Let's Have Some Fair Play!

If sport is a metaphor for life, then consider this. In most sports, tennis, golf, snooker, cricket most participants are fair even if some stretch the rules as far as possible.

In some sports, and here I am thinking of rugby, all sorts of may hem may be attempted by the play ers.

By and large, however, the word of law, personified by the referee, umpire etc. is sacrosanct and penal ties for transgression accepted.

Occasionally you find a sport,and here I am thinking mainly of golf and snooker, you find players penal ising themselves by owning up to sins, which no-one has noticed. In real life, this would be like walking into the police station and saying "Look,Sergeant, I've just got home from Malaga in 40 minutesso I must have been speeding. You'd better fine me". Not likely, is it?

You may have noticed that I have omitted, thus far, reference to soccer. Here, not only do many players cheat but then they object to the referee's reac tion and appeal against every ad verse decision. Even for something mi nor like a throw-in!

Yet To See One Of The Incidents

Occasionally, EUFA or FIFA pro nounce a crackdown on,say,diving to gain a free kick. I see little evi dence of the results of these crack downs but this is rather like the po lice saying "don't speed along here for a while, as we have put in cameras to catch you". Except that is exactly what happens!

But here, the general attitude of all those involved is in favour of the concept of getting away with it if you can.

Even the most inveterate thief, when arrested, will say "it's a fair cop, guv., you've got me bang to rights" or words to that effect.(His lawyer may try to get him off but that is the lawyer's job just as the thief's job is to steal).

But in soccer, ex-players (now earning vast sums as commentators, summarisers or whatever you want to call them),just throw their hands in the air and say "it wasn't like that in my day but it's the modern atti tude".

In a recent Women's World Cup final Sweden beat Brazil 2-1 with the Swedes committing dozens of fouls. The commentators(one of each sex, incidentally), both agreed that the foul count should be ignored, the fact was Sweden had a plan and stuck to it. The referee did not even see some of the pushes and shirt pulls but that was her fault.

Now here, you have to stop and say, what does that mean? Does that mean it's OK to steal,speed,assault people etc. so long as you are not caught? Do we really want to live our lives like that?

We do not, however, have large numbers of citizens claiming to have been mugged just to gain an advantage.

Just as we would hope for a crime free life, then soccer fans hope for a foul free game.Sad,isn't it, thatsuch an event is a raritv worthy of com ment?

But the football "police" and those with the ability to change atbtudes seem reluctant to take action. Over the years,there have been foot ball managers impaired in many ways. Men of integrity like Jock Stein,whodied at the end of a match because of his cardiac problems. Sheffield Wednesday once had a manager with one leg.

But never can a team have been managed by a man as visually im paired as Arsene Wenger. Having presided over (as I write) 52 sendings off he has yet to see one of the incidents.

When a man as intelligent and thoughtful as he promotes the view that on 52 occasions, he was either looking somewhere else or the inci dent was too trivial for him to no tice, it is time to despair.

Yet mostsoccer fans don't despair, we come back for more hoping that each game will see a change in atti tude and be a real celebration of the "beautiful game".

If only life were that simple.

Verandah Bar of Eliott Hotel reopens

The Verandah Bar ofthe Eliott HotelIm reopened after being totallp reftirlhshed and looksfabulous. The design of the bar is stylish and contemporary incorporating natural elements such as wood and marble. Customers ofthe new bar will find a more private environment,as the open plan style has gone in favour of a separate bar area. The terrace, called The Victoria Gardens, remains unchanged. A nezo plasma screen dominates one of the walls for those wanting to catch up on the news or sporting results. And don't forget the fabulous Thursday night Jazz sessions.

Cancer Relief Coffee Morning Success

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