars, strippers, night club brawls, racism, and all round low morals and life values, it's extremely encouraging when you happen across someone who can genuinely be called a professional.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not labelling all footballers, not even the majority, within the brackets I have outlined in my opening paragraph, but a much higher percentage than ever before can be placed into one of these categories.  However, it does seem very rare these days that "the shirt" and "badge" of the club most professional footballers play for and represent has any meaning to them beyond the often astronomical weekly wages being paid to them for going through more motions than an Indian tourist after week one in Delhi.  You see, there are not many footballers who understand the word "loyalty" and can thus demonstrate it's characteristics during their careers. 

The modern day game has become very frustrating for many football fans, as their teams lose players to mega rich clubs happy to splash their excessive bag loads of cash around, picking players to enhance their squads and warm their benches for thousands more a week.  "And good luck to them", many say.  "It's a short career", "they should take what they can whilst they can".  I can't disagree completely with the sentiment, but let's face it, professional footballers are millionaires within a couple of months these days and are made for life within a two-three years, so the argument that a first team regular at one club should swap 'playing football' for a higher wage and a seat on the sidelines at another does not wash with me.  When did footballers swap the desire to play football for the apparent singular desire to make the biggest wad of cash within the shortest time frame possible?  But, we've seen that the crippling wage demands of players is ladling clubs with debts they can't afford to reduce.

The wages players are paid is not the central theme of this blog but the point is very relevant to understanding the price of "loyalty", something that Tim Cahill has more than ably demonstrated in the eight years he has been a servant of Everton Football Club.  Yesterday evening, the club announced they had accepted an offer from the New York Red Bulls to acquire the services of Tim Cahill in exchange for £1M.  For those of us, like Tim himself, who Tweet, it was heart warming to see the outpouring of respect for the man, described by myself and many other Evertonians as a "living legend".  The word "legend" is bandied about far too easily these days, but it's hard to argue that Cahill doesn't deserve the description.

At Everton, we are more privileged than many other Premier League clubs in respect of the 'type' of players we have.  We don't have any "superstars", no one constantly in the papers for misdemeanours (Pienaar is still officially a Spurs player, so the speeding fines don't count!) , no one who is constantly in the lime light known for going out and having a raucous night out on the lash in Liverpool (or any other city), not since "Shandy Andy" and maybe another more recent Dutch compadre, that is.  In recent years, despite all the doom and gloom around certain aspects of the way Everton Football Club is run and managed, there has been much positive talk of the 'team spirit' at the club.  Cahill is someone who embodies 'team spirit' in his conduct and in his performances.  You can see he is well liked and respected by his fellow professionals, and away supporters - particularly Liverpool fans - speak of him in more derogatory terms.  This latter point is oddly more a mark of respect in the context of the way football fans speak.  I've witnessed Cahill first hand on numerous occasions when Everton have stayed away in hotels.  The most memorable, for some reason, was the away trip to AEK Athens on 2nd December 2009.  On check out the next morning, a number of the players come into the lobby of the hotel, where I was stood, so we started chatting about the game the night before.  When Tim entered the lobby, there was real camaraderie about him and his interaction with his fellow professionals, especially the more junior players, who obviously looked up to him.  Despite the fact he jumped ahead of me (he's always been good at jumping) in the check out queue, for which Fizzer apologised on his behalf, his pleasant and warm demeanor was there for all to see.  And it wasn't the first or last time I witnessed such interaction.  Respect is something that must be earned in all walks of life but often not too easily in the world of football world.  So, what I witnessed on numerous occasions in more closer personal quarters than in a stand at a football stadium, is something that spoke volumes to me about the way team mates held Cahill in such high personal esteem - respected and admired. 

Cahill has always impressed me in the way he has conducted himself during his eight years at Everton Football Club.  Talk is cheap, but he's backed it up by walking the walk and demonstrating the characteristics of the principals and values that have made him into the Goodison legend that he, no doubt, is.  You would be hard pressed to find many Evertonians, my grouchy pessimistic and all too negative 73 year Father included, who would disagree with this statement.  The Everton mantra "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum" has been less relevant to the teams achievements since our last league title success in 1987, but Everton fans appreciate the hard work and effort employed by players wearing the shirt and - in this respect - "nothing satisfies but the best" is something that can always be attributed to Cahill.

When I think of Tim Cahill, I smile.  For his five goals against the other lot, for his 1st goal for the club in a win away at Manchester City and then unfortunately being sent off, for his corner flag boxing routines, for the overhead kick at Stamford Bridge, for his bravery, for his aerial ability, for his passion, for his loyalty, for his professionalism, for smashing the ball into the roof of the Gwladys Street end net against the other lot, for his goals at vital moments, for his eight years service. 

In a world - extending beyond football - lacking in many true Role Models, Tim Cahill has been and continues to be a role model for any youngster coming into the professional game.  He will be sorely missed by the Goodison faithful, his manager, his team-mates, but always welcome and never forgotten.

Best wishes for the future Tim.

Does Music Unite?

Does Music Unite?

This afternoon, I'm off to a live music gig 'Hard Rock Calling' at Hyde Park in London, where Paul Simon will be headlining and playing music from his seminal album "Graceland".

It's an album I've loved since my Dad first played it for me in the late 80's, but I never appreciated - until recently - just how much controversy surrounded the project.  The album was originally inspired by Simon listening to a recording of an instrumental track named "Gumboots" by the Boyoyo Boys.  Whilst you may be forgiven for thinking the "Boyoyo Boys" were a Welsh group, they were indeed South African.  Simon later wrote lyrics to the tune "Gumboots", which was recorded as a song for the album. 

Much of the "Graceland" album was recorded in apartheid South Africa and featured many South African musicians and groups, but this caused much International controversy as Simon was accused of breaking a 'cultural boycott' imposed by the United Nations against the apartheid regime of South Africa.  UN resolution 35/206 stated: "The United Nations General Assembly request all states to prevent all cultural, academic, sporting and other exchanges with South Africa. Appeals to writers, artists, musicians and other personalities to boycott South Africa..."

Many of Simon's musical peers criticised his actions and debate has raged on over the last 25 years with some black South African musicians also criticising Simon's actions.  Simon had not sought to argue his case or gain permission from the ANC and there was some resentment amongst it's members that it had taken a white man to discover and popularise the black South African music on a world stage.  Whilst I can sympathise with the argument, and perhaps it's easier for me to make this statement as a white man, I firmly believe a "just cause" is a "just cause" no matter what your colour, background, creed etc.  If Simon had the means - through his own popularity - and previous musical collaborations to promote black South African musicians on a world stage, then why not?  Why should it have been solely the preserve of the black man to liberate and promote harmony?  When it comes to breaking down barriers and eradicating oppression it requires advocates from within the oppressive ranks to understand, educate, and create truly lasting change.  Clearly not all white men, even all those within South Africa, were guilty of creating such oppression and segregation, but it existed at the hands of white men, so I can understand those ANC members who opposed Simon's actions, but this could have been viewed as an opportunity for black musicians to showcase their music and promote their message to a much broader global audience that wouldn't have been feasible had Simon not taken this decision.  Yet despite all the furore, Simon's intentions were never Political and he has often been quoted as being "For the Artists".  His will to create a new sound and collaborate with South African musicians drove him on despite the criticism and lack of unity within South Africa and beyond.  The album has since sold over 14 million copies and Simon himself believes the album and tour did much towards raising the awareness of the evils of apartheid that helped end apartheid in the 1990's.

Music, like sport, is a way and means to cross cultural divides and break down barriers.  Remaining with the theme of South Africa, the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup seemed to unite South Africa beyond all expectation and many would feel was well timed given the recent end to apartheid but on-going social tensions.  The Springboks triumphed and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup during those finals and it seemed to herald the birth of the "Rainbow Nation", as captain Francois Pienaar accepted the trophy from the first post-aprtheid president, Nelson Mandela.  The story was sensationalised in the Hollywood film "Invictus", in which Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela and joins forces with the Springboks white captain, Francois Pienaar played by Matt Damon.  It's an inspiring story that outlines President Mandela's deep understanding of the tensions remaining within his nation, racially and economically divided in spite of the eradication of apartheid.  Mandela was rightly convinced that he could unite his people through the universal language of sport, and that proved to be the case after the Springboks surprised everyone to overcome New Zealand in the final.  

London is one of the worlds truly multi-cultural cities and is probably - especially during an Olympic year - as good a place as any for Simon and his peers to revive "Graceland", a broad and eclectic mix of musical styles.  Despite our many backgrounds and cultural differences, there is nothing quite like the common languages of sport and music to unite and create harmony.  After all, life is about experiences and experiences are best when they are shared.  So, I for one, am looking forward to the live experience this afternoon with a multi-cultural mix of people in London's Hyde Park.  More often than not, Music does unite.

Modern Day Football

Where to start with a view on modern day football?  The game has never had so many fans, it has never been so widely accessible and global in appeal, the players have never been so fit & athletic, yet there is an endemic problem with the global game, one that the successors of Plato and Aristotle are grappling with among numerous European nations; an insatiable appetite for debt fuelled by greed.

As we know, the issue is not isolated to football, with greed fuelling the obscene actions and behaviours of institutions and individuals alike, creating an unsustainable bubble that will leave wreck and ruin for a long time to come.  However, this wreck and ruin – as highlighted by the recent case of Glasgow Rangers – is possibly no more prevalent than in the world of football.  The desire to entertain seems to know no bounds yet only the fans of a handful of English Premier League clubs know true entertainment these days.  I know, I’m an Evertonian and have been for thirty-five years.  I’ve been through tougher times than now watching my team, for the decade I had a season ticket and for three solid seasons of not missing a game home and away when I had significantly less disposable income.  But, those dark days of Walter Smith felt more of a duty to support a truly dreadful team through a bleak period of my clubs rich history, rather than any real notion that I would ever be entertained. 

So, does the average football fan – premier league or otherwise – go and pay the ever increasing prices in the hope of being entertained on the odd Saturday (substitute for any day of the week courtesy of Sky television) a season, or is it more about the same sense of duty I used to feel when circumstances allowed me to watch my team every week?  But it’s not as simple as that in today’s world of football.  We have a new breed of nouveau riche football fan, for whom it is ‘trendy’ to support a football team and fain an interest in the sport.  They happily scoff prawn sandwiches from the comfort of a corporate box, or happily recline in their armchair in front of a fifty-inch plasma screen, with little regard for Gerrards Olympic dives or Drogbas endless sulks, content with barely ever experiencing the real thing.  And, in part, it is the latter who have contributed to this change in the football landscape, to an era of excess and indulgence when ‘real entertainment’ is limited to only a few head to heads a season, or the Champions League, a cartel for Europe’s bourgeois clubs, who in typical Marxist fashion continue to acquire and circulate wealth whilst the remainder become increasingly up shit creek without the proverbial paddle.

According to a recent article in The Guardian, English Premier League clubs lost £361m last year, despite record income of £2.3bn, yet – as with the global debt crisis – we seem to be burying our heads in the sand, kicking the can down the street, believing the problem will disappear.  It won’t.  Clubs have record levels of barely manageable debt and can’t continue to operate their businesses at a loss.  “Where’s the fucking money Lebowski?”  UEFA voted in September 2009 to begin introducing Financial Fair Play, but critics believe – myself included – that this will fuel the coffers of Europe’s bourgeois clubs, who will see the larger share of television revenues and continue to benefit from modern day footballs worst invention.  Yes, the Champions League, where an average team finishing 4^th in the English Premier League can be crowned European Champions.  Forgive me, but shouldn’t the competition, named “Champions” League be true to its name and only be contested by the “Champions” of each country, just like in the good old days?  Just a notion that may create real ‘fair play’ within the respective leagues of each competing nation.

The expectation of fans of certain clubs who believe their club has a divine right to win trophies because of their history fuels part of the problem, as do the Oligarchs who have been merrily buying up premier league clubs and saddling them with debt underwritten by their own personal fortunes.  Modern day football has become a game of who’s got the biggest cock and, by only a millimetre, the Arabs have pipped the Americans and Russians for the most recent bragging rights. 

So, with all this investment and increased access to football, surely the fans are the real winners?  Not if footballers are being paid sums of money that are virtually bankrupting their clubs, whilst regularly serving up sub standard performances.  Hugo Rodallega, an average striker, reportedly wants £70,000 a week to join a new club.  This is what is bankrupting clubs and this era of player greed and excess has to stop.  Normal businesses do not pay wages to their employees that cannot be covered by their income, minus other costs and calculating for a profit.  Why do we, the football clubs themselves, and the players ignore this simple business fact?

Arsenal fans have recently been complaining of the clubs’ lack of ambition, having not won a trophy of any description for seven years, and – once again – certain to lose their best player.  Whilst I can sympathise, there are very few clubs these days that cannot be described as a “selling” club.  However, the critical difference with Arsenal is that a) they’ve had success during the Premier League years, and b) they have wealthy benefactors and have been turning in a profit, so their fans are more expectant.  Although, said profit is – sensibly – being used to reduce the debt from a large recent Capital Expenditure, the new stadium.  Whilst most Arsenal fans may well disagree with me, I believe they’ll be in a stronger position than most within a few years, especially when Financial Fair Play takes a hold.  They’ve started to operate within their means and are trying to build a structure that doesn’t rely as heavily on new acquisitions so much as developing future talent.  Personally, I think this is a more sustainable long-term model and if Arsenal fans can be a little more patient, just may see the fruits of such a strategy in the not too distant future.  I often have the same hopes for my own club, who are operating within a tight financial framework for altogether different reasons, but – under the stewardship of a shrewd Manager – have steadied the ship and have a somewhat healthier balance sheet than a few years ago.  The Manager has also built a good production line of young talent, and that has essentially helped the club survive. 

It was refreshing to hear a Chelsea fan on TalkSport recently, who offered that he would be more content with Chelsea winning the Champions League if they hadn’t, as he put it, “bought it”.  The ever lovable and arrogant Adrian Durham instantly rubbished the claims of said fan, clearly dismissing that anyone could have any sense of righteousness these days.  And, is that not the trouble?  Personally speaking, I would much rather see hard graft and team spirit earn success as opposed to the hollow reward of “buying” success courtesy of the football cockfight.  But, there doesn’t seem to be any place in our modern world for rewarding decent, honest hard work and endeavour.  Just look at the Banking sector.