SPORT

A-Z OF FIFA PART TWO by

Jonathan Harding

C is for Congress – The method of implication and application of the game and its rules are discussed and potentially altered at the FIFA Congress meetings. Since 1904 the congress has met 66 times and only since 1998 has that been made into an annual decision. The irony of all of this is of course since sitting down moreoften, less constructive developments appear to have been made. Food for thought though.

D is for Development – Although each countries development is run through their respective FA’s, FIFA obviously has the defining word on the rules and regulations and of course, as previously stated, the application and implication of the game itself. The question is, as we all know (doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do more about it), in which direction is football, as a professional sport headed if corruption, deceit and an elitism rules the sport? Surely not in the direction we want, which is certainly not the reason we all fell in love with the game in the first place.

THE OLD COURSE AT ST ANDREWS: GOLFERS FROM ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD

BY Thomas Dodd

From the moment you arrive in St Andrews, you are immersed in the history of the game of golf.

Every hole of the famous links course is special, particularly the par-4 Road Hole 17th, probably the most well-known in all of golf. Add that to all the other landmarks you will pass such as Hell’s Bunker and the Valley of Sin and it really becomes a must for golfers of all standards and nationalities- it is no wonder therefore that the Old Course is visited by Golfers of all nationalities from all over the world.

A post-round drink in the Jigger Inn (the most famous pub in all of golf) is also a must to enhance of your visit and immerse yourself in the tradition of St Andrews. Playing the old Course allows you to physically walk on the same ground as your heroes, which is a unique sporting opportunity- you would not be able to play a game of tennis at any of the Grand Slam venues or have a kick around in the hallowed ground of a world class football stadium, for example.

Yes, for the amateur golfer the wind is almost unbearable, and the greens are the equivalent to putting on glass, but this should not detract from the beauty that surrounds you. Wherever in the world you travel from to get to this magical town, you will all as golfers, be coming home.

After all, St Andrews is the home of golf- and what man does not like returning to his spiritual home?

FRANCE: A COUNTRY OF TOLERANCE? By

Aimee Oliver

Harry Frost Editor

Despite seeming somewhat gay-friendly with magazine Têtu in wide circulation and the introduction of PACS (civil union) in 1999, it would seem that France is not exactly the land of liberté, égalité and fraternité that it considers itself to be. The latest figures show that SOSHomophobie, a non-profit organisation, received 1483 testimonies from victims of homophobic abuse in 2010, the highest number since the association began publishing an annual report in 2000. Homophobic attacks on the internet have also seen a steady increase of 15% from 2004 to 2010, due undoubtedly to the anonymity of posting online. Perhaps the most worrying statistic is the 43% increase in discrimination and violence in public places.

If the conservative UMP stay in power, then it seems unlikely that marriage between two members of the same sex will be brought in, especially as the AssembléeNationalevoted against legalising same-sex marriage in June 2011, with most of the votes against legalisation belonging to members of the UMP. With hommes politiques such as Christian Vanneste exerting power, it is hard to see any end in sight to this homophobic presence. Vanneste, who belongs to the more right-wing section of the UMP, stated in a twenty minute video that narcissism is fundamental to homosexuality and spoke in length about ‘the famous legend about the deportation of homosexuals’, claiming that during the Second World War no homosexuals were forced out of France, and nor did deportation occur anywhere except Germany.

This isn’t the first time that Vanneste has put forward his bigoted opinion. In 2004, in an interview for TF1, he insisted that homosexuality was a negative way of behaving, and ‘like all negative behaviours, one can easily discourage it or re-educate oneself’. A year later, he equated homosexuality to ‘a menace to humanity’s survival’. This latter comment, amongst many others spoken throughout 2005, landed Vanneste in trouble with the police; he was fined 3000 Euros, but the case was thrown out of court as what was said was ‘within limits of freedom of expression’.

There may be light at the end of the tunnel, however, as current leader of the polls and candidate for the PS, François Hollande, has promised that if he wins the election on the 6th May, he will grant marriage and adoption rights to same-sex partners. The UMP has also distanced itself from Vanneste’s views and is prepared to ban him from running in the legislative elections taking place in June. It is clear that this surge of homophobia must be addressed in order for France to finally become the land of liberty, equality and brotherhood that its citizens deserve.