I have always believed that you are either a football fan or a rugby fan.
Maybe it is a case of upbringing or maybe it is purely one of taste. But I have rarely, if ever, met anybody with a genuine passion for both sports.
Although there are similarities between the two – both are team sports and both involve a ball – it is the many differences that really stand out. Differences that, I feel, make it almost impossible for any one person to love them both with equal measure.
Personally, as regular readers will know, I have spent my life dedicated to football. I was brought up watching it live, have dedicated far too much of my adult life to watching it on television and, probably, will be watching it the day I die (although hopefully that won’t be for a while yet).
Rugby, on the other hand, has never got my blood flowing. I can only think of one match I have watched all the way through and that was the World Cup final between England and Australia.
But that could all be about to change. This afternoon, on the insistence of some close friends and colleagues, I will be going to the Hibs ground to watch Malta take on Croatia at rugby.
I am reliably informed that our lads are pretty darned good at the game and are regularly doing us proud on the pitch. And, apparently, the atmosphere for these games is second to none.
As a self-confessed sports fanatic, I will approach this new experience with an open mind and promise to give rugby a fair crack of the whip. By all accounts it should be an entertaining and enjoyable afternoon.
Will it change my allegiance to football? I very, very much doubt it. Will it prove to be a highly enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon? Quite possible.
I’ll keep you posted.
Champions League
Two things struck me about this week’s Champions League games. Or at least about those that I watched. Firstly, can any team with realistic hopes of winning the tournament miss as many chances as Arsenal did against CSKA Moscow?
I don’t think I have ever seen a more one-sided match than this one and it remains a mystery how player after player managed to miss chances that would have been easier to score.
Arsene Wenger insists it was Arsenal’s best performance in Europe since he has been at the club. And, in terms of opportunities created he is possibly right. But, unless I am greatly mistaken, a team is judged on results and the history books will only have this game down as a 0-0 draw – nothing to be too proud of.
If Arsenal do harbour genuine ambitions to go a step further than last season when they were defeated finalists, they have to stop trying to pass the ball in to the net.
The amount of times a player found himself in a decent shooting position only to pass instead have a go himself was silly. Arsenal may be a joy to watch at times but they can be frustrating in equal measure. Golden rule number 1: ugly goals count just as much as beautiful ones.
The second Champions League observation I have for the week concerns that old chestnut ‘simulation’.
The match between Chelsea and Barcelona had all the makings of a classic: two passionate teams with plenty of skill playing a game that meant much more to both sides than a mere group encounter.
And, for long periods it was a classic. But, how many times was the match stopped because one player or another decided to pretend he had been seriously hurt? 20 or 30 at least.
Most of this acting came from the Barcelona players but there were one or two on the Chelsea side too who made a meal of it every time they were challenged.
The most strikingly obvious moment came when Deco was challenged and lay, writhing on the floor. It looked very much like he might have needed a stretcher, if not a month or two in hospital.
Up stepped Terry who, in a moment of understandable irritation, kicked the ball at Deco as he lay dieing on the floor. In the blink of an eye Deco was on his feet and sprinting over to the ref to protest that he had, in the middle of a football match, been hit by an, er, football.
What happened to his previous, tear-inducing injury? Gone in the blink of an eye. Absolutely pathetic.
Football is supposed to be an honest game played by sportsmen with integrity and strong morale standards. They might not all be the sharpest tools in the shed, but footballers generally are a proud bunch.
Yet this plague of simulation is getting out of control. UEFA needs to act swiftly before football becomes a mockery. Video evidence should be used to charge players with simulation after the match. It’s the only way it will be eradicated once and for all.
And, believe me, it very much needs eradication.
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