America's Game in the UK

Before the age of satellite television brought us wall to wall sporting coverage from every corner of the world, a new television channel called Channel Four brought American football to British screens on a Sunday evening. The game reached unprecedented levels of popularity during the 1980’s and developed a hardcore following. In 2007, the NFL brought a regular season game to the UK to the first time and the publicity that accompanied the match at Wembley introduced a whole new generation to America’s game. For a sport that has no significant domestic league in this country and remains at the periphery of Britain’s sporting mainstream, there is a wealth of coverage devoted to the NFL.

The NFL has four broadcasters in the UK. The main television broadcaster is Sky Sports who show games at 6:00pm and 9:00pm on Sunday. Coverage is presented by Kevin Cadle and Nick Halling who are joined by a guest pundit. Sky Sports also show the Thanksgiving games and then show the Thursday Night game which is aired in the US on NFL Network. This year, American football has returned to Channel Four as they have secured rights to Sunday Night Football. Gary Imlach, who had previously fronted American football for the channel, is joined by Mike Carlson, who was a pundit on five’s NFL coverage.  ESPN show Monday Night Football which is the flagship programme of their American counterparts and show the entire American production, including Monday Night Countdown. The BBC shows the Superbowl live with Sky Sports, who show the game exclusively in High Definition. While the coverage this year is an improvement on last year when Monday Night Football was absent from UK television, to watch every game shown you need two subscriptions and only one game a week is on free to air television and it is on late Sunday night. The quality of coverage is exceptional, especially in high definition and the studio programmes ensure that British viewers are not subject the frustrating number of advertising breaks that plague American viewers.

British fans can also listen to radio coverage which began last season. BBC 5 live sports extra provide coverage of a game at 9:00pm on Sunday nights. Commentary is taken from an American radio station or from the BBC’s own commentators in the states while the studio keeps the listener informed of the scores from around the league. The radio coverage is as good as the rest of Radio 5 live’s output and the inclusion of many of the best known NFL UK personalities such as Neil Reynolds means that it is as knowledgeable as anything the US can offer. For those seeking more audio coverage, the NFL UK ‘Inside the Huddle’ podcast provides both previews and reviews of the week’s action with Neil Reynolds and Mike Carlson.

Coverage of the NFL in the UK is as comprehensive as it can get, with at least four games a week shown live on television and another on the radio. It is covered as well in this country as football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket which means that following the league has never been easier for the American football fan.

Bringing The Stones Back Home

(PIC: Maidstone United)

On the 11^th October, Oliver Ash and lifelong fan Terry Casey finally completed their takeover of Maidstone United following a protracted saga that has mirrored the team’s 22 year absence from the county town. After a tough year financially for the club, the takeover should provide the boost that the Stones need for their league campaign and the impetus for a return to Maidstone.

Ash had been on the club’s board since February 2008 when his company Richmond Developments, a French-based real estate company, secured 25% of the club. Lashings, who run an all-star cricket team and a restaurant in Maidstone, were also in the running, but Ash and Casey were seen as the ideal candidates for the takeover, especially with Ash’s background in construction. The deal sees an end to the tenure of Paul Bowden-Powell, who has worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of the reformed football club since its inception and the long-term ambition of bringing football back to Maidstone.

Maidstone United have not played in their hometown since 1988 when they sold their London Road ground and have played in Dartford, Sittingbourne and most recently Ashford. The current incarnation of the club was born in 1992 following the bankruptcy of Maidstone United’s previous iteration. After a steady rise through the non-league pyramid, The Stones were finally promoted to the Ryman Premier Division on 2007 and have remained there since. Recently however, the club’s fortunes have been on the wane. Financial problems were exacerbated by last year’s cold weather which resulted in just one home game played in six weeks meaning the players were not paid. The arrival of Ash and Casey should bring the club onto a more sound financial footing, but the question remains; when will the Stones come home?

Paul Bowden-Powell made it his mission to return football to Maidstone and in 2004 and a plan to open a new ground at James Whatman Way was unanimously approved by councillors. The initial plan was to open the stadium in 2006, but a series of setbacks has ensured that the ground has not progressed significantly beyond the planning process. In March 2006, the land needed to build the stadium was secured on a 99 year lease from the Ministry of Defence with a view to opening in time for the 2007/2008 season. The plans included a main stand with two covered terraces, a club house and parking. The club had leased the land with a ten year loan from the Borough Council but financial problems remained. Despite Ash’s investment in 2008, the club had applied for a £1.2m grant from the Football Association and the Football Foundation, but this was rejected. Bowden-Powell earmarked 2010 as the new date for a return to Maidstone, despite the latest setback. While Bowden-Powell acknowledged the role that the Borough Council played in the advances made, he lamented the lack of support for sport in the area. This does hold some truth, especially when Maidstone has not hosted league football for twenty years and county cricket for four years.

Ash’s takeover should speed up the return to Maidstone and he is formalising a new business plan to present to investors. The new stadium is necessary for the club to avoid the fate that the original team suffered as a new ground would increase revenue and would reignite support in the team. Glenn Aitken, a former Stones player who was working with the Lashings bid to take over the club, believed that the level of support for Maidstone was the same as that of AFC Wimbledon, but it was more passive because the team did not play in the town.

While the first home game at James Whatman Way may not happen in the near future, the takeover is a step in the right direction for The Stones to finally end their exile.

For more information, go to: http://www.bringthestoneshome.co.uk/

A Sporting Niche

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are underway and competitors from the former colonies of the British Empire (as well as Mozambique and Rwanda) have arrived in Delhi for the quadrennial celebration of sport. The Delhi games have been plagued by a number of problems ranging from security issues to unhygienic living quarters while a number of the Commonwealth’s most prominent athletes including Olympic and World Champion Usain Bolt have stayed away. These issues have led many to question the credibility of the competition and its relevance in today’s sporting world. While it is true that the Commonwealth Games are not on a par with the Olympics in terms of scale and competitiveness, it retains importance as it provides an arena in which smaller countries can have influence, something that the Olympics cannot afford them.

It is important to see the Commonwealth Games in a historical context. First held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, the British Empire Games, as they were then known, were a celebration of the common bond that cemented the Empire. Following the Second World War and decolonisation, the Commonwealth was established as “A voluntary association of those states which have experienced some form of British rule who wish to work together to further their individual and common interests”. For the British this represented a way of retaining a degree of informal control having relinquished their political rule over the colonies, while for the newly formed states it allowed them access to the world stage in a way that existing inter-governmental organisations such as the UN and IOC did not. The games were used as a diplomatic tool and played a vital role in the exile of South Africa from the global sporting arena in the second half of the twentieth century.

The Commonwealth Games presented a method of isolating South Africa without jeopardising individual countries’ participation in other diplomatic arenas. Sport was a way of demonstrating against apartheid especially through the use of boycotts which were both highly visible and inexpensive. Many African countries boycotted the 1976 Olympic Games after the New Zealand rugby team toured South Africa, but this boycott was overshadowed by the Two Chinas debate. The 1978 Commonwealth Games were due to be held in Edmonton and the threat of a boycott loomed. The Commonwealth Games were largely void of the Cold War tensions that the Olympics experienced and any potential boycott would have a far greater impact. The result was the Gleneagles agreement which allowed the Commonwealth Games Federation to exclude members while bringing to an end any previous conflicts. This demonstrated the benefits of the games to its members as they were able to exert more influence than they would do in the IOC.  After the New Zealand issue was resolved, Britain became the next target of the anti-apartheid movement, resulting from the British government’s failure to enforce stronger sanctions on South Africa. The consequence was an African-led boycott of the 1986 games in Edinburgh.

The issue of South Africa during the apartheid era gave the Commonwealth Games a political purpose but after the end of minority rule, questions were raised over the future of the event. There were moves to make the event more economically viable and the benefits were stressed to any potential hosts. The awarding of the games to Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and to Delhi in 2010 have given developing countries a chance to demonstrate their ability to host major sporting events, something that the Olympics has yet to do. 

While the 2010 Commonwealth Games have had many problems, they still matter. The Commonwealth allows smaller countries to have more influence, while permits countries such as Canada to differentiate itself from the United States. What started as a British attempt to employ a more informal method of control over its former colonies, turned into a forum which could eventually be used to direct criticism at Britain itself. The creation of the secretariat decreased the Anglo-centricity of the Commonwealth, while the changing of the name from the British Empire Games to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954 and to the present title in 1978 demonstrates the shifting influence of the games. Delhi 2010 may not be attracting the crowds, or even the athletes, but the games have formed a niche in the sporting world. In 2014 the games will be held in Glasgow and it is not optimistic to predict that they will be a success.

Taming of the Shrews

(PIC: Stephen McCaskill)

Gillingham 2-1 Shrewsbury

The last time the Gillingham played Shrewsbury, it was for a place in League One. That warm spring day at Wembley will live long in the memory as Simeon Jackson’s late winner catapulted The Gills back into the third tier of English football at the first attempt. Sixteen months later, they were back in League Two after a dismal 2009/10 which saw them relegated without a single away win to their name. Just one victory on the road would have secured their League One status for another season, and a lacklustre final day defeat to Wycombe, combined with other results going against them, sealed their fate. For a team that beat some of the bigger teams in the division at home, it was a depressing end for a season that promised so much.

This season has started the same way the last one ended. Gillingham hadn’t won in five league games and had crashed out of both the League Cup and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Shrewsbury came to Priestfield top of the league which meant that this wouldn’t be an easy task for the Kent club. The arrival of the Shrews was always going to evoke memories of two seasons ago and perhaps further entrench the disappointment of relegation in the Gill’s fans minds. Former manager Mark Stimson paid the price for failing to consolidate the club’s position in League One and was replaced by Gillingham legend Andy Hessenthaler. ‘Hess’ managed the club between 2000 and 2004, leading the club to their highest ever league position of 11^th in what is now the Championship in 2003. Hessenthaler’s return has done much to lift the mood at Priestfield, despite the club’s poor start to the campaign.

The contest took place in cool temperatures and in front of 4,815 spectators, a far cry from the sunshine of Wembley in front of over 50,000, but Gillingham started the stronger of the two sides. The cries from the Shrewsbury end of “League One and you fucked it up” were soon silenced by the Gills support. The fans were rewarded after Chris Palmer bundled the ball home after Jack Payne’s long throw wasn’t dealt with by the Shrewsbury defence. Gillingham were the better side throughout the first half, but failed to get the second goal that their play deserved and would settle the fans’ nerves. Shrewsbury were revitalised by the break and looked threatening at the start of the second half. Despite their opponent’s consistent pressure, Gillingham earned a penalty in the 50^th minute after a handball decision. Adebayo Akinfenwa, a summer recruit from Northampton, saw his penalty saved and Gillingham hoped that it wouldn’t come back to haunt them. Fortunately, it didn’t as just nine minutes later, Gillingham were awarded another spot-kick after Danny Spiller was fouled in the area. Chris Palmer took this penalty and slotted home for his, and The Gills’, second of the afternoon. Shrewsbury almost pulled one back late on, but Lance Cronin, another summer signing, saved well from Mark Wright. Gillingham endured six minutes of injury time but Priestfield erupted when the final whistle was blown as it meant a first win of the season.

Despite the loss of Simeon Jackson to Norwich, there is reason for optimism at Gillingham this season. The Gills have a good squad and with Andy Hessenthaler they have a man who can inspire his players to an immediate return to League One. Eighteen year old Jack Payne looks like a prospect while Danny Spiller’s return is a real coup for the club. A former academy player, Spiller was linked with West Ham during his first spell at Gillingham before leaving for Millwall in 2007. Injuries plagued his time at the Den, while unsuccessful spells at Wycombe, Welling and Dagenham & Redbridge followed before he turned down a move to MLS side Chicago Fire to rejoin Gillingham (who wouldn’t). Spiller showed his class at times today and if he manages to recapture the form that made him a fan’s favourite in his first spell, then Gillingham have a potential matchwinner. Other positives included the lively Cody McDonald and possibly the world's least mobile striker, Adebayo Akinfenwa, who worked tirelessly throughout the game.

Gillingham should fear no one in this division and hopefully today’s victory will kickstart their promotion challenge. Now all they need is an away victory…

Fog on the Rhine

Switzerland 1 - 3 England

After Friday’s 4-0 demolition of Bulgaria, England travelled to Switzerland for what was on paper their toughest fixture in their European Championship Qualification campaign. The build-up to the game was dominated by tabloid allegations about Wayne Rooney’s private life and whether he was in the right state of mind to start the game in Basel. Capello selected Rooney, who scored and built on his good performance against Bulgaria, removing any doubts that some sections of the media held over his selection.

England’s 3-1 won was one of their most impressive away performances under Capello as they took command of Group G with two consecutive wins. There were a number of positives to take from the match, most notably the continuing upward trajectory of Adam Johnson’s fledgling England career. Johnson, who narrowly missed out on selection for South Africa, scored his second goal in as many games as he took the ball around Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and coolly finished from a tight angle. The Manchester City winger threatened from the right-hand side, cutting inside on numerous occasions. Capello has obviously been watching Manchester City a lot over the last few months, with the Italian manager adopting Roberto Mancini’s system of deploying left footed Johnson the right to allow such runs. Unfortunately for Theo Walcott, Johnson’s success was at the Arsenal winger’s expense after he was injured in the build-up to England’s first goal. Walcott has struggled to combine form with fitness since he moved to Arsenal four years ago and this latest injury setback, combined with Johnson’s rise, may hinder his efforts to making the right-midfield position his own.

The England goal which led to Walcott’s injury was scored by Wayne Rooney, the man at the centre of all the pre-match build up. Rooney scored from close range in the first half to set England on their way and in doing so scored his first competitive goal for England for twelve months. Rooney, who was out of sorts at the World Cup, has produced two performances that will give Fabio Capello great confidence for the rest of this qualification campaign. Whatever his problems may be off the pitch, Rooney left England in no doubt of his importance to the team.

                

Rio Ferdinand and John Terry’s absence from the squad created the chance for one of England’s central defenders to stake a claim for a starting place in the team. Phil Jagielka did his chances no harm with two competent performances which betrayed his inexperience at this level. Michael Dawson’s injury sustained in the match against Bulgaria and the poor recent form of Matthew Upson mean that Jagielka may well have established himself as England’s main understudy at central defence.

                

After all the uncertainty over the position in the lead up to the World Cup, the goalkeeping position is no longer a dilemma for Capello as Joe Hart is surely the undisputed number one for England. After a good season for Birmingham City last year, he has now displaced Shay Given as first choice at Manchester City. Hart has been in sensational form for club and country so far this season and although there were a few nervy moments against Switzerland, England could finally have some stability between the posts.

                

Switzerland were not at the top of their game and rarely posed a threat. While their defence has been their strength in recent years, most notably at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, their inability to score goals let them down in both tournaments. Veteran Alex Frei of FC Basel and Leverkusen striker Eren Derdiyok led the line, but never looked to threaten the resolute England defence. Stephane Lichtsteiner showed his indiscipline as he was sent off for two yellow cards. The first was avoidable, a yellow card for dissent while the second one was the result of a poor tackle. One positive for “Die Nati” was Xherdan Shaqiri, the 18 year old wonderkid from FC Basel. His goal from outside the area was spectacular and demonstrated why the Swiss are so excited about him.

                

England’s next game is a friendly against France which will be used as preparation for the game against second placed Montenegro, who have also won their first two games despite being deemed the weakest team in the group. England may not have banished the memories of South Africa, but there is reason for optimism after two impressive wins that leaves them in command of the group.

Friday Night Lights

Friday heralded the beginning of a brand new European Championship Qualifying campaign and England did their best to silence the critics who have been calling for the players’, and indeed the manager’s, heads since the disastrous campaign in South Africa. Jermain Defoe scored England’s only winner at the World Cup and he was in equally predatory form again at Wembley, scoring a hat-trick while Adam Johnson, who was left out of the final squad in June, scored his first goal for the Three Lions. The qualifiers for this tournament will take place on Fridays and Tuesdays, a break from the normal scheduling of Saturdays and Wednesdays, in the hope that it will give club managers more time to prepare for domestic fixtures when the players are released by their international sides. Inevitably, this has been criticised by fans who have complained that the timing of these matches means that their attendance is dependent on the ability to get time off work if they live outside of London. While this is a considerable oversight by those at UEFA, there has been one advantage of this decision in that for the first time in a long time there has been virtually no football over a weekend during the season.

International breaks have been seen by some fans, especially those who don’t see the value in international football, as a distraction from league football. Although there is far less football than usual it was still possible to make a weekend of it as fixtures for the Home Nations were staggered and if there was South American qualifying, there were games on in the small hours too. This was not possible with the new scheduling as most games kicked off around eight o’clock unless they were in Eastern Europe like the Republic of Ireland were. What resulted was a weekend void of Premier League, Championship or international football and while the media gave much time and space to analysis of the qualifiers, it was refreshing to see other sports and other levels of football in the spotlight.

The Aviva Premiership Rugby season kicked off on Saturday with the London double-header at Twickenham. ESPN are beginning their coverage of the competition and broadcast both games, devoting most of their Saturday afternoon to the clash between last years runner-up Saracens and London Irish and Wasps v Harlequins. Today, BBC Radio 5 live will broadcast commentary of Northampton v Leicester, something that would not happen during a weekend heaving with Premier League football.

Much attention was also paid to the conclusion of the county cricket season as both the Clydesdale Bank 40 and County Championship competitions enter their final stages. Sunday’s Twenty20 international between England and Pakistan would have been in the headlines regardless, owing to the current match-fixing scandal, but with no other sporting event aside from the aforementioned Premiership clash being able to rival it, the Cardiff contest becomes the main sporting event this afternoon.

Lower-league football and non-league football also received a boost from the Euro 2012 qualifiers. League One fixtures were live on Sky Sports and on BBC Radio 5 live, while the 3pm kick-offs did not have to contend with an England game which would have affected attendances at the grounds. Much attention was paid to the East London derby between Dagenham and Redbridge and Leyton Orient as well as Southampton v Rochdale. Saturday was declared ‘Non-League Day’ as fans were encouraged to use this day off to attend a non-league match. BBC Radio Kent received calls from many fans who had been attending non-league games for many years and from those who were attending their first match.

While American sports leagues have often been criticised on this side of the pond for their capitalist nature, their submission to television networks and their propensity to move cities, American sports culture allows for the domination of more than one sport, something that ours does not. While American football is perhaps the most dominant of the ‘big three’ sports which also includes baseball and basketball, they share air-time and column space. This is in stark contrast to the British sports media which predominantly consists of wall-to-wall football. While this results from many factors which cannot be explained here, it is refreshing to see.

Football is undisputedly the most popular sport in this country and there is no danger of that changing in the near future. The Premier League dominates every other league in this country in terms of revenue, attendance and influence meaning that other sports and other leagues barely get a look in. With the international games moving to Friday however, a window has opened for these sports as well as the lower leagues of the football pyramid to get some of the limelight.

Cup Match: A Bermudian Tradition

Cricket: Bermuda

Sport is often said to bring some countries to a standstill, but in Bermuda this is taken to another level as virtually the entire island shuts down to enjoy the annual cricketing contest between St. George’s and Somerset Cricket Clubs known as Cup Match. During this two-day public holiday, which takes place on the Thursday and Friday nearest August 1, Bermudians partake in camping, boating and swimming while thousands attend the match itself, the venue of  which alternates between the two competing team’s home grounds.

Cricket is incredibly popular in this former British colony and the Bermudian national team compete at ICC competitions, most notably the 2007 Cricket World Cup where they lost all three of their games. Notable players for the island include former Glamorgan captain David Hemp and spin bowler Dwayne Leverock, who played for Somerset in this year’s competition. Four streets in Bermuda are named in honour of cricket; Fielder’s Lane, Bat ‘n’ Ball Lane, Cricket Lane and Grandstand Lane, which gives an indication of the importance that locals place on cricket. The Cup Match is the centrepiece of the domestic season as a carnival atmosphere descends on the island. Fans of the rival teams display their colours (Red and navy for Somerset and blue and dark blue for St. George’s) in the lead up to the game which attracts attendances of around 7,000 and is broadcast on both TV and radio.

The Cup Match has its origins in the celebrations that took place to following the end of slavery in 1834. A key feature of these celebrations was a cricket game between the lodges from the opposing ends of Bermuda and in 1902 it turned into an annual competition between Somerset Cricket Club in the west and St George’s in the east. The game captivated the island and many didn’t go into work during the match which led to the government declaring the two days on which the game occurred as public holidays in 1947.

This year’s match was held at Somerset Cricket Club on the 29^th and 30^th of July as St. George’s looked to defend the title they had held since 2005. Despite a strong start by the holders, Somerset fought back with the help of Bermudian international Malachi Jones, who earned figures of 4-71. Any potential comeback was ended by persistent heavy rain and little was possible on the second day of play which meant that game ended in a draw and St. George’s retained the trophy.  The Royal Gazette declared it this year’s Cup Match as the “wettest in memory” and also argued that the game had been ruined by the rain and that this would only strengthen calls for a third day to be added to the match, or for a reserve day to be allocated. Despite this, many stayed to enjoy the festivities that are associated with Cup Match such as the concerts and local food. As the organisers are keen to stress the Cup Match is more than just a cricket match as it helps to mark the emancipation.

Another important event to note was the retirement of Dwayne Leverock from Cup Match cricket. The spinner, who achieved worldwide fame following his catch at the 2007 Cricket World Cup, made his debut in 1990 and took 44 wickets during his Cup Match career leaving him 16^th in the all-time rankings. ‘Sluggo’, as he is known, won the “Safe Hands” award for the catch which ended the St. George’s innings, the second time that he was won this award.

The Cup Match represents a great tradition and one that is embraced by the people of Bermuda. It is also testament to the enduring popularity of cricket that continues to survive in this part of the world despite the threat of other sports.