KILLIE HIPPO AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE ISSUE NO. 167
WHAT WILL 2017 BRING US? THE HIPPO BLUEPRINT CONSPIRACY THEORIES £2.00
THE KILLIE HIPPO IS ON SALE AT HOWARD ARMS, GLENCAIRN SQUARE, KILMARNOCK FOG’S SNACK BAR, ANNANDALE IND. ESTATE, KILMARNOCK KA1 2RS KILLIE TRUST DESK (AVOID PARK HOTEL FOR HOME GAMES) MATCH DAYS AT RP + AT ALL AWAY GAMES HUGE THANKS TO ALL ADVERTISERS, SUBSCRIBERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND KILLIE FANS FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
All views expressed are those of the contributors. E-MAIL : Killiehippo@aol.com WRITE : 20 WITCHKNOWE COURT, KILMARNOCK KA1 4LF NO ARTICLES TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION BACK ISSUES 2–166 INCLUSIVE AVAILABLE GET IN TOUCH FOR DETAILS
SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO Issue 167 of the Killie Hippo most certainly didn’t get off to a great start. I had done about 90% of this issue when my moody and temperamental laptop decided to die on me……losing all the new issue with it. I may sit in front of computers for most of my life but I am no expert and setbacks like this weigh heavy on my remarkably small brain. I’d like you all to bear this in mind and the fact that you are reading this edition at all is a minor miracle……as for the endless spelling mistakes, you get them in every issue anyway. Let me wish each and every one of you a heartfelt happy new year and as far as Killie is concerned let us pray we rid ourselves of the black cloud at Rugby Park before we see another Hogmanay. It has been a really horrible start to the year with two great Killie fans sadly passing away before the team has kicked a ball in the new year. Bill McNaught and Scott McGuinness were both lifelong Killie fans both taken away far too early and our sincere condolences go to the family and friends of both. I will be attending both funerals in the week preceding the Hamilton game and I’m sure they will both get a great turn out and huge send off to reflect how much they meant to many. We said at the end of November that December could be a month to shape our whole season as we had an energy sapping 7 games in 30 days. It all started well with a home win over Dundee but that was it really with three draws and three defeats seeing us finish up in 10th place as we met the enforced break. Some fans are getting impatient and calling for the manager’s head but constantly changing bosses is a recipe for disaster in my book. There is no doubt there is huge room for improvement and I think it can best be summed up by saying “the jury is still out” when it comes to the manager. Managers are judged on their signings and apart from a few decent ones I would say that on balance the summer signings have been a disappointment. McFadzean, Cobain and Webb are on permanent contracts but have contributed hee haw to our campaign. Others like Martin Smith and Jones have had limited success, I like Jones but he needs to put in extra hours working on his final ball and decision making. Coulibaly has been the biggest success and thankfully he is on a longer contract however given our financial mess that may just men he gets sold…that could be enough to see us plunge and how much would that cost us in the long run? Good luck to the three Newcastle lads who have joined us, it’s a huge risk bringing in untried youngsters but let’s pray they are something a bit special. Keep the faith and please keep sending those Killie articles. Sandy
THE RETURN OF MCCOOL THE MORNING AFTER TYNECASTLE All season, I've been convincing myself that we're on the right track. That we're slowly, but surely, climbing out of the sump pit in which we've found ourselves in recent seasons. This new found optimism was based largely on the wonder goals of Coulibaly, two notably good wins away at St Johnstone and at home to Hearts and a couple of encouraging performances in both home matches against the old firm. In the cold light of day, however, I've been a little hasty and deluded, to say the least. We've suffered a six one defeat, a five one, two four nils and a three nil. Some will protest that these horror shows are coming against the top four sides in the league. True, but who else are they slaughtering with the same gleeful ease that they are out lot? We may not expect to win more than we lose against the better sides, but we SHOULD be competing. Last night has to be among the most spineless, bereft, displays I've witnessed in many a year. Up there with Dundee and Ross County last season and no mistake. Even more worrying though, is that aside from wins over Dundee and Hamilton - the only only other league victories we've recorded all season we have failed on a further SEVEN occasions to beat the sides around us, with several late equalisers shipped. We have conceded more goals and scored fewer than everyone else in the division and are playing to crowds that are now at an all time low for top level football. There you have it then. Apart from the fact that we have a nasty little uberfuhrer of an owner, no fans, dwindling sponsorship, defenders who can't defend and strikers who couldn't score on an Amsterdam stag do, we're absolutely fine!! Frankly, if we go down tamely at Firhill on Saturday, I fear we'll fold like a wallet and end up relegation canon fodder in the second half of the season. Listen, the players are an honest bunch and I have no doubt whatsoever that they're giving it their all.
There is a fair amount of ability in the squad too, but it's just a little too thin on the ground and sprinkled with too little experience to help nurture it. As for Lee Clark, I like the cut of his jib. He was brave in the close season and nobody can say he hasn't tried to change our fortunes. I would just like to see one more 'ballsy' act from him in the weeks ahead. Forget this 4-2-3-1and go 4-3-3 with Boyd through the middle and Coulibaly and Tyson either side of him. Yes, we'd be wide open, but we may just score enough goals that way to swing some tight games our way. Tyson can't run eight miles in a game and be expected to be the main goal threat, but I believe he would score goals with more support. We all know what Kris Boyd can do in front of goal, but you'd be as well asking me to play as a lone striker! This formation would also allow us to accommodate Coulibaly's threat and flair. Defensively? Well we currently play with two holding midfielders and we still cannot stop it raining goals for our opponents. That's certainly not going to change until we can find something resembling a settled centre half partnership, so why let fear get in the way of trying something new? The way I see it, we're humped anyway, and you never know, fortune may just favour the brave!!
THE MORNING AFTER FIRHILL Decent point for a depleted side away from home. Don't get me wrong, these words are sticking in my throat slightly. I hate to be walking out the ground of a team round about us, happy with anything other than a victory, but as I make no apologies for repeating for the umpteenth time, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE!! We will enter the winter break, outwith the bottom two places and assuming Ross County see out their current two one lead over local rivals Inverness, just three points from six place. I wrote on these pages after Tuesday evening's debacle, that I really feared for us if we lost this game without any sort of fight. Well, the players certainly answered that with a battling display. Special praise must go to the central defence, consisting of a young lad and a holding midfielder. The full backs stuck to their tasks defensively as well, particularly late in the game, when Partick introduced the speedy Amoo and young Declan McDade into the wide areas, making for a really tough shift for them.
The quality wasn't there when we were on top in the second half, sadly, and I don't for the life of me understand why Lee Clark didn't give Boyd the last fifteen minutes, when Bojaj had clearly run his race. Even more so when you take into account that he started him at Tynecastle, when he probably wasn't the man for a lone furrow away to a side in the top four. One chance is all he needs, and he may have been an ideal sub late on in a game like today's. But hey ho, let's go away and regroup, get some of the injured players back and come back raring to go in January. And Lee, PLEASE don't go daft with the changes during the window. More upheaval is the last thing we need. How much can we honestly improve the quality by having another 'supermarket sweep' of players, on our budget? By all means make a couple of changes, but that apart, let's pull together and go with what we have. YNTTK HAPPY NEW YEAR ONE AND ALL >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
THE GARY HARKINS DIET
Is your football career on the wane? Do you only buy trousers with elastic waist bands? Do you have an abrakebabra gold card? Well follow the Gary Harkins diet, we can guarantee you a new contract at Scumerset Park before you can say “large it”.
TWO OBITUARIES We are only two weeks into the new year and already two great Killie guys have been taken from us both at far too young an age.
BILL MCNAUGHT Bill was a giant of a man in every sense of the word and was one of those guys that nobody had a bad word to say about. He constantly went out his way to help others and was never more happy than following his beloved Killie or going abroad with the Tartan Army. Bill worked in the BMK before going on to become a very successful businessman in his own right. He was a very generous man and anyone who ever went to the 1997 Club back in the day was made to feel like an old friend as soon as you met Bill. Along with his other 1997 Club pals, Bill forged a great relationship with fans of many clubs, none more so than Dundee Utd following the tragic accident involving Arab fan Heather Hird on her way home from a game at Rugby Park. Friendships were forged and remain in place to this day. In recent years, along with Ishbel, Bill has been “mein host” at the Crown Hotel, Callander and many Killie fans have enjoyed their superb hospitality. Our sincere condolences go to Ishbel and all family/friends. SCOTT MCGUINNESS Guinny was a well-known face to hundreds of fans and was a Killie die hard all his days. He was a stalwart of the Auld Hoose bus back in the day before the troops moved the bus to the Burns. As well as loving Killie he also loved Man Utd and would gladly tell you he supported the two biggest teams in the country…..a cracking guy who was always cheery and up for a beer. It was only told two months ago that he was told had the dreaded cancer and the Burns was a quiet place when word filtered through about how serious things were. Our sincere condolences go to Guinny’s family and friends.
SCHOOL LEAVERS HOODIES
FREE DESIGN SERVICE, LOAN OF SAMPLE HOODIES FOR SIZING, COMPETITIVE PRICES FROM LOCAL COMPANY, EXCELLENT FEEDBACK FROM EXISTING SCHOOLS, PERSONALISED PRINT FOR PRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOLS
BLUEPRINT FOR K.F.C. (POST PARASITE) Many centuries ago in a previous Hippo we wrote a blueprint article highlighting areas where the club needed to improve. I had a wee look for the article but can't ďŹ nd it however it's fair to say that times have changed and we are long overdue an updated blueprint. If we are being brutally honest there is not one area of the club that cannot be improved upon however once the parasite departs we will get fresh investment and there will be no excuse for not improving just about every aspect of our famous old club. We have always said that the best ideas and suggestions come from the folk with the club at heart i.e. the fans. It goes without saying that the fans have never been so disconnected from the club and lots of hard work will be required to rebuild those bridges. Here are our thoughts on some improvements that need urgently implemented once the dark cloud has blown away: BOARD OF DIRECTORS The board needs to be a mix of business folk, football folk and most importantly a fans representative. Some decisions that have been made over recent years defy belief and sends the message that either the board are way out of touch with the fans or simply don't care about the fans. Either way there has to be an open and transparent board that represents all fans and who listen to our opinions. once MJ goes there will be a feelgood factor instantly and that has to be fully utilised by the board. The ďŹ rst thing they need to do is appoint a Trust representative on the board as it will send a message that they are all inclusive. There is no need to wait on money getting raised as the Trust already have almost 100,000 shares and all money raised in future will be going to the club anyway. As always we would urge every single Killie fan to join the trust and you can have say on who is your elected representative on the board.
MISSING THOUSANDS No I'm not talking about money on this occasion, I'm talking about how do we attract back the thousands of fans who no longer attend. Make no mistake, there are thousands of killie fans out there who simply don't go any more and it will take something very special to get them back. This brings me back to my "mad idea" in a recent issue where season tickets can be bought for £50 each. In short I will need to go and find a business who will underwrite any potential shortfall in the club's projected ST income which I believe is currently around £400k. It really is a fantastic opportunity for a business to promote "affordable for all" and in all honesty I expect it wont cost them a penny as I would expect to hit the target figure. There will be packages at £50, £150, £300, £500 etc as many fans will still be happy to pay £300+ however the main thing is that a ST is available at £50. We hope to bring you any updates on this idea in the upcoming issues. FAN/COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT For many this should be the starting point for any new board as the club is woefully detached from the community and the Killie fans within it. The parasite has had no interest whatsoever in genuinely engaging with anyone outside his very small number of lachies. If the club take on our cheap ST idea they need to get a roadshow type idea out into every community in Ayrshire and beyond......anywhere that there are any potential Killie fans. We’ve been subjected to lip service for years and fans can see through sham ideas like the Community Engagement Board......who in god's name wants their name associated with such a farcical set up? A plan has to be put in place where the club goes into the community, meet and speak to people and encourage them to be a part of the currently dysfunctional "Killie Family". Personally this is something I would give to the trust rep on board as the Trust have built up a good profile in the community over a number of years. There was a fantastic Trust initiative with primary schools that was hugely successful and even gained an award however it had to be pulled thanks to the lack of co-operation from the club….what a surprise. PART 2 OF THE BLUEPRINT WILL BE IN ISSUE 168
Craig Bryson Q+A (by Callum Scott) Huge thanks to Callum and his chums at burstbawpodcast for this tremendous interview with former Killie star Craig Bryson. The wee man was a star at Killie and has been excellent down at Derby although he has been unlucky with injury in the last year or so.
Q: How did you become a footballer? A: I think it just came about naturally if I’m honest. My mum and dad used to take me to the football when I was younger in East Kilbride a couple of nights a week and it just grew from that. They (parents) weren’t too pushy and it was basically up to me if I wanted to go and when I was there I enjoyed it and kept on going and this is where we are today. Q: Your first club was Clyde; how did that move come about? A: I was actually playing with Motherwell between the ages of 14 and 16 and I got offered a full-time contract there but at the same time Clyde offered me a full-time contract. I thought I would drop down a division and go to Clyde because I thought I had more a chance of playing in the first team quicker and it went on to work out alright in the end. Q: What’s your memories of your time at Clyde? A: It was excellent – they gave me a platform when I was 18 to play first team football and the first season I was there we were unlucky not to get promoted. Then for the next three or four seasons I was a regular and really enjoyed it there.
It’s a great club because they always give youth a chance so you know when you’re at Clyde you’ll get your chance in the first team if you are good enough. Q: What are your memories of THAT day against Celtic? A: Obviously I can remember that day really well. The build up to the game no one seemed to remember that Clyde were playing that day because all the talk was about Celtic and Roy Keane – so we went in the back burner and we knew we had nothing to lose and if we played at our best and if Celtic were not at it, we knew we were capable of an upset. That proved to be the case as in the game we had two or three disallowed goals as well so I think we were well worthy of our win and that day – it was definitely one of the greatest days of my career. Q: Prior to your move to Kilmarnock am I right in saying you had a trial with your current club Derby? A: Yeah, basically what happened was from that Celtic game I went down to Derby that January or the summer. Billy Davies was the manager at the time and they offered me a place in their reserve team but he never thought I was good enough to play in their first team. It was just one of those things you had to accept and move on and work harder. Then roundabout that time the move to Kilmarnock came up so I thought if I can go and do well in the SPL and get another chance to come back down to England and prove I was good enough. Q: How did the move to Killie come about? A: It just came about like any other transfer. My agent called and told me Kilmarnock were interested and I knew a lot about Jim Jeffries and Billy Brown with their success in the Scottish game and I was delighted to get that move. In my career it was the right time to make the step up from the First Division to the SPL and like all three of my clubs – my time there couldn’t have gone any better if I’m honest.
Going to Kilmarnock and getting the chance to go and play in the SPL under experienced managers and good experienced pros has only helped me in my career. Q: What was Jim Jeffries like to play under? A: Really strict! He was a good laugh during the week and then when it came to game day he was a bit different to say the least – especially at half time and full time if it wasn’t going well! But no, I owe him and Billy Brown a lot for giving me the chance (to play top flight football) when other teams wouldn’t. Obviously I have great memories of playing at Kilmarnock. Finishing in the Top Six and beating Celtic on Robbie Keane’s debut which was a good double for me – beating the two Keane’s. I think as well beating Ayr United in the cup when we played them was a great occasion because the team’s hadn’t faced each other in a long time and scoring in that game down at Somerset was a good memory for me. I wouldn’t say it was heart breaking but a year on from my move to Derby I was sitting in the house watching Kilmarnock winning the League Cup thinking “that could have been me!” but it’s one of them you just have to get on with and accept. Q: You briefly touched on the Ayrshire Derby – what’s that like to play in? A: The fans really get up for it – especially down here for Derby ad Forest it’s the first game everyone looks for when the fixtures come out and I’m sure if Kilmarnock and Ayr were in the same league it would be no different. Certainly when I was at Kilmarnock and there was a cup draw I always wanted to draw Ayr so obviously I was delighted to be able to play and score in the fixture. And as you say, even the atmosphere down at Ayr was great.
Killie sold out the allocation and Ayr also brought a good support up to our place in the replay – it’s just a really great occasion to be involved in. No matter how big or small people think the rivalry is it’s all about the fans – it was the same when I was at Clyde and we played Partick Thistle. Q: Will you like to return to Rugby Park in the future? A: Yeah, to be honest I’d love to. I’ve always said I would love to go back to Kilmarnock and I’d love to go back to Clyde one day. I’ve recently just bought a house in the Kilmarnock area for when I’m finished in England and decide to move back home. You never know what could happen! Q: Feel free to come back in January – I think we could be doing with you. A: That’s maybe just a bit too soon! Q: Nigel Clough brought you to Derby and he’s someone you rate very highly – what was he like to work under? A: He was excellent with me. It was the same as Jim Jeffries and all my other managers – he believed in me. He used to travel up and watch me at Kilmarnock which meant a lot and I owe him and his management team so much in both football and everyday life. Q: I’ve calculated you have played under seven different managers at your time at Derby – has this been difficult for you to acclimatise to these changes on a regular basis? A: To be honest I’m used to it. I think this is either my 13 th or 14th professional season and I’ve had the same amount of managers in my career – so I’ve never really had that long with any one manager.
Q: You will be remembered for your hat trick against Billy Davies’ Nottingham Forest – how did it feel to score that against a manager who previously never rated you high enough for first team football? A: I wasn’t really interested about Billy Davies to be honest – managers make decisions and they live by them. At the time he was probably right that I wasn’t ready to play in Derby’s first team and I went back up to Kilmarnock and got some more experience and came back down. Obviously when he was the manager of Nottingham Forest we played them and beat them 5-0 and -I think he got sacked the next day – but I have nothing against him, he made the decision and that’s was it. However, it was probably the best day of my career by far. I don’t think anyone had scored a hat trick in the fixture for like 118 years or something so it’s not something that happens often – and on that day everything just went for me. I think I only had about three shots on goal and three went in! Q: Is it the ambition for yourself and the club to play in the Premier League? A: Yeah of course. I turned down the chance a couple of years ago to go up but I wanted to stay at Derby to show them a bit of loyalty because of what they have done for my career. That’s what I’ve always said; that if I am going to play in the top flight I want to do it with Derby. That’s the ambition for me and that’s the ambition for the club. Q: What’s your opinions of being overlooked time again for Scotland? A: It is what it is. I have been overlooked at every level for Scotland – I think I’m coming up to the landmark of 500 career games now and I have one cap for the 19s, one cap for the 21s and I think it’s three for the first team. I’ve not really had an international career and I have just come to accept it now.
Q: Do you think there is an Old Firm bias when it comes to selecting players at international level? A: Yeah I think there probably is and I don’t want to say too much on it but I think the bigger the club you are at the more chance you have of being selected for the national team. Q: You have played in both England and Scotland – is the gulf as big as it is made out in the media when it comes to playing standard of the English Championship and the Scottish Premiership? A: It’s obviously been five and a half years since I’ve played in Scotland but the only thing I have really noticed when I have come down here is that it is a lot more physical. I don’t know if it looks better because of the crowds (England), I mean most grounds you go to they are mostly full so I don’t know if that gives off a different perception of what it’s like. But I don’t know, I think there’s a bigger gulf with the bottom teams of the Premiership but certainly the sides up the top I’m not too sure – I think I’m bias more towards Scotland as well because I’ve played there. There is a lot of good players in Scotland who just need the chance like myself to prove themselves. I think maybe the people in England look down on the Scottish game a bit but I think it’s a lot better than what people say. Q: In regards to the future, what is next for Craig Bryson – do you have any ambitions of going into management like some of your old team mates? (James Fowler, Gavin Skelton etc.) A: Not as it stands! I don’t think I’d like being a manager – I’d maybe be more suited to be a number two or a coach but as for being the main gaffer then no, that’s probably not for me.
THE PERFECT GIFT FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY
CONSPIRACY THEORIES You can rest assured that wherever a front page mega story hits the front pages of the papers, there will be a conspiracy theory following a matter of seconds later. We are all aware of the world famous tales like JFK’s assassination over 50 years ago, the numerous explanations surrounding 9/11 and of course the most famous of all….did Billy Berntsson really exist? The world of football is not exempt from these madcap theories of course, some Killie fans will tell you that Johnston is there just to run the club into the ground then sell off the land for as much as he can make. It may take that for some fans to realise how much damage he is doing to the club but I’m confident that there are enough good Killie people about to make sure it doesn’t get to that stage. There have been many wild and wacky theories over the years so here is a selection of tales that should bring a wee smile to our faces. I apologise to my English chums but I have to say that the last one is definitely my favourite: RONALDO (NIKE V ADIDAS) Brazilian striker Ronaldo, the reigning two time FIFA World Player of the Year going into the 1998 World Cup in France, did not disappoint as he led his side to the Final that summer.
However on the morning of their meeting with the hosts, Ronaldo suffered an apparent seizure and was dropped from the starting eleven. Before kickoff though, Brazil's boss Mario Zagallo apparently changed his mind and put 'Il Fenomeno' back into the lineup to face France. A visibly weakened Ronaldo stumbled around the pitch ineffectively and a Zinedine Zidane led France and roared to- a 3-0 victory. Why a clearly unďŹ t Ronaldo was even in the lineup has long been a subject of speculation, with the truth never adequately revealed. One of the most popular rumours, and one that doesn't seem as far fetched as you might think, is that Ronaldo and Brazil's chief sponsor Nike pressured Zagallo to insert Ronaldo into the lineup against the Adidas sponsored French side, that was led by the German company's own poster boy in Zidane. Seventeen years later we still are waiting to hear the truth on what really happened that day. Was the 1978 World Cup Fixed? The 1978 World Cup in Argentina was played under a cloud to begin with as the country had been taken over by a brutal military dictatorship called the National Reorganization Process in a military coup two years earlier. Some of the qualiďŹ ed nations, such as the Netherlands, debated pulling out of the tournament amidst rumours of political opponents of the regime being 'disappeared'.
The tournament went ahead as scheduled, with all of the qualified nations taking part, but there was a lot of grumblings over the schedule as host Argentina played all of their matches at night so they would know the results of their group opponents prior to kicking off. This would factor in big time at the end of the second group phase, as Argentina kicked off against Peru they knew that to edge rivals Brazil out of a place in the final they would need to win by four clear goals. Peru simply rolled over and were swamped 6-0 by the hosts, who would later go on to beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the Final. Brazil cried foul and a lot of theories about what actually happened in that notorious Peru match have been floated in the decades since this World Cup. Peru's keeper, who had a shocking match, was born in Argentina which didn't help with the conspiracy theories, there was also rumours that a large grain shipment was sent by Argentina to Peru after the match and that funds were sent to the Peruvian government. Another rumour is that a Colombian drug lord brokered a payoff on behalf of the Argentine dictatorship directly to the Peruvian players. Whatever the truth of the matter is, the 1978 World Cup will always be viewed as tainted by many observers of the game. Did the CIA Poison Gordon Banks? What football fans that are well versed on World Cup history know is that in the lead up to England's Quarter Final with West Germany in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the Three Lions star keeper Gordon Banks came down with food poisoning and was unable to take to the pitch in Leon.
The fact that Banks' replacement Peter Bonetti let in two howlers on the way to a 3-2 loss to the German's left England's players and fans wondering "what if?". In the subsequent decades there's been rumblings about the possibility of someone tampering with a drink Banks had with his team at an exclusive club two nights before the match. The fact that no one else in the squad came down with "Montezuma's Revenge", only their most important player, has fueled suggestions that it was a local who spiked his drink. The reigning World Cup champions were seen as arrogant by the Mexican's and the Three Lions prickly manager Sir Alf Ramsay hadn't endeared himself to the local media. Several players in the England squad have raised the possibility that Banks may have fallen victim to something other than bad luck. But what if it wasn't a local that slipped something into Banks beer? After the tournament another theory emerged that the CIA were nervously monitoring the political situation in Brazil and thought that a World Cup win, as it often does, would help raise the spirits of the people and they would put revolutionary talk to one side. England, coming into the tournament with arguably a stronger side than the one who had won the World Cup in 1966, were widely expected to meet Brazil in the Final and were seen as the only nation capable of preventing Pele and company from lifting the Jules Rimet trophy. In order to avoid that, the theory is that a CIA operative spiked Banks drink and caused the keeper to miss England's match with the Germans.
This may sound a little like a James Bond story, but then again this is the agency that tried to kill Fidel Castro with an exploding cigar. Did FIFA Help South Korea Reach the 2002 World Cup Semi-Final? In 2002 the World Cup was held for the ďŹ rst time outside of Europe or the America's, as Japan and South Korea co-hosted the biggest event in world football. Many neutrals, and of course the hosts themselves, hoped that the two sides could stage a great tournament and also perform well on the pitch to show the progress of Asian football. Although Japan were disappointingly dumped out of the tournament by Turkey in the Round of 16, South Korea managed to storm through to the Semi-Finals. Their progress though was not without controversy and, particularly in Italy, rumours persist that the Koreans had a little help in getting as far as they did. In their second match of the group stage against a strong Portuguese side, South Korea beneďŹ ted from some questionable refereeing decisions that saw two Portuguese players sent off as the hosts triumphed 1-0. In the second round against Italy, Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno, who was later banned for 20 matches in his own country for either a string of bad decisions, or corruption, depending upon your source, wrongly disallowed Damiano Tommasi's Golden Goal match winner for Italy.
West Ham would go on to beat Spurs, which coupled with an Arsenal win over Wigan, gave the Gunners a spot in the following season's Champions League. An irate Tottenham side pushed to have their match replayed, but the FA denied their request after the environmental health officers at Tower Hamlets Council found that the Marriott, where they had eaten the notorious lasagna, had no case to answer. The hotel was absolved of any wrongdoing, but Spurs conspiracy theorists weren't convinced that a Gunners fan had not been in the kitchen on that fateful day and derailed their final match of the season. AND FINALLY HERE’S MY FAVOURITE 1966 World Cup fixed? Everyone knows the story. England, host nation and founders of the beautiful game, overcome France, Mexico, Argentina and Portugal to set up a final meeting with rival nation West Germany. The Three Lions don’t have much luck against Germany nowadays, but 1966 was England’s year. The 1966 World Cup is one of the fondest memories in the history of English football. With the national team struggling to replicate anything even close to tournament-winning form, England fans cling onto that one aged victory like Geoff Hurst had smashed in those winning goals only yesterday. However, what if England’s one moment of glory wasn’t actually as impressive as it seems?
He then allowed a string of terrible Korean tackles, and then dubiously sent off Franceso Totti for diving. As Ahn Jung-hwan slammed in a classy winner with three minutes to go in extra time, the Azzurri were left fuming. Moreno's later troubles with the footballing authorities in his own country and his post retirement conviction for attempting to smuggle 6 kilograms of heroin into JFK in New York in 2010 did little to quell the rumours of his impropriety. The Spanish were also left unimpressed after they had two perfectly good goals wrongly ruled out for offside in the Quarter-Finals, a match which Korea would win on penalty kicks. Although South Korea would eventually fall to Germany in the Semi-Final making it that far was viewed as a terriďŹ c achievement, but not one without a bit of a controversy around it.
Who Messed With Tottenham's Lasagna? Going into the ďŹ nal weekend of the 2005/2006 season, Tottenham held a single point advantage over rivals Arsenal for the last coveted Champions League spot. Unfortunately for Spurs, diarrhea reared its ugly and smelly head, thus making a mess of their Champions League dreams, and not to mention their pants. After a lasagna dinner at the team hotel the night before their match with West Ham, ten of Tottenham's players complained of upset stomachs, which hampered then manager Martin Jol's team selection and severely hindered those that were able to take part in the action.
According to many South Americans, the entire tournament was fixed to al low European teams to progress after a decade of dominance by the likes of Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. Brazil, led by phenomenal goalscorer Pelé, had claimed the cup on the last two consecutive occasions, and Europe wasn’t happy. Claims of a fix were preval ent in the years that followed, with many claiming that European officials had been placed in charge of South American games and decisions had unsurprisingly gone against them, while persistent fouling by European sides had also been overlooked. Pelé himself claimed that football had ‘stopped being an art and instead became a war’. Of course, European nations refused to acknowledge the rumours and football went on. However, in 2008, talk of a conspiracy resurfaced after former FIFA president Joao Havelange claimed that both 1966 and 1974, two tournaments hosted in Europe, had been fixed for the host nations to win, in order to wrestle away South America’s dominance. Similar speculation has plagued World Cup events ever since. As recently as 2002, referees were accused of favouring the home nation. Despite their low ranking, South Korea were able to finish top of their group, ahead of Poland, USA and Portugal, which was surprising enough. However, they then went on to produce victories over Italy and Spain to reach the semi-final. While they didn’t win the tournament, which would have been nothing short of unbelievable, for a side that had never won a World Cup game in the past to progress so far unsurprisingly raised suspicions.
ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP IN 10 YEARS
THE YEAR IS 2027 AND ALL THE ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP PLAYERS HAVE BEEN POACHED BY THOSE NASTY CHINESE OFFERING INFLATED WAGES………HOW WONDERFULLY IRONIC. THE PIC ABOVE SHOWS THE LEAGUE DECIDER BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND MAN CITY. THE COWS IN THE BACKGROUND ARE NOT PART OF THE CROWD, THEY ARE IN THE QUEUE TO END UP ON GARY HARKINS BARBEQUE!