A Shropshire lad: Roberto Carlos becomes a pub footballer Bull in the Barne United go down to defeat in the wind and mud despite their very special guest left-back … Michael Butler please log in to view this image There is always something fascinating about seeing people a few notches below their usual standards, like watching Barcelona in the Europa League or Joe Biden’s cameo in the TV comedy Parks and Recreation. The Queen opened a motorway service station near Bolton in 1970, and it was essential viewing. And so, the chance to watch Roberto Carlos, one of the best left-backs football has had, play Sunday League in Shrewsbury was too good to miss. Unlike the Queen, Carlos is not wearing gloves, although he would have been forgiven if he were. Conditions in Shrewsbury are exactly as you would expect in early March, the sun negated by a freezing wind that blows across a terrible pitch, which one onlooker describes as “one of the best in Shropshire”. Roberto Carlos belongs at the Bernabéu, or at the very least in glossy adverts and electro-drenched YouTube compilations, not at the Hanwood Village Hall Recreation Centre. How did Roberto Carlos come to be in Shrewsbury? Bull in the Barne United, named after a local pub, won a Dream Transfer raffle in January, and Roberto Carlos was enlisted by eBay, with the raffle proceeds going to the charity Football Beyond Borders. And so, Roberto Carlos pulls into the car park and shuffles into an expectant dressing room. “You’re late, Bobby – it’s your turn to do the kit next week,” Bull in the Barne’s manager and goalkeeper, Ed Speller, doesn’t say, although he really should. Speller, instead, is delighted with his new recruit. “It’s amazing,” he says. “When I found out that I won, I just started screaming: ‘No way!’ around the office. I just couldn’t believe it. I sent a message to the lads, and they went crazy. We need a left-back but I think he might be in centre mid today. I guess he could play anywhere. I’m just looking forward to getting back to the pub with him later.” please log in to view this image Roberto Carlos scores from the penalty spot.Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images Roberto Carlos is not the only unfamiliar sight to the usual few who follow Bull in the Barne United. Namely there is a TV camera crew, with Chris Kamara in tow. The Shrewsbury town crier has turned up in all his garb with his wife to whip the 150-strong crowd into a frenzy before the game. A local farmer, presumably up from Hereford, nearly causes a health and safety issue by standing on top of his digger to get a better view over the fence. There are wonderfully reassuring Sunday League vibes, too. The pitch is, inevitably, sloped, with one corner so muddy it is almost unplayable. The referee lets every bad challenge go, and the officials running the line arrive midway through the first half. Bull in the Barne spend most of their warm-up peppering Speller in goal. Roberto Carlos takes two free-kicks; the first is shanked 10 yards wide, the second curls gently over a makeshift wall and nestles in he corner of the net. It is a wonderful glimpse of the old magic. “I started playing on pitches like this in Brazil,” he says. “But I feel like I’ve learned a lot being here. It’s great to meet the boys as well. When I first started in Garça when I was 12, I played in a team with my dad and it was just like this. This is nothing new to me.” That said, the Greenhous Shrewsbury and District Sunday League Division One remains something of an unknown quantity and the chance, however small, of being nutmegged by a Harlescott Rangers winger is not exactly great for the brand. The 48-year-old starts on the bench, and things go badly for Bull. Two-nil down after 35 minutes, they bring on the Brazilian and he promptly loses the ball twice. “Play it simple, Roberto,” comes a heckle from the sideline. Half-time comes, and Roberto Carlos does not emerge from the dressing room. There is concern. The Brazilian’s leg is playing up, caused by a motorbike accident in Madrid recently. “Talk quietly about that, please,” he says with a smile. please log in to view this image A Harlescott Rangers player closes down Roberto Carlos. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA Harlescott race to a 4-1 lead, before Roberto Carlos re-emerges on the sideline. Bull are seemingly buoyed by his presence in the dugout, as substitutes jostle for selfies, and roar back to 4-2 before earning a late penalty. There is only one man for it. Roberto Carlos comes on, tucks the ball into the corner for 4-3 and subs himself off again immediately, all in the space of 40 seconds. Bull can’t force an equaliser but the crowd got what they came for: a Roberto Carlos set piece. “Tactically, my teammates were not the same that I’m used to but they worked hard,” he insists afterwards. “I’m delighted to come and make debut for an English team. I nearly joined Chelsea in 2007 and Aston Villa in 1995, but it didn’t work out.” ","caption":"Sign up to The Recap, our weekly email of editors’ picks.","isTracking":false,"isMainMedia":false,"source":"The Guardian","sourceDomain":"theguardian.com"}" data-reader-unique-id="86" style="max-width: 100%;"> Sign up to The Recap, our weekly email of editors’ picks. You might say it worked out OK. Rather than a move to Birmingham, Roberto Carlos would sign for Roy Hodgson at Internazionale, then Real Madrid where he would win numerous La Liga and Champions League titles, adding to his World Cup winner’s medal in 2002. Playing for Bull in the Barne United, he says, means he has now “completed football”. “My teammate Ronaldo Nazário would have been helpful today,” he jokes. “He started at a club called São Cristóvão, similar to this. When you are a king, you never lose your majesty.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60593513 "I am keen on gender balance, I think it is healthy," explains Aluko. "But for Angel City we are very intentional about female leadership, female ownership, female empowerment. Ah right, so only when it suits!?!
How does that work with the Premier League regulations of minimum allocations for away fans? The whole thing’s a ****-show and the natural conclusion of football clubs being treated as personal fiefdoms of owners. Contrary to what some people believe, football clubs aren’t ordinary businesses and shouldn’t be treated like them. This could’ve been avoided if football clubs moved to a stewardship model instead of outright ownership.
The Premier League are in talks with the government, they're sorting a system where away fans can still buy tickets, but none of the money goes to Chelsea.
everton are making a real challenge to get into the second tier for the first time in most people's life. now only goal difference is keeping them above the trap door and even norwich are only five points behind them.
it is. as far as i know, that's second only to arsenal's top tier tenure. arsenal were elected to the first flight when the football league decided to expand the league after world war one and they've now been in the top division for almost 103 years, although it's 107 years since they last played at a lower level. arsenal, who had finished 6th in the second in 1915 were elected (brown envelopes, anyone?) into the first. the 1915 promotion winners derby and preston (both relegated in 1914) were allowed into the top division, and only spurs were relegated, allowing chelsea's intended relegation to be overlooked. in that first post-war season (1919-20), chelsea finished 3rd to burnley and new champs west brom. spurs topped the second division. the following season division 3 - made up up of the top division of the southern league was added, and in the following season a division of northern clubs was added, with these two divisions being on a par and regionalised as division 3 north and division 3 south.
https://www.goal.com/en-kw/amp/news...an-utd-captain-elmohamady/bltf8df59f69f52b090 Elmo saying Maguire not good enough to play for Man Utd, let alone captain them.
