Football is an exceptionally good lens to look through to understand people and places. The graphic below shows the distribution of 1st and 2nd Bundesliga teams in the 2015/16 season. One thing stands out bold as brass: East Germany is desperately lacking. You see Continue reading
I do not understand the supposed entitlement that comes with nationality. “All they do is come over and take our jobs”. What exactly makes them “our jobs”? Why should it matter where an employee comes from if they do their job well? If being local brings an advantage, then yes, and there would be nothing to fear. But as people accuse immigration Continue reading
Another major international Football competition and not only fans but also businesses are making serious plans. So much attention from so many people from so many countries is an opportunity to make an easy buck. Hijack the upcoming tournament hysteria, change your product design with the event name & national colours and claim you’re backing the boys in the host country. Kerching.
But governing Football bodies are not going to allow non-affiliated companies to Continue reading
This year’s Sky Bet Championship Play-Off Final will be contested between Hull City and Sheffield Wednesday, 28th of May, in the grandest of all British stadia, Wembley Stadium. While the rivalry of these two teams will be evident, we have to acknowledge the significance of an all-Yorkshire final taking place in London.
The United Kingdom and France share a characteristic that other major European powers do not; in each country one city, the capital, dominates the political, economic and Continue reading
Thought for the day. Winston Churchill. You’ve probably heard of him. Not a shrinking violet and seen by many people in the UK as something of a hero. I’m not here to give history lessons, primarily because I don’t actually know that much history, but I ran into one quote of his recently which I think is relevant to our topic of Football Culture Continue reading
Betterplace.org and Ashoka held an event on Sunday the 20th March to raise money for integration programmes for refugees in Germany. Germany succeeded in welcoming a large amount of refugees in 2015 but the challenge of getting them on their own feet remains a big one. The ‘Hello Festival‘ was an initiative to raise both awareness and funds for the cause, with 100% of the proceeds going to the best presented projects and concepts for more effective refugee integration. The event included a 5-a-side Football tournament with teams including migrants Continue reading
So West Ham’s biggest supporter David Cameron has openly said he intends to investigate rising costs of ticket prices for Football supporters in the UK. Whether this refers to just English football or Scottish football also, I don’t know. But two thoughts strike me about this;
Obviously various governing bodies Continue reading
1. FC Union Berlin celebrated their 50th anniversary late January, with celebrations including a charity match against SV Austria Salzburg at the Stadion an der alten Försterei. Knowing the history of the team from the Mozart City and with standing away-end ticket prices at 5 €, it sounded like a great opportunity.
Austria Salzburg have attracted a large amount of respect from the international football community for their stand against rising commercialism in football. After Red Bull Continue reading
From Boothferry To Germany 