So on the eve of England's first match in the 2010 World Cup, a nation waits expectantly to see how their beloved heroes will perform. Preparation for the tournament in South Africa has been marred by scandal and injuries and has meant that the captaincy has changed hands three times over the last year. Capello, forced by the stupidity of Terry and the unfortunate injury to Rio Ferdinand, has decided that Steven Gerrard will be the man to wear the armband for the duration of the competition and England fans will hope that he'll be the man to lift the Jules Rimlet trophy on the 11th of July. Changes in the captaincy so close, to the biggest tournament in Football, would seem to be unsettling to the England camp and it will be interesting to see if there are any noticeable effects. It begs the question, does captaincy in Football really matter?
Steven Gerrard is unquestionably an inspiration to Liverpool Football Club and without him they are a shadow of the side to when he is playing. Time and time again commentators revel in his ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck and turn it his sides way, usually through a piece of individual brilliance. Gerrard has proved that he can change the tempo of a teams performance on numerous occassions and he sets an outstanding example for his side to follow. However, aside from leading from the front, what other roles do a captain undertake? Does Gerrard give team talks before the game? Or have a greater organisational role on the field of play? Is he vocal towards his players throughout? More of an influence off the field and around camp?
It seems to me that captaincy is overstated in Football by many and that Gerrard's role in the World Cup will be minimal on a number of levels. It's pretty likely that he won't be giving team talks before they go out, that role will go to Capello but probably also Pearce. If he plays on the left wing, as he has previously under Capello, then his role in organising the midfield and the rest of the team is likely to be ineffective. Steven doesn't strike me as the most vocal influence in the side, and it seems unfathomable that John Terry's influence in the side has completely diminished since he was asked to step down.
So does the armband matter?
Friday 11 June 2010
Thursday 10 June 2010
Pride in the Shirt
Martin Johnson named his team for England's Test Match against Australia on Saturday, with the decision to include Shontayne Hape in the starting XV making the headlines. Hape, a Rugby League convert, has been picked at Inside Centre for the encounter and will be making his Test debut against the Wallabies.
In my opinion, the inclusion of the Bath centre in the side is a welcome one. He is an outstanding talent, with a dynamic nature that has been lacking from the England midfield in recent years. Hape possesses an explosive step, soft hands and a decent turn of pace that should see him in good stead in the Test Match arena. He'll let no-one down in defence, and his success with Bath this year has meant that he warrants a place in the team.
However, one striking piece of information about Hape leads us to the focal point of this article; nationality and selection in Sport. Shontayne, in his Rugby League playing days, represented New Zealand on fourteen occasions before his switch to Union and his decision to make himself eligible to be selected for England. An instance such as this raises the issues of nationality and allegiance within Sport and leads me to questions a number of different things on a number of different levels
The first and most obvious question to look at is whether governing bodies for different sports should allow players to do this. Should Jarryd Hayne, from the world of Rugby League, be allowed to play for Fiji in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and then represent Australia the following year? Well, I'm of the opinion that governing bodies around the globe should take a much stronger stance on instances such as these, and press players to declare themselves eligible for one nation at an early stage in their career (i.e before they've gained representative honours). Players should then be made to stick with their decisions, throughout their careers, so as to honour the commitment that they've made to that particular nation.
A further question raised by these issues, is whether the professionals involved in nation-swapping have the same pride in 'putting on the shirt' as a player that has stuck with the same country throughout their career . Does Shontayne Hape get that same inspirational and emotional feeling running through him when the English national anthem is played, or he pulls on the shirt for the first time? Does Hape's decision to play for England, devalue the importance of that moment when he performed the Haka with his teammates? Does Jarryd Hayne share the same emotions about playing for Australia as some of his other teammates? Do these questions matter? Are they relevant in the world of Sport? To the players themselves and the fans? It must be made clear that this is not an attack on the players mentioned in the article, or indeed any other sportsmen and women that have made the same decision, but merely an inquiry into the way in which they think.
Finally, do these issues affect the fans? Do we passionately care as much about players that have changed nations, as we do about professionals that have dedicated their life to one nation? Are fans accepting of nation-swapping or are they more bothered about overall team sucess? As a fan, although bothered by players switching the country that they represent, I'm happy to support any player that represents England on the basis that they are committed to their performance. Ideally I'd like the rules to be changed so that these sorts of issues couldn't occur but, with the regulations as they are, I'll be watching on Saturday morning hoping that Shontayne gives the Aussies a hiding.
In my opinion, the inclusion of the Bath centre in the side is a welcome one. He is an outstanding talent, with a dynamic nature that has been lacking from the England midfield in recent years. Hape possesses an explosive step, soft hands and a decent turn of pace that should see him in good stead in the Test Match arena. He'll let no-one down in defence, and his success with Bath this year has meant that he warrants a place in the team.
However, one striking piece of information about Hape leads us to the focal point of this article; nationality and selection in Sport. Shontayne, in his Rugby League playing days, represented New Zealand on fourteen occasions before his switch to Union and his decision to make himself eligible to be selected for England. An instance such as this raises the issues of nationality and allegiance within Sport and leads me to questions a number of different things on a number of different levels
The first and most obvious question to look at is whether governing bodies for different sports should allow players to do this. Should Jarryd Hayne, from the world of Rugby League, be allowed to play for Fiji in the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and then represent Australia the following year? Well, I'm of the opinion that governing bodies around the globe should take a much stronger stance on instances such as these, and press players to declare themselves eligible for one nation at an early stage in their career (i.e before they've gained representative honours). Players should then be made to stick with their decisions, throughout their careers, so as to honour the commitment that they've made to that particular nation.
A further question raised by these issues, is whether the professionals involved in nation-swapping have the same pride in 'putting on the shirt' as a player that has stuck with the same country throughout their career . Does Shontayne Hape get that same inspirational and emotional feeling running through him when the English national anthem is played, or he pulls on the shirt for the first time? Does Hape's decision to play for England, devalue the importance of that moment when he performed the Haka with his teammates? Does Jarryd Hayne share the same emotions about playing for Australia as some of his other teammates? Do these questions matter? Are they relevant in the world of Sport? To the players themselves and the fans? It must be made clear that this is not an attack on the players mentioned in the article, or indeed any other sportsmen and women that have made the same decision, but merely an inquiry into the way in which they think.
Finally, do these issues affect the fans? Do we passionately care as much about players that have changed nations, as we do about professionals that have dedicated their life to one nation? Are fans accepting of nation-swapping or are they more bothered about overall team sucess? As a fan, although bothered by players switching the country that they represent, I'm happy to support any player that represents England on the basis that they are committed to their performance. Ideally I'd like the rules to be changed so that these sorts of issues couldn't occur but, with the regulations as they are, I'll be watching on Saturday morning hoping that Shontayne gives the Aussies a hiding.
A Passion Bordering on Obsession
Welcome to my blog,
My name is Michael Taylor and I'm particularly passionate about the world of Sport. I've decided to start writing a blog on a daily basis, highlighting and commenting on issues from sports around the globe.
The blog will take a very simple format. Each day I'll write an article on a current issue, providing my opinion, in the hope that I'll provoke debate amongst readers. I'll try to vary the topics as much as possible but will be predominantly writing on Football, Cricket and both codes of Rugby (League and Union).
I hope my passion for each subject that I write on will shine through and help to produce interesting articles worth a read.
My name is Michael Taylor and I'm particularly passionate about the world of Sport. I've decided to start writing a blog on a daily basis, highlighting and commenting on issues from sports around the globe.
The blog will take a very simple format. Each day I'll write an article on a current issue, providing my opinion, in the hope that I'll provoke debate amongst readers. I'll try to vary the topics as much as possible but will be predominantly writing on Football, Cricket and both codes of Rugby (League and Union).
I hope my passion for each subject that I write on will shine through and help to produce interesting articles worth a read.
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