This week: Tony Soprano buys Leeds, Mourinho gives us all a 19th century history lesson and Chico Flores gets shot, oh no wait, it was just Andy Carroll’s elbow, oh no wait, it was the wind…
Another week in football brings us three more scandalous topics to chew on. Let’s get started with that massive club Leeds. Massimo Cellino, the King of Corn, the ageing rocker, the Italian Stallion has this week bought 75% of the Yorkshire outfit pending a decision by the Football League as to whether he is a ‘fit and proper person’. Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s more than likely that he’s not a ‘fit and proper person’. But since when has that stopped the Football League looking the other way? I mean, yes okay, he’s currently facing court action and yes, okay, he was arrested 11 months ago in his own country for attempted embezzlement and false representation regarding the purchase of a new stadium for his long-term project Cagliari but the guy seems nice doesn’t he? He used to have a pony tail and he wears a leather jacket, he’ll be right at home in Leeds. He could even perform at the festival in his band (I’m not even joking, he plays the guitar and drums!).
Here’s how I imagine the telephone call went when Leeds’ number one fan found out the great news:
Number one fan – “Hello?”
Number two fan – “Eh up mate, you heard t’news?”
Number one fan – “No, what?”
Number two fan – “A multi-millionaire has just bought Leeds!”
Number one fan – “Get in! Finally! Who is he? Where’s he from? Saudi Arabia?”
Number two fan – “No.”
Number one fan – “Have we got a Russian?”
Number two fan – “No.”
Number one fan – “Bahrain? Dubai?”
Number two fan – “He’s Italian.”
Number one fan – “He’s what?”
Number two fan – “Italian.”
Number one fan – “Did you just say Italian?”
Number two fan – “Yes.”
Number one fan – “Is this a wind up?”
I feel sorry for Leeds fans. Let’s be honest they are a big club. That doesn’t give them a divine right to be in the top flight but just look at their gate at the weekend. Over 30,000 people were in attendance for the Huddersfield game. That is superb. A lot of teams find as they drop through the divisions that their support drops too but not Leeds. But, as they say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. This fiasco is going to affect thousands of working class families. If Leeds find themselves in financial ruin a few years down the line, it’s these fans who will have to pick up the pieces while Tony Soprano flies back to his pad in Miami. Can’t the Football League learn? We don’t want another Portsmouth.
Let’s move on to the cheat that is Chico Flores. I don’t blame Howard Webb for sending Andy Carroll off. Why? Because Flores’ reaction was that convincing that Howard Webb had no choice. Why can’t the FA, when reviewing footage like this, reverse the red card and give it to Flores? He won’t do it again then, will he? I’d love to hear what Swansea fans think but I know I’d be embarrassed to have him representing my club. Laudrup’s accountable too. He should take action to stop this cheating. I have to say Bradley Johnson needs to take a long, hard look at himself for the Remy incident too.
Finally, Mourinho accused Big Sam of playing 19th Century football last week. Does that mean he’s going to play 21st century football tonight? I doubt it.
Game of Two Halves Football 