One fine summer day, the good name of the Pepsi IPL tournament was sullied by an ugly spot fixing scandal. And if being left nonplussed by the news was a common reaction, then we’d like to plead guilty.

Around this same time, last year, we were summing up the findings of a sting operation conducted by a certain news channel, which had successfully unearthed a match fixing racket and implicated five domestic players. And now, approximately a year later, we find ourselves gearing up to the same task of taking stock of how a couple of players unabashedly duped their earnest fans, not to mention, their own teammates. A ‘few’ rotten eggs, indeed; or so the BCCI puts it.

For a tournament that is all but bursting at the seams with cash, it comes as little surprise that the domestic T20 league is big on scandals – scuffles with security guards, molestation charges, rave parties and occasionally, a couple of spot fixing allegations. Which comes as a crying shame, because the tournament also happens to include some hard-earned victories, some spellbinding catches and some awe inspiring sixes, all of which get slighted each time the ugly spot-fixing scandal rears its head.

The Rajasthan Royals might have been looking forward to having a breather after the high octane battle at Wankhede stadium, but all plans of catching a break and taking stock of their previous laurels were cut nastily short by the tidings the Delhi Police had in store. On the basis of certain tape recordings obtained by the Delhi police officials, charges have been levelled against three Rajasthan Royal players – Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan. The trio are currently being held in five days custody, following which they could be banned from all forms of cricket if found guilty.

Through a series of innocuous gestures such as adjusting a locket or wearing a towel, the bowlers would signal the bookies that the following over would be played according to the conditions pre-set by the bookies. “It was decided that Sreesanth would put a towel in his trouser before bowling the second over of his spell and also give enough time to bookies to indulge in heavy betting. As decided, Sreesanth bowled the first over without wearing the towel. In the second over he put the towel in his trousers and in order to give enough time to his bookies he did some warming-up, some stretching exercises and then went on to give 13 runs,” Commissioner Neeraj Kumar informed the media.

So what does this spell for the average viewer? Do we hit the panic button every time a player adjusts his towel? Or do we dismiss every no-ball as part of a bigger conspiracy theory? Or do we just come to the terms with the fact that shady deals and match-fixing allegations have now become a permanent fixture in the gentleman’s game? With the integrity of the sport in peril, several influential personalities took to Twitter to make their dissent felt:

Raj Kundra: When asked the repeated question is IPL fixed my answer is always IPL teams CAN’T be fixed but individual players who lack integrity can

Sourav Ganguly (In an interview with CNN-IBN): I think nobody can prevent this corruption other than the player himself. In our era of [Sachin] Tendulkar, [Rahul] Dravid, [VVS] Laxman, [Anil] Kumble, Harbhajan [Singh], Zaheer [Khan], [Virender] Sehwag, no one could put a finger on them.

Shilpa Shetty: RR is a team that Fights with integrity,Rahul being a front runner..Sad this has happened so close to the Playoffs. This too shall pass.

Mandira Bedi: And the worst of it is that they play for a team whose Captain is one of the most honorable men in cricket. #spotfixing #shame

Pritish Nandy: Actually the IPL is like our movie awards, designed for TV and TRPs. Dont expect too much authenticity there. Its just another show.

Kiran Bedi: 3 Cricketers hav committed Huge Breach of Trust with millions of spectators+cheating their owners. Must get MAX punishment

Shekhar Kapur: Shocked at spot fixing in IPL? Why? Its huge stakes, financial manipulation n pure entertainment.”Its not cricket O’l Chap” Ofcourse its not

Javed Akhtar: Cricket is one of the few things left that arouse reverence and joy in hearts . Please let no one pollute this game.

Anupam Kher: IPL is a sponsored game show where players are bought for a certain price and made to play each other. In such a game #KuccBhiHoSaktaHai.:)

Ranvir Shorey: I wouldn’t fall for anything until the BCCI falls under the RTI. And the investigation, under (an independent) CBI. #IPL #cricket #India

Aakash Chopra: Punishment is always a strong deterrent…we just have to see what’s been done with the ones who were guilty of match-fixing in 2000!

Whether it is the RTI that comes to our rescue or increased stringency, the fact remains that we draw our entertainment from where it sparkles the most.

David Beckham is more than just a name, he is an illustrious brand. Beckham is just as good a footballer as he is a marketer, and he has managed to create equity with his fans like none other. But just like any other brand, brand Beckham was hit by a few potshots too. He rolled with the punches mostly, but some of these events are stuck in the memory of the unforgiving public. On the day of his retirement, while everyone spews words of appreciation, let’s play the devil’s advocate and dig out the dirt that David ‘Golden Balls’ Beckham would rather give a miss.

The ‘Unfocused’

Glen Hoddle took over as England manager in May 1996, and he caused quite a stir with his methods. To begin with, he left out Paul Gascoigne and also employed a ‘faith healer’ as part of the team. Beckham, who had played all the qualification matches in the run up to the 1998 World Cup in France, did not start the first two group matches. He was accused by Hoddle of not being focused and not concentrating enough on the tournament. The twenty-something did come on eventually in the third round of the group stage, scoring his first goal for the national team from a typical long range free kick, but he will certainly never forget the treatment that was meted out to him initially, at a stage of such grandeur. Maybe some faith healing should do the trick.

Excessive Force

Still in the 1998 France World Cup, David Beckham featured in the match against Argentina, after England made the Round of 16. Beckham got himself sent off unabashedly after he lashed out at the Argentinian Diego Simeone. A tackle by the Argentinian saw Beckham hit the floor, and the Englishman wanted payback with a shrug of his leg. Simeone crumpled and Beckham saw red. The former did admit to simulation, but that was long after tainting the latter’s international career. Becks did finally get his revenge, after he scored the only goal in a win against Argentina in the 2002 World Cup.

Rebecca Loos

The last name notwithstanding, the former personal assistant for David Beckham came out with an explosive story of adultery and deceit. Loos had made the move with Beckham to Spain and they worked closely to set up shop in the new country. Victoria Beckham was still concentrating on her music career in England and the distance was uncharacteristic of the star pair. The tabloids lapped up the behind-the-scenes blow-by-blow account of the darling footballer and his escapades, and Loos even claimed to have become an ‘alternate wife’. Truth or not, the printed word holds greater precedence in today’s world and Becks was guilty of a public relations disaster. The trouble was short-lived, as Posh emphasized on how this only made their marriage stronger. Loos, on the other hand, was on every cover, every series and reality show, which served the cause well. No one’s pointing fingers at anyone, but this was a low that Beckham could have easily avoided.

The Hair Dryer

Lot of people didn’t approve of the coming together of the football superstar and the pop icon. One of them was Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. He famously said, “He was never a problem until he got married. He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time; he was a fantastic young lad. Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing – from that moment his life was never going to be the same. He is such a big celebrity; football is only a small part. The big part is his persona.”

Dripping lava, Ferguson was playing the rumbling volcano. He finally exploded in an infamous dressing room spat, and boot met face. Shoe-gate, as it is commonly known, was the result of an ‘accidental’ kick from Ferguson, which left him needing stitches. After the compulsory ‘everything was alright’, Beckham headed for the airport.

Golden Balls

This is not really a low; it is more of an embarrassment, on the global stage. A quirky nickname picked out by his better half is just the tip of the iceberg though. More often than not, the underwear ads overpowered his presence on the field and his metrosexuality caught more eyeballs than his football. Of course, those are his personal choices and he lives as he wishes, but with great power comes great responsibility. He is a global icon who is recognized all over the world and he knows it. Little kids look up to him and idolize the top corner. A little more conscientiousness would have helped him keep his slate clean and squeaky.

To err is human, as they say. David Beckham is a legend in his own right and we love him and worship the boot that launched a thousand hearts. His lows only add to his human side and help us believe that one day we will have a shot at greatness too.  

Growing up in India, football had to play second fiddle to cricket for a long time. Not by choice, but more by the sheer number of people who chose to ignore the beautiful game in favour of a sport in which India was an established, dominant team. Football was so far-fetched in their eyes that even till today we do not have a team which can be called formidable.

In all this confusion, a few chose to follow football. What lead the early shifters is not exactly crystal clear, but by closer to the end of the millennium, a single factor was emerging. David Beckham was a phenomenon that took most of the world by storm, and India didn’t have much of an escape planned. Football was suddenly fashionable, stylish, even mainstream. Hairstyles were changing just as fast as loyalties. The man in Manchester was just as big a hit in the guys’ department as he was in the girls’. The curling shot in to the top corner got many a guy to swoon, and the team he supported didn’t really matter for a change. Beckham was a hit across figurative borders.

He was the number 7 for both the Three Lions and the Red Devils, having taken the coveted number in the latter outfit after the legendary Eric Cantona threw in his towel. He captained the England team for six years, from 2000 to 2006. The midfielder was a massive figure in both the teams, extremely cohesive and increasingly integral to the system. He was a delight to have in the team, where his pin-point aerial balls added reach to the attack, and his aggressive attitude added teeth to their forays. Often caught in awkward positions, he was a victim of the spotlight he found himself in. He even married a pop star, Victoria Adams, one of the 5 Spice Girls who was nicknamed ‘Posh’ after her luxurious and spendthrift ways. His alleged affair with Rebecca Loos was a dark chapter in the footballer’s life back in 2004, but he emerged unscathed. His encounter with fellow OBE Sir Alex Ferguson left him needing stitches, and the need to move.  Even the penalty miss against Turkey was nothing short of a screamer, but he rolled with the punches.

Life at Real Madrid was big, given his stardom that fit that particular constellation to the T. The Galacticos were legendary, and nobody but Beckham could have done justice to playing alongside Zinedine Zidane, Raul and Luis Figo.  Raul did take away the number 7 shirt though, but number 23 was a bit of an inspired move and Michael Jordan was a happy man.

His moves to the MLS Galaxy were understandable, as the closer a star approaches burnout, the sooner he yearns for a retirement plan. The entire MLS footed his bill, as he was seen as an addition to the entire league, not just LA Galaxy. He clearly wanted to play in the bigger leagues, with two spells at AC Milan in the off season. His move to PSG was surprising, but his decision to donate his wages to charity wasn’t.

His peers have called it quits in the last few days. Ferguson and Scholes have both decided to go out on a high, and that may have appealed to the midfielder too. United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and now PSG; all of them have seen stars come and go, and it has become a habit of sorts, a bad habit. It is nothing short of sorrow that many fans will feel at the end of this season, when the biggest of them all hang their boots. David Beckham will forever be remembered as a classy midfielder who caught Sullivan off his line. The dead ball will always curl right past the keeper’s outstretched arm and the cross will always find the hitman up front. There aren’t many as big as the guy who wore number 7 for United, and Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t even come close.

Considered one of the biggest assets for a team, squad depth often ends up as a double edged sword. On one hand, where squad depth encourages competitive battles amongst the team mates, often pushing a mediocre player to up the ante to secure a place, it also reduces the losing player to a mere bystander. No one can be blamed for citing Mother Nature’s ‘survival of the fittest’ outlook, but where does it end? In the wild, the loser most likely succumbs to the wounds suffered in the battle and makes way for stronger, differentiated specimen to prevail. In the game, the loser warms the bench, for a considerable period, sometimes even settling for the reserves. Here are two classic examples, both young and old, who have suffered at the hands of options, often masquerading as depth.

Adam Johnson

The English answer for Ryan Giggs, Adam Johnson was courted by Middlesbrough’s youth academy at the age of 10. Having won the 2003-04 Youth FA Cup with Middlesbrough, he made the Premier League at the age of 17, replacing Stuart Downing in a victory against Arsenal. Downing proved to be his first nemesis, and he spent much of the next two seasons on the bench. In October 2006, Johnson headed for Leeds for a single month, and then to Watford for three times the previous loan tenure.

Boro headed in to Championship oblivion in 2009 and Downing pushed for a transfer to Aston Villa. Johnson finally had his chance, courtesy Downing’s impatience, as opposed to his merit. Either way, he stepped up and scored 11 goals in 26 games for Middleborough. In his capacity of a winger, such a strong approach was never going to be overlooked. The 2010 winter transfer window saw him sign for Manchester City, almost a certain sign of future greatness. City were rebuilding to aim higher than the rest, and Johnson had the chance he was desperate for.

But at City, he was in the shadow of stars like David Silva, Samir Nasri and even James Milner. He was typecast as the ‘super-sub’, often coming on to effectively change fortunes, but seldom finding starts. He played just over 70 Premiership games in close to two and a half seasons, scoring only 11 goals, as opposed to the 11 he scored for Boro in a single campaign.

Leaving City was probably one of his better decisions, and his shift to Sunderland in August 2012 was a foundation brick in Martin O’Neill’s plan. He has played 34 games till date, showing his coming of age as a regular first team player and his inclusion in the team’s vision. One of the highlights was certainly the goal he scored against his former employers, Manchester City, helping Sunderland secure three points. Currently just four points away from relegation, those three seemed to have made their presence felt. Still only 25, the English winger can easily make his way out of this predicament.

Phil Neville

The younger brother of the legendary Gary Neville, and the twin brother of Tracey Neville, England Netball International, Phillip Neville lived in a shadow the size of Old Trafford. When the competition begins at home, it often spills on to the field. One of the famous ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ which also included Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes, he was nothing short of family at United. Such strong ties increasingly add to the flummoxing thought of his departure from the club he adored. After the confirmation of the move, he said “It was a hard decision (to leave Manchester United), but I looked at it from a football point of view and I needed to play regular football.  Everton stood out more than anyone.”

Even Ferguson was in line with the thought, stating that even though it was heart-wrenching to see him and Nicky Butt leave, they clearly had better opportunities waiting for them. At United, Neville struggled after making the first team, as Dennis Irwin was higher up in the pecking order. Lee Sharpe, essentially a winger, filled in at left back, thus forcing Neville out of the first eleven. He played a total of 263 games for United from 1995 to 2005, mostly coming on as a substitute till the start of the decade. Post the year 2000, he was a more consistent figure in the team, but still playing second fiddle.

When Everton came calling, he was more than happy to shift to a squad where he was perceived as a leader. David Moyes understood his need for recognition, and he was appointed club vice-captain. His work-rate, attitude and his commitment was everything Moyes wanted and he flourished in the back-line. Just recently, the versatile player announced his retirement from club football, and putting his hat in the ring for the empty manager’s seat at Everton.

Where Johnson promises potential, Neville proves how overcoming a bad hand needs perseverance and intent. The problem of plenty will continue to plague clubs, especially those who have enough to spend on squads, which will ensure that for every player in the first team sheet, one will warm the bench.

The biggest news today was clearly the retirement of the beloved Sir Alex Ferguson. His announcement was followed by an unbridled outpouring of grief, despair and indecisiveness for the future. Manchester United fans in particular, took to all forms of social media to showcase their sadness and respect to arguably the greatest manager a football team has seen in the modern era.

What they didn’t talk about though, was the flipside of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Obviously, it is a time to reflect upon his best times; the performances that made him the revered tactician that he is, but that account would be incomplete if we didn’t include some of his worst. Here are three of the worst times for Sir Alex Ferguson, which will certainly not making in to the final toast.

 1. When he almost got Sacked

Ferguson took over the reins from Ron Atkinson in the November of 1986. Prior to this, he had been approached by both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs, both of which he refused to stay on at Aberdeen, till the United job came about. United won their first title under Ferguson only in 1990, which was the FA Cup, where they beat Crystal Palace by a single goal scored by Lee Martin. The period in between was a harrowing time for the manager, who was under severe pressure from the fans and the management.

“Three years of excuses and it’s still crap … ta-ra Fergie.” was one of the banners waved at Fergie during the 1989-90 season after a run of six defeats and two draws in eight games early in the season. Journalists, too, were up for the task and their pens were unleashed unabashedly against the Scotsman. After United ended the season precariously, finishing outside the relegation zone, Ferguson chose to describe the December of the year 1989 as “the darkest period [he had] ever suffered in the game”.

Later though, Ferguson emphasized on the fact that the board were always gunning for him, and understood that the disappointments were mainly due to the absence of marquee players due to injury. His reinvention of the club’s coaching and scouting system was appreciated though, and may have helped him save his face.

 2. Shoe-gate

David Beckham was one of the most loved and respected English players to have worn the United jersey. His presence in the team was highly cohesive and his form helped United employ long balls into their attack. Beckham’s love interest, Victoria ‘Posh’ Adams, was taking a lot of his time and they eventually tied the knot in 1999. Since then, the cracks in the Beckham-Fergie relationship gave way to rifts after a lot of disagreements. Ferguson wasn’t impressed by the change that came about the newly married poster boy of Manchester United and he stated that, “He was never a problem until he got married. He used to go into work with the academy coaches at night time, he was a fantastic young lad. Getting married into that entertainment scene was a difficult thing – from that moment his life was never going to be the same. He is such a big celebrity, football is only a small part. The big part is his persona.”

The comment was a sign of things to come, and the famous shoe-gate incident will forever be earmarked as the reason why Beckham left the club of his dreams. The ‘accidental’ kick from Ferguson sent the boot flying and left a gash over the midfielder’s eye. The incident happened after United were handed a 2-0 defeat from arch rivals Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup. The dressing room spat was played down as United prepared to take on Juventus in a Champions League tie, but the damage was done. Even though ‘everything was alright’, the gash needed stitches. The relationship, however, was beyond repair. “Of course it was an accident,” Ferguson later added. “If I was that good I’d still be playing.”

3. Arsene Wenger

There is no hiding the fact that Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson aren’t the best of friends, even though a unrecognizable camaraderie of sorts was formed after Jose Morinho took over at Chelsea and blew everyone out of the water, except United. Arsenal were no longer considered the main threat, leading to an uneasy ceasefire. That excluded, both the managers hated each other’s guts and were often seen singing to the press about the other.

When Wenger first came in, in the year 1996, Ferguson welcomed the Frenchman with a caustic, “He’s a novice and should keep his opinions to Japanese football”, referring to the J League where Wenger used to manage Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Next up was what is referred to as ‘Pizza-gate’. After United ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run at 49 games at the Theatre of Dreams in 2004, the game was followed up by a bust-up in the players’ tunnel.  Fists and food went flying everywhere and Ferguson was hit square in the face with a slice of pizza. The culprit went unidentified for quite a while, with Ashley Cole only hinting at the perpetrator in his 2006 book ‘My Defence’. Cole wrote, “All I can say is that the culprit wasn’t English or French, so that should narrow it down.” Later identified as Cesc Fabregas, only 17 years old at that time, the incident was played up immensely. Ferguson spoke to the press and said, “To not apologise for the behaviour of the players to another manager is unthinkable.” Wenger’s then famously said, “Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home.”

That being said, the era of Fergie has now ended. Ferguson will not be seen as often, furiously chewing gum and doing a little jump/jig by the touchline. The famous hair-dryer will retire with the Scotsman, who has earned and deserved all the respect he gets. In the famous words of Gordon Strachan, “Velocity”

The Blue Tigers recently hit 143 in the FIFA ranking system, their highest being 142, in 2010. Nowhere close to being a serious threat to the dominant powers, but a step up, nonetheless. India is also ranked 22^nd amongst its Asian neighbors, in addition to being the highest ranked in South Asia. A proud moment for all involved, and the fact that India have struggled heavily under the management makes it even more significant.

All these numbers are essentially superficial if you think they point at any overall development in the country’s football. Subjective to say the least, but anyone who has been in contact with the grassroots knows and understands that these figures are window-dressing. Very little trickles down to the bottom and not much revolutionary change has come about since the last decade or so. The I-League, still in its nascent stages, has progressed considerably, but will need at least another ten to fifteen years to establish itself as a respectable entity. Teams like Dodsal FC are pumping in money, and these can be taken as signs of growing involvement from parties which believe in the cause.

Another sign, which masquerades as opportunity, is the increasing forays of European clubs in to the Indian market as ‘Football Schools’. Heavily prevalent abroad, these schools take in youngsters at a delicate age, and transform the capable ones in to global stars. Football superstars like David Beckham and Bhaichung Bhutia also delve in franchises, which allow them to cash in on their name.

Manchester United Football Club was one of the first to set up a football school, predictably named ‘Manchester United Soccer School.’ MUSS, as it is popularly known, set up base in Mumbai, in November 2011. They tied up with Western India Football Association (WIFA), “to bring the world’s best club-sanctioned coaching program to Mumbai.”

Afraid they would miss the bus, Arsenal too announced their tie up with ‘India on Track’ yesterday, where Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s head of global partnerships, said: “Partnering with India on Track is an exciting opportunity for us to connect with our passionate fans in India and help create a lasting foundation of structured football participation opportunities delivered by Arsenal Soccer School coaches. In the coming years we hope that tens of thousands of boys and girls will have the opportunity to take part in coaching sessions and learn to play the Arsenal way in a priority market for the Club.”

Sounds promising, but let’s take a look at what the other footballing entities/clubs/camps have come through on. Queens Park Rangers holds an annual camp where two kids are sent to the QPR academy in England, where they are given the opportunity to grow, for a period of two months that is. Same goes for ‘Airtel Rising Stars’, which sends chosen few to the red half of Manchester. Tata tea did the Arsenal thing some time back with the Jaago Re initiative. All the three are pretty consistent in terms of their involvement, budgets and final deliverable. Given that these kids are chosen from pools of over 20,000 kids, it puts the contest on a pedestal, which is what the marketers want, but not Indian football. The failing is in between the lines, where the layman perceives such events as a boost to football in the country. Instead, these events aim to create awareness of the brand, build public relations or plain touch points with the consumer.

Both Manchester United Soccer Schools and the proposed Arsenal school promise to help you play their ‘way’, which again is not the idea if they are looking to develop a culture for youngsters who yearn to play at the highest levels. Emulation is necessary, of course, if a standard has to be followed, but do they promise to help you build on that to bring out your strengths? They don’t.

The best part about these two, in addition to the plethora of others, is the eventual rise of competitive pricing. At MUSS, the courses look pretty costly at first look, given that they essentially want to target children. We will have to wait to see what Arsenal brings our way, but the average middle income household certainly cannot afford to see their kid play ‘The EPL way’ with the current prices. The annual membership, currently retailing at Rs. 56,000/-, promises ‘over 112 hours of coaching’.  The semi-annual membership is up for grabs for Rs. 38,000 and the lowest seems to be pegged at 12,600/- for individual modules. These fee structures seem nothing short of astronomical, with the annual membership amounting to just over Rs. 9,000 per module.

We aren’t looking to completely negate these endeavors, which clearly make sense for the club given the huge base of untapped customers who are quickly lapping up European football over the dominant game of cricket. But believing that these forays are aimed at improving football in the country is a misconception. Again, it is not their aim to lead you on to believe that Arsenal or United are here to change the way the country plays football, we just want to hope that they do. If anything can be done, the AIFF will have to do it, and getting more out of the  Rs 700 crore, 15-year deal with IMG Reliance deal will be step one.

Nothing beats cooling your heels off after a long day with FIFA by EA Sports. The association football game has quickly become the first choice for anyone who loves football and gaming. Available across various platforms, the game enjoys a lineage that stretches for over 18 years and is not done yet. With a release every year, FIFA, god-willing, could go on forever. Let’s take a look at 10 things you should know about this best-selling game. And no, India featuring in the last edition is not a part of the list, you already knew that.

1. FIFA International Soccer – The first franchise didn’t have the usual year attached to its name. Moreover, the release was more of a revolution, with the isometric view of the pitch. It was similar to 1983′s International Soccer, which pioneered the angle where peers stuck to the tested top down, side scrolling or bird’s eye views. It was also the first game to be officially endorsed by FIFA, football’s world governing body.

2. FIFA 64 – No, not a futuristic version but another one in the list of exceptions, where the number stood for the Nintendo 64 console. This edition was similar to the 32-bit versions of FIFA 97.

3. Sensible Soccer, Kick Off and Match Day – Competitors for FIFA, when it first came out, were no match for the evolving monster of a game. All three have since wilted, but Sensible Soccer still finds a limited cult following. Its last edition came out in 2007, released for Xbox and Windows. (Really, Sensible Soccer?)

4. Lionel Messi – Formerly the ambassador for Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami, the strongest competitor for FIFA till date, was poached by FIFA last year, and promptly put on the cover of the latest edition of FIFA Street in March 2012. (Sneaky?)

5. Platforms – Electronic Arts tries to ensure that they reach all the possible screens out there, and they haven’t done so badly actually. They have conquered a multitude of platforms. (Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360,Xbox 360 Kinect, PlayStation 3,PSP, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS,PSV, Mobile Phone, iOS, Mega Drive, SNES, PlayStation, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Nintendo DS, 3DO, Sega 32X, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, Sega CD, Amiga, Nokia N-gage, Gizmondo, DOS, Xbox,PS2) (Phew!)

6. The Soundtracks – Also called EA Trax, FIFA chooses some of the biggest contemporary artists to grace its release. These tracks have also hit popularity after they were featured. It is still a mystery as to how the tracks are chosen, with forums suggesting fan feedback and top management choices, but licensing ease seems most likely.

7. Popularity – By 2011, FIFA was available in 51 countries and had been translated in 18 languages. It had sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and FIFA 12 had become the “fastest selling sports game ever” with over 3.3 million games sold. (Ka-Ching!)

8. The UEFA Champions League – Popularly a major feature of the Pro Evo series, FIFA has notably missed this license in its arsenal. The chat forums are currently abuzz with rumors of FIFA 14 bringing the holy grail of football silverware to the franchise, but there has been no confirmation. (Yet)

9. FIFAM – FIFA Manager is one the most popular franchises, and complements FIFA. With over 15 editions by itself, FIFAM has quietly achieved commendable success in the deep shadow of its sibling. (Well, how long can drop down menus and buttons hold your attention. You might as well play MS Word)

10. The Cover – FIFA has always ensured that regions across the world get customized covers. From Rooney in England to Ronaldinho in Brazil; popular regions also have access to customized club covers, which can be easily downloaded.

The 1st of April had already begun in some parts of the world and Sunderland chose to announce their newest addition to the club in the form of manager Paolo Di Canio. We aren’t really new to the ways of Di Canio, explored in detail here. He is nothing short of a character, which leaves us with the question – is this really a smart move? He replaces the outgoing Martin O’Neill, who was doing a decent job of keeping the blundering side above the dotted red line. Then again, how safe is 31 points from 31 games, with at least 2 teams breathing down your neck? Anyway, Di Canio is a potential risk, and here’s a little more insight on the factors at play, now that he is a Black Cat.

‘I am a fascist, not a racist.’

Said Canio to Italian news agency ANSA in 2005, after his controversial salute to the Lazio fans in fixture against Roma. Now, Fascism – defined as the propagation of an authoritarian hierarchical government (as opposed to democracy or liberalism) – is frowned upon, especially in the football circuit. Football has always detested deep rooted politics and that explains why Former foreign secretary David Miliband put in his papers as Sunderland’s vice-chairman and non-executive director after the appointment on Sunday night. A rather rash decision one may say, because if Miliband did have a point, he will be essentially powerless to make it once he is out of the system. He cited the Italian’s past political statements for his move, but how often do you change jobs because your views clash with your colleague? It is a professional relationship, and as far as Di Canio doesn’t push his beliefs onto others, and restricts public exhibition of his choices, he should be the ideal way to go, given his immense experience.

But the popular idea seems to be the complete opposition of Di Canio’s political leanings, given that fascist ideology is based on intolerance. Earlier, when Di Canio was in charge of Swindon Town in 2011, the trade union GMB pulled its sponsorship, averaging around £4,000 per season, courtesy Di Canio’s political leaning. Even today, with Sunderland’s foray in to the African market, such an appointment may do more harm than deemed possible.

The fans have come out too, to state that as long as their latest signing keeps his views off the table and sticks to pure football, there should be not foreseeable hurdle. Any digression and his head will roll. They clearly understand that the footballing experience outweighs the others, but only till a limit. Di Canio does have a lot of experience though, having played for Lazio, Juventus, Napoli, Milan and Celtic. In the Premier League, he has represented Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and West Ham United, which spells a good resume.

Adaptability

At Swindon Town, his former employer, Di Canio had more than just a couple of spats with the administration. At one point in time, he even offered a substantial amount of money to keep a hold on his loan players, after the club was facing difficulty after a financial embargo. His attempt to sign new players too was dashed, and he picked up a pen and put in his letter. He did push his luck a bit and gave the owners a deadline, within which he would withdraw if the demands were met. They didn’t, and he was let go of on the 18th of February.

Wanted by Alex Ferguson as a player at one time, Di Canio was always hot-headed. He quit Juventus over a spat with the then manager and coach, Giovanni Trapattoni. He plied his trade for Napoli, before he wound up at Milan, which ended soon after he had a fiery exchange with Fabio Capello. He also pushed a referee to the ground after he got himself sent off, and this resulted in an 11-game ban with a deserved fine. Not the first guy anyone will pick to manage their team which is literally hanging by a thread, 7 games from relegation. His time was reportedly called ‘management by hand grenade’, which is not a compliment certainly.

His first

He may have played for the big ones, but he hasn’t managed one, yet. His first game, an away fixture, is at Chelsea, who have just negated their loss to the Saints by advancing to the semifinals of the FA Cup. He has a win percentage of over 56 per cent, which is remarkable over 95 games. But it remains to be seen how the extremely temperamental and politically opinionated footballer can hold his nerve in the face of looming danger over the next seven games, all the time with Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic lurking in the shadows. Maybe he just needs to take it as it comes, get maximum points out of every game and keep your personal views, well, personal.

After the ball, getting behind a mic is one easy option

‘All good things must come to an end.’ This timeless adage holds true for footballers too, who one day have to bid adieu to the only way of life they know. Sooner or later, the game starts to move faster than before, and the legs just don’t keep up and that is when it is time to throw in the towel. But it is easier said than done, given the rush of the spotlight and the pull of the cheers. No wonder the field has been compared to many a drug, some of which aren’t available even with a prescription. That leaves us with the thought, ‘Where do the retired footballers go’?

1. Manage

It is understood that a man on the field can one day come off it to direct the field from the outside. Football managers are generally players, with a few exceptions, which are inevitable. But managers who have played football at some level in their lives, are respected far more than the others. This can be attributed to the fact that the actually understand what the players are put through, and can easily relate to problems that plague the ones who draw the fattest paycheques in the sporting world.

A well-known player who turns manager has it easier and harder at the same time. His contemporaries know him inside out, and his tactics are never far from his own game. But on the other hand, he knows how to massage the ego and push his players further. To sum it up, footballers-turned-managers are aware of how things are run, simply because they were once an integral part of that very system.

2. Punditry

Who said the spotlight has to be switched off? The job of a pundit is a breeze compared to professional sport, and is second only to not doing anything. A pundit is an expert who gets to voice his opinion on national television while watching football. Maybe they should throw in some chocolate too.

Anyway, it is a cushy job, and more so for a footballer who has dragged his weight around for years. But it gives him the authority to actually be an ‘authority’ on the game, because ‘he has seen it all’. Again, the pressure is not to be understated, and constant negative feedback from the viewers, other argumentative ex-footballer panellists, a screaming producer and a stuck teleprompter are occupational hazards you might want to weigh in.

3. Administrate

Right when you thought nothing can beat punditry, along came this. Nothing beats a retired footballer who can direct people and actually run a club. Here, he/she may be required to sit in corporate boxes and look busy while their club plays out a fixture which is diminutive in the larger picture of their ‘Club Development’ initiative. Again, someone like a Patrice Viera has to be doing something way better than being a ‘Development Executive’ of Premier League club Manchester City. Also, Shebby Singh, who isn’t really a footballer to begin with, cannot become Blackburn’s ‘Global Advisor’.

4. Conduct Business

The easiest way to open shop is to start ‘Insert-Your-Name Coaching Academy’. Consider this; you are a well know name in a popular sport that is played across the world. All the hard work has been done already and all you need to do is to consolidate and launch. Starting your own academy gives you the freedom to boss people around and actually spread the good word too. A number of footballers do more than just PR charity work and they actually reach the masses with their programmes. It is completely okay to make a buck out of your enterprise because at the end of the day, food must be put on the table. But very few actually share that food with the ones who really need it.

5. Lose it

Your friends are gone, family doesn’t answer, girlfriend/wife has left you and you wake up alone each day. The answer must certainly be alcohol and/or drugs. A number of stars hit the roof real quick and wish that it never ended. End it must, and they take the spiral down in to oblivion. On the way, they acquire habits that are detrimental to their health and pocket. One common example is Paul Gascoigne, who has a silent ‘G’ in his name. Gascoigne, or Gazza has his poker buddies call him, has been in the news on and off, for his habits that are far from ideal. This is also the worst possible way to end a career.

Gervinho scored the 1st goal for Arsenal

A promising match for the neutrals, after Manchester United pipped Sunderland to quell their demons, this one seemed promising. And it delivered eventually, after Arsenal scored 4 goals, with Reading managing 1. Of a total of five goals, at least three were remarkable, others being a penalty and a Gervinho finish. Arsenal pushed up on the points, staying put in 5th, but closer to Chelsea after the Blues lost to Southampton and dropped points. Tottenham, hoverer, pulled themselves together to beat Swansea 2-1.

Squads

Arsenal were low on resources, at least the important ones, with Theo Walcott out with a groin strain, Jack Wilshere suffering an ankle knock, Kieran Gibbs out with a virus and Abou Diaby ruled out for the next nine months. Fabianski started in goal yet again, after Szczesny not being in Wenger’s good books, especially after his father blurted out unimpressive feedback. Thomas Vermaelen was benched again, adding some weight to the rumour of a possible fallout. Per Mertesacker, Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal were the back line for the day; dependable, at least by Reading standards. Tomas Rosicky made the start, in addition to Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla, immediately promising an orchestrated midfield. Olivier Giroud and Gervinho were the target men for the evening. Gervinho, who scored the last time round too, had almost nothing to lose given the lowly record of the opposition.

Reading weren’t in the pink of health, even though Nigel Adkins was lifting the players a bit. But given their horrible statistic of letting in 57 goals, the most in the league, they couldn’t have been too happy going in to game at the Emirates. With striker Pavel Pogrebnyak finally available after the three match ban and Robson-Kanu, the strike force looked decent, hoping for advantage in the air with the indecisive Arsenal backline. Stuart Taylor, former Arsenal trainee replaced Adam Federici in goal, given his ankle problems. Midfielder Jimmy Kébé and forward Jason Roberts are still undergoing treatment. The infamous back line consisted of Shorey, Pearce, Mariappa and Kelly. Karacan, Leigertwood and McAnuf were in the middle, with Karacan expected to make the occasional thrust forward along with Guthrie.

The Game

The Emirates was relatively full, and this marked the start of the campaign for fourth place. Arsenal had to win this one, if they were to pose questions later to the ones above them in the table. Reading were on the back-foot, as expected, and Arsenal tapped the ball around impatiently. At 10 minutes, Gervinho, who was not really in the thick of things, saw an opening and charged through, to catch a low Cazorla cross and bundle it in the net. Arsenal had drawn first blood and Reading were still getting used to the idea of possession. Arsenal kept pressing for the second one, but they managed to wreck their chances themselves, with the usual suspects at fault. Gervinho hasn’t been a hit so far, but still, the number of chances he fluffed certainly caused heavy shifting of feet.

Promising balls met with half-baked passes and died down soon enough. Reading too were looking a little wary of moving up too fast and rendering themselves powerless on the counter. But too defensive means no goals, and Reading didn’t seem like a team which needed points desperately to stay afloat.

Come second half, Arsenal were up by two almost immediately, after Santi Cazorla was laid off by none other than the marauding Gervinho, and he calmly curled it past the keeper’s reach, low into the right corner. Again, Gervinho may have been slower than he should have been, but he didn’t lose the ball. The notable thing being the lack of aggressive repulsion from the Reading players, who simply backed off while Gervinho rolled the ball around. Pogrebnyak was replaced by Hunt at the hour mark.

The third goal came from Giroud’s boot, again assisted by Gervinho. In the 66th minute, Giroud found some space to the left of the Royals’ keeper and he let a low one rip, which should have been ideally saved. Gervinho had found the ball in his own half, post a wayward pass, and cantered to the other end before feeding the striker. Almost instantly, Reading were on the other end of the pitch, with a cross leaving the backline stranded and Monreal hurt. Hal Robson-Kanu dived low to meet McAnuff’s cross, and Monreal was on his wrong side. Arsenal were robbed of a clean sheet again at home, but nothing’s new there.

Gibbs then came on for Monreal, marking his comeback after the layoff, followed by Podolski and Oxlade-Chamberlain, who replaced Giroud and Gervinho.  Chamberlain was quick to make his mark, and was brought down outside the area by the retreating Mariappa. The referee was quick to pull the trigger and pointed to the spot, which Mikael Arteta dutifully converted at 77 minutes. Arsenal were up by 3, and almost home. For the Royals, McCleary came on for Robson-Kanu and Karacan went off for Akpan.

Arsenal were already believing that fourth place would be a cinch, and tried their ‘perfect goal’ routine. A beautifully lobbed ball found Rosicky behind the defence, and instead of a finish, he was happier trying to lay Podolski off for the final touch, but fluffed it before the last touch. In the end, Arsenal won 4-1, as many had predicted, and they did look the hungrier of the two. Deserved victory for the Gunners and the Royal need to reverse-engineer their season.

FILE PHOTO: Wayne Rooney with the Nike’s T90

Nike’s Total 90 is a brand that has dug its way deep into daily nomenclature, at least football nomenclature for that matter. What began as a specific line of boots is now a full-fledged range of athletic wear. The brand finds its name from the total number of minutes played in football game, i.e. 90, and refers to the ideal player, who plays the entire ninety minutes. The ‘player’ is categorically pushing hard for the entire duration and can find his place anywhere in the field; thus, Total 90. Nike then shortened it to the easier-off-the-tongue T90, which has since stuck.

The Lineage

Any footballer worth his salt doesn’t take his boots lightly, and Nike pounced on this to produce some of the most complex boots ever. Seven generations of Total 90 boots later (Air Zoom Total 90, Air Zoom Total 90 II, Air Zoom Total 90 III, Total 90 Supremacy, Total 90 Laser, Total 90 Laser II, Total 90 Laser III), we arrived at the Total 90 Laser IV. The laser line is threateningly wicked in terms of the technology that goes in to them. It fits 5 red silicon pods, added to augment the ‘strike zone’ along with alien TPU fins, create friction to ensure better control. With the Laser IV, Nike took the aforementioned salient features away, to add strips of rubber to the outside of the boot. These added control on spin and swerve, just short of a heat seeking missile. It also has an aptly named power zone, which adds accuracy. Adaptive Shields, as the technology was called, let the rubber strips move and bend with the movement of the feet. This, in addition to the overall mandatory slimming of the boot, was unprecedented in football. Also unknown was the proverbial sweet spot, which was identified by Nike as the instep, and worked upon immensely. This led to the reduction of area covered by laces, and the addition of rings around the designated spot, thus souping up the sweet spot.

Club Total 90

Although endorsed by a number of footballers like Gonzalo Higuain, Fabio Cannavaro, Wesley Sneijder, Florent Malouda, Robert Lewandowski and Wojciech Szczesny, Total 90 was propelled to the forefront by Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres. Wayne Rooney was the archetypical player for the brand. A centre forward who ploughed through the defence, found the net on multiple occasions, clenched his teeth and gritted away. He showed what Total 90 stood for. Sometimes also confused with Total 90 is the hypothetical ideology of a player who can fit any spot on the field and perform to the fullest in every zone. Rooney fit this bill too, as he held the middle together on multiple occasions, playing the second striker and occasionally leading from the front too.

End of the Line?

Cut to today, and Rooney remains the only player still in touch with the Total 90 brand of football and the brand itself. Torres, although no longer the same player he once was, has moved on to the Adidas Predator LZ. Even though Mercurial Vapour and CTR 360 are still riding high, will this spell an end to the brand’s domination? Nike had to eventually move away from what was popular then, to what the audiences want now. The T90 was a supply of raw power, and that fell through soon enough. Currently, the limelight is on slick control, and that is on offer by everyone else. The Adidas Predator, the Puma King and even the CTR 360, all fell under that bracket and T90 was just not cutting it any more. Nike changed their game alright, but left a piece of history behind. Nike came through on all its effort to give the brand a ‘legendary status’, something which very few brands manage to achieve. But will the idiom ‘All good things must come to an end’ hold true for this iconic piece of magic?

Reading travel to Arsenal for today’s fixture and it promises to be a blistering encounter. Arsenal are currently in 5^th, while Reading are 19^th, which means both teams have their own agenda with the three points. The last time around, Arsenal took all the points with a comfortable 5-2, but that was before they faced Reading in the League cup, which ended in a thrilling 7-5 after the Gunners battled from 4 goals down.

Nigel Adkins will be in charge for the first time after his appointment was confirmed just 4 days back, in a three year deal. Adkins’ hiring at Reading did seem surprising, after he left Southampton, who were then battling relegation. Now they are at 31 points, 8 points clear of the Royals. Given another shot at the Premier League, Adkins will be itching to keep this particular ship afloat. Here are three reasons why this encounter makes for good TV!

1. Battle for the coveted Champions League slot

Arsene Wenger knows better than to simply keep aiming for fourth, year after year. On the other hand, he would prefer fourth than fifth, as would any sane manager that side of the pond. This year too, Arsenal find themselves in jeopardy, hanging by a thread but they are clutching on to every straw that comes their way. Arsenal have played 29 games, one less than Tottenham, and have managed a total of 50 points, four behind Spurs. Spurs are just one short of Chelsea, but have again played a game more.

All in all, Spurs are most likely to lose out if simple arithmetic and biased opinions are to be incorporated in the equation. But bias aside, Tottenham know Arsenal are nipping at their heels, and with a pathetic display over the last few games, the morale has taken a beating too. Arsenal have been up and about though, making the most of their away Champions League game at the Allianz Arena and then keeping Swansea at bay. If momentum was everything, Arsenal should have this one in the bag already. This marks the start of the business end of the league, and Arsenal will need to deliver in every game if they have to earn their chance at keeping their first team together.

2. Battle for safety

Nothing makes your heart beat faster than a sinking ship. But this sinking ship has a snowflake’s chance in hell to stay afloat, and Adkins has been brought in to protect and promote that idea. Reading are in the penultimate spot, with only Queens Park Rangers under them. Both of them are on 23 points from 30 games with a goal difference of -22. Reading are higher up courtesy the higher number of goals scored. Wigan Athletic are in 18th, still adrift of safety by 3 points, with Aston Villa at 30 points. So altogether, Reading need at least another 7 points to pull themselves up and out of the relegation zone. That is easier said than done, given they have lost all 5 of their last five encounters. So technically, today will be the kitchen sink.

3. Goal-fest

This game promises to bring goals, if the last encounter in the League Cup is anything to go by. Arsenal’s defense is slow at best, and Reading open up too quickly in the middle. With Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla holding the center, The Royals will be scampering too soon and too earnestly. If they do push up, Arsenal will eventually find a counter. Not surprisingly, Arsenal have scored six goals on the counter-attack this season, more than any other club in the Premier League (Opta).

Reading is leaking heavily, and have let 57 goals find their net, putting them on top of that infamous list. Also, Arsenal are behind only league leaders Manchester United in terms of form over the last 8 games in the Premier League. Need we say more? Watch for free flowing football and the expected barrage of goals. Maybe Wenger will top it all off with a smile.

Gabriel Obertan – Gardener

Before Obertan found a little bit of form at Newcastle, he was very impressive in Bordeaux, post which he switched to Manchester United for £3m. Initially, the French winger struggled with a back problem, and had a lot of time to pass. Although he was quite remarkable as a player, he first found recognition in the United side as a gardener. While biding his time, he volunteered to do some gardening for the then Manchester United Academy Manager, Brian McClair, who said, “New signing Gabriel Obertan is injured at the moment and can’t train and it seems he has developed a keen interest in gardening.” Eventually, we suppose, when the Frenchman does lie down, at least the fruits of his labour will keep him company. There might just be an opening in the ground staff as well.

Ryan Babel – DJ / Rapper

The extraordinarily major flop at Anfield isn’t short on talent in all quarters. The Dutch international can apparently spin the deck and talk the talk very well. He has a studio at home and also has a few numbers under his belt, including one with his international colleague, Royston Drenthe. He has released a few tracks under the name ‘Rio’ and can actually sing. He has been labelled a ‘sick’ rapper, and was even linked with the artist Sway, for his album ‘The Signature 2’. Sway said, “Ryan Babel’s a good mate of mine. He’s a nice guy, he’s a sick rapper. The way he flips his flow is marvellous man, so I wanted him to do a bit – half Dutch, half British, and he really pulled it off man.” Okay then.

Roman Pavlyuchenko – Politician

You know why Pavlyuchenko looks a wee bit lost on the field sometimes? Well maybe the problems of his people are far greater than finding the back of the net. In 2008, he was elected a deputy for Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party. He secured the seat in his home town of Stavropol, in the regional council. His party won 63 per cent of the votes and the FC Lokomotiv Moscow player even missed three days of training while at Spurs, to fulfill his duties. As a reaction, the commentators in Russia weren’t so kind, and a certain Anton Lisin, associated with Sovietsky Sport, said: “He’s not from Moscow. He’s a village guy. The only reason Pavlyuchenko might be interested in politics is if the international financial crisis affected his wages.”

Carlos Tevez – Lead Singer

Astronaut – Rockstar – Football player. This is the unspoken hierarchy in the world today, and every footballer may feel like a rockstar now and then, but doesn’t match up to the rockstar who is actually a rockstar. Unless you are Carlos Tevez, who is both. The Manchester City player is the lead singer for the Argentinian band ‘Piola Vago’, a name which even Google translate refuses to recognize. The band indulges in ‘Cumbia Villera’ which means ‘shantytown cumbia’, an Argentine form of cumbia music. The band includes Carlos, his brother Diego, a certain Michael Slaski, and Tim Hoffmann. The band was reportedly incepted in the rundown slums of Villa de Los Andes.

Andrei Arshavin – Fashion Designer / Author

The diminutive second striker at the Arsenal is a diamond in the proverbial rough/Russia. He has three books under his belt, including one called  ‘555 Questions and Answers on Women, Money, Politics and Football’. The Russian forward also has a degree in Fashion Design. His experience in design doesn’t just stop in the London midfield, but extends to his women’s clothing range in Russia. A respected designer in the capital of his homeland, he reportedly took to design because of the favorable number of girls among the students.

Daniel Agger – Tattoo Artist

You know what spells faith in the modern world? A Tattoo and/or a Liverpool supporter. A surprise candidate in this bizarre list is the Liverpool center back, Daniel Agger. He is a qualified artist of the needle and he has enough ink on his body to automatically become one. He has a Viking on his right arm, a graveyard across his entire back, an intricate band across his left elbow and a YNWA across his fingers. The ‘You’ll never walk alone’ came at a time when his future with the Anfield club was a little uncertain and he decided to simply write it down in ink to end the speculation. Also, he promised to spread the love when Liverpool were close to winning the league, and give everyone a special design. Not surprisingly, they didn’t win.

Theo Walcott – Children’s Author

While he is not jet-heeling across the grass, the Arsenal winger-turned-striker is an author. The Englishman had an affinity to football from an early age, and chose to pen his thoughts even when he was just turning 10. A set of children’s books penned back then, based loosely on his experiences, have been made available to the public. Random House, a premier publishing house, signed him up in 2009 for a four year deal to pen his autobiography. The player has four published books – “T.J. and the Hat-Trick”, “T.J. and the Penalty”, “T.J. and the Winning Goal” and “T.J. and the Cup Run”. The TJ is Theo Walcott’s childhood nickname, and should not be confused with ‘TJ Harper’, the fictional character who pushes another fictional character, ‘Santiago Munez’ in the absolutely fictional movie ‘Goal! 2’.

Philip Mulryne – Priest

The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland midfielder took the divine nature of football to the next level. Philip Mulryne turned to religion after his playing days were over, and began training for the Roman Catholic Priesthood, in 2009, at the age of 31. Reportedly, he was invited to the priesthood by the Bishop of Down and Connor, a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Ireland. Confirmed by his mother, Sally, he could be in for priesthood by 2016. The midfielder had 27 caps for Northern Ireland and he scored three goals.

Almost everyone who has felt thirsty in the middle of the night has felt the intense pain when shin meets furniture. Just under the ‘Stubbed toe’ bracket of pain, a hit to the shin is excruciating. Thus, in sport today, globally, shins are usually covered. In modern day football, shins need to be protected by a standard issue ‘shin guard’ which saves the wearer from any direct impact which may be the result of a wayward pair of boots. The shin guard protects the tibia, also called the shinbone or the shankbone. It may be known as the strongest weight-bearing bone in the body, but any knock certainly hurts enough to warrant protection. Here are a few things about the ‘shin guard’ that you may have missed.

1. A piece of equipment worn in many forms of sports across the world, usually as they are required by the rules of the game, or if the players feel the need for them. Some popular sports include football, lacrosse, field hockey, ice hockey and baseball.
2. The concept of the shin guard is said to be inspired by the ‘greave’, which is a piece of armour which protects the leg. They were initially made from padded cloth to steel plate, and would extend till the thigh, or just the shin. Very popular in today’s movie culture, most Greek Hoplites are shown wearing these greaves. An evolved form of the greave is called the ‘full greave’, which covered both the back and the front.
3. Cricket was the first sport to adopt the use of shin guards, even though they were much wider and larger than the original greave. Interestingly, the pads that cricket took up were more inclined towards an added advantage as opposed to standard protection. Any batsman who used these pads could easily cover the entire stumps and prevent the ball from meeting the stumps. It also added to his confidence and thus snowballed in to an offensive advantage. This problem was addressed in the year 1809, when the rule of ‘Leg before wicket’ was introduced. Today, these pads are worn by the batsmen, wicketkeeper and even fielders standing up close to the batsmen.
4. The next major adopter to shin guards was Association football. Sam Weller Widdowson played cricket for Nottinghamshire and then football for Nottingham Forest. He picked up the pads he used for cricket and whittled them down to use them in a game of football. He strapped them to the outside of his stockings using straps of leather, and was met with ridicule in the initial stages. Slowly, the idea caught on, and today shin guards are a necessary part of football.
5. Modern day shin guards depend on lightweight synthetic materials which add multiple advantages. These may vary from sturdy to sweat resistant. Some of the materials that shins have been made from are fiberglass (sturdy and light weight), foam rubber (extremely light weight but not very sturdy), Polyurethane or PU (sturdy but heavy), plastic (least effective) and metal (strongest of the lot but also the heaviest and ill at ease).

Every now and then, we step away from the game to try and find objects of interest that may have been missed in the daily brouhaha. The referees for one, are usually not given their fair due of importance unless they bungle up, which isn’t a very nice thing. But there is one thing that we miss in the cacophony of football, which is also the diminutive weapon of choice of the referee – the petite whistle. Available in a number of colours, the whistle is very easily overlooked, even though it pretty much rules every game of football, from start to finish, literally. It is a simple instrument which produces a sound from a stream of forced air. Here are a few things about these shrill beasts that you may have missed.

1. The earliest whistle dates back to ancient China, in the third century, where watchmen blew on top of acorns to warn the town of Mongolian invaders.
2. Joseph Hudson, of Birmingham in England, came up with the first whistle ever which was used in a match by a football referee in 1868. The first game ever credited with the use of a whistle was a game at Nottingham Forest. Before this, referees used handkerchiefs to the same effect. Obviously, the hankies didn’t last for very long, and may have taken away a wee bit of macho with the waving.
3. William Atack, a referee from New Zealand was reportedly the first referee to employ a whistle to stop a rugby game in 1884. Prior to this, referees depended on their voice to control the flow, unless the game called for a handkerchief.
4. By 1884, Hudson was pioneering the whistle field and launched the much loved, and most successful whistle till date, the ‘Acme Thunderer’. It was also the first ever pea whistle.
5. The whistle is available in many varieties, but football uses mainly the pea whistle and the pea-less design. The pea is exactly what the name suggests, a small, rounded object made of metal or cork which is inserted inside the air-chamber of a whistle and forces air in a fashion so as to produce the familiar shrill sound. The pea-less design eliminates the pea altogether and works simply by routed air pressure.
6.  The two leading manufacturers of whistles used in football are Acme and Fox 40.
7. Acme, which still retails the ‘Thunderer’, has also evolved with time and produces some of the most popular options.
8. Fox 40 came about after Ron Foxcroft, wanted to start a manufacturing unit of his own, which replaced the much troubling pea. In his opinion, the pea was rendered useless after it came in contact with dirt and water, and jammed often. A professional basketball referee by profession, he invented the first pealess whistle design in 1987.
9. The new design by Foxcroft was remarkable and killed most competition off immediately, as it didn’t have any moving part. It wouldn’t jam, freeze and could even be blown right after being submerged in water as the air immediately pushed all water out of the chamber. The first prototype was designed by a two man team of Foxcroft and Chuck Shepherd, an industrial designer.
10. The name, Fox 40, stemmed from the Fox in Foxcroft’s name, and 40, which was his age at the time of the product launch.

That is one of the trickiest questions I have come across in a football quiz. Also, it only adds to the drama when X is revealed to be the first Indian footballer ever to have played for a foreign club. Intrigued? X is Mohammed Abdul-Salim Bachi Khan and Y is Celtic.

Born in colonial India in 1904, Salim grew up in Calcutta. A lot of Indians were taking up the cause of independence, and were trying to take up sports and such to prove to the British that they were good enough to look after their own country. Indians were also a part of football, where they participated bare feet. Beating the English, who wore boots, was a clear exhibition of supremacy.

Mohammed Salim, too, was quick to pick the sport, and was an attacking winger/striker with Calcutta’s Mohammedan Sporting Club. By the mid 1930s, they had laid claim to five successive Calcutta League titles. Right after the win in 1936, Salim was invited to face the then Chinese Olympic side. Salim’s cousin from Britain, Hasheem, was visiting India then and witnessed the first of two friendlies. Extremely impressed by what he saw, he immediately got Salim to skip the next match, and pushed him to try his hand in Europe. They sailed for England soon after, before finally heading for Glasgow.

At Glasgow, Salim was surprised to witness the sea of difference between him and Celtic players, but he pushed his cousin to still have a word with the then Celtic manager, Willie Maley. A trial was finalized but Salim would only play bare feet. Maley was baffled, and didn’t really buy the fact that a bare footed player, just off the ship from India, could compete with Scottish professionals. Salim took to the field with over a 1000 people watching, in addition to three registered coaches. His ability found praise from all quarters, and he was selected to play against Hamilton.

Celtic won 5-1, after which he continued his form against Galston, where Celtic won 7-1. His performance led the Scottish Daily Express of Aug 29, 1936, to carry the headline: “Indian Juggler – New Style.” His bandaged feet did stand out against the well-equipped Scottish, but his talent spoke for itself. His dark skin was a topic too, which contrasted the traditional white and green of Celtic.

Just a few months down the line, Salim felt homesick and he headed back to India soon after. He rejoined Mohammedan Sporting Club and stayed with them until he retired.

Celtic had reportedly tried hard to hold on to his services, and organized a charity match in his honor. They promised Salim 5 per cent of the gate proceeds, who in turn vowed to donate it to a charity. The amount came to £1800, which did surprise the footballer, who had no clue what 5 per cent actually meant, but he kept his word. Most of the stories revolving around India’s first European footballer stem from his son, Rashid Salim. He also shed light on the question we started with. He has never cashed the cheque that came from Celtic, and till date is preserved at Parkhead along with a Celtic green and white.

“Inputs from a Boria Majumdar interview for theoffside, a Celtic Blog.”

Szczesny junior had to quickly pull his PR manager out of his warm bed to issue a statement which went, “I would like to apologize for the comments made by my father. I’d like to make it clear those were the views of my father and not mine.” Distancing himself from his father was his only option anyway, because the job isn’t looking very secure to begin with. Let’s take a look at a few such incidents which led to awkward dinner table conversations.

1. Jelena Dokic and her father, Damir Dokic

Jelena Dokic

Damir Dokic, the father of tennis player Jelena Dokic, got himself sentenced to 15 months in prison after he threatened to eliminate the then Australian ambassador to Serbia, Clare Bergin, with a grenade launcher.

Mr. Dokic, 50, was arrested in 2009 after telling Serbian media he planned to blow up Clare Bergin, the ambassador in Belgrade, unless she put a stop to media reports in Australia that he had physically abused his daughter while he was her tennis coach.

“I’m a war veteran and I’ll kill her (the ambassador) with a hand grenade launcher in centre of Belgrade,” are the words he chose to warn the diplomat. This was in response to a media report from Australia which claimed that Jelena Dokic had been abused physically by her father. He then followed it up with, “I know Serbian police could arrest me because of this words. However, I’m not afraid as this is the only way to stop the journalistic scam from Australia.”

When the police got round to picking up the 50 year old, they found a bunch illegal weapons including two nail bombs, 20 bullets, seven hunting rifles and a Beretta pistol. Not the smartest of fathers for sure.

2. Paul Konchesky and his mother, Carol Konchesky

Paul Konchesky, a well-known face for Fulham football club, was being targeted after his move to Liverpool. Paul wasn’t getting along very well at the Kop after his £4m move. Obviously, his mother was affected too. But she took the not-so-obvious route to vent her frustration, and Facebook became her weapon of choice.

“‘To all you Liverpool scouse scum out there, never mind the cockney ****, take a real look at your team. Stop living off the past, the team are ****. If anyone made a mistake, its (sic) the cockney ****, who never should have left Fulham,” were her words of wisdom.

The post was noticed, and led to the deletion of the post, the subsequent comments and eventually Ms. Konchesky’s account altogether. But not before an outcry by the Liverpool fans raised hell. The player also resorted to a clearly worded release, stating ‘he never regretted leaving Fulham’ and also added that he had ‘been made to feel really welcome by everyone on Merseyside’, just to be sure.

3. Danny Garcia and his father, Angel Garcia

Danny Garcia, the American professional boxer of Puerto Rican descent, was to play Amir Khan, a British boxer of Pakistani origin. Garcia’s father, Angel Garcia, in a not-so-angelic turn of events, decided to brand the opponent a ‘nobody’. According to him, the British boxer had a screwed up DNA. Also, he had never seen a ‘Pakistani who can fight’. He added a final line of conceit, when he stated that ‘Khan had never faced a Latino like Danny’. All in all, he chose to deny being a racist at the end of it.

When asked how Danny would deal with what his dad choses to spew, he cleared the air by saying that his dad was only stating facts. Okay then.

Arsenal were handed a lifeline of sorts by fellow Londoners, Fulham, when Tottenham’s former player, Dimitar Berbatov, stepped up to ensure maximum points. Tottenham are currently now at 54 points from 30 games, one point shy of Chelsea, who have played a game less. Right behind Spurs, is Arsenal at 50 points, again with a game in hand. So if Arsenal were to win their next one, they will come within a point of Spurs, and touching distance of another 4th place finish. Also, a subjective look might give Arsenal a shot at third, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Only 9 games remain in the season for a majority of the clubs, and it is time that the gloves hit the floor. Let’s take a look at why Arsenal might just be able to survive.

The Munich outing

Having lost the first game at home to an overpowering Bayern Munich, Arsenal were looking to recreate the magic they had conjured against Inter Milan, rather than the performance they pulled up against Milan last year. But playing in the Allianz Arena is whole different ball game, literally. The Germans are sure-footed and even more confident in familiar territory. The occasion was nothing short of extraordinary, and Arsenal thwarted Bayern by two goals, again falling short by one. But this wasn’t a very convincing victory, not by any length of the imagination. Arsenal did draw first blood with Olivier Giroud smashing Walcott’s low cross, but they were lacking in imagination for most of the remainder of the game. Jenkinson, Rosicky and even Walcott failed to complete simple passes, losing possession with through balls to imaginary teammates, and lackadaisical attempts at runs down the flank. Either way, nothing spelled frenzy until Koscielny headed one in, just 5 minutes from time. Overall, a moral victory, if not more.

Form

If you take in to account the last six games played, with regard to the points earned, Manchester United leads with 18 points out of the possible 18. No surprises there, given their grit and determination to correct what was an anomaly last time around. What does raise eyebrows is the team at number two. Arsenal have collected a solid 13 points, having drawn one and lost one. Tottenham comes third having lost two, with Fulham in fourth. Clearly, Arsenal have this after Christmas party every year where they continue picking the pieces before managing a respectable top four.

The Defence

Now that was the last thing anyone expected to be here, especially when it is in a favourable light. Ask any regular football loving bloke and he will snap at the leaking back four. Per Mertesacker is like a German sack of potatoes, Vermaelen has lost his mojo since he became skipper, Gibbs is hurt and Sagna is about to leave for distant shores. Jenkinson is too young and temperamental and Monreal is just getting his stuff of the plane.

Now some of that may be true, but it is too simplistic an approach for the aforementioned self-respecting football fan. Mertesacker may be ill-suited to the English Premier league, but his tackles are timed to perfection, and his stature is a huge advantage in the opposing penalty area. He was brought in for his technical ability, not for his ability to scamper back. Vermaelen is a true case of being weighed down by expectation, plus the occasional rumour of how he will depart for Real Madrid/Barca. Gibbs is a star for the future and injuries are a part and parcel of the job. Sagna is touching 30 or time-to-sell age for Wenger and this uncertainty is bound to creep in to his play. Jenkinson, is another youngster who looks all set to follow Gibbs in terms of ability and stability. His runs against Swansea, when both sides resorted to inverted wingers, showed great promise. A possible long term replacement for Sagna, his 11 successful balls out of a total 16 in the final third made all the difference. Monreal too may be absolutely new, but he has caught on fast, and provides a legitimate choice for his manager.

What works in the defence’s favour is the fact that they have the midfield’s support. As ridiculous as that may sound, Swansea showed the chasm between the zones, and how they self-destructed after putting up a decent show. Another number that suits Steve Bould is the number of goals conceded in the Premier League. At 32 Goals Against, Arsenal are fourth in the list, with Manchester City leading with only 26 goals conceded. Even Tottenham have let in 37, which shows that at least the basics are in place. Digging a little deeper, we see that Arsenal have conceded only 13 goals on the road, making them the best defence on foreign turf, with City behind them with 15.

Earlier today, the news of Michael Owen’s retirement slowly trickled in. The veteran, who is currently plying his trade at Stoke City, is one of the most respected and revered strikers of the beautiful game. Even though age has caught up with the diminutive center forward, his stature always towers over his peers. Born in Chester, England, the 33-year old has had nothing short of a star-studded career.

He said: “I have been very fortunate in that my career has taken me on a journey I could only have dreamed of. Having progressed through the ranks at Liverpool to make my first-team debut at 17, before embarking upon spells at Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, not to mention representing my country on 89 occasions, I now feel it is the right time to bring the curtain down on my career.”

An excellent example for kids dreaming of football, Owen’s statistic sheet speaks for itself.  A recipient of the Ballon d’Or back in 2001, his best years certainly seem far away. Owen was a classic case of persistence bordering on overexposure. One of the most capped players for England, the man was plagued by his fair share of injuries. Even though he trudged through them, he never really evoked a sense of confidence later in his career that could catapult a team into attack. Did he push himself too far? Should he have retired a while back? Is fading into oblivion the best way to leave the game?

Best days behind him

A talismanic striker with over 150 goals from just under 300 games for Liverpool, he scored at an average over 8 years that very few players can manage even over half that period. His debut at Anfield at the age of 17 years spoke volumes about his talent, and he certainly deserves every bit of acclaim that came his way. But thereon, his spells at Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Manchester United honestly felt like a drag. Even though his average rarely dipped below respectable; he scored 14 goals in 40 games at Madrid, 30 goals in 79 games at Newcastle and 17 goals in 52 games for Manchester United, he did seem out of place, or just one of many in the squad.

He spent just one year at Madrid, and his time at United was spent mostly warming the bench. Take a look at his honours, and the case is self-explanatory. All his achievements have come from 1997 through 2001, drying up since. His time at United clearly awarded him medals for the English Premier League in 2010-11, and the League Cup in 2009-2010, but his contribution was comparatively lower than at his time at Anfield. He was fighting for a spot, and signed on a pay-as-you-play deal, not uncommon for a player with withering feet.

A matter of When

After a period, footballers know when to cash in. Simply put, they realize that they are not the players they were. Contracts start becoming smaller, and so do the appearances. The mind wants to do what the body cannot support, and the ever-increasing chasm is hard to adjust with. His later years were plagued by injuries, and he never made an impact of note.

Instances in the form of Robert Pires and Deco illustrate the downward spiral, which is hard to avoid. Theirry Henry and David Beckham are smarter than the average footballer, and were able to capitalize on their brand to push for favourable deals in foreign lands, where their name would push the contracts through. They were looked at as legends, rather than players. Owen, with a couple of decently aware marketing fellows, could have achieved the same. For one, he was a star at Liverpool, and a young one. He moved to Real Madrid post that, following which anything could have been possible.

His injuries were  certainly a big deterrent, and he lost close to over a season, but that is an occupational hazard. He won the treble; the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup to end a six-year trophy drought, and is fourth on the tally of highest goalscorers for his country. A part of the ‘Galacticos’ at Madrid is sure to stand out on any resume.

Maybe sooner, and quicker would have helped maintain his brand value. The longer he waited, the closer he came to blurring in the public memory. He can certainly join punditry, but the damage has been done.

What now?

We will always be in awe of the player who managed to upturn Arsenal in the FA Cup back in 2001, when he scored two brilliant goals to help his side come from behind. His time for his country was just as sparkling, with the wonder goal against Argentina. We can always keep going back to the memories of Michael Owen in red, swiftly turning defenders before curling it past the clueless goalkeeper, and he can probably suit up to adorn our TV sets on matchday. Another marvellous player bites the dust; an entire generation of football is slowly dismantling as we speak.