I hear on the news this morning that gin sales have doubled in the last few years. A while ago I recall hearing that for the first time ever life-expectancy for poorer people has gone down. Alcoholism and low life expectancy among the poor were hallmarks of Victorian times. The creation of football clubs (as well as other sports and athletic clubs) was part of a wider effort to give young men something better to do than drink, and something else in their lives aside from low wage hard work. Association Football and our hundreds of Clubs and leagues are a wonderful legacy from an age of massive social challenge and hardship. Football could play a much bigger part of the fight against the modern vices which now threaten to decimate a generation; cheap alcohol, reckless gambling, social division, employment hopelessness and unhealthy diet. But the Premier League and the Championship are now so orientated towards chasing obscene money from broadcasters that they are part of the problem, not part of the solution. The FA and the EFL should pause and take a very long, very hard look at themselves - and decide what they are really supposed to be doing. A billion pound stadium has not done much to help grass-roots football, which has been in decline for decades. Football that could really help people who have very little or no hope in their lives.
There is a culture in South America that footballers like Diego Costa and Neymar use their vast earnings to help impoverished communities back home. There are exceptions, but it does happen.
Exactly. We do it the other way round - take reasonably well adjusted supporters who never expected too much, and turn them into cowering quislings or disillusioned cynics. When I was pontificating about the healing power of football, I will happily confess Roly and Kate were not uppermost in my mind.
SeriouslyDisturbed has started a new thread on ITTApologist. Where do you think we will be after 23 games. I kid you not
After 23 games we'll be halfway through the season. Pretty short thread I would have thought. Sounds like he's beginning to lose it...
He seems totally unaware that he's the most hated fan (I use the term fan loosely) in the clubs history. All the old backroom staff at The Valley think he's a laughing stock and a massive embarrassment to the club, just ask them. Can't name names of course but from several conversations I've had with them they'd all love to see the back of him and Into the Valleyvont ASAP. Sorry about this. Teething trouble, meant to post this in the Reames thread.
He might be out-done by PeteTong, who declares that the club did well to get Dodoo at the last minute, especially from a top European club like Rangers. His actual words..
PeteTong is Roland's idea of a dream fan. He would be proud to see his boys play for Charlton then an East London giant or a Merseyside giant.
Are we talking about Seriouslyred here or Reams? I can't imagine Seriouslyred actually being hated by anybody. his rationalisations are truly breathtaking sometimes, but he doesn't go around swearing and abusing other members or issuing veiled threats.
Has rigor mortis set in with Donald's fingers? He's gone so quiet recently, apart from when he's telling me off!
