Saturday, October 17, 2009
What happened to the working class hero?
Three apparently inconnect strands. One answer. 12 months.
It's something that has been nagging me for a while but I think finally I have hit upon something that may go someway to explaining this conumdrum.
1 - Where have all the English boys gone?
2 - There's a lot of foreign names in the last edition of Kicker Special I have
3 - There's not a whole lot of talent coming through in Singapore.
Now I know why. There is no significant indigenous working class in the three countries I have mentioned. More and more people are owning their own property, this gives them access to credit and this takes away much of their desire.
What is left is a brain dead, hospice queuing middle class whose sole aim in life is to own the latest handphone or handbag. Inititive has gine out the window, desire has become a dirty word as all that counts is paying off the bills.
Football is considered too risky. Anyway who wants to kick a ball around outside where there's all them muggers, chavs and child molesters where it may rain? Better stay at home and play computer games on the Play Station that comes in at 25% APR.
It's ok, you can play football once or twice a week at a football sponsored academy or with the school but hey, just play football. Don't bother learning how to use the ball, caress the ball, control the ball or pass the ball. Better just to imitate CR7 when he scores from 40 yards.
The middle classes are a poisonous weed on society's intellectual growth. They demand immediacy or they quickly lose interest and return to their diet of celebrity shite. They are a nation of consumers, critical consumers, with little patience for innovation or creativity. The Herd is no longer a bunch of football hooligans but a place to remain anonymous, awaiting death and release from the bills acquired in their desire for living the commercials' dream.
Pat Rice, Arsenal's assistant manager or whatever, grew up kicking a ball around outside the East Stand at Highbury. He was never that talented but, read any book that touches on him, he worked his bloody nuts off and got himself a useful career in the game at a time when the alternative was probably driving a milk float.
Like picking grapes of gutting fish, football is now considered a job best filled by foreigners.
In Singapore the problem is more acute. Most of the population is Chinese. Have a look at the squads for recent youth squads, check out the line ups for most SLeague games and you won't find a single Chinese name on the team sheet.
Instead what you will get is the Chinese moaning about the lack of Singapore talent but absolutely refusing to countenance their own offspring playing the game. Better they become doctors and businessmen where the focus is on a good salary. Better spoil the brats and leave them devoid of any hunger.
The middle classes whine professionally but ask them to get creative and watch them scurry for the shadows. To be a footballer, a great footballer, you need hunger, desire. You need to focus, you need to work hard. And these are all things the middle classes resent.
Poverty makes great footballers!
It's something that has been nagging me for a while but I think finally I have hit upon something that may go someway to explaining this conumdrum.
1 - Where have all the English boys gone?
2 - There's a lot of foreign names in the last edition of Kicker Special I have
3 - There's not a whole lot of talent coming through in Singapore.
Now I know why. There is no significant indigenous working class in the three countries I have mentioned. More and more people are owning their own property, this gives them access to credit and this takes away much of their desire.
What is left is a brain dead, hospice queuing middle class whose sole aim in life is to own the latest handphone or handbag. Inititive has gine out the window, desire has become a dirty word as all that counts is paying off the bills.
Football is considered too risky. Anyway who wants to kick a ball around outside where there's all them muggers, chavs and child molesters where it may rain? Better stay at home and play computer games on the Play Station that comes in at 25% APR.
It's ok, you can play football once or twice a week at a football sponsored academy or with the school but hey, just play football. Don't bother learning how to use the ball, caress the ball, control the ball or pass the ball. Better just to imitate CR7 when he scores from 40 yards.
The middle classes are a poisonous weed on society's intellectual growth. They demand immediacy or they quickly lose interest and return to their diet of celebrity shite. They are a nation of consumers, critical consumers, with little patience for innovation or creativity. The Herd is no longer a bunch of football hooligans but a place to remain anonymous, awaiting death and release from the bills acquired in their desire for living the commercials' dream.
Pat Rice, Arsenal's assistant manager or whatever, grew up kicking a ball around outside the East Stand at Highbury. He was never that talented but, read any book that touches on him, he worked his bloody nuts off and got himself a useful career in the game at a time when the alternative was probably driving a milk float.
Like picking grapes of gutting fish, football is now considered a job best filled by foreigners.
In Singapore the problem is more acute. Most of the population is Chinese. Have a look at the squads for recent youth squads, check out the line ups for most SLeague games and you won't find a single Chinese name on the team sheet.
Instead what you will get is the Chinese moaning about the lack of Singapore talent but absolutely refusing to countenance their own offspring playing the game. Better they become doctors and businessmen where the focus is on a good salary. Better spoil the brats and leave them devoid of any hunger.
The middle classes whine professionally but ask them to get creative and watch them scurry for the shadows. To be a footballer, a great footballer, you need hunger, desire. You need to focus, you need to work hard. And these are all things the middle classes resent.
Poverty makes great footballers!
# posted by Me @ 3:41 PM 
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