As the players, staff and fans of Queens Park Rangers rightfully celebrate their Championship victory, the club have also confirmed that the FA has fined them £875,000. This is as a result of the news the FA confirmed earlier today that the club have been found guilty of two of the seven charges aimed at QPR and their Chairman Gianni Paladini.
Yesterday, or last Saturday if you are one of their fans, Queens Park Rangers won promotion back to the Premier League, ending an absence of 15 years or so. Or will they?
Never in the politics of the governance of football has there been a time when rank hypocrisy has been in evidence. Ok, apart from differing punishments for Torquay and Herford compared to West Ham (regarding Carlos Tevez) for essentially the same crime
It was announced last week that Sky Sports submitted a bid for the rights to broadcast 75 live Football League matches and the Carling Cup for three years from the 2012-13 season. No other broadcaster submitted a bid, it is believed. Thus, Sky Sports won a little bit more of English football’s soul.
One of the great truisms in life, never observed obviously because everyone likes a challenge, is that religion and politics do not mix, proven time and time again throughout history. When you chuck sport into this mix, the chances of the outcome being positive are so slim it disappears when it turns side on.
Would you ever take your football club to court? What would it take? Injury caused at a football ground caused by the club’s negligence? Having your season ticket taken away from you for no reason by the club, leaving you out of pocket? Would you not take them to court at all because they are your club?
Some people just aren’t cut out for certain jobs in life as specialist skills and talents are required for the rigours of certain professions. Hence qualifications being needed for jobs and regulation in place to monitor when work is not being done well.
This, of course, does not apply in the wonderful world of football governance and football club ownership.
Around 30 years ago, the idea for a national training centre was proposed where the cream of English football talent, both playing and coaching staff, would convene to aid the development of English football as a whole. The centre would, the proponents of the project argued, enhance the standard of the England