If you are a big football fan, you should check out football scores for today.
Joey Barton was Newcastle's undoubted player-of-the-season last year. The pinpoint accuracy of his crosses ensured Andy Carroll scored bags of goals in the first half of the season, and ultimately led to Newcastle's securing an outrageous £35 million for the big lad. Not subject to the chance of the roulette-wheel, Barton's crosses made the ball land on the number nine every time.
Robinho was influential in Brazil's 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland. How it pains me, an Irish Man City fan, to see Robinho, a man who couldn't score a goal to save his life at City, score one and set up another against Ireland. He's been having a go at Mancini in the press, so unless the Italian is gone by the time Robinho's loan spell at Santos runs out, I can't imagine him playing another game at City. I wonder if his return to form will yield bigger money for the Blues than would have been possible before he was let go on loan?
In yesterday's Irish Times, Andrew Fifield lamented the relative dearth of quality films about football. And he's right: when compared to Field of Dreams, The Full Nine Yards, even Friday Night Lights, football can't really compete with traditional American sports. The Firm, Green Street, Bend It Like Beckham, each one worse than the next. The Damned United, he argues, is just about the only decent film about football. And still, he's right.
Only he forgot one, an all-time classic in my household. There's Only One Jimmy Grimble has everything you want in a family film: high farce, Manchester City, adversity overcome, dreams realised and Robert Carlyle. And, more than most films about football, it feels rather authentic. If you haven't seen it already, you should.
As far as football news goes, I tend to read the Guardian. The other day they quoted Noel Gallagher saying something to the effect that, before the billionaires rolled it to Eastlands, Man City were everybody's favourite team. No more, though. Now, City are just another potential scalp.
Today, after a chasing the England defender tirelessly and, it seems, illegally, City have signed Joleon Lescott, adding yet more fuel to the fire. Fantasy Football should be left to the supporters, say many. Keep it off the pitch.
What irks me, as a City fan, is when these sort of reactions come from Chelsea, Man United, Blackburn, Liverpool or even Aston Villa fans. "Oh, you're buying your way to glory," some refrain. Sure we are, but isn't that exactly what their teams have done, if only in a (sometimes) slightly less brazen, and possibly less successful, manner.
Chelsea built their team from scratch when Abramovich took over in 2003. United have consistently splashed out on £30 million players over the last 5 or 10 years. Blackburn bought their way to Premiership success in 1995, when Alan Walker flooded the club with cash. Liverpool have spent overall £200 million since Rafa Benitez took over. And even Aston Villa have used relative clout in the transfer market to have the team pushing for a top four spot.
Some might say it's disgraceful that money can buy success in the best football league in the world, but it's a sad fact that, by buying into the whole spectacle, by watching Sky Sports and eagerly reading about the latest big money signings, by partipating in football betting, we are all responsible for the corporatisation of football. I personally think money has made football enormously entertaining. It's the reason the Premier League is the best in the world. Let's just be thankful, I think, that the money is attracted the league we all follow closest.
