Mark Segal questions whether an overtly strict approach to players’ use of Twitter is precluding an exciting new opportunityDuring his undistinguished seven-match England career, striker Carlton Cole has failed to put a smile on the face of Fabio Capello or his bosses at the Football Association.
James Eastham discusses the newest scandal which has shaken French footballIt was all going too well. The France national team’s remarkable rebirth under Laurent Blanc came to an abrupt halt last month following the publication of transcripts from tapes that threatened not only to end the former Manchester United defender’s impressive start as les Bleus manager, but also engulf French football in a bigger scandal than the World Cup players’ strike.
A change in the Arsenal boardroom does not necessarily dictate a change in the club’s direction. Jon Spurling tells allLast month, Stan Kroenke added Arsenal FC to his extensive portfolio of sports clubs. As usual, “Silent Stan” avoided saying anything of consequence to the media about the development, while in marked contrast to the noise surrounding the “Russian Revolution” at Chelsea in 2003, or John W Henry’s takeover at Liverpool earlier this year, the announcement that Kroenke had become majority shareholder at Arsenal warranted comparatively little media hype. Then again, Kroenke has been steadily increasing his percentage of shares at the club since 2007, while, in media terms, an American taking over a Premier League football club is relatively old hat. It is also the case that Kroenke, much like Villa owner Randy Lerner, has remained resolutely “hands-off” with his sporting investments, preferring to allow his executive and coaching teams to get on with their jobs.
Matthew Gooding enjoyed a brief period of cosmopolitan influence at the Abbey Stadium, especially as it was so out of character for Cambridge UnitedLike a well-worn pair of shoes, the process of appointing a new Cambridge United manager is one which is comfortingly familiar for the club’s long-suffering fans. A motley cast of has-beens and never-will-bes throw their names into the hat via the back page of the local paper, while ex-U’s boss Tommy Taylor usually pops up to express an interest.
John Duerden hopes that the Indonesian FA may soon have a less corrupt president2010 was a bad year for Indonesian football. It started with a 2-1 loss at home to Oman in an Asian Cup qualifier, the high point of which was a pitch invasion by a spectator. The fan, scarf around left wrist, got hold of the ball and ran half the length of the pitch only to see his shot saved by Ali Al Habsi.