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The Birth of Modern Football
Written by Sawyer | 19th September 2005 | 0 Comment(s)
There are no doubt many occasions when we have all nostalgically remembered players and matches that have left a lasting impression. As children most of us will remember the first World Cup we witnessed, at the point where we had become to understand the game, and could converse happily with our elders concerning the subject. For the purposes of enlightenment the first I truly participated in was that of 1974, having previously watched some of the Mexico event four years earlier but that was just prior to the age of true understanding. Memories of the 1970 event are really the footage we constantly see that was captured at the time.
Nevertheless we all know of the Brazilians of ‘70, The Dutch of ’74, the tricks of the Argentineans in ’78 and Italy’s triumph in’82. The following next two finals were contested between Germany and Argentina, with the second of these at the end of a tournament that I believe has been pivotal in shaping the football world we live in today.
The tournament in Italy wasn’t on the face of it that inspiring. In true Italian fashion goals were at a premium and football was at its crude best, especially when Frank Rijkaard spat at Rudi Voller. Maybe had the Dutch, the then European Champions, won through against the powerful Germans, the tournament may have had a different and more colourful climax. As it was they didn’t and the strong defensive Countries, Argentina, Germany and Italy arrived at the Semi-Final stage. The other Country to make up the quartet, as we know was England, who was to appear in its first Semi-Final of any tournament since 1966.
A rather lucky victory over Belgium (remember they hit the woodwork 4 times) was followed by another game they should have lost, if it hadn’t been for some kamikaze defending from the inexperienced team from Cameroon. Nevertheless, Semi-Finalists they were, and as a result the country went football crazy. Nationalism could be felt everywhere you went, largely due to the opponents being that old foe, Germany.
Confidence was high as England thought their time had come, and a repeat from thirty years earlier was on the cards. However, the Germans had competed in three World Cup Finals since and felt they had the pedigree to win. I’m sure we all know the outcome, with probably the most visible memory being the tears of Paul Gascoigne.
However, from the ashes of a heroic defeat was born a new found credibility surrounding football in England. This was to be seized upon with the birth of Sky TV, which meant that fans could have access to football whenever they required, and wouldn’t be confined to just Football Focus, On the Ball, Match of the Day and The Big Match. The Sky package was the natural progression following the 1990 World Cup, and with England being granted Euro ’96, football fever would be guaranteed to remain throughout the nineties.
It could be argued that Sky was always going to promote football, and that maybe they were waiting for the re-introduction of English teams in to European Competition before they backed football, but I think the feeling created from 1990 re-affirmed their resolve to move football to the forefront.
Of course, another creation around this time was that of ‘the celebrity fan’, as football was no longer a taboo subject that was seemingly attended by the hooligan element. It was now accepted that football fans were not all lowlifes, and of course the extra exposure gained by the celebrities who embraced the game was always going to be welcomed by them.
What Sky also did was to inject finance in to the game, enabling English teams to compete with their European counterparts. Initially, this would see the arrival, to the newly formed Premiership, of the older foreign players, but as finances increased so did the amount of World stars that would make their living in England. European coaching methods also found a home in England, with Arsene Wenger at the forefront of this particular revolution.
However, where there is growth in popularity and change, money is always going to be at the heart of it. The arrival of a certain Russian Billionaire at Chelsea, and in a different manner an American Tycoon at Manchester United, football seems to be moving in to yet another phase. Many of Europe’s top clubs have certainly had their backers, most notably AC Milan, Juventus, Internazionale and Real Madrid. Barcelona for the first time has entered in to the world of shirt sponsorship, which will break a fine tradition, but is surely necessary to be able to compete.
No doubt, the introduction of the investors in England is connected to the opening up of the Champions League, which, as long as qualified for, will protect the investment and growth of the clubs. All this is great for the clubs that regularly qualify, but what of those further down the scale. We are forever hearing of clubs going in to or battling to stave off Administration, so how long will it be before a casualty has to be sacrificed. This is the unsavoury development that football is left to deal with, and one which will forever be the other side to its popularity over the last fifteen years.
The money earned by football’s top stars beggars’ belief on some occasions, as does the integrity of those who earn it. For us, the fans, we will always have our teams and our memories of days gone by, but quite how football will progress over the next decade is anyone’s guess. The introduction of a European League will, in my opinion, be a step too far and hopefully never happen.
The only thing I can be reasonably certain of is that any lasting impact from any future International tournament may never be as influential as that of the World Cup of 1990.
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