Our football team’s allegedly heroic performance in world cup, played in supposedly hostile country Russia, has occupied our hearts, minds and monopolized our TV screen for the last two weeks, mainly due to the hype generated by media. In reality our team’s performance was no more than average, what was expected from some of the richest sportsmen in the country. All their wins, against Tunisia and Panama were against minnows. Only win against Sweden was impressive, although Sweden is ranked well below England. When England met real opposition in Belgium, the only team ranked above England in their half of the draw and Croatia, a tiny nation of some four million people where football is in its infancy, England capitulated beyond belief, losing all three matches. The main culprit of our poor performance on world stage during the last decade is our FA and premier league teams like Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool who so often field teams without a single English player, dominated by foreign players.
Our youngsters are the best in the world, as we won world cup at under 17 and 21 levels. Yet these talented youngsters will never get an opportunity to play for these big clubs, to develop their skill and represent England at senior level, as these clubs spend millions on readymade players recruited from Europe, Africa and South America who go on representing their motherland with pride. It is time for blundering FA to tackle the bull by the horn and force Premier League teams to field at least five English players in every competitive match they play, a norm in many EU countries. In reality, our FA administers are as toothless and bare of ideas as our politicians who are being bullied by EU, President Trump and his likes. FA should charge 10% levy on transfer fees to support our lower leagues teams who could become a nursery to nurture talent.
Our real heroes are our unpaid volunteers who go to the aid of stranded mountaineers, sailors trapped in sinking ships and people trapped deep underground in flooded caves. They routinely risk their lives to save others, rescue of Thai boys being the prime example. Yet they are rarely recognized by Committee members who dish out “Gongs” to underserving millionaires in media, sports, politics and among themselves. All these people are doing no more than their duties under well paid jobs one can only dream about.
Bhupendra M. Gandhi
By email
