What about tradition?

Is this the demise of the greatest rugby club in the world? The Irish provinces have joined the English clubs in banning their players from the Barbarians game against South Africa on December 1, meaning the game is fast becoming a bit of a hollow affair.

The Barbarians, who will be coached by Irish boss Eddie O’Sullivan, are also worried that the other northern hemisphere stars named in the initial list to face South Africa may be a doubt because of club commitments.

In 1948, the Australian’s asked the Barbarians to put together a team that would play the touring Wallabies. This was the first time the team in black and white would face an international side and they ran-out 9-4 victors. It proved such a success on and off the pitch it became the blueprint for the future.

But that future is looking seriously bleak with it being unlikely that the Ligue National de Rubgy, or the Welsh/Scottish clubs will allow their players to take part either given the Welsh involvement in the EDF Energy Cup and the programmes of Magners League and top 14 fixtures that weekend.

Premier Rugby chief executive, Mark McCafferty said, “These sort of one-off fixtures don’t really fit professional rugby these days.” The Barbarians are in hot water with Premier Rugby after approaching English players, after being given clear instructions not to by the board of the Guinness Premiership.

“We do recognise the great cause of the Barbarians, the brand and the charitable causes they support, and we are prepared to work with them on the end-of-season games they traditionally have and on some of the tours they do – but they have to understand that during the season it’s not possible.”

Having done without their leading players for the duration of the recent World Cup, you can understand Premier Rugby’s stance on seeing their players play in the Guinness Premiership. But it does bring to mind the question, why not tidy-up the international rugby fixture scene?

The real problem is the build-up of fixtures during the season. With this year being a World Cup year, and the Six Nations starting in February, northern hemisphere clubs don’t see much of their international stars. The drop in club rugby attendances mean that the boards of these clubs want to see their stars playing for their club in order to attract the fanbase.

Thus, any attempts to fit international fixtures or friendly matches in the middle of the season are met with a certain degree of pessimism from rugby unions.

Eddie O’Sullivan will seek help from the All Blacks in order for him to form a team that will challenge the Springboks. Not a bad substitute considering the way the Barbarians play. But the point of the baa-baa’s is to see nations coming together to form a super side. What this game is turning into is a friendly in which the South Africans take on the remainder of the southern hemisphere.

Whilst this may still be an exciting encounter, where’s the logic in playing it in the northern hemisphere when there are no northern hemisphere players. The International Rugby Board needs to seriously look at the fixture list and make space for fan friendly games such as this. Because in the end do we really want to lose such a great tradition?

Sports Personality of the Year?

So now Ricky Hatton has some work to do. Joe Calzaghe cemented his place as Britain’s best boxer for some time after his points win over Mikkel Kessler and now Hatton must defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr to re-take Joe’s limelight. A tough ask but one that is possible.

A Hatton win would be a massive boost for British boxing and British sport in general. Combine these two with Lewis Hamilton’s rise to fame and the Scottish and Northen Irish football teams and its turned out to be not such a bad year for British sport.

But who will win Sport’s personality of the year?

Hamilton is the current bookies favourite and with his meteoric rise in the past year, who can argue. But will we praise, bearing in mind we’re a ‘nation of losers’, somebody who finished second in his respective sport. Personally, his form as a rookie in his first season, definitely places him high up in the list but there are more that also deserve the honour.

Joe Calzaghe, holder of the WBO belt for 10 years and counting, unified the super middleweight division on Saturday night putting him right in the mix. But he’s Welsh. The last Welshman to win the predominantly English award was David Broome in 1960.

However, if Hatton were to defeat Mayweather on December 8th, the day before the Sports Personality awards, then surely he will be in line to accept his award via satelitte link on Sunday evening!?

The shortlist of 10 contenders will be announced on the 30th November, probably to include the aforementioned, along with annual favourites, Paula Radcliffe, Tony McCoy and Italian Frankie Dettori.

It’s been a brilliant year for golfer Justin Rose winning the order of merit. Jonny Wilkinson, ‘saviour’ of English rugby is bound to make an appearance after England rugby’s World Cup Final appearance along with England’s favourite loser ‘Tiger’ Tim Henman (his last year as a professional, the BBC will let him sign-off in style!).

My surprise inclusion will be David Healy, his form this year has been fantastic and definitely deserves his place in the top ten.

However, he’s Northen Irish, so his hopes of winning the award, are slimmer than that of Joe Calzaghe!

How do you determine a world class player?

England’s hopes of qualifying for the European championships took a major blow with defeat in Russia. The Russians have gained the upper hand to take second place in Group E and victory in Israel and Andorra will see them through to the European Championships.

Scotland also suffered a miserable setback with defeat in Tbilisi. After their loss to Georgia, only a win against Italy will book their tickets to Austria and Switzerland.

So Scotland still hold qualification hopes in their hands, unlike England who await other results. If Scotland manage to qualify, then on current form, they will become a better team than England. But does this make their individual players better? Are these players world-class? What determines a world-class player?

I heard a Scottish fan comment on how England has no world-class players. But surely Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are world-class players? And what about John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole? Also both Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards have the potential to become world-class.

All these players shine for their clubs, so what makes us, as fans and professionals, label them world-class?

Is a world-class player someone that performs to the best of their ability on the world stage? If so, then this player must consistently play well for his country as well as his club. Somebody like Fabio Cannavaro, who not only led his country to their world cup success, but year-in, year-out performs for his club, Real Madrid, and previous club, Inter Milan.

Or does this player only have to perform, consistently well with his club to gain this status? Somebody like Frank Lampard who has got twenty goals and numerous assists in the past three seasons but has never helped England to a serious international tournament challenge.

Not many players fall into the Fabio Cannavaro bracket. Is the term ‘world-class’ used too lightly? Thierry Henry, we all know is a fantastic striker. But he has never shone whilst playing for his country. Yes France made the final of the world cup but Henry didn’t play a major part. Zinedine Zidane on the other hand, did. He is a player that falls into the ‘world-class’ category.

Maybe we should invent a term for these players like Henry, Lampard, Gerrard. We could call them ‘continent-class’. Players that shine in the Champions League and their respective domestic leagues.

There are players whom we all know that have shed-loads of talent; Kaka, Messi, Rooney. All these players have the potential to be world-class, you could argue that Kaka and Messi already are. But bearing in mind their ages, they have yet to lead their country to a major tournament challenge.

So are we too quick to define a player’s ability? Or should we not take international form into consideration when defining a player? Are the world stage competitions like the Champions League places where ‘world-class’ players are born?

Personally, I believe a ‘world-class’ player is one that performs for both his club and country. This player doesn’t have to lead his country to a major title but he does have to standout when playing in Internationals. So maybe the Scottish fan was right. Maybe England do not have any ‘world-class’ player’s.

Knighthood on the Horizon?

Ryan Giggs has signed a one-year extension to keep him at Manchester United until the end of the 2009 Season. Old Trafford will see its most loyal servant in action for another two seasons, making it almost a certainty that he will surpass Bobby Charlton’s club record of 759 appearances.

Signed in 1988 as a 14-year old schoolboy, Giggs will have been at the Red Devils for 20 years come the start of next season. Nine Premier League titles, four F.A. Cups, two League Cups and a Champions League have helped him become an Icon in the red half of Manchester. The 33-year old has spent his entire professional career at the club since making his first-team debut in 1991

“Ryan epitomises the word loyalty – he signed as a 14-year old schoolboy and is still with the club 20 years on,” said Alex Ferguson. “Apart from his playing ability, he has a fantastic demeanour and is a great role model to the younger players… I am sure he will be at the club for a long time to come.”

His service, to the club he has loved since he was a boy, is something that is becoming rare in football these days. The ex-Wales international set a standard that may never be emulated in professional football again.

Those that have played with him call him the greatest they have ever played with. Up there in United folklore with such greats as Charlton, Law and Best; Giggs will, when he does hang up his boots, leave a true legacy. Not just at United, but in football.

He is a role-model for so many young talented people. Most children idolise him. A modern day great with George Best’s talent and Bobby Charltons approach, it is time Ryan received some true recognition.

Charlton received a knighthood in 1994 at the age of 54 for services to football. Yes he did lead the England team to a world cup, the only honour that Giggs is missing from that humongous trophy cabinet. Apart from that, they have pretty similar records for United.

In days where people get knighted for winning a solitary rugby world cup, why can’t we recognise people for true consistency and talent? Maybe it’s a bit early in his lifetime to suggest a knighthood but surely its on the horizon?

Improving the Youth

A huge debate surrounds English football at the moment concerning the influx of foreign players and their possible detriment to the British game. The common consensus is that foreign players are to blame for the lack of British talent arising throughout the British leagues.

Personally I believe that the way youth football is governed in this country is to blame.

Recent developments have seen the FA place more importance on their youth system with a series of new schemes. The FA hopes to encourage the participation of young people through backing from Football League clubs, the national set-up and the government. By increasing numbers, they believe that more talent will emerge.

I do believe that the more youngsters involved in football, the better. We would see our youth benefit from a healthier lifestyle and a better social base. However, I do believe that we should separate those with talent and those without.
To succeed in anything you have to pit yourself against the best because you learn and adapt from their talents and experience. It should be the same in schools and junior Saturday clubs. Competition is a good thing.

There is plenty of talent in our youth systems. However, the exertion and pressure that is forced upon them means that by the ages of 16 and 17, a lot of them lose interest and become disillusioned with football. This leads to a loss in confidence and wasted talent.

I believe we do not nurture our youth talent properly and that is the reason we don’t see high profile British players coming through.

My ideas on improving the system are a little more detailed than what is suitable for this blog but the rough idea is that clubs start private football schools. This is a radical suggestion and a costly venture for any club so this is where our ‘Premiership big four’ needs to lead the way.

We already have private schools which provide a better education for the more privileged, and not necessarily talented, person so why not private schools for talented footballers?

By premier league clubs starting private secondary schooling from the ages of eleven to eighteen, we would be providing, talented and in most cases, under-privileged children with a higher chance of succeeding.

If we separate the talented from the not so talented, we would be able to focus on improving their footballing abilities whilst providing them with a top class education through their teenage years. The curriculum should stick to the basics; maths, english and science, but then incorporate subjects like physiotherapy, tactical lectures and include training schedules. The children would have fun whilst at school and their motivation and desire levels would be higher. Thus we then produce a more disciplined and developed young person.

This, I believe, is the answer to improving our youth system and a topic that the FA, the PFA and the Premier League need to address.

Able Bodies

John Terry, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard. All without doubt influential players, all prepared to make a faster recovery in order to aid their club and international teams.

Steven Gerrard played for Liverpool four days after breaking a toe. Today John Terry has expressed his desire to play for Chelsea against Valencia on Wednesday in the Champions League just days after fracturing a cheekbone in the draw against Fulham. Michael Owen is fighting to be fit for the crucial England qualifiers in a fortnight’s time, again, just days after tearing a abductor muscle playing for Newcastle.

But will faster recoveries come at a cost for players later in their careers/life? Will their clubs be affected? Or is it advancements in technology improving the speed of the recovery process?

After breaking his toe playing for Liverpool, Steven Gerrard was rushed back to fitness in order so he could turn out for his country in their vital European qualifiers last month. Alright, England won those games, but Gerrard was not his regular influential self. Instead upstaged by Gareth Barry. Could England have won those two games without Gerrard, I think so.
His involvement with England has led to a loss of form and a conflict between his club and his country. Before the qualifiers, Liverpool were top of the league, now they are 4th.

Michael Owen, also rushed back to fitness for those vital England qualifiers last month, has suffered another injury. Already there is talk of him being fit for the next England qualifiers in two weeks.

The original recovery process obviously wasn’t long enough or Owen wouldn’t have torn a muscle on Saturday. To be sent to a German specialist with a view to be back as quickly as possible is ridiculous. Surely he should be given time to fully recover from this injury giving him a chance of a long injury free run.

I realise that this wouldn’t benefit England in two weeks, but it would benefit Newcastle throughout the season leaving England a player who would be back to his best and available for selection for the European Championships when England qualify, which, I add, they will do.

John Terry is willing to play for Chelsea tomorrow in a face mask, what affect will this have on his recovery?

I’m not trying to say that club comes before country, that’s a completely different argument. What I’m trying to get across is that the player comes before club and country. Martin Samuel, The Times’ Chief Football Correspondent, wrote a brilliant article in Monday’s ‘The Game’ supplement. He suggests that the player, whilst should be committed to his club, wants to play for his country. Why can’t we, as fans and professionals, respect the players values and leave him to decide without all the pressure.

After all, what’s the rush?