Nobody in his for her right frame of mind will think of convincing a football player to fix a World Cup football finals match. That is just not possible. There is too much of prestige and respect associated with tournament. However, what about the domestic football league in Turkey? How many people follow this league? This will be a big deal for citizens of Turkey but it is a very small tournament when you look at it from the global perspective. The same is the case with other tournaments in Germany, United Kingdom and Latin America.

The bookies and fixers will not mind convincing small time players to fix matches. Well, the problem has become a serious one because some of the most prominent clubs in Turkey have been accused of match fixing. So much so that 13 individuals from the most popular club have been accused of match fixing. Starting from the owner of the club to the coach, even the interpreter has been accused of playing a role. While this may seem ludicrous at first, it is the indication of the true extent of the problem.

Unfortunately, the authorities are just not interested in tackling this problem effectively. Prosecutors asking for a jail term up to 147 years for cheating. On the other hand, the football administration is suggesting a 12-point penalty for a team that has been found guilty of match fixing. 147 years is a long time. However, a 12-point penalty is too soft a punishment.

The sensible approach would be to take very strong action against such teams to ensure that the league remains free of fixing. Public perception is very important when tackling such fixing issues. The moment the public feels that it is being treated to a fixed spectacle, it will automatically stop patronizing the game and that will be the end of the story. One only hopes that the Turkish football setup is strong enough to survive this huge shock.

It actually makes no sense for the board involved and shows them up to be incompetent and naive. Surely it is clear to see that some of the most successful managers are the ones that have been given a proper chance to prove themselves. Sir Alex is a fine example, as is Wenger, both of whom have shown why it is better for people to be given a real opportunity to prove themselves. Surely it is just part of the game that if one team is doing particularly well one season, another team will be lower down the league. This does not necessarily mean that the team is preforming badly or the manager should be sacked, it just means that they need to keep working hard to improve.

This works equally as well for the players, and it seems as if changing room benches are in constant rotation, as players are often only given a few games to prove themselves before being transfered off for a fraction of the price they were bought in for. Most people thrive on continuity, and so players would surely perform better if some of the pressure was removed from them and they were aloud to settle in properly. The game is fast turning into a business instead of a sport with business people making decisions about players and managers, when in reality they have no expertese in this area.

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I always thought football was a man’s sports. You know, the fast paced action, power packed shots and the occasional blistering speed and timing which, coupled with shots with a precision that would put a guided missile to shame, was so macho. So you can imagine my consternation when it dawned on me that from the occasional gaggle, girls now made a sizeable population of the spectators. And for everyone that made it to the stands, there were numerous others who watched the game from pubs, clubs and the confines of their homes. There was the same charged atmosphere in their discussions as could be found around the changing room benches before a big match.

Now, I am a guy who is all for equality and sharing and what have you between the sexes. But I draw the line at some things. Like wearing the same gender clothes where it is considered a manly thing, to be able to carry of colours that would be better off on a woman. It is a definite no. Having a detailed discussion about a game is another thing I cannot come to terms with. OK, we can have some small chit chat while waiting for the lift but that’s it – not beyond.

Why? You may well ask. And rightfully too. You see, there are some things only a guy will understand. Like it’s OK to trip an opposing player or hold him back by his jersey when the referee is not looking. Things like the exaggerated pain when tripped, only to get up and walk as if nothing had happened when the referee pulls out and shows a yellow or red card to the offending player. I find women baulk at such things in their hearts if not openly as it is not in their genes to accept that al is fair in love and war – and football is definitely war. Only a guy will appreciate these finer nuances.

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My friend Dave is a decent chap. Soft spoken, mild mannered, courteous with a good job, he is the type, I suspect, any girl would love to take home to meet her parents. But like all people, he too has a side that is well hidden from the outside world - his Achilles heel is football. And his team is Manchester United. Every time a match approaches, you can sense a subtle change taking place in Dave. A certain restlessness, a disturbance in his normally calm nature that is hard to pinpoint. This reaches a crescendo on the day before the big match. Heaven help you, if you happen to cross him at this stage -Jekyll and Hyde will seem like missionaries!

On the day of the match, you will find him glued to the TV if the actual location is too far to get to. Of course, the first choice is to get a ticket for the venue. Right at the kick-off, he turns into a raving, ranting, screaming madman exhorting his team to pass, feint, kick or head the ball. It is not beneath him to yell, quite colourfully, at the players to retort to methods that are not exactly looked on with approval. A miss on the part of any player results in madman like behaviour that would, to put it mildly, result in grievous damage to changing room furniture if he were to be allowed in there.

Now the stadium would certainly have people who root for the other team too, right? Wrong, if you are with Dave. Woes betide if any man or beast who even so much as whispers encouragement to the other team. This does not often go down well with many and there are times when this nice guy has come back with a bloodied nose, a blackened eye and other sundry bruises! I sincerely hope he marries into a family that supports Manchester United!

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The match saw Rooney put up a good performance. However, there are many who do not attach a lot of importance to his skills. They are waiting for him to perform well in a World Cup before they acknowledge his superiority. Strangely, Messi is also expected to contribute towards a World Cup victory before he can successfully claim to have become a superstar. The club segment is the one that provide football entertainment throughout the year. A World Cup occurs just once in four years. Despite this, people want the players to perform well in the World Cup before they can truly can claim the mantle of greatness.

The funny thing is that the club circuit has been around for a very long time. Still, there is no exception to this rule. From the fan on the street to the fellow players in the dressing room full of lockers - everybody attaches importance to a World Cup victory.

This is probably the reason why David Beckham will never be recognized as a superstar in football. He is a damn good player but will always be associated with one thing- World Cup failures. It is not a good thing to be associated with. The irony is that it is acceptable to punch a goal using your hand as long as it helps you win the World Cup. Playing it straight but not winning the World Cup is just not acceptable for the fans.

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The recent controversy surrounding the qualification game between Ireland and France in the last World Cup Qualifiers is a clear example of the same. The referee missed a hand goal which enabled France to qualify over Ireland. The French were apologetic but were pretty smug about the fact that they got to qualify to the finals of the World Cup. Of course, the French played like a team in disgrace and made a complete mess of the Cup.

Use of technology to identify such issues and having the option of appealing against false calls can make a huge difference. Of course, this is not the only sport where critics are calling for an enhanced role of technology. However, there is a fear that playing and replaying the video on the pop up display screens in stadiums is only going to delay the game even further. People want an aggressive game where lots of goals are scored and not one where boring football is combined with frequent appeals.

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In such a scenario, it is indeed pertinent to question the role of big money in football. They have been numerous instances where clubs have paid a king’s ransom for a footballer only to find that he is just not worth the money.

Footballers also have to ride two horses at once. They have to give their best for their club and also have to pay for their country. David Beckham missed the recent World Cup because he suffered an injury when playing for his club. As far as the club management is concerned, there were focused on the consequence of the injury and its impact on their plans. Of course, the entire country was devastated when they discovered that they’ve star footballer would no longer have the last opportunity to make amends in the World Cup.

It is unfair to take sides in this debate. Both sides have their pros and cons. As far as the clubs are concerned, they are the ones who bring in huge amounts of money filled in metal boxes to make a football a big money sport. Players playing for their country are never paid millions of dollars just for making an appearance. It is the club that converts the footballer into a superstar. On the other hand, the passion and pride for playing for one’s country cannot be replaced by money, can it?

The issue is whether Carlos Tevez would have behaved in such a manner if he had been representing his national team? Certainly not. The public outrage would have been too scary thing for the footballer to attempt such a move.

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Don’t you just hate it when a star footballer decides to skip a tournament simply because of an injury? I don’t understand how footballers can get injured so often. They make use of mizuno running shoes or running shoes made by other reputed manufacturers. They do not run on concrete or artificial surface.

They run on grass and do not suffer from the same disadvantage that tennis players and other athletes face. They do not use their hands when playing the game. The chest or torso is not such delicate apart to get affected by the football. In such a scenario, one just has to understand that excessive football and lack of fitness could be the only reason why footballers don’t stay fit for long. Lack of fitness can hardly be a factor because footballers have a rigorous training schedule.

They have professionals coaching them at all times and they also have a professional medical support staff to assist them in their fitness. In such a scenario, excessive football is probably the only reason. This combined with the fact that footballers never allowed their injuries to heal completely before playing again is the reason why they face so many problems. I would prefer a footballer who plays less but does not skip tournaments due to injuries.

That is a disappointment which takes the entire charm out of the event. The fact that footballers face injury scares before the world cup makes it the worst possible feeling for a real fan. A person who loves footballers from all over the world for their style of football would be disappointed to find his or her team being pitted against half baked football side.

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I’ve been on holiday the past week but thanks to www.abroadband.com I’ve been able to keep updated on all the latest footy news on my mobile phone. Despite roaming charges dropping everywhere, you can still be caught out on price which is why I switched my sim before I went away. Part of me wishes I hadn’t bothered to take my phone with me though as lo and behold, another corruption announcement came in over YouTube.

So Mohammed Bin Hammam has been given a lifetime ban from the game. Big deal; he should have been brought up on criminal charges for technically breaking the laws of several countries. It’s yet another example of senior figures thinking that they are above the rules that govern the rest of us. Think about it; if you or I had done what Bin Hammam did you can bet your bottom dollar we’d be sitting pretty in a jail cell right now awaiting a court ruling. The fact that all professional footballers and officials have to do is issue an apology these days makes me wonder how I can still enjoy the game when I know so much about how dirty it is behind the scenes. I should be talking about the new season and how the transfer market is looking, but this constant stream of corruption and scandal just keeps rearing its ugly head.

A report on the Guardian online shows just how much these corruption charges are weighing heavily on the various country FA’s minds. Who can blame them? What chance do any of us have at any international competition when we know half the matches have probably been won or lost before the whistle is even blown for kick off? With the chairman of the European Club Association calling for a revolt against FIFA it seems to be that this season just like the last is going to be dogged in controversy…and it hasn’t even started yet.

…Does anyone remember when we used to play football?…

I miss the days when the biggest news in football was the transfer of some high profile player to a rival club. Now all we seem to be hearing are new revelations about the private lives of a premiership player, his wide, their friends and anyone else the papers can sniff a good story out of. It’s disturbing and depressing at the same time. I only hope that football has already hit rock bottom. That means the only way is up…until the next scandal comes along.

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My dad is mad on football, but actually that’s nothing compared to the madness that is my mum at a game when her team – Everton – win a match. All I can say is you don’t wanna be near her when she starts screaming. Or, if you are, you really want to have ear-muffs on. If you haven’t you’ll definitely not make the same mistake again…

The first time I kicked a ball, incidentally, I was with my mum. My dad was at work and I’d heard of this thing called football but never really actually played it. It seems like madness to write with such innocence about football now, after all this time, but that’s the truth. Back then I was more or less a blank page open to anything. Football wasn’t in my blood yet.

Or maybe it was…just…because when we went to the park and I had my very first kick of the ball – my mum’s memory more than my own, I was only about 3 – my mum started to scream and cheer and then she picked me up and said, “that boy’s a natural!” It was a good feeling. Even though I’m much bigger than my mum now, I still sometimes wish she could come along and scoop me up like on that big brave day.

I don’t know if I really remember that first kick, or if it’s just I’ve heard mum’s memory so much that it’s become my own

God, I’m never going to tell her that, though. She’d think me a right old softie. Now, I’m a man, and I can’t be having that!

I remember the next part, the backing up to kick the ball again. I had some really old-school asics running shoes on back then, mini ones, as I hadn’t really started on the footie yet and didn’t want me any boots. That all changed after that first kick of course. Mum says that after that first kick, then that second one, I wanted boots more than I wanted anything. More, even, than I wanted chocolate. And believe you me I was a little chocaholic!

I don’t know if I really remember that first kick, or if it’s just I’ve heard mum’s memory so much that it’s become my own. But in a way it doesn’t matter. I feel it now, this passion for football, and ain’t nothing ever gonna take me away from it.

This man is gonna love his footie until the day he dies, and after that he hopes that wherever he ends up there’ll be some kind of pitch there and at least one decent football.

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