dcfcsteve
16/10/2007, 2:49 PM
There was a piece in yesterday's English Times about how Niall Quinn is "Reaching out to save the soul of Sunderland". How he is "committed in his desire to reconnect with the fans and place football back in the heart of the local community".
Talk about how "Football has lost its soul" due to the glut of foreign ownership, soaring wages and ticket prices, staggered kick-of times, feigning players, neutered competition etc.
It's talks about Sunderland's 'Foundation' - established under the Chairman before Quinn - which aims to maintain the clubs deep roots locally. Quinn also gives examples of players driving round in fancy sports cars at times when the team is underperforming and the city is shedding jobs locally.
All of which is very honourable, sensible and, I'm sure, well-meaning.
But it just doesn't stack up with the actions of a man/club that is itself under foreign ownership and which is trying to establish Sunderland as the 'Celtic of England'. Is the best way to save the soul of AFC Sunderland - and strengthen its local identity, roots and responsibilities - to flog it mercilessly in Ireland and dilute the crowd at every game with large numbers of 'supporters' from a different country ?
The Irish connection makes sense form a business viewpoint, and the local roots bit does so from both a business and a 'moral/ethical' viewpoint. But the two don't seem to work as strategies at all together, so will be interesting to see how this all pans out.
Talk about how "Football has lost its soul" due to the glut of foreign ownership, soaring wages and ticket prices, staggered kick-of times, feigning players, neutered competition etc.
It's talks about Sunderland's 'Foundation' - established under the Chairman before Quinn - which aims to maintain the clubs deep roots locally. Quinn also gives examples of players driving round in fancy sports cars at times when the team is underperforming and the city is shedding jobs locally.
All of which is very honourable, sensible and, I'm sure, well-meaning.
But it just doesn't stack up with the actions of a man/club that is itself under foreign ownership and which is trying to establish Sunderland as the 'Celtic of England'. Is the best way to save the soul of AFC Sunderland - and strengthen its local identity, roots and responsibilities - to flog it mercilessly in Ireland and dilute the crowd at every game with large numbers of 'supporters' from a different country ?
The Irish connection makes sense form a business viewpoint, and the local roots bit does so from both a business and a 'moral/ethical' viewpoint. But the two don't seem to work as strategies at all together, so will be interesting to see how this all pans out.