Mihir Bose's Blog, page 94
December 23, 2010
David Bernstein named as FA's new chairman
Evening Standard
David Bernstein was today nominated as the surprise choice to be the new chairman of the Football Association.
Bernstein, 67, is a former chairman if Manchester City and is currently in charge of Wembley Stadium. He will take over as FA chairman if, as is expected, his appointment is endorsed by the FA council on 25 January.
David Bernstein was today nominated as the surprise choice to be the new chairman of the Football Association.
Bernstein, 67, is a former chairman if Manchester City and is currently in charge of Wembley Stadium. He will take over as FA chairman if, as is expected, his appointment is endorsed by the FA council on 25 January.
December 22, 2010
David Dein wants to be FA chairman… but on two conditions
Evening Standard
David Dein has moved a step closer to becoming the new chairman of the Football Association.
The former Arsenal vice-chairman has refused to talk publicly about the position, one he has long coveted, but I understand he has met FA headhunters and has put his name forward.
David Dein has moved a step closer to becoming the new chairman of the Football Association.
The former Arsenal vice-chairman has refused to talk publicly about the position, one he has long coveted, but I understand he has met FA headhunters and has put his name forward.
December 17, 2010
Gandhi would be amazed at what is happening at Blackburn Rovers
Insideworldfootball.biz
Sam Allardyce as the saviour of football is a difficult concept to accept. But judging from the media reaction to his sacking, it would seem the new owners of Blackburn have committed a crime that would be beyond Herod.
They have not only sacked a manager, bad enough, but done it after consulting an agent, Jerome Anderson, and a firm based in Switzerland. To make it worse, the owners themselves are foreign, an Indian group whose business is poultry, and their spokesman confesses she has no knowledge of football.
Sam Allardyce as the saviour of football is a difficult concept to accept. But judging from the media reaction to his sacking, it would seem the new owners of Blackburn have committed a crime that would be beyond Herod.
They have not only sacked a manager, bad enough, but done it after consulting an agent, Jerome Anderson, and a firm based in Switzerland. To make it worse, the owners themselves are foreign, an Indian group whose business is poultry, and their spokesman confesses she has no knowledge of football.
December 16, 2010
Was England too confident in its 2018 World Cup bid?
This has been a year when it has been difficult to get away from the World Cup. Africa holding its first World Cup, unmemorable on the field, but fascinating off it. And the epic struggle to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The bidding process was fascinating/intriguing/disgraceful/you-couldn't-make-it-up (take your pick). Here is my pick of the stories I did as the events unfolded and reached their climax in the icy centre of Zurich.
Back in May, interviewed Sepp Blatter: he was already singing Russia's praises, and there was talk even then of deals being made over Qatar. Spoke in the Sunday Telegraph about the complexities of the voting, warning that, 'Given how small the electorate is, even a perfect campaign may not deliver the perfect result.' Also spoke of England's need (and lack) of a key figure on their bid team to play the same role that Beckenbauer did for Germany when the 2006 host was being decided. Beckham just wouldn't be able to fill that role.
Back in May, interviewed Sepp Blatter: he was already singing Russia's praises, and there was talk even then of deals being made over Qatar. Spoke in the Sunday Telegraph about the complexities of the voting, warning that, 'Given how small the electorate is, even a perfect campaign may not deliver the perfect result.' Also spoke of England's need (and lack) of a key figure on their bid team to play the same role that Beckenbauer did for Germany when the 2006 host was being decided. Beckham just wouldn't be able to fill that role.
December 14, 2010
Ruby Walsh: Racing has a limited appeal, not everyone likes us
Evening Standard
Ruby Walsh, nursing yet another injury — a double-leg fracture while riding at Down Royal five weeks ago — may not be seen on a horse until Cheltenham is almost upon us. But, on Sunday, he will be glued to his television in County Kildare, hoping Tony McCoy becomes the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
"It will be great for him but not just for him. For racing. No jockey has ever won this prestigious award. We are not high up in the pecking order of sport. Racing has a limited following, a select group of people follow us and not everyone likes us. AP' absolutely deserves it, 15 times champion jockey and he has won the Grand National."
Ruby Walsh, nursing yet another injury — a double-leg fracture while riding at Down Royal five weeks ago — may not be seen on a horse until Cheltenham is almost upon us. But, on Sunday, he will be glued to his television in County Kildare, hoping Tony McCoy becomes the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
"It will be great for him but not just for him. For racing. No jockey has ever won this prestigious award. We are not high up in the pecking order of sport. Racing has a limited following, a select group of people follow us and not everyone likes us. AP' absolutely deserves it, 15 times champion jockey and he has won the Grand National."
December 13, 2010
Ontario in the fall
You think of the fall and you think of New England. But here I was in Ontario, not the most obvious place or the most fashionable but, for me, absolutely right.
One word summed it up: Panna, my sister or Chordi, as I called her in the Indian style of respect for an older sister. She had lived in Toronto for nearly half a century and I had decided to spend time with her following the death of my mother and also make the most of the timing of my visit by taking in some of the scenery I had seen in the father and daughter Fonda film, On Golden Pond.
One word summed it up: Panna, my sister or Chordi, as I called her in the Indian style of respect for an older sister. She had lived in Toronto for nearly half a century and I had decided to spend time with her following the death of my mother and also make the most of the timing of my visit by taking in some of the scenery I had seen in the father and daughter Fonda film, On Golden Pond.
December 12, 2010
Arsenal's Dein to stand for FA chair after 2018 fiasco
Sunday Times
President of England's failed 2018 World Cup bid, David Dein, has put himself forward to take over as chairman of the Football Association
David Dein, the international president of England's 2018 World Cup bid, has put his name forward to be the next chairman of the Football Association. Dein is not commenting publicly on the subject but is believed to have met Nolan Partners, the headhunters appointed by the FA. He is understood to have told them he would take the job providing certain conditions are met, including how the FA is governed and a clear outline of exactly how much power the role of the chairman carries.
President of England's failed 2018 World Cup bid, David Dein, has put himself forward to take over as chairman of the Football Association
David Dein, the international president of England's 2018 World Cup bid, has put his name forward to be the next chairman of the Football Association. Dein is not commenting publicly on the subject but is believed to have met Nolan Partners, the headhunters appointed by the FA. He is understood to have told them he would take the job providing certain conditions are met, including how the FA is governed and a clear outline of exactly how much power the role of the chairman carries.
December 7, 2010
England will be making an historic mistake if it takes its ball home after the 2018 bid
Insideworldfootball.biz
Mihir BoseSo FIFA is corrupt, full of Executive members who look you in the eye and lie, and England is taking its ball home.
Should such a statement be put to the British public today, I am quite certain it would receive unanimous support. Even before the Zurich debacle, FIFA, and in particular President Sepp Blatter, would have struggled to win a popularity contest in the mother land of football. But I have rarely seen a country and its media so united in its condemnation of the organisation.
Mihir BoseSo FIFA is corrupt, full of Executive members who look you in the eye and lie, and England is taking its ball home.
Should such a statement be put to the British public today, I am quite certain it would receive unanimous support. Even before the Zurich debacle, FIFA, and in particular President Sepp Blatter, would have struggled to win a popularity contest in the mother land of football. But I have rarely seen a country and its media so united in its condemnation of the organisation.
Alex McLeish, Birmingham City FC, cites Ferguson as mentor
Evening Standard
Alex McLeish quite fancies managing Chelsea. You could say he is even preparing for it. In August he bought a house in Fulham. The drive home from Birmingham down the M40 to west London is a familiar one. The day I interviewed him he did the journey, his car radio as usual tuned into Radio 2, to catch an Elton John concert in Notting Hill.
It is important to explain the context of his remarks. I am sitting with McLeish in his office at Birmingham City's training ground. We are discussing Carlo Ancelotti's comments, following Chelsea's defeat at St Andrew's a couple of weeks ago and the sacking of his assistant Ray Wilkins.
Alex McLeish quite fancies managing Chelsea. You could say he is even preparing for it. In August he bought a house in Fulham. The drive home from Birmingham down the M40 to west London is a familiar one. The day I interviewed him he did the journey, his car radio as usual tuned into Radio 2, to catch an Elton John concert in Notting Hill.
It is important to explain the context of his remarks. I am sitting with McLeish in his office at Birmingham City's training ground. We are discussing Carlo Ancelotti's comments, following Chelsea's defeat at St Andrew's a couple of weeks ago and the sacking of his assistant Ray Wilkins.
December 5, 2010
Bend it like Fifa: The way a small group of officials control the World Cup has sparked widespread outrage
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times investigate allegations of a fix at Fifa
Jonathan Calvert, Claire Newell, Mihir Bose and John Follain
A few weeks before the vote on who should stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, a Sunday Times reporter spoke to a senior figure in the world of football. England would make a good host, the administrator said, but stood no chance of winning.
"They've got all the good reasons why they should host it," explained Ahongalu Fusimalohi, a former member of the executive committee of Fifa, the body that decides where the World Cup is played. "But they [England] don't strike the deals."
The Sunday Times investigate allegations of a fix at Fifa
Jonathan Calvert, Claire Newell, Mihir Bose and John Follain
A few weeks before the vote on who should stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, a Sunday Times reporter spoke to a senior figure in the world of football. England would make a good host, the administrator said, but stood no chance of winning.
"They've got all the good reasons why they should host it," explained Ahongalu Fusimalohi, a former member of the executive committee of Fifa, the body that decides where the World Cup is played. "But they [England] don't strike the deals."
Mihir Bose's Blog
- Mihir Bose's profile
- 17 followers
Mihir Bose isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
