Under VAR the list of reviewable events is limited to four points:

1. Goals and the play leading to them
2. Penalty decisions
3. Direct red card decisions
4. Mistaken identity in awarding a red or yellow card

The third and fourth points are relatively straight forward and won’t cause near the outrage the events covered by points one and two will cause. Goals will be reviewed back to “the start of possession” or restart of play and will cause intense debate. I have little doubt that in most states of play there are fouls occurring off the ball. Contact off the ball is interesting as it rarely leads to the kind of flopping about one sees in similar situations with the ball involved. Will VAR lead to players away from the ball diving on contact on the off chance there will be a review of the play?

How about corner kicks? Every time there’s holding occurring all over the place, and while the goal scorer may not have committed a foul is there any doubt a teammate has done so away from the incoming ball? This is from the FIFA Rules of the game PDF, information for referees section:

1. Holding an opponent

Referees are reminded to make an early intervention and to deal firmly with holding offences, especially inside the penalty area at corner kicks and free kicks. To deal with these situations:

• the referee must warn any player holding an opponent before the ball is in play

• caution the player if the holding continues before the ball is in play

• award a direct free kick or penalty kick

So if a goal is scored from a corner the VAR will review the play from the restart looking for an offensive foul. If they actually follow that course of action to the letter of the law we could see a reduction in set-piece scoring for the first few weeks as players adapt. Handballs also present a good example of potential pitfalls of the scope of VAR. once again from FIFA:

Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with the ball with the hand or arm.

Handling the ball

The following must be considered:

• the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)

• the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)

• the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an offence

Officiating any sport at any level involves human error. Even top level referees can find areas of dispute when watching the same footage of close calls and reading about what is a “handball” is a glimpse into why that is the case. What is a handball to one referee or assistant referee is not considered one by another officiating team. VAR won’t do much, if anything, to alleviate that inconsistency because it will be down to the judgment of another human team.

I’m not a Luddite, I don’t particularly care if some decisions are taken out of the officials hands provided the system supplementing them is demonstrably better. There are some areas where this is the case and using VAR for such situations makes a lot of sense. More clarity in how offside is determined means VAR offers a better method than relying upon assistant referees. The same technology that monitors the goal line could be expanded to the end lines at least, if not the entire sideline. Where VAR fails is in making calls judgement calls that are potentially just as prone to bias or error as those of the match officials. I think the concept and technology are fantastic and have lots of potential but I think a more limited scope of review would have been a more sensible approach.

Google greyhound dog racing and football grounds, and there isn’t much information on the long-lost connection between the two sports. Perhaps the most modern connection dog tracks and football have is with the New Plough Lane. The ground is being built on the site of the demolished Wimbledon Greyhound Track, which was situated next to the original Plough Lane ground. But the connection between the two sports is far more interesting than that.

So, why did some football grounds double as greyhound race tracks? The simplest reason is due to a lack of stadiums or venues in the United Kingdom, and cold hard cash. Many of the football grounds that doubled as greyhound tracks existed in a time when building a stadium was a major undertaking. Therefore, having a ground that could hold more than one event allowed the stadium owners to make more money. The average football ground today is in use from August until May, and most stadiums are used once a week, or twice if a team is playing in a cup competition. Stadiums experience a lot of downtime during the week. In fact, if a team plays just once during the week, a stadium may only be in use for around two hours out of the week. Therefore, adding a race track gave the stadium owners more chances of making money during the year. Especially, if punters had a specific day of the week to turnout and bet on the dogs.

At one time, dog racing was a major sport in the UK. In fact, it was considered the second most popular sport for working class fans. Amazingly, it has been claimed around 34 million people attended dog races in post-World War II Britain. However, since those heady days of dog racing, the sport has been in continued decline. In the 1940s and in the following decades, it made sense that football grounds were used to hold racing because the stadiums could accommodate the large crowds. But as the sport declined, the need for space wasn’t needed, and dog racing-specific grounds were constructed as grounds focused solely on football.

Football Grounds & Greyhound Dog Racing

It may seem strange that one of England’s biggest clubs had greyhound dog racing at its stadium. Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge hosted a number of events other than football, including cricket, athletics, speedway and dog racing. At one time, Stamford Bridge could hold 100,000 people and it could easily house the large numbers of dog race punters in West London. Stamford Bridge held dog races until 1968 when it was officially ended.

While Stamford Bridge is the most famous football ground-dog track combination, White City Stadium is perhaps the second most well-known. Today, White City Stadium does not exist as it was demolished in 1985. The venue was London’s first ever Olympic stadium and it hosted a match during the 1966 World Cup.

The original Wembley Stadium also hosted greyhound racing, and it is the venue’s decision not to cancel its dog racing card that allowed White City to host a World Cup game. The old stadium needed money to stay open and hosting greyhound racing was the quick fix for the owners. Many claim greyhound racing, which started in the 1920s, kept Wembley open; but as plans for the “new” Wembley were introduced, racing died a sudden death at the venue.

Today, dog racing is in terminal decline, not just in the UK, but around the world. The idea of modern football venues previously hosting events like dog racing seem foreign, and it is highly doubtful those days will ever return.

1) What is your earliest memory of being a home fan?

Vancouver Whitecaps first ever match at Empire Stadium home against San Jose in May 1974. I went with my godfather and his son with whom I was staying while my parents were out of town.

2) What is your earliest memory of being an away fan?

Going with my parents to see Vancouver play Seattle at the Kingdome in 1978.

3) What is your most memorable terrace moment?

Either at Highbury in December 1991 watching Arsenal beat Spurs 2-0 in the league or the San Siro in Milan watching West Germany beat Netherlands 2-1 in the 1990 World Cup quarter final.

4) What is your most memorable game?

West Germany 4 France 3 after extra time and penalties in the 1982 World Cup semi-final

Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2 to win the title at Anfield on the final day dropping Liverpool to 2nd

Germany 7 Brasil 1 in the 2014 World Cup semi-final

5) What is your favourite ground?

Highbury

6) What is your best football memory?

Playing in the yard as a kid.

7) What is the best ground you’ve visited?

Emirates. The new Wembley is relatively sterile but Emirates set a standard for new grounds. We’ll see how the new Bridge and Shite Hope Lame turn out, although the architect’s vision of one looks like the dog’s breakfast and it isn’t the Lame.

8) Which club has the best fans you’ve encountered?

Probably Liverpool as far as hospitality goes, for hard core dedication in the face of hopelessness one probably has to look down the table towards the 4th division or whatever they call it now.

9) Who was your favourite player growing up?

Rainer Bonhof of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Valencia, FC Köln and West Germany.

10) Would you bring back terracing?

Some places have already, it takes the will to look seriously at the reasons why the ban took effect and how other places managed to reintroduce standing terraces.

1) What is your earliest memory of being a home fan?

Best memory is when my Uncle Stewart – who was a devout Chelsea fan when he was young (my grandfather and his father grew up near Stamford Bridge and raced greyhounds around the track in the 50 and 60s!) – took me to see Chelsea Vs Man Utd @ Stamford Bridge to watch Bobby Charlton’s last game in 1973 when I was 10 years old! We stood in the Shed and the ground was a shadow of what it is now!!

2) What is your earliest memory of being an away fan?

My grandfather Cecil (who played for West Ham before he enlisted to fight in the first world war) used to love Brighton and Hove Albion and he took me as a young kid to a Brighton vs Portsmouth game at the Goldstone Ground. At that time I had no idea about how these clubs were not too keen on each other! We stood in the Brighton terrace end and it was more than interesting. Pompey won I believe!

3) What is your most memorable terrace moment?

In 1978 I went to Stamford Bridge with my friend Dave Whately to watch Chelsea beat Liverpool in the FA Cup. Chelsea were a 2nd division side and Liverpool were winning everything. Fasher Walker, Kenny Daglish, Peter Bonettio, commentator Brian Moore and The Big Match! Those were the good ole days!

4) What is your most memorable game?

Watching Chelsea beat Middlesboro under Ruud Gullit in 1997 when Robbie Di Matteo scored in the first minute! I was at the game – traveling all the way from Vancouver to go to the game. I also came back for the last Cup final at Wembley Stadium when Chelsea beat Villa 2-0

5) What is your favourite ground?

It has to be the old Stamford Bridge ground. The old Shed End, especially with the running track where my grandfather used to run his greyhounds back in the day! Great history and great ground!

6) What is your best football memory?

Has to be when Brazil played England in Mexico in the World Cup with Gordon Banks making one of the most amazing saves I have ever witnessed against you know who: Pele!

And watching the Brazil team throughout that 70s World Cup!

This Chelsea Liverpool cup game also is up there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJREC1lz45Y

7) What is the best ground you’ve visited?

WEMBLEY STADIUM!!!!!!!

8) Which club has the best fans you’ve encountered?

Best fans have to be Newcastle… They’re patient and starved of success. They also have amazing loyalty and St James Park is always full!

9) Who was your favourite player growing up?

I loved watching Jarzinho from Brazil. He was smooth, quick, and great to watch playing in the Mexico World Cup!

10) Would you bring back terracing?

Absolutely. Best memories for games and great atmosphere! It’s just a shame about the hooliganism that eventually brought in all seated stadiums.

It is a funny coincidence that the clip I found to illustrate the south side of Bramall Lane during a match featured Chelsea as the visitors. During the early 1980’s Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, built as an athletics venue and rarely if ever used for cricket, hosted the first floodlight competitive cricket match in Britain between Essex and West Indies. The event was deemed a success in spite of the narrow confines of the ground. Further efforts at playing cricket in football grounds weren’t as successful and the novelty wore off but Stamford Bridge holds a place in the British Cricket record books.

Top level clubs rarely have to share their grounds with other groups in the modern era. West Ham United’s move to a multi-use ground hasn’t gone as well as the club had hoped and while Stamford Bridge used to host dog racing I don’t think there are any plans to make accommodation for a track in the new ground. Throughout our collection there are photos of grounds that have dog and/or speedway tracks, for some grounds the racing events were more profitable than the football.

Bristol Rovers had originally introduced greyhound racing to their Eastville Stadium in 1928 and eleven years later the Bristol Greyhound Company were in a position to purchase the ground and become landlords to the football club. This arrangement continued until 1986 when Bristol Rovers were forced to look for a new home. The ground continued as a greyhound racing venue until 1997 and was demolished the following year.

Another club that experimented with increasing revenue by adding a track was Barrow FC in 1972 at their Holker Street ground, when they were in Fourth Division. The club was in dire financial straights and the chairman decided to bring motorcycle racing in the form of speedway to the ground. There had been a brief experiment with speedway at the ground in 1930 but ended, probably because the venue was too small. Determined to make things work the club went ahead, three stands lost their front rows while one end was removed entirely but this still didn’t create enough room so the pitch was dug up to accommodate the track.

This didn’t sit well with the FA but the club had a solution: they would lay boards over the bits of track that encroached on the pitch and cover those with grass sod. Opposing teams and players from the club bemoaned the terrible conditions of the the pitch, which must have been horrific given the state of pitches in the First Division in 1972. Barrow had a terrible season, finishing low enough to apply for reelection to the league and they lost the vote of the other clubs and they haven’t returned since. Some sources believe that the disregard for their own pitch was the root of Barrow’s shock drop from the ranks and as it turned out the days of speedway at Holker Street ended in 1974.

-GP

““You in England are playing in the style we continentals used so many years ago, with much physical strength, but no method, no technique.”

Excerpt From: Wilson, Jonathan. “Inverting the Pyramid.” iBooks.

This material may be protected by copyright.

That’s a quote from the manager of Barcelona upon arrival in England for the second leg of a quarter final in European competition when his team had a 4-0 lead from the first leg. Barcelona win the second leg 5-2 for a 9-2 aggregate win and went onto lose the European Cup semi-final to the great Real Madrid team. The Barcelona manager was Helenio Herrera and the year was 1960, seven years after England had suffered their 6-3 defeat at the hands of Hungary at Wembley. There had been some changes domestically, the “Revie Plan” being the most famous, but there were still those who advocated the robust “English Style” and believed that the key was that players were not as “committed” as their hallowed predecessors. Hmm that sounds familiar.

Barcelona – Nou Camp – North End 1 – March 1995

The 1966 World Cup Final saw England defeat West Germany 4-2. England’s best tournament performances since that victory have ended at the semi-final stage in two Euros, 1968 & 1996, and the 1990 World Cup. That covers 25 tournaments, and England failed to qualify for 5 of the tournaments. The same 25 tournaments saw (West) Germany has reached twelve finals and five semi-finals with a single failure to qualify. Strangely enough December 17th, 2016, is the 48th anniversary of the last time (West) Germany failed to qualify for a major tournament. That date West Germany faced Albania in Tirana needing a victory to secure the group over Yugoslavia on goal difference. The match ended 0-0 and that was the last time Germany failed to qualify for a major tournament.

Which brings us back to England and Germany. Regardless of their record Germany entered a period of relative mediocrity in the late 90’s thru early 00’s. Their performance in the 2000 Euros had seen them go out at the group stage, setting off alarm bells in spite of finishing runners-up in the 2002 World Cup. Initially many amongst the pundits, media, fans and assorted “experts” declared it was a lack of “heart” but fortunately for German soccer those inside the game realized the issue was how they developed players, including tactical comprehension, and that meant improving coaching as well.

The program began in 2003 and has seen results in the Bundesliga as well as the German national teams for men and women at range of levels. The goal was to raise standards in all facets of the game but particularly those all too often neglected areas of tactics and tactical thinking. A decade after the program began, and 18 years after Germany’s last tournament triumph, the men’s national team won the 2014 World Cup with an average age of 26.3 and 12 players under 25 years of age. That was the reaction to what was seen as a “crisis” in German soccer.

Meanwhile England keep plodding along. It seems as tho many England fans and some media begin the qualifying process prepared not to qualify, forgetting how it gets easier every time the number of teams is expanded. Once qualification is achieved the build up begins until there is a segment of the English media and supporters who “dare to believe” and even begin to talk up their chances. They appear to have a mindset that doesn’t allow for the possibility that Iceland could possibly defeat England in a tournament match, certainly not at the knockout stage…until it happens.

Then we heard the usual claims that it’s the “heart” not the quality, the belief being that the English players are just as skillful as the best foreigner but no longer have that grit or edge or whatever you want to call it. The excuse is usually that they make too much money and don’t care, which is bullshit. When that claim was posited in Germany as the reason for their decline the people in the game knew that wasn’t the problem. Unfortunately for England they don’t appear to be willing to discount such absurd beliefs and instead are willing to accommodate those who believe the simple hard running game is still the best way to play, just like the good old days.

The thing is that the 1966 World Cup wasn’t won playing the way for which so many pundits and supporters seem to yearn. Alf Ramsey was a tactical innovator willing to adjust his formation and players as necessary to get the result. His lineup for the 1966 World Cup alternated between 4-3-3 and 4-1-3-2 depending on the quality of the opposition and what kind of match he anticipated. Somehow that aspect of Sir Alf’s work became lost over time and instead the image is one of a dour practitioner of the more orthodox 4-4-2. Amazingly, many in the English media still insist the national team should be playing like the they believe did in the “good old days” of the World Cup victory, apparently unaware of the flexibility of Ramsey’s approach in to 1966.

Munich – Olympiastadion – South Goal 2 – May 2001

There is something strange about how the English collectively view football that has traditionally neglected or even ridiculed foreign ideas, influence and involvement in the English game. The distrust of “foreign” methods in the Premier League has gone down since Arlene Wenger’s arrival at Arsenal 20 years ago but it hasn’t disappeared. The recent troubles faced by Pep Guardiola’s Man City squad have been met by criticism from pundits and media that his methods and style won’t work in the “English” Premier League. The argument invariably posits that somehow the very “Englishness” of the PL makes the passing and possession game less effective than in “lesser” leagues.

Isn’t it quaint how English media and punditry can still claim the PL is an “English” league beyond purely administrational terms? It is a fantastic league with great teams and some very good football. It is more competitive by most measures than other top flight leagues but how “English” is it? An English manager has never won the Premier League title and in the 2015-2016 season only 31% of starting players in the PL were English.

-GP

You might not like Bob Bradley or have believed he was the wrong appointment. Personally I thought Bradley had done a good job as US manager trying to handle absurdly high expectations from folks unfamiliar with the broader international game. Since then I was aware he was working in France but didn’t expect him to be in the frame for a Premier League job when the Swansea job opened. It is a big step from Le Havre in Ligue 2 to the Premier League, particularly when inheriting a squad weakened at the end of the last transfer window with months before any changes can be made.

I think Bradley was doomed to failure but most managers would be in the same position inheriting such a weakened squad. Some managers would have been given more time to sort things out but for Bradley his lack of top flight experience played against him. New managers always need time to determine their best XI, or rather their different best XIs for the variables in opposition and injuries. Bradley had eleven matches in addition to training sessions but still hadn’t found a settled team and there was seemingly no system in place, no light at the end of the tunnel. The board, still trying to recover from the missteps of the summer and the flak for hiring an American, decided they needed another change before the transfer window opened and Bradley was shown the door.

Bob Bradley might have been out of his depth, eleven games with a weak squad in a very competitive league isn’t really a fair test, but there is no doubting his knowledge of the game…except for those who decide that he has the wrong accent to discuss football. I had a similar experiences in England simply because I speak with a North American accent. I never had that problem in Italy no matter how poorly I was able to communicate my thoughts of soccer in Italian there weren’t issues over my accent. England, indeed Britain, was different: if I suggested something to the coach he’d dismiss it, if I asked my strike partner Martin to suggest it the idea would be considered. Martin wasn’t a Brit, he was from the Netherlands and had a Dutch accent which gave him more credibility than my west coast Canadian accent.

The funny thing is that it happens here and here it isn’t just the Brits who believe they have some special grasp of the game but almost anyone who identifies as something besides “Canadian.” A referee missing a call is decried because a “real” ref, meaning one from the plaintiff’s country or region of origin, would have made the call. The accent of the victim and perpetrator of a foul, or their parents, determines if either player has “no idea” about football or if the contact was a “bodycheck” or harmless shoulder to shoulder. There is still an element that fantasizes if you speak English with a North American accent and refer to the sport as soccer you can’t possibly understand football. The more amazing thing is how many of those folks are sports journalists in the U.K.

-GP

1) What is your earliest memory of being a home fan?
a) As a 7 year old boy at Old Trafford.

2) What is your earliest memory of being an away fan?
a) 15 years old at Molineux Stadium.

3) What is your most memorable terrace moment?
a) Watching Man Utd win the semi-final of the FA Cup.

4) What is your most memorable game?
a) This is an easy one, watching George Best single handedly take Northampton apart in an 8-2 win.

5) What is your favourite ground?
a) Old Trafford.

6) What is your best football memory?
a) Watching Man Utd lift the European cup in 1968.

7) What is the best ground you’ve visited?
a) Either Hillsborough or the old Wembley stadium.

8) Which club has the best fans you’ve encountered?
a) Hard to say as a United fan, but Liverpool.

9) Who was your favourite player growing up?
a) Many, but the standout player was George Best.

10) Would you bring back terracing?
a) Yes at certain grounds.

Thanks so much, Colin!

The money from relegation gives Newcastle, and the other recently relegated clubs, either an advantage in their quest to regain a spot in the Premier League or a cushion for a slide into mediocrity. Clubs trying to reach the top level for the first time as well as those, like Ipswich or Leeds, that have been out of the top flight for an extended period have to find resources to compete on the pitch and it isn’t easy. The disparity between spending power is a fact of life at the professional levels and while it doesn’t determine the result it has an impact as was seen in the 3-0 Newcastle win over Ipswich on October 22nd.

I didn’t see the game, I saw a highlight package, but what got me thinking about Newcastle was a piece by Louise Taylor in The Guardian about the manager who links the two clubs: the later Sir Bobby Robson. Sir Bobby had a long and distinguished managerial that included managing Ipswich Town from 1969-1982 before taking the England job from 1982-1990. He spent time managing in the Netherlands at PSV Eindhoven, Portugal with Sporting CP and Porto and Spain with a season at Barcelona. Sir Bobby’s final managerial post was at Newcastle United from 1999-2004.

There is another managerial job for which Sir Bobby was hired but thanks to the vagaries of the league he never actually managed a match and the team was the Vancouver Royals of the fledgling North American Soccer League in 1968. The NASL was the product of a merger between two new, and failing, professional soccer leagues in North America: the United Soccer Association, of which the Vancouver Royal Canadians were a member, and the National Professional Soccer League. The leagues had competed head to head the previous season and it was clear that two soccer leagues couldn’t survive so they merged.

When the merger took place Bobby Robson had been hired to manage the Vancouver Royals but the club’s owner sold a controlling interest to the owners of the San Francisco Golden Gales, a club that folded when the leagues merged. The new owner already had a manager for the Royals and he was a well known icon of the game by the name of Ferenc Puskas. Bobby Robson was given the option of becoming assistant manager to the Hungarian great but turned down the offer and returned to England to manage Fulham. Robson didn’t have much success at Fulham but neither did the Vancouver Royals under Puskas and the club folded after the 1968 season.

-GP

De Meer was an intimate ground and while peak capacity was just under 30,000 later safety regulations limited to the stadium to 19,000 supporters. For much of its life De Meer also lacked floodlights, with installation finally occurring in 1971 allowing midweek matches to be played. Before the floodlights most of Ajax’s midweek home matches were played at the Amsterdam Olympic Stadion, and even after the lights “big” matches like European competition, took place at the same ground. The capacity of the Olympic Stadion was more than double that of De Meer and even though the atmosphere was less intimate, there was an athletics track and a banked cycling track between the pitch and the stands, being able to have 64,000 supporters at the match trumped other considerations.

This situation wasn’t unique, Arsenal played many European matches at Wembley when Highbury was too small to meet demand, but it went on until 1996 and the move to Amsterdam Arena. The funny thing is that Ajax first played at the Olympic Stadion in 1928 as far as I have found without being literate in Dutch: they played for a longer period at there than at the De Meer. Naturally Ajax played more matches at De Meer but those big European nights in the 60’s and 70’s up to their latest Champions League win in 1995 were at the Olympic Stadium.

Our photos of De Meer are interesting beyond the ground itself because they are from April 26th, 1996, taken before the final match at the ground. Going thru our archive is a slow process in part because of photos like these ones and the ones of the Olympic Stadion that show a bit of history. Every ground has a history but some have a larger part of the fabric of the game. De Meer was the home of Total Football while Amsterdam Olympic Stadion was home the the first modern day Olympic flame housed in the Marathon Tower. Our photos of the Olympic Stadion were taken in 1996 when the ground was being renovated, removing stands and add ons that followed the Olympic Games. This reduced capacity considerably but as Ajax would now be playing all of their home games at Amsterdam Arena lowering capacity wasn’t an issue.

Amsterdam Olympic Stadion was also the full time home to other football clubs: from 1928-1972 Amsterdam Football Club DWS, an acronym for the Dutch phrase “Strong Through Willpower,” and FC Blauw-Wit (Blue-White) shared the ground before merging into FC Amsterdam before leaving the Olympic Stadion in 1980. Imagine one Ground being used by three different clubs as their full- or part-time home over such a long period. How things have changed though, with the merged clubs being reborn with the demise of FC Amsterdam in the 80’s and the changes in the European game that have left Ajax on the outside looking in over the 20 years since they lost the 1996 Champions League Final to Juventus on penalties.

The changes in the business side of the game and the Bosman Rule combined to make building a powerhouse much more difficult for those outside the big four leagues. Ajax aren’t the only team and the Dutch Eredivisie isn’t the only league to suffer as Scotland, Belgium and many other smaller countries have seen their own top clubs, that had some success in Europe before the changes in the game, fall by the wayside. There is renewed talk of an “Atlantic League” that would give top clubs from smaller countries a Premier League of their own but the idea has been mooted before without any changes. Whatever the case, the current situation isn’t helping the leagues in the smaller countries and in many cases has reduced them to feeding the clubs in the big four European leagues.

-GP