The day the football died

This will be quick, and hopefully the next one won't be written with such discontent.

Today 26th Februaru 2010 Portsmouth were the first Premier League club to enter administration. Right this means that the business has been declared incapapble of running itself. Now the word that annoys me in that sentence is BUSINESS. When you hear the Premier League described, and I quote, as a "trading zone" you know football has gone down the crapper. I hate to say it again as it's been in my previous posts, but football isn't a business its primary aim isn't to make a profit, its primary aim is to be successful in football which means winning things. It now seems as though the latter can't be done without out millions of £'s at your disposal.

The Premier League is NOT A "TRADING ZONE" it is a sporting competition, it's like calling the Olympics a TV programme. Sport shouldn't be refered to like a business as it means so much more than that.

The Pompey Chimes, chiming on?

Since the beginning of a turbulent season at the Fratton Park club, it seemed as though a winding-up order from HMRC was to put my beloved club to bed for good. People having been outspoken in criticising the club for mismanaging the club. Yes I am angered by the situation that Gaydamak put us in and him forcing us down shit creek without a paddle, and the fact the Premier league allowed men without money to take over really angered me. Yes it is a product of an unfair capitalist system that rewards clubs for spending, as Chelsea proved it is possible to buy success inn football. And yes it is true that if the takeover of Al Fahim or Al-Faraj had resulted in success questions probably what not have been asked in any way.

Pompey are now talking about administration in order to survive meaning a 9 point deduction condemning us to relegation (if we weren't already). This will mean the winding up order is suspended allowing the club to fulfil fixtures for the forseeable future until a "proper" buyer is found. I for one don't know why this action wasn't taken sooner, but there you go.

So, yes it does look as though the Pompey Chimes will be chiming on for the time being, probably in the Championship, but at least I still get to see the Blue Army in the future.

Yes the capitalist machine marches on in football, but hopefully what has happened to my beloved club will be a wake up call and will hopefully pave a way for people to realise how NOT to run a football club. In a previous post I commented on money in football and it has got out of control and the world of football need to realise that football is about the fans and their passion not about the money.

Why's it about the money?

Football, this country bloody loves it, when your team wins there is no better feeling and losing hurts more than anything. Money has destroyed the beautiful game. Let's take a look back and see the clubs who have been destroyed by debt:
- Leeds
- Charlton
- Southampton
- Crystal Palace
- Stockport
- Luton
- Bournemouth
- Chester
- Rotherham
- Wrexham
- Boston Utd.

These are the teams that actually entered administration recently, Portsmouth, Cardiff and Notts County are on the edge.

I am a Portsmouth fan and this season I have seen my club decimated by monetary woes. Turnover of an entire team and 4 owners in 6 months. Can't pay wages or bills, and at one point even the official website has to be shutdown due to lack of payments. Cardiff and Notts County have also been presented with winding up orders along with Pompey.

Chester recently were banned from the conference for similar problems. It has come to the point where money rules the game, football is more than a business it's almost a religion, we care more about our beloved football team than so many other things.

So if football is so important to us why is it controlled by money? Of course I am not naive I know money is how the world works and don't get me wrong money is important in football players and staff need paying. The problem seems to be every club tries to live above their means, Pompey shows this. We bought players such as Defoe and Crouch who demand high wages when our ticket income is the lowest in the league.

Yes, if a club has an owner like Abramovich or Randy Lerner it is possible to spend lot on players and wages, but shouldn't every team have the chance to challenge for the big prizes? Pompey only won the FA cup because of the money they sent on players. The point is that Scunthorpe should have as much a chance of winning trophies as Manchester United or Chelsea, but they can't because they do not have the financial backing.

It is time we revolutionised football so there is more fairness so players don't go to clubs just for money. Their should be a salary cap so smaller clubs are able to compete. In the NFL each team has a budget they they are allowed to spend on wages, so every club has the same ability to attract the best players. Every competition are dominateed by the teams with money, look at the FA cup Man City and Chelsea in the quarter finals (probably... sorry Stoke).

Teams can only compete in Europe with financial backing, for so many years the same 4 teams have reached the Champions League, because they get so much for competing in it theyw will every year. Yes maybe Man City will qualify this season but that's because they have multi-billionaire owners, which I thik proves my point.

I know now that Pompey will probably get relegated, and that't if we still exist within the next couple of weeks. Money has been our downfall along with so many other clubs, reform must come soon.

What's great about Brtiain?

I was listening to the radio yesterday and there was a discussion on people wanting to emigrate awayfrom this fine country. It got me thinking what makes Britain great? After all it's called GREAT Britain for a reason. So here are the reasons i came up with:

1. At 2am when you're out it is possible anywhere to get a kebab. Yes this a valid reason, we loveour drink and we love our kebabs.
2. London - people from all over the world to come to the culture capital, behind New York City's Broadway, London has the world's best theatres and perormances. People love it.
3. Guy Fawkes - We celebrate a day every year where our government was nearly destroyed, America celebrates their independence whereas we celebrate a failed terrorist attack.
4. Sport - nowhere else in the world is sport so important to a culture. We define our personality on the football team we support, the Premier League is shown all over the world. We get behind our nations, the passion of the people whether suppporting England, Wales or Scotland pride is at stake. We care so much about this.

So what makes Britain Great, the kebabs, the culture, the cities, the sport? Yes these things are good and the add up to what is great about Britain. But no, what makes this country Great. the people, their passion about the small things is what I believe makes us live in a truly GREAT BRITAIN.

Oscar Nominations

I consider myself quite adept in my movie knowledge and I believe I can predict the winners of the big six categories: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.

The Nominees

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Avatar (2009):

The Blind Side (2009):

District 9 (2009):

An Education (2009):

The Hurt Locker (2008):

Inglourious Basterds (2009):

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009):

A Serious Man (2009):

Up (2009):

Up in the Air (2009/I):

I am almost certain that Avatar will win this category. You all know my feelings on this film and I am angry that this will happen. Far better films are on this list, I think District 9 is better and have heard good thing about the Hurt Locker. My favourite on the list is Disney's brilliant Up, the first time a Disney film has been nominated in this category since Beauty and the Beast in 1995, worthy it definitely is. I am surprised Clint Eastwood's Mandela Biopic doesn't feature, but there you go.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart (2009)

George Clooney for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Colin Firth for A Single Man (2009)

Morgan Freeman for Invictus (2009)

Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker (2008)

This category I believe will be battled out between Morgan Freeman as Mandela in Invictus and Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. I definitely believe Freeman will win as biopics are loved by the academy. Renner in Iraq war film The Hurt Locker could ha an outside chance

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees:

Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (2009)

Helen Mirren for The Last Station (2009)

Carey Mulligan for An Education (2009)

Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (2009)

We see again Streep gets her inevitable nomination. This however, is a close call and I'm not certain on this. Following Bullock's Globe win she must be the favourite, but Gabourney Sidibe has been liked by the critics as has Mulligan in An Education. I do think Bullock will win this.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees:

Matt Damon for Invictus (2009)

Woody Harrelson for The Messenger (2009/I)

Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (2009)

Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones (2009)

Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

I also believe this to be a two horse race between Damon and Waltz. Waltz has taken this at the Globes and the SAGs but the Oscar is different. I loved Waltz's performance in Inglourious Basterds but Damon is good in Invictus.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009)

Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart (2009)

Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Mo'Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

This is the hardest to call, and I must admit I haven't seen any of these films yet. Mo'Nique has been praised for Precious but Farmiga in Up in the Air cannot be ruled out. Also Cruz apparently does well in Nine, but I think Mo'Nique will win this.

Best Achievement in Directing

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008)

James Cameron for Avatar (2009)

Lee Daniels for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Jason Reitman for Up in the Air (2009/I)

Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Director is not obvious but I believe it will be betwee Bigelow and Cameron. We have seen over the past 3 Oscar's Film and Director has been won by the same film: Departed and Scorcese, No Country for Old Men and Coen Brothers and Slumdog and Boyle. However, I think this year may be different. If Avatar wins picture I think Bigelow will win director and visa versa.

Final Pick:
Film: Avatar
Actor: Morgan Freeman
Actress: Sandra Bullock
Supporting Actor: Waltz
Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique
Director: Kathryn BIgelow

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
(W.E. Henley)

Ever since I heard the words of this poem in the Invictus film trailer I've been thnking about it. The meaning may be obvious - never lose faith or give up faith, yet to me it seems to mean more. That maybe it times of adversity we can find strength we never thought we had. I know not a lot of people will see this, but those that do, heed this advice, never give up and do what you can while you can as victory can be taken away from you in a split second.