FOOTY FAIR

Cheating and Corruption in Football - Part 1 of 5: Anderlecht Buy Themselves an Official

2016-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

There's cheating, like throwing yourself on the ground to win a penalty, and then there's really using the "dark arts" to get one over on an opponent.

The following is the first in our series of five shameful tales of dishonesty in football:

Anderlecht v Nottingham Forest, UEFA Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg - 1984

Brian Clough's Forest side had put themselves in a good position in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final in 1984, with a comprehensive 2-0 victory at the City Ground.

Clough though hadn't counted on the machinations of Anderlecht's president Constant Vanden Stock when they arrived in Belgium for the second leg.

The referee in charge that night in April was a Spaniard named Emilio Guruceta Muro who already had a bit of a poor reputation after a string of controversial decisions at home and abroad over the years. Forest's players and their famously outspoken manager weren't happy with his appointment, but were confident that they could hold on to their advantage and meet fellow English side Tottenham in the final.

There were a few borderline calls for free kicks not long after the kickoff, but nothing seemed that out of the ordinary even after Enzo Scifo had staked Anderlecht into 1-0 lead on the night on 20 minutes.

At the hour mark though Forest finally had a knife driven straight into their backs when Muro ruled that Kenny Swain had brought down Anderlecht's Kenneth Brylle for a penalty.

The problem was that Swain was at least three or four yards away when Brylle theatrically threw himself on the floor, and he was in an offside position to begin with.

With the penalty converted, and the aggregate score tied, Forest were up against it and the players began to fear that the fix was in.

With two minutes to go, Erwin Vandenbergh put Anderlecht up 3-0 on the night and ahead on aggregate, but there was one last twist in the tale.

Deep into injury-time, Forest won a corner that Paul Hart put away with a free header to seemingly win the tie. But before he could celebrate, that man Muro had blown for a foul.

What the foul was he never really explained to Forest's enraged players and with that the match, and Forest's involvement in the UEFA Cup for the season, was over.

Although Forest never staged an official protest at the time, they knew they had been cheated and Clough made sure to tell some of the equally baffled media of his suspicions.

Anderlecht for their part would lose the final on penalties to Spurs and for thirteen years the majority of the football world forgot about the controversy surrounding the Belgian side's run to the final.

The controversial Muro, who had few admirers in his native Spain either due to his suspicious handling of several big fixtures over the years, died in a car crash in 1987.

In 1997, under pressure from an alleged blackmail plot by someone close to the club, Anderlecht officials finally confirmed that they had arranged for a local gangster to pay Muro close to 20,000 pounds to fix the match against Forest in their favour.

The club were subsequently banned from European competition for one year, a fairly light punishment all things considered, and although several Forest players tried to take legal action against Anderlecht, their cases didn't make much headway.

5 Insults That Came Back to Bite the Person Who Said Them

2016-03-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Football might be nothing without fans, but it would be even duller if it wasn't for hilariously scathing insults.

But occasionally those insults come back to bite the person who said them. The following are five classic examples of when the insulted parties bit back:

The Clown

Prior to England's do or die World Cup qualifier with Poland at Wembley in the fall of 1973, the famously outspoken Brian Clough, who was doing some work for ITV, called Polish keeper Jan Tomaszewski a "clown". The so-called clown went on to have the game of his life in a 1-1 draw as he denied England a place at the 1974 World Cup, making save after save to keep Sir Alf Ramsay's men at bay. Cheers for that, Brian.

Mary Poppins

Loud mouth former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd, put the boots into record signing Alan Shearer when he labelled him "Boring" and stated that, "We call him Mary Poppins." Shearer went on to plunder a club record 206 goals in all competitions and although you could argue that he's a boring pundit, he's undoubtedly a Toon legend as well.

Stick It Up Your Bollocks!

The combustible Roy Keane, who was unhappy with Ireland's preparations for the 2002 World Cup tore into manager Mick McCarthy with one of the most memorable recorded outbursts in recent years. In a blazing row, Keano ranted, "You were a crap player and you're a crap manager. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country - and you're not even Irish, you English c**t. You can stick it up your bollocks!" Keane was banished from the squad and would never again play in a major tournament. McCarthy led Ireland through to the Round of 16 where they would agonizingly fall to Spain on penalties. McCarthy would later go on to have a good stints with both Sunderland and Wolves, where he led both into the Premier League. He is now trying to chase down a spot into the Championship promotion playoffs with Ipswich. The less said about Keane's managerial career though the better.

Hijo de Puta

Early on in his stint at Real Madrid, David Beckham was sent off for yelling “Hijo de puta" at a linesman. Claiming that he had no idea that it's a very offensive Spanish insult that loosely translates into "Son of a prostitute", Beckham was shocked to receive a red card. He said that it was something his teammates said all the time in training (hopefully not to him!) and he was clueless as to its meaning. Sure Becks, we believe you.

The Water Carrier

Old Trafford icon and French philosopher Eric Cantona said this of compatriot Didier Deschamps in 1996: "Deschamps gets by because he always gives 100 per cent, but he will never be anything more than a water carrier. You can find players like him on every street corner. " Apart from his Juventus side defeating Cantona's Manchester United twice in the fall of 1996, Deschamps went on to cap a brilliant club career where he won two European Cups, with winner's medals for France at World Cup 1998 and Euro 2000. Not bad for a water carrier.

5 Completely Random Football Facts by the Numbers

2016-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

It has been said that the only stat in football that matters is what's on the scoreboard at fulltime and although that's probably true there are a few stats, or numbers rather, that resonate with fans of the beautiful game.

Here are five numbers that hold a bit of meaning in the football world:

5 - The Number of Consecutive European Cups Won by Real Madrid

With the formation of the European Cup in the 1955-1956 season, a knockout competition pitting the champions of the continent against each other, Real Madrid went on a run of five straight titles culminating in a famous 7-3 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt at Hampden Park in Scotland in 1960. Every Scottish person over the age of 60 claims to have been at this famous match.

44 - The Number of Days Brian Clough Was in Charge of Leeds United

The famously outspoken Brian Clough turned English football on it's head in the early 1970's when he took the once lowly Derby County into the top flight and within three seasons had managed them to their first league title. His bitter rival during this period, and a team he had no hesitation in criticizing the methods of, was Don Revie's Leeds United. So it came as a great shock in the summer of 1974 when Clough replaced Revie, who had taken on the England manager's job, as the manager of Leeds. Clough immediately found himself at odds with the club's notoriously prickly dressing room, with suggestions that he tried to change too much too fast and the early results going against him, Clough was sacked after only 44 days in charge.

1283 - The Number of Goals Scored By Pele

Although the legitimacy of this total has been brought into question, with some claiming the Brazilian great was counting goals scored in kickabouts with his kids on the beach as part of this number, Pele is in the Guinness World Record books for driving 1283 bulges into the old onion bag over the course of his brilliant career.

20 - The Number of League Titles Won By Manchester United

When Sir Alex Ferguson strode into Old Trafford in 1986, Manchester United had only seven league titles in their trophy cabinet and had not been the kings of English football since 1967. To make matters worse, their bitter rivals Liverpool dominated the 1970's and 1980's on their way to what looked like a unbeatable record haul of 18 league titles. It's been said that records are meant to be broken though, and rather incredibly between 1992-1993 and 2012-2013 Ferguson's side would romp to 13 league titles and leave the Anfield club trailing in their wake.

91 - The Staggering Number of Goals Scored by Lionel Messi in 2012

Combining goals scored across all competitions for his club side Barcelona and the goals he hammered home for Argentina, Lionel Messi shattered West German and Bayern Munich ace Gerd Muller's 1972 record haul of 85 when he found the net 91 times in 2015. No matter what side you stand on the debate over whether or not Messi is the greatest player ever, this was a stunning achievement.

5 Classic Football Insults

2015-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Winding someone up, using mind games to get a reaction or simply trash talking are common features of professional football.

While some attempts to rile opponents are physical in nature, like Diego Costa's efforts this past weekend against Arsenal, a well placed comment or two might be all that's needed to put someone over the edge.

Not all of these attacks happen on the pitch, or are even targeted at opponents, but most of them are pretty funny as long as you aren't the target.

Here are five classic verbal volleys:

The Clown

Prior to England's crucial 1974 World Cup qualifier at Wembley, the ever controversial Brian Clough working as a analyst for ITV described Polish keeper Jan Tomaszewski as a "circus clown in gloves". This insult backfired miserably though as Tomaszewski would go on to have the game of his life, stopping nearly everything England threw at him in helping his country to a 1-1 draw that saw them go to the finals in West Germany at England's expense.

Beckham's Spanish Lesson

David Beckham, in his early Real Madrid days, put his foot in his mouth, by calling a linesman a "Hijo de puta" - “son of a whore”. He subsequently was handed a red carded and later said: "I didn't realise what I had said was that bad. I had heard a few of my team-mates say the same before me." Good thing he's pretty, eh?

On Me Head, Son

Following a report in 1995 into how heading the ball could possibly cause brain damage a Premier League spokesman allegedly said: "I don’t think heading a ball has got anything to do with it, footballers are stupid enough anyway."

No Way Paulo

Then Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni, was asked by the media if he was considering selecting Paolo Di Canio for his 2002 World Cup squad and carefully responded: "Only if there's an outbreak of bubonic plague."

David James' Learning Curve

No stranger to dishing out the odd insult himself, Paolo Di Canio once said this of goalkeeper David James: “David James must have a brain the size of a pea! I called him a cretin a year ago, so it has taken him a whole year to find out the meaning of the word. My two-year-old daughter could learn quicker than that.”

4 Times Football Went to the Dogs

2015-05-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

There is an old saying that 'dogs are a man's best friend', but sometimes our four legged friends are a bit of a wildcard when they come happily wagging their tails into the world of football.

The following are four famous football stories involving dogs:

Pissed Off

During England's 1962 World Cup quarter-final match with Brazil, a stray dog ran onto the pitch and after evading several players he was finally snatched up by the Three Lions striker Jimmy Greaves. The furry pitch invader then unleashed a soupy stream of piss all over the Tottenham man's kit leaving him smelling like dog urine for the rest of the match. Brazilian star Garrincha found the episode hilarious and later adopted the little rascal. The dog that is, not the England striker.

Pickles Finds the Cup

Prior to the 1966 World Cup host nation England suffered a major embarrassment when thieves stole the Jules Rimet Trophy from an exhibition in Westminster. Fortunately it was recovered seven days later wrapped in newspaper, in some bushes in West London, by a dog named Pickles. The dog, a mixed collie, and his owner were later invited to England's post World Cup Final celebrations.

Cloughie's Dog Makes its Way Home

Nottingham Forest boss Brian Clough, famed nearly as much for his colourful personality as he was for his terrific accomplishments in football, used to bring his dog to training and have the apprentices take him for a walk. One week though the dog ran off on Forest's Gary Charles and fearing Cloughie's wrath, he and 20 other youth players, spent hours going around Nottingham looking for the errant canine. Admitting defeat they headed back to the training ground where they came across Clough and his dog, who had returned to the manager's office of his own accord.

Hair Trigger Temper

After a notorious bust up with Ireland boss Mick McCarthy, Roy Keane stormed out of his country's training base ahead of the 2002 World Cup and returned to England. Desperate to get a quote from the explosive Manchester United captain, reporters camped out around Keane's house and would regularly follow him on his walks with his dog 'Triggs'. In the bizarre world of the English media Triggs became a star in his own right and even had a mock autobiography written about him.

Top 10 Brian Clough Quotes

2015-03-21T20:00:00.001-04:00

Today would have marked the 80th birthday of legendary English football Manager Brian Clough. To celebrate the life of the two time European Cup winning coach, we take a look at the best 10 quotes from the often controversial football figure.

After a streaker interrupted Derby’s game against Man Utd: “The Derby players saw more of his balls than the one they’re meant to be playing with!”

“On occasions I have been big headed. I think most people are when they get in the limelight. I call myself Big Head just to remind myself not to be.”

“Walk on water? I know most people out there will be saying that instead of walking on it, I should have taken more of it with my drinks. They are absolutely right.”

“If a chairman sacks the manager he initially appointed, he should go as well.”

About disagreements with players: “We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right.”

About Keane: “I only ever hit Roy once. He got up so I couldn't have hit him very hard.”

“Rome wasn't built in a day. But I wasn't on that particular job.”

“I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one.”

About Martin O’Neil’s success at Leicester City: “Anybody who can do anything in Leicester other than knit a jumper has got to be a genius. If he’d been English or Swedish, he’d have walked the England job.”

About Forest midfielder Brian Rice: “I’m not saying he’s pale and thin, but the maid in our hotel room pulled back the sheets and remade the bed without realizing he was still in it!”

Not Arrogant, Just Better

2015-02-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

There's a popular slogan you see on the flags of some Manchester United supporters that says the club is "Not Arrogant, Just Better".

This wonderful, tongue planted firmly in cheek, phrase came to mind this week as Southampton boss Ronald Koeman essentially called United manager, and bitter rival, Louis van Gaal arrogant during an interview with the Daily Mirror.

According to Koeman, "When you bring Van Gaal in the house, you bring in quality, but you also bring in someone who thinks he knows everything and that will cause clashes."

There was in fact a bit of controversy this week after Van Gaal was outright labelled an "Arrogant bastard" by Swansea director John van Zweden after his side defeated United 2-1.

But is Van Gaal arrogant or just extremely confident? And is this a bad thing to have if you're a manager at a top club?

Certainly, Van Gaal's predecessor David Moyes could have benefitted from having a dash of arrogance as he led a slumping side to seventh in the league last season, while offering up Lilly Livered doozies like "We aspire to be like Manchester City."

While Van Gaal's tactics and transfer policy during his brief stint at Old Trafford could already be questioned, there's no fear that he'll bow down, publicly or otherwise, to one of United's rivals.

Outside of United, another manager who has often been described as arrogant is Chelsea's Jose Mourinho. But after league title and domestic cup wins in four countries, and not to mention the small matter of two UEFA Champions League wins, doesn't he have the right to be a little sure of himself?

With Mourinho you feel that although part of it is indeed arrogance, a good deal of what he comes out with is for the purpose of messing with the opposition, referees or the English FA.

Like another former United boss in Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho is a master manipulator who plays the media as well as anyone.

Another comparison could be made with legendary Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough, who led the relatively small provincial side to a League title and back-to-back European Cup's in the late 1970's, despite his perceived arrogance Mourinho is able to get the best out of his players, by winning their loyalty in part by fostering an "us against the world" mentality. Like Clough, Mourinho's arrogance takes pressure off of his players. Although I'm sure Cloughie would have loved some of the transfer budgets Mourinho has enjoyed since leaving Porto in 2004.

The arrogant approach, if you will, is often celebrated by an English media hungry for quotes, particularly if the manager in question is successful, but this attitude is often misunderstood or disliked in other leagues. Mourinho seemingly fell out with most of the Real Madrid dressing room towards the end of his time in Spain, simply by being himself. The media also never warmed to him as, unlike in England where the juicy quote or sound bite is king, they were looking for tactical analysis or discussions on his team selections.

If a perceived arrogant manager fails, like Luiz Felipe Scolari at this summer's World Cup, or struggles to a degree as Van Gaal is after a summer outlay of £150 million, people are always going to be ready to jump on them.

The key isn't rocket science really. Just win, and win in style, and then you can act however you want. But lose and everyone will question if your attitude is negatively affecting the team.

Winning solves everything, doesn't it?

Football Statues (Gallery)

2014-11-18T20:00:00.000-05:00

In this world you have only one life, and I gave mine to Wolves.

The quote above is from Wolverhampton Wanderers legendary manager Stan Cullis who led the club through their halcyon days of the 1950's when Wolves rivaled Manchester United for English supremacy with three league titles and two FA Cup's under Cullis.

This brilliant quote is inscribed under the statue of Cullis that sits outside of the stand also bearing his name at Wolves' Molineux Stadium.

I first saw the Cullis statue in the flesh on a visit to the ground in 2006 and was impressed by the relaxed pose, the terrific attention to detail and the wonderful inscription that simply stated what the club had meant to the man.

This statue and the one of Wolves captain in the 1950's Billy Wright on another side of the ground were both sculpted by James Walter Butler and both marvelous pieces of work.

Whenever I visit a football ground I always make a point of seeking out these statue of the games greats, and snapping a quick picture, like the one I took below of Manchester United's George Best, Denis Law, and Bobby Charlton on a trip to Old Trafford in 2011.

However one group, The Sporting Statues Project that was featured in a recent article in Four Four Two have taken the appreciation for football statues a step further and have carefully cataloged photos and details for statues all over the world.

You can visit their site at: http://www.offbeat.group.shef.ac.uk/statues/

In the meantime, here are five of my favourites from their great site:

The Wit, Wisdom and Genius of Brian Clough

2014-09-20T18:00:00.000-04:00

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of one of the finest managers English football has ever known, Brian Howard Clough.

Born in Middlesbrough on March 31, 1935 the man who would later be nicknamed "Old Big Head" as an all conquering manager, broke into professional football for his local side in 1955.

Clough, a high scoring striker for Middlesbrough and later Sunderland, hit an incredible 251 goals in 274 matches with a strike rate of 0.916 goals per match which is the highest ever in England for a player with more than 200 appearances.

Sadly his playing career was cruelly cut short at the age of 27 after tearing the medial and cruciate ligaments in his knee, after a sickening collision with Bury's keeper Chris Harker on an icy pitch in December of 1962.

After an aborted comeback at age 29, Clough shook off the anguish of a playing career that was to an extent unfulfilled and stepped into management at Hartlepool United.

His most important decision when taking up the reigns at Victoria Park was convincing Burton Albion's manager Peter Taylor to join him as his assistant. Together the two men would leave an unforgettable mark on English and indeed European football.

After moving to Derby County, a club rooted to the bottom of the old Second Division in 1967, Clough and Taylor went to work on building the side from the ground up.

It's been said about the two of them that Clough was the "shop window" and that Taylor was "the goods in the back" and there's something to that as Taylor had an incredible eye for spotting diamonds in the rough, and bringing them to Derby, while Clough was able to mould these players into a cohesive unit.

After winning promotion to the top flight in 1969, Derby stunned the football world by seeing off the challenges of the leading sides Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds United in capturing the 1971/1972 League Championship. It was an incredible achievement for the East Midlands club, who did it by playing positive attacking football under Clough and Taylor.

Despite a run to the 1972/1973 European Cup Semi-Final and eventual defeat over two legs to Juventus, the outspoken Clough fell out with the Derby County board and left the club in the fall of 1973. It was a parting of the ways that was later to be regretted to different extents by both parties.

After a brief spell at Brighton and Hove Albion, and a disastrous 44 day reign in charge of his old enemies Leeds United, Clough and Taylor reunited at Nottingham Forest where they would achieve their greatest glory.

Winning promotion to the old First Division in 1976/1977, Nottingham would then incredibly storm to the League Championship in 1977/1978, as they finished comfortably ahead of European Champions Liverpool.

Greater things were to come for Forest though, as they won not only win the 1979 European Cup by beating Malmo in Munich, but they would follow it up with a win over Hamburg in the 1980 final in Madrid. For a club of Forest's relative size this was an incredible achievement and one that will likely not be repeated.

Despite Clough's achievements he never got the job he truly craved, that of the England manager's chair after his various rows with chairmen and the media, it was little surprise that the English FA were fearful of giving him the "second most important job in the country".

Clough would even go on to fall out with his partner in so much success, Taylor, after his assistant briefly retired and then took up the manager's post at Derby. Unfortunately the two would never resolve their differences before Taylor's early death in 1990 at the age of only 62. The fact that they never made peace was something Clough regretted for the rest of his life and he in fact dedicated his autobiography to his old friend and assistant manager.

He opened his book with:
"To Peter. Still miss you badly. You once said: 'When you get shot of me there won't be as much laughter in your life'. You were right"

Clough would manage Nottingham up until 1993, with the club achieving further success in the League Cup and always playing attractive football. Unfortunately the end of his time at the club saw Forest relegated from the top division, however the mark he left on Forest will never be forgotten.

Losing his battle with stomach cancer on 20 September 2004, Clough was mourned equally by fans of both Derby County and Nottingham Forest, usually the bitterest of rivals, who deeply acknowledged the work he had done in putting them both on the map.

Besides his outstanding success in football, Clough was also known for his outspoken views. Here are some of his funnier quotes over the years:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but then again I wasn’t on that particular job.”

“David Seaman is a handsome young man but he spends too much time looking in his mirror rather than at the ball. You can’t keep goal with hair like that.”

“I’m sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I’d want to run the show. They were shrewd because that’s exactly what I would have done”

“The River Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years.”

“Beckham? His wife can’t sing and his barber can’t cut hair.”

When meeting Teddy Sheringham: “I’m calling you Edward because that’s what it says on your birth certificate.”

"Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes."

"If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there."

“I wouldn’t say I was the best manager in the business…but I was in the top one.”

“When I go, God’s going to have to give up his favourite chair.”

5 Football Books You Must Read

2014-08-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

Besides all the crappy ghostwritten player biographies, and "we wuz 'arder than the scousers" hooligan literature, there are some amazing football books out there.

Here are five terrific football books I've read over the years that I can highly recommend:

Fever Pitch - Nick Hornby

The seminal football fan diary of a life spent obsessing about and following a club. Even if you aren't a fan of Arsenal, if you've ever loved a football team and found yourself stressing about a friends wedding being scheduled at the same time as a 3rd round cup tie involving them, this is the book for you. I never read a novel more than once, and yet I've read Fever Pitch three times and it gets better with each read.

The Glory Game - Hunter Davies

During the 1971/1972 season, author Hunter Davies was granted unprecedented access to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Embedded within the squad from pre-season right up to Tottenham's season ending victory over Wolverhampton in the UEFA Cup, this book is an incredible look behind the often closed doors of a professional club. Throughout this wonderful novel we get to know the players and staff, warts and all, over the course of a memorable season. It's not a surprise that few authors have been granted such access since.

The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - Joe McGinniss

After falling in love with football in the early '90s, an American writer decided to write an account of the first season in Serie B of a small provincial Italian club. What followed was a season of tragedy, triumph and betrayal in one of the most gripping football books I've read.

Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football - David Winner

A sparkling history of Dutch football that charts the development of the game in that country, the characters that shaped their style of play and why the Dutch have in some cases underachieved. Marrying the culture of the Dutch people, their history and the football played in the country together, Winner writes one of the definitive accounts of what makes the football of the Oranje so special.

The Damned United - David Peace

If you simply mention "44 days" to an English football fan of a certain vintage, they'll immediately know that you are referring to Brian Clough's infamous time in charge of Leeds United. Described by the author as a work of as "a fiction based on a fact", this novel is written in a stream of consciousness style, from Clough's perspective as he takes charge of a club with players he despises and that hate him just as much. A gripping read that perhaps isn't for everyone, this book provides an interesting take on a well known tale.

Notable Mentions: The Beckham Experiment - Grant Wahl, and Football Against the Enemy - Simon Kuper