In the Name of Capitalist Freedom?

This morning I read that across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and elsewhere, Palestinian refugees are suffering at new depths because of the pandemic. People in Gaza are searching through rubbish to find food as Palestinians battle unprecedented levels of poverty.

And then I read that if I want to watch my two favourite football teams this weekend (Manchester United; born in Manchester, Leicester City; live in Leicester) it will cost me £29.90. I am told that the money will go directly to the Premiership clubs to help with a lack of matchday income. This of course is additional income to the clubs, on top of regular TV rights paid by Sky, BT and others (a total of around 4.5 billion -yes, billion- pounds a season).

These are the clubs that regularly pay players in the millions (David De Gea  £19,500,000 per season) with an average wage of around £50,000 per week (nearly 3 million pounds a year). They are the same clubs that have rejected a plan to fund smaller clubs (I appreciate the proposed model was flawed but where’s the real alternative?)

We live in a society that in the name of capitalism and freedom has distorted our moral values to allow the rubbish heaps in Gaza, children dying through hunger, a lack of pure water and more, whilst perverting reasonable business practices beyond recognition.

How about some sensible public ownership, a better tax regime, an increase in our international aid budget? And a government that isn’t afraid to say something is plain wrong when it so obviously is.

As someone with a Christian faith, I appreciate that ultimate answers are beyond the political arena, but that doesn’t absolve me from speaking out and doing what I can. As to this weekend, my small contribution to the coffers of the Premier League will instead go towards a Compassion child.

Lessons in Management

I love Manchester United. I come from Manchester and have supported them since I was first able to speak. (I’m also a proud supporter of Leicester City, my adopted home ☺). So it has been hard to support United through the flawed management years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. But maybe there’s hope.

Have a look at the management style of the new caretaker manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. There are lessons here for all of us.

1. On the first day in the job, bringing Norwegian chocolate bars for all the backroom staff

2. Going unannounced to a staff party that same day and meeting as many of the backroom staff as possible

3.  Calling Mike Phelan, once Ferguson’s right hand man, and asking for his help

4.  Retaining the services of Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna as his support staff, ensuring the best from the previous era is maintained

5. Developing a good relationship with the press from the beginning, being available as much as possible, arranging a regular date and time for press conferences

6. Visiting the Women’s team, talking to as many as possible

7. Stopping for photo’s with the parents of the youth team boys 

8. Donating his watch to a charity auction, raising £32,000

9. Attending a Manchester function being run by rivals Manchester City, supporting the charities they were supporting

10. Attending the annual Munich air crash memorial service in smart attire

11. Keeping in regular contact with Sir Alex, asking advice as and when needed

12. Not being afraid to challenge the players but keeping all criticism behind closed doors

13. Talking to Nicky Butt, the Academy manager, as soon as possible, ensuring young players get promotion to the first team (two so far)

14. Positively motivating the players, encouraging attacking football

15. Playing to the players strengths

16. Recognising the Club’s history

17. Showing enthusiasm at all times

18. Smiling

His record at the time of this blog is 10 wins and 1 draw. If he gets the job permanently,this will be why.

A Culture of Honour

As a resident of Leicester, I’m shocked with the sacking of a hero. Claudio Ranieri worked against the odds to produce the upset of the century in football terms, with Leicester City winning the English Premiership last year. According to the BBC, the season ‘ended with a success that defied history, logic, the odds and the game's natural financial order, as he turned a Leicester team that narrowly avoided relegation into champions.’

Yesterday, after a run of bad results, he was fired.

He didn’t deserve that and it was done for the usual short-sighted reasons of money and politics.

There seems to be such a culture of dishonour nowadays. We see it in the Brexit debate. These are important decisions and it seems reasonable to discuss them, but the moment a former Prime Minister raises those issues, there’s a dishonouring of him as a person- nothing to do with the debate.

Sadly it seems the same with the comments and tweets of the new President in the States. It’s not whether he is right or wrong, it’s to do with honouring the other point of view.

Back to Leicester. I don’t want to be part of something that is so short sighted and ruthless. I want to honour a man that in sporting terms did the impossible. Manager of the Premiership winners, Coach of the Year in the BBC awards and with the same award from the official body, FIFA.

I don’t expect he will read this, but Claudio, we honour you. There will be many in Leicester today who want you to know we have nothing to do with this decision. We choose a culture of honour, not dishonour. We trust you will remember Leicester fondly and will be able to forgive this crass dishonouring of your accomplishments.

Leicester City - The Financially Impossible Story

An amazing thing has just happened in my city. Leicester City Football Club has won the Premiership. Outside of the usual ‘big spenders’, Leicester are only the second club to manage the impossible (Blackburn Rovers being the other club in 1994/95).

They won it on team spirit, togetherness, courage and determination. In the end, money can’t buy determination.

It’s worth looking at the financials here. The chart below, from the BBC, shows how Leicester stacks up in terms of cost, against the biggest spending club, Manchester City:

Yes, that’s right. Leicester has just won the Premiership with a team valued at 7.5% of the ‘top’ club.

And that’s not all. Leicester City have also attained the greatest financial ‘over achievement’ when measured against wages. Here’s the proof courtesy of the Financial Times no less (via Pensions Playpen):

Much has already been written about this impossible success. And I’m sure there will be more to follow. Cold finance says this achievement is impossible. The dreamers at Leicester City say otherwise.

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.
T. E. Lawrence

A Result

I was in Liverpool the other week on business and was kindly taken out in the evening for a meal. We walked through the brand new shopping complex between the city and the docks. It's one of the largest in Europe and is called Liverpool One.

Everton football club have set up their souvenir shop in the Liverpool One complex. They have called the shop 'Everton Two'.

So the actual postal address is 'Everton Two, Liverpool One'. Wonderful!

Each day, every day

When Federico Macheda woke up on Sunday morning, did he know it was going to be his day? Manchester United had a number of suspensions and injuries which meant the 17 year old was promoted to the subs bench of the first team.

Things didn’t go well. Having lost the top spot in the Premiership to Liverpool the day before, United were losing at home 2-1 to Aston Villa. The manager decided on a radical change. On came Macheda. At 2-2 and in injury time, he took the ball in the area, turned and shot an exquisite goal into the top corner of the net.

That morning, it was just an ordinary day. By the end of Sunday, he was famous.

How do we treat each day? Just another day, or one that has the possibility of a moment in it to change a life?

The Psalmist says ‘Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life’. Surely goodness and mercy and opportunity and potential and excitement. Each day. Every day.

Pies and Prejudice

The book lived up to the hype. 'Pies and Prejudice' by Stuart Maconie really is worth the read. He's billed as 'the new Bill Bryson' (not that there's anything wrong with the old one!) and I agree.

This book (it's a great title isn't it?) is a northerners return to the north of England. Very wittily written though I think you will apppreciate it more if you are from the north as well!

So many memories of my childhood years came flooding back. A wonderful return to the place where dinner is at midday, tripe and onion is on the menu and there are real football teams to go and see.

Disappointment, defeat and victory

What a difference a week makes. A week ago, I had the privilege of going to the new Wembley (magnificent) to see England (average to good) beat Estonia 3-0. I got back home in time to see England (brilliant) beat France in the rugby world cup and reach the final- against the odds.

And then England (average to poor) lost to Russia in the football. Followed by the rugby with England (still brilliant) losing to South Africa in the world cup final. We have quite a number of South Africans at our church- and of course, they were all wearing their rugby shirts yesterday. I tried not to let them in…..

Finally, even Lewis Hamilton (dead cert) couldn’t beat Raikkonen for the Formula 1 championship.

John didn’t live to see it. He fought Motor Neurone disease for over 2 years, but died last week. A friend from my days working at Emap, I saw him grow in his Christian faith- so to put it bluntly, I know where he is! Disappointment and defeat in the sports arena, but triumphant victory for John.

7 - 1

It was my birthday yesterday and my football team decided to lay on a treat for me....

For United to win 7-1 against Roma in the quarter finals of the European Cup was quite something. Some of their play was breathtaking. The 6 'one-touch' passes that led to Alan Smith's goal were so good I don't have the right superlative for them!

Not a bad way to start another year. I hope and pray my own approach to each day this year will be the same as the Manchester United players last night- committed, purposeful, full of energy, and successful.