Other Stuff

[White Noise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/mobile/football/9424828.stm

Football clubs 'pay lip service' to customer care

14 March 11 23:56

By Matt Slater


BBC sports news reporter


English clubs still take fans for granted, according to a scathing report by the Football Supporters' Federation.

The FSF looked at customer care guidelines in the top two divisions and found many were inadequate or out-of-date - Everton's was non-existent.

Tottenham had the best "club charter" in the Premier League, with Ipswich leading the way in the Championship.

"Many clubs just pay lip service to their fans, a truth reflected in the charters," said the FSF's Amanda Jacks.

"It's quite obvious many documents had little thought put into them and were given a very low priority by the clubs."

Each club's charter was given a 0-5 rating in seven categories: accessibility, timeliness, quality, clarity of complaints procedure, appeals process and contact details for the relevant league and Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO).

Among Premier League clubs, Spurs scored 31 out of a possible 35 points, with Arsenal second on 23, and Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers tied in third on 22. Everton scored no points, with Manchester United second from bottom on eight.

In the Championship, Ipswich Town scored 32, Derby County 31 and Norwich City 29, but Sheffield United matched Everton's mark of zero.

The Goodison Park club acknowledged the charter was missing from the official website but said an updated version was currently being prepared.

"What is a quite complex and lengthy process is now almost complete, it will be available again online soon," an Everton spokesman said.

Professor Derek Fraser, chairman of the IFO and Standards Verification UK, welcomed the FSF's research, saying: "The ombudsman places great reliance on the charters in evaluating whether clubs have met their stated obligations to supporters.

"The FSF has identified a number of shortcomings and the IFO supports the wish to make the charters an even more effective way of clarifying and enhancing the relationship between clubs and supporters."

The IFO was set up by English football's three main authorities - the Football Association, Football League and Premier League - to settle disputes between supporters and clubs on issues such as ticket prices, complaints about merchandise and kick-off times.

The report also rated the authorities' charters. The Football League came out on top, with the Premier League a distant third.

A Premier League spokesman questioned the quality of the FSF research and pointed out that a survey by opinion pollsters Populus found that 65% of supporters think their club offers better customer service than it did five years ago.

"We are currently working with VisitEngland to assess all 20 Premier League clubs under its 'Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme', which looks at football grounds on similar lines to a more traditional type of visitor attraction," the spokesman added.

"The findings of this work will be announced before the end of the season but feedback from VisitEngland so far has been very encouraging that clubs are offering fans a good customer experience."

The introduction of club charters was a recommendation from the Football Task Force in 1999. That body, chaired by former Conservative minister David Mellor, was introduced by Tony Blair's Labour government in 1997 but disbanded after two largely ineffectual years.

The most recent intervention into football from the world of politics, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's inquiry into football governance, continues at Burnley's Turf Moor home on Tuesday.

In the third session of their two-month investigation, the panel of MPs will hear evidence from Ken Bates, John Bowler and Barry Kilby, the chairmen of Leeds United, Crewe Alexandra and Burnley respectively, and Exeter City's vice-chairman Julian Tagg.

They will also quiz Malcolm Clarke and Steven Powell from the FSF, the national supporters' organisation for fans in England and Wales, and Dave Boyle, the chief executive of Supporters Direct, the body that promotes greater fans-involvement in football clubs.

[White Noise]

As Fofer's are going down left right and centre here is some practical advice -

Bolton physio Andy Mitchell explains a groin strain and how to tell if you have one

http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/health/injuries/injury-clinic-groin-strain

[White Noise]

Pilgrims in peril

A high court case brought out of the blue by HM Revenue & Customs yesterday led to the remarkable admission by counsel for the administrator of Plymouth Argyle that there is "unlikely" to be any money available for unsecured creditors in the League One club's insolvency. HMRC was seeking a court ruling to declare the football creditors rule unlawful, only five days after a Football Association board member, David Gill, told a parliamentary select committee that the controversial rule had "had its day".Lawyers for Argyle's administrator informed the court by letter and in the hearing that since secured creditors are owed up to £5m, there will be no cash left for unsecured creditors, such as HMRC. Since football creditors are in insolvency law unsecured (their claims are secured by football's rules alone) this is a stark admission that the club's existence is under serious threat. Brendan Guilfoyle, Argyle's administrator, did not return calls.

[White Noise]

http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/health/nutrition/jermaine-jenas-perfect-breakfast


Jermaine Jenas' perfect breakfast

It's fruit, fruit and more fruit for the Spurs midfielder – with the odd serving of belly-warming, carb-packed porridge

"Breakfast is very important, especially when the weather is colder, because your body needs to be ready to play in tough conditions and it also helps your immune system fight off colds.

I'm the sort of player who is always starving when I first wake up, and one of the first things I'll do is eat a banana or an apple, then usually throw another banana or another apple in the blender and make up a shake.

I don't know why I have got into the habit of eating a piece of fruit first thing every morning, but I guess it's not a bad thing to eat.Then I'll normally jump in the shower, and after that I'll finish off making the shake.

I'll add Maxi-Milk, which helps my muscle growth and recovery, and I'll add berries and nuts. I tend to stay away from the more citrus-based fruits because I prefer a sweeter taste.

I'll probably drink the shake in the car on the way down to training and finish my breakfast down at the training ground.

I always like to have my food at least an hour before training and the type of breakfast I eat will change depending on the time of the week.

On a Monday or Tuesday I'll go for more protein-based foods, which help the muscles recover on a day-to-day basis, so I'll often eat poached eggs on toast.

Later in the week I go for a more carbohydrate-based diet to help store energy in the muscles, so I reach my peak level of fitness for the weekend.

I'll have porridge. I always eat porridge with milk: I'm lucky in that I don't have a problem with my weight, so I can eat it with milk, always milk, and never water.

I also add a few raisins and strawberries and nuts with it to give it a little bit of flavour. Over the last couple of years I've taken my nutrition a lot more seriously and I feel a lot better for it. I believe it has helped improve my stamina.

My immune system is also far stronger and I'm not as prone to picking up colds and flus."

[Airfix]

The Goodison Park club acknowledged the charter was missing from the official website but said an updated version was currently being prepared.

Yeah, since they heard it was being marked....

[White Noise]

Learn some English you drongo - 


http://twitter.com/Cristiano

Each day I get more impressed with the events in Japan. I just had a recent tragedy in Madeira - where I was born - ... http://say.ly/wSibLH

[Ron Sheepskin]

Learn some English you drongo - 


http://twitter.com/Cristiano

Each day I get more impressed with the events in Japan. I just had a recent tragedy in Madeira - where I was born - ... http://say.ly/wSibLH

Surely that should be when I was born ....  :dead horse:

[White Noise]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/chrisbevan/2011/03/seedorf_sees_ajax_salvation_in.html




Seedorf sees Ajax salvation in Euro league

Chris Bevan | 07:49 UK time, Tuesday, 15 March 2011

It may seem like he has been around forever but it is just short of 16 years since Clarence Seedorf got his hands on the Champions League trophy for the first time, part of a youthful Ajax side that seemingly had Europe at its feet for many seasons to come.

As we now know, things did not quite turn out that way.

Seedorf certainly lived up to his vast potential, becoming one of the most decorated footballers in the history of the game. He has won domestic titles in Spain and Italy as well as tasting further Champions League success with Real Madrid and AC Milan (twice). Still only 34, the Dutch midfielder has achieved the unprecedented feat of becoming champions of Europe with three different clubs.
For Ajax, on the other hand, it is something of an understatement to say they have had a lot leaner time of things since that memorable night in Vienna.

They got as far as the final the following year and reached the semi-finals in 1997. Since then, though, they have been as far as the quarter-finals only once - in 2003. When they made this season's group stage, it was for the first time in five years. They failed to make it through to the next round, finishing third behind Madrid and Seedorf's AC Milan side.

There are many reasons for Ajax's decline as a continental force but their relatively limited finances is probably the biggest.

Seeing as he was the first of five members of that all-conquering team of 1995 to depart on a Bosman free transfer, it is probably no coincidence that, when I asked Seedorf what has changed most about football during his playing career, he replied: "Money. It has definitely played a bigger and bigger role over the years."

The Ajax players celebrate after their 1995 Champions League triumph. Photo: Getty
I found it fascinating to quiz Seedorf, who I interviewed regularly when he spent last summer's World Cup as a BBC pundit, about how football has developed. Here is a thoughtful man who has spent his whole career playing for some of the world's biggest clubs under most of the finest coaches of his generation, like Guus Hiddink, Fabio Capello, Louis van Gaal, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti.

The Surinam-born Dutch international feels his sport has also altered on the pitch as well as off it - and not necessarily for the better.

"Games have become more intense and faster," he explained. "And there are a lot more of them, too. Because of that, there are more injuries."

He suggested a quick fix for that problem when I asked how he thinks the game might develop over the next decade-and-a-half, saying: "I can foresee less matches. I think there will be changes made because the quality is not improving. There are hundreds and hundreds of games played but I think people would like to see 50 very good ones instead, with players performing at their best physically and mentally."

And Seedorf also had an idea for making clubs like Ajax, who do not play in a rich domestic league and lack wealthy benefactors, truly competitive in Europe again, too.

Uefa hope to promote a level playing field through their controversial Financial Fair Play initiative, designed to force clubs who qualify for the Champions League or Europa League to spend only what they earn.

Seedorf, however, feels a further step is needed in order to balance out the inequality in TV money between, say, the Premier League and Dutch Eredivisie, which consequently affects the salaries that respective teams can offer players.

"For the likes of Ajax to win the Champions League again is going to be very difficult," Seedorf said. "For that to happen in the future, there will be a need for them to get into a European league. I don't think teams from smaller countries will be able to compete otherwise. But if that can change, then who knows.

"Clubs need to make sure they are solid financially. Then, if they install a good business model and get the technical aspect right - make a choice on a project or a manager and build long-term - they will be able to compete again at the highest level.

"The big thing for Ajax now, though, is to keep their best young talent for a bit longer. We were a very young side in 1995, with a couple of older players in the team. It was the right combination. Of course, you need a bit of luck, too."

Can it be done? Maybe.

Seedorf points to last year's finalists Bayern Munich as an example of a club who may not have the same spending power as teams from England, Spain and Italy but who still regularly manage to progress deep into the Champions League.

Last season was the fifth time the German giants had reached the quarter-finals or better since winning the competition in 2001.

Bayern are not having a particularly successful season in the Bundesliga but they hold a 1-0 lead over 2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan ahead of Tuesday's second leg. GIven they are within touching distance of the quarter-finals, it was something of a surprise that Bayern announced last week that manager Van Gaal, Seedorf's boss at Ajax, would be stepping down at the end of the season.

Seedorf and Kaka kiss the Champions League trophy after Milan's triumph in 2007. Photo: Getty
Still, Seedorf believes Bayern have demonstrated how it is possible for clubs to make the most of their resources.

"It is not always necessary to have the best players to be able to compete with the best," he said. "Bayern are not the most talented side in Europe - if you compare them with Barca, Real or Inter they just don't have the same quality of players - but this season they have done well in the Champions League, the same as they do most seasons.

"The reason they are so consistent is that they have a great structure and technical vision, and are disciplined in the choices they make with their manager and players."

So who does Seedorf think will conquer Europe this year?

Well, I spoke to him before his side's elimination from the competition at the hands of English side Tottenham last week, when he still held out hope of winning a fifth Champions League for himself.

There was, however, a strong San Siro flavour to his other choices.

Among them was Chelsea, managed by Ancelotti, another of his former bosses. The Blues hold a 2-0 lead over FC Copenhagen ahead of Wednesday's return at Stamford Bridge and look virtually assured of a quarter-final place.

"Chelsea are underdogs [to win the Champions League] if you look the season they are having," said Seedorf. "But I actually think they are quite dangerous now, having seen Ancelotti's quality with Milan. Often he was in difficulties in Serie A but we still did very well in the Champions League, so we should watch them carefully."

Manchester United also have a good chance, according to Seedorf, but it is Real Madrid, another of his former clubs, that he believes could come out on top.

Having triumphed last year with Inter and also with Porto in 2004, Madrid boss Jose Mourinho - like Seedorf - is clearly a man who knows what it takes to win the biggest prize in European football.

The Portuguese is supposedly unhappy at Madrid but can he deliver the Champions League to the Bernabeu for the first time since 2002?

"When I see his teams play, it is always with great intensity," said Seedorf. "He always attains results, so I have to say he is a great manager. I haven't worked with him but you can tell that is the case. He will definitely be the right man for them."

[White Noise]

http://www.fifpro.org/news/news_details/1489


FIFPro shocked by criminal behavior of Russian club


Tuesday 15 March


FIFPro is shocked by the stories of Nikola Nikezic and Sreten Sretenovic, two professional footballers who both have a similar and worrying experience while playing at Russian club FC Kuban.

FIFPro was alarmed by the stories of Nikola Nikezic (28) and Sreten Sretenovic (26), who played at FC Kuban during the 2010 season, and helped the club return to the Russian Premier League. They had a contract that ran until 30 November 2011, but FC Kuban did not want to continue the cooperation with these players in the new season. The Russian club asked both players to terminate their contract.

When Nikezic and Sretenovic refused, FC Kuban forced them to sign termination agreements.

Nikezic was physically abused for twenty minutes by two big men. Fearing for his life, he signed an agreement terminating his contract 'by mutual agreement'. He will not receive his salary of 230,000 USD. He was threatened to remain silent, otherwise something bad would happen to his family.

Sretenovic decided to sign after strong verbal threats. He signed an agreement, saying he would end his contract by mutual agreement and would not receive the 300,000 euro net he was owed. Instead he had to pay an additional 60,000 euro for his release.

FC Kuban denied all allegations: 'These are lies'.

For FIFPro this kind of behavior by the club is totally unacceptable. These violent incidents have nothing to do with sports. This is pure criminal behavior and needs to be dealt with by the local and national legal authorities. We demand that the Russian authorities take action, in order to guarantee the safety of its inhabitants.

Footballers have their rights and their contracts must be respected. Contracts can only be terminated by mutual agreement. It is inadmissible and impossible that a club forces a player to terminate or sign a contract or agreement.

'FIFPro takes this matter very seriously', secretary general Theo van Seggelen reacts. 'What has happened is totally reprehensible. This is outrageous. We can talk about having problems with racism and a lack of respect, but what happened at FC Kuban is much worse. These are mafia practices. Things such as these should be banned from modern football. This must never happen again.'

[finnster01]

How is that any different to what happens at Stoke?  :032:

[Mr Fulham]

http://www.fifpro.org/news/news_details/1489


FIFPro shocked by criminal behavior of Russian club


Tuesday 15 March


FIFPro is shocked by the stories of Nikola Nikezic and Sreten Sretenovic, two professional footballers who both have a similar and worrying experience while playing at Russian club FC Kuban.

FIFPro was alarmed by the stories of Nikola Nikezic (28) and Sreten Sretenovic (26), who played at FC Kuban during the 2010 season, and helped the club return to the Russian Premier League. They had a contract that ran until 30 November 2011, but FC Kuban did not want to continue the cooperation with these players in the new season. The Russian club asked both players to terminate their contract.

When Nikezic and Sretenovic refused, FC Kuban forced them to sign termination agreements.

Nikezic was physically abused for twenty minutes by two big men. Fearing for his life, he signed an agreement terminating his contract 'by mutual agreement'. He will not receive his salary of 230,000 USD. He was threatened to remain silent, otherwise something bad would happen to his family.

Sretenovic decided to sign after strong verbal threats. He signed an agreement, saying he would end his contract by mutual agreement and would not receive the 300,000 euro net he was owed. Instead he had to pay an additional 60,000 euro for his release.

FC Kuban denied all allegations: 'These are lies'.

For FIFPro this kind of behavior by the club is totally unacceptable. These violent incidents have nothing to do with sports. This is pure criminal behavior and needs to be dealt with by the local and national legal authorities. We demand that the Russian authorities take action, in order to guarantee the safety of its inhabitants.

Footballers have their rights and their contracts must be respected. Contracts can only be terminated by mutual agreement. It is inadmissible and impossible that a club forces a player to terminate or sign a contract or agreement.

'FIFPro takes this matter very seriously', secretary general Theo van Seggelen reacts. 'What has happened is totally reprehensible. This is outrageous. We can talk about having problems with racism and a lack of respect, but what happened at FC Kuban is much worse. These are mafia practices. Things such as these should be banned from modern football. This must never happen again.'

btw: That's Lacina Traore's new club! He should have joined Fulham.

[HatterDon]

It's going to be the same in most of the former communist countries. After a couple of generations of "We pretend to work while they pretend to pay us," capitalism is going through the same early "robber baron" stages the west went through before they cleaned up their act. Most of the owners of these clubs got their mega-bucks through strong-arm shady operations. It's how they process now. Another generation and some regulation by government may change their "business model," but for the present this isn't something that's restricted to football over there.