FBB

Football Beyond Borders is an education charity that uses football as an engagement tool to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It believes football is the most powerful tool in the world for inspiring young people to achieve their goals and make their voices heard. Its mission is to use football to create a more equal and inclusive society in which young people from low-income backgrounds have the opportunity to develop the skills, attitude and character to succeed in education, work and public life. Its vision is for all young people regardless of their background to feel valued, confident and empowered to become active citizens and achieve their goals and for society to provide the opportunities for them to do so. (FBB website)

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Elm Wood green school where me and Celso went to record the students about the FBB project.





Chestnut Grove school where we recorded the students about the Fbb project

World Cup Vox

52 Years of Pain!

1966, the year England won the World Cup. Its been 52 years since then, so I thought it was fitting to go around Uni and my student halls and ask opinions on how far England will go in the Tournament and who their Pre Tournament Favourites were.'

Wandsworth Tennis Courts

The Next Murray?

Wandsworth Council have 28 Courts set up around the area, 6 of those courts lie in Tooting Commons which provides the busiest area and most amount of players.

Lcc Tv Show

World Cup 2018 Preview


During this 9 minute show,  Junior and I discuss our predictions for the World cup and who we feel should be part of Englands squad.

Who should make England World Cup Starting 11

Gareth Southgate has already been told that no matter what happens at the World Cup he will be in charge at the next European Championships if England qualify. I believe that this competition is the perfect time to introduce his philosophies and start blooding in new players to the squad.

With Joe Hart falling off the radar a bit this season I believe he will be included in the squad but will not have any match time. I severely doubt that Southgate will take Jack Butland, Nick Pope and Jordan Pickford as none of them have much international experience. Hart will be able to guide and advise the other two keepers picked. I feel as though even though Pope has been better than Butland and Pickford this season, the latter will get the nod ahead of him. I feel as though Pope may miss out on this tournament but I would not be surprised if he Is in the preliminary squad. I believe the starting Goalkeeper in this tournament will be Pickford as his ball distribution suits Southgate’s style of play.

With Gareth Southgate adopting the three at the back formation in recent weeks I believe that the starting back three will be Kyle walker, John stones and Phil jones. I believe Kyle Walker always has a mistake in him, but his unbelievable pace and strength means he wins back the ball a lot and is an asset against those fast strikers which Stones, and Jones may struggle to cope with. John Stones will partner him as they both have the Manchester City connection and have played with each other a lot this season. I believe the third spot will be given to Phil Jones over Gary Cahill as he seems to be favoured by Southgate in recent Friendlies.

The wingbacks I feel Gareth will start with are Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young as both have amazing crossing ability. They cross with pace, accuracy and power and it can be a wonderful outlet for us. As well as their crossing ability, they are also very good defensively. I believe Trent Alexander Arnold also has an outside chance of sneaking into the first 11, based off form this season.

The three central midfielders I would start with would be Ali, Henderson and Dier. I’d also play Sterling in the number 10 position. Henderson and Dier are the perfect defensive pairing whilst Sterling and Alli can cause havoc to opposition defences and feed Harry Kane who will undoubtedly start up front.

I believe England’s chances of winning the World cup are very slim but not impossible and with these players I believe we would have a very good chance of at least reaching the quarter finals.

LIVE EVENT- Wolves vs Burton

Molineux had a mix of nerves and anticipation as the two teams walked out onto the pitch. The fans were in a buoyant mood but you could tell there were a lot of nerves before this one. A midlands Derby is always a good game but add in the fact Wolves are aiming for the title and it became a great game.

When I arrived at Molineux I saw thousands of Wolves fans in optimistic spirits and many Burton fans  looking discontent. They were 23rd in the table and facing the team at the top. The first 10 minutes went by with little action. But on the 15^th minute Helder Costa scored a very neat finish to make it 1-0 the wolves. After more good build up play, potential player of the season Ruben Neves fed Benik Afobe with a  wonderful through ball. Many of the Wolves fans left for half time at this point but they would have returned gutted as Burton pulled back a goal a minute before half time.

At half time , I managed to speak to a couple of Wolves and Burton fans. One fan said ‘ this is the best wolves team ive seen in a long time, but I also feel like we need to learn to put chances away. We should have scored four or five in the first half.’ Another wolves fan added ‘ As long as we get to the Premier league, im not too fussed if we win the title or not’.  Amongst the many Wolves fans, I I found one Burton fan who was willing to talk. He said ‘ We are still in this game and if we come away with a point id be chuffed’.

The second half started slow paced but the Wolves fans were soon chanting and screaming as AFobe scored a second on the 56^th minute. Wolves then turned off the gas and Burton seemed resigned to picking up 0 points as their goal was the only shot they registered on target.

The result means Wolves extended their lead to 6 points at the top of the table whilst Burton still flirt with the possibility of relegation 3 points from safety in 23^rd place.

Manchester United Vs Liverpool Match report

Marcus Rashford all but secured his place in Gareth Southgate’s world Cup side as his two goals helped Manchester United beat Liverpool in a largely uninspiring game. With 32% possession and only two shots on target the whole game it was an efficient performance from the Red Devils which left Liverpool’s potent front three frustrated.

The Win was a big one for Mourinho’s side as it meant they had tightened their grasp on Second place and cut the gap to City to 13 points. The game plan seemed simple. Target Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defence frailties. Both of Rashford’s goals came from the United players attacking down the left wing.

The first goal was well crafted as Lukaku headed it on to Rashford who dazzled Trent and cut inside before firing an accurate but powerful shot past Karius into the bottom corner. Old Trafford expectably erupted and it wasn’t long before they were on their feet again. Fourteen Minutes later, Rashford got the better of Trent again and scored via a slight deflection to all but end the tie.

After half time, Liverpool started to go through the gears but struggled versus United’s deep lying defence which smothered Liverpool’s attack at every opportunity. Eventually Liverpool got a goal back when Sadio Mane’s cross was turned in by Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on the 66^th minute. Interestingly, Bailly still claimed bes.t defender whilst scoring an own goal showing how masterfully united defended in the game. This game proved the well know fact Mourinho knows how to see a game out.

United held on to win the game and will now e looking forward to facing Sevilla in the Champions league game on Tuesday and Brighton in the quarter finals of the Fa cup next Saturday and Mourinho and his side still eye the Double.

English Players Abroad

With England having not won the World cup since 1966, many feel as though that is down to players not learning their trade abroad. One of those people is Pep Guardiola who believes that if more players played abroad it would help the national team and that the Premier Leagues high wages is what discourages players from challenging themselves abroad.

 Recently a few young players have transferred abroad to learn a different style of football and to challenge themselves. The high profile examples include Jadon Sancho who transferred from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund. Whilst Ademola Lookman is on loan from Everton at RB Lezpig and West Ham’s Reece Oxford is on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach. However, I feel the best example of an English player playing abroad and benefiting is that of Eric Dier.

Eric Dier started playing for Sporting Lisbon’s academy when his parents moved there when he was seven. Dier once said ‘I think of myself as a little bit Portuguese but I still consider myself English,’. ‘My dream is to play for England but no-one has ever been in touch about representing them. I don’t know if they know about me and maybe it’s got something to do with me being abroad. I guess it’s hard to come out and watch my games.’ Interestingly as soon as Dier got his move to Tottenham he got his first call up to the international squad.

I believe that now Gareth Southgate is in charge he will start looking at these players playing abroad and genuinley consider giving them a shot if they perform consistently well. I don’t believe these opportunities will come before the 2018 World cup but after that I can see a lot of new faces entering the frame. Gareth Southgate used to manage the England U21 team and is a big fan of young players. Hopefully with players playing abroad and learning football from a different perspective, it can help the national team as a whole. Hopefully in the European championships 2020 we get to see some of these players perform.

LIVE EVENT- Great Barr Harriers vs Walsall Warriors Match report

With Much anticipation for this cup game. There were clear nerves in the air from kick off. With Great Barr fielding a very strong team they were very confident from the offset and that confidence paid off in a 3-1 win over Walsall meaning they moved on to the Quarter finals.

The game started very quickly with Great Barr falling behind in the 4^th minute due to an own goal from the Left back Kyle Figgs. Figgs then turned that disappointing start into a good performance when he raced down the left wing to provide a cross for the prolific Conor Byrne to score. The game was end to end but it was changed by a red card for Walsall Centre back for a cynical last man tackle on Conor Byrne.

Walsall held on in the first half but were quickly 2-1 down in the second half when Kyle Figgs again crossed into the box to the onrushing captain Bradley Gun who headed into the top corner. Matt Hendrals 60^th minute strike was enough to seal the win for Great Barr as they progressed into the next round of the cup.

Great Barr will be happy to progress and best of all not have any injuries or suspensions as their next league game is crucial if they want to stay in the promotion race.

Audio Resubmission

https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/arsenal-fan-vox-pop

I went to the Horse Hills pub in Peckham to watch the Arsenal 3-0 Victory over Watford and spoke to 3 fans at full time about the performance and Arsene Wenger.




https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/kabadi-next-generation
I visited Imperial College London to interview Kisan Sockinlingham about how they go about training the next generation in kabaddi. Apologies for me sounding quiet at some points.



https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/varsity-match-report

Ual recorded an Overall 8-4 victor over Goldsmiths and i was there as the results were announced and took in the atmosphere and glory.

Great Barr Harriers vs Hamstead Diamonds Match report

A waterlogged pitch isn't a great Pitch to play on but at this level the players just want to be getting match fit. A friendly game between two local rivals served up a treat. Great Barr Harriers edged a 5-3 game in the not ideal conditions but a win nonetheless. With striker Conor Bynre scoring all 5 for The Harriers it was very easy to pick a man the match.

The game started in a quiet fashion with no side able to conjure up a chance. Soon Great Barr were up 2-0 after a quick-fire double from  Conor. Hamstead then took the lead after scoring from 3 corners. But Conor Byrne made sure the game ended 5-3.

Interestingly after the game both sets of fans went down to the local Pub and drank together which I thought was very interesting as rival team fans don't normally get along.

Although the friendly also brought about some bad news, the waterlogged pitch meant that many players were getting injured and captain Bradley Gun for the Great Barr Harriers gained a twisted knee in the 5-3 win.

Firmino WOrld cup player to watch out for

Brazil. Synonymous with attractive, flowing football. Over the years they have been blessed with an abundance of world class strikers, including probably the best of them all in Ronaldo. However, times have changed for the once feared Nation. With Diego Costa opting to play for Spain there was gap up front. Firmino ceased the opportunity and made his debut in November 2014, which led to him leading the line in the Copa America.

Liverpool have a lot of strikers at their club. Origi, Sturridge, Danny Ings but Klopp insists on playing Firmino. No doubt this very talented individual is the first name on Klopp's team sheet each week. He may not score the most goals but he is a classy player who works hard for the team and creates space for others to run into and score. As we can see by the scoring Charts Liverpool love to share their goals around.

Before Firmino signed for Liverpool,  a lot of pundits and fans questioned whether Firmino's stats were up to the standard of the Premier League. Many fans of Manchester United were quick to compare him to Memphis Depay believing they had captured a better player. However, Firmino was quick to hit back at his doubters and become a top Premier league player. Whereas Memphis Depay can't get a game at Manchester United.

Brendan Rodgers seemed to utilise him all wrong. Under Rodgers, Firmimo wasn't playing like a player that had just cost 29m. Then in came Klopp. The 8th of October 2015 was the date Firmino never looked back. He changed the way he played; he tracked back a lot more, never stopped running and began to regain his confidence. Him and Coutinho soon became the Brazillian duo no defenders wanted to face. Adding in Mane, Wijnaldum and Lallana,, Liverpool now have one of the most potent counter attacks in world football.

Not only has Klopps Influence on Firmino improved the Liverpool team. The Brazilian Naional team has also reaped the benefits with the star scoring 5 goals in 18 games. When Coutinho and Firmino both play for Brazil they really do light it up. Pre 2015 Neymar was literally the only player who stepped up for Brazil. Now he has players around him, particularly Firmino, who are willing to put their bodies on the line to get the win.

When Messi and Ronaldo retire a new superstar needs to step up. I firmly believe that player can be Roberto Firmino.

Kabaddi Live event- Featured game Oxford vs Biringham

After attending last years IC Kabbaddi cup I thought it would be appropriate to head back this year with a better understanding of the game. One thing I noticed about the competiton this year was that their were a lot more teams involced and a lot more fans watching too. As well as this there were also more female matches this year too. My main intention of attending this live event wa to see how the Birmingham team did as that is my home town and I know a few of the players on the team.

Birmingham did very well in the tournament and ended up in the semi finals vs Lse, Unfortunately missing out in a gruelling extra time affair. For those who want to see highlights of the semi final they can be found here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehIc4ocF_xg

The tournament was hosted in Imperial college in London and involced university teams from all around the country. The first game Birmingham beat Oxford A team 37-0 which is a very huge score . This incidentally is the main game I focused on for this live event .In the sport of Kabaddi it is very rare for a team to concede 0 points to the opposition and you could tell from the players reactions and the fans faces that confidence was very high after the first game. The defenders were strong and agile, the attackers nimble and clinical. Birmingham were one of the form teams heading into the competition and the first match showed just how good they were.

After the game I caught up with Birmingham star player and captan Vinay Gupta who is also part of the England set up training for the next Kabaddi world cup in Tokyo. The full Interview can be found here

https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/kabadi-match-reportinterview

With Kabbaddi gaining more and more popularity throughtout the uk, I feel as though many schools may now start to implement this sport into the curriculum and that the sport will grow as a result.

Englands World cup group

With Germany, Argentina or Brazil waiting as potential opponents, many England fans would have been feeling a bit nervous ahead of the draw. However I feel like most of the fans will be very happy with the draw that was given to us.

Group G

1. Belgium
2. Panama
3. Tunisia
4. England 

Facing Belgium is no where near as bad as facing one of the bigger teams and couple that with the fact that Panama and Tunisia aren't great England should be optimistic. Howver, We all know how hard England find it to break down defensively set up sides. We struggled to break down Iceland. Costa Rica And Slovenia in recent years so this tournament wont be easy by any means. 

As well as this it potentially means we have to face Brazil or Germany on the way to the final which will not be an easy feat, although if we are aiming to win the tournament we have to face the big teams anyway. Its a case of when not if.

One thing that will worry the England fans though is the fact that Southgate has already been told whatever happens he is safe.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn says the manager will retain his position "for the next few tournaments". ''We go out there wanting to win it but also being realistic. No-one wants to have a bad World Cup but we're confident he's the right guy to take us through for the next few tournaments."

Hopefully Southgate uses this as motivation to succeed and not as a safety net as England will need all the motivation they can get.

Wolves Vs Birmingham Live event

Birmingham City were beaten by their local rivals as they sink back into the relegation zone following Wolves 1-0 Victory at St Andrews.

As a result of the win , Wolves have regained a four-point lead above Cardiff at the top of the Championship with the team in 3rd place 10 points behind.

 Leo Bonatini, the loan signing from Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal,casued a stir on the 8th minute when he scored. However being in the crowd there was a little bit of confusion at first especially in the Birmingham city end as many of the fans believed it didn't cross the line. However after some discussion and the use of goal line technology, Wolves were rightfully granted the goal.

Goalkeeprs keeping teams in the game seems to be a trend at the moment with the Birmignham keeper David Stockdale being responsible for keeping wolves out with some De Gea esque magic

The Birmingham side rarely threatened Wolves and things went from bad to worst in the 83rd minute when Harlee Dean picked up a second yellow card earning him a red.

Once the game was over I noticed that even thought their team lost a lot of the bimringham fans seemed optimistic and in good spirits.I feel as though many of them know the January market is round the corner and are expecting the side to strengthen signicifantly to secure safety.

Audio Portfolio

https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/lcc-sports-podcast







https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/training-the-next-genertation





https://soundcloud.com/user390459999/kabadi-match-reportinterview

Gender

Within sport, the issue of gender is always ever present. However it is most apparent in football. Many people believe more money should be pumped into the women's game but I disagree. If you look at the crowds at a women's football match they are much less then that of a men's football game. As well as this there has been a lot more money invested in men's football. I believe if women's football wasn't banned for a long period in the early 90s, women's football would be at a much more advanced level than it is now.

In addition to the issue of money, the issue of sexism comes in to play. ''Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball. Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so, and they already have some different rules to men – such as playing with a lighter ball. That decision was taken to create a more female aesthetic, so why not do it in fashion?" This was from the FIFA president at the time Sepp Blatter which makes the comment even more unbelievable. I feel as though since most of the council members or committee members in sport are male the decisions or suggestions they make don't usually benefit the female gender.

Furthermore, Of the 106 national Olympic committees, 5 have female presidents. Out of the 34 international sport federations that participate in the Olympic Games, only two are led by a woman. This further backs up my point about female lack of representation.

I feel as though this ideology is very ingrained into the system now and it would be very hard for the current era to change anything. However their are many inspiration female athletes out there and I believe a change will come in the future.

The body

In todays society no matter where you go, different places will have different ideologies of the perfect body. Sport is no different in that respect. A good example of this in the current era of sport is with Gonzalo Higuaín. On his day Higuaín is one of the most prolific strikers in the world and has been sought after by many big clubs in the past. In recent times he broke the Serie A scoring record with Napoli with his 36th goal of the season on the final day of the season, His hattrick goal sealed the record. However since securing his move to Juventus he has come under much scrutiny about his size and physique. Higuain responded to his critics by saying .'It is better if you keep saying I'm fat, I will continue to score goals,' he told Tuttosport.
'Come on, I'm fine, I have trained for 20 days and I honestly do not understand all this interest on my condition. 'I believe the idea behind the perfect body stems back to the original Olympics where being in the prime condition came hand in hand with sporting ability. I feel as though many people still believe to be the best at a sport you have to have the best body.

However there are cases in sport where not having the best body doesn't limit a sportsperson competing at the highest level. Another example of this is with Tyson Fury who defeated Wladimir Klitschko in a fight which shocked the world. Tyson Fury's body was described as 'unhealthy', 'Dad bod' and more but he defeated an opponent who was in much better physical shape. I believe the main reason why body shaming in sports exists is because of commercial reasons. A good body is what sponsors want to sell products or entice people to come and watch live events. However having a good body does not necessarily make you better at sport, I believe even though many people understand and accept that it isn't widely accepted as the sponsors prefer selling products.

Higuaín at Juventus

Higuaín at Napoli

      

Commercialisation

Football is such a lucrative business these days. We often find that we are losing values within sport just to appease the People who are providing the cash. For example, there are discussions for premier league games to kick off on Sunday at 11am to appease the Asian watching communities. There are even talks to get rid of 3pm games altogether. Many fans these days are really upset at how commercialisation seems to have come at a cost to the true game. Some would argue that since the Friday night fixtures and Monday night fixtures were introduced, the quality of games have decreased. However, Football wasn’t always such a lucrative business and it certainly never used to be so commercial.

Money is now a huge part of the game whether we like it or not. In 1961 the average wage of a footballer was just 20 pounds a week. Compared to in 2016 where footballers on average earn 2.4 million a year. Furthermore, Sky sports current tv deal is worth an incredulous 10million a game. This is crazy money for a sport which had such humble beginnings in the 19^th century.  A lot of top players are now choosing to join uncompetitive leagues with the promise of huge wages meaning a lot of players in their prime are being wasted. A good example of this is Carlos Tevez. Tevez is earning £615,000-a-week in China against players no where near his level. He stated in the past ‘I don’t want to play anymore. I’m tired of football but also the people who work in football. I don’t want to play anymore and I’m talking seriously. Football is only about money and I don’t like it. I would love to have my old life back old my neighborhood as I don’t like my way of life today’. The effect money and commercialistion has had on Tevez is a prime example of why fans are upset. A player previously heading for greatness, settled for money. I believe that many footballers will follow suit and many of the leagues will find it hard to compete financially. In addition, I believe that the sport itself will start to be adversely affected by this, not just the players.

According to Holt (1990, p12) Modern sport according to received wisdom was invented in the mid-Victorian years- the 1850s to 1880s.  However, since then so much has changed. Before all the money was introduced into the game, many players used to play for the shirt. Now it’s all about following the money. Players are happy to sit on the bench and earn £100,000 grand a week instead of earning less and getting game time. However, it would be very naïve to say all footballers are like this. Many players still love the game for what it is. But how long will that last? With more and more money getting pumped into the game, how long before even the most hard working down to earth heads get turned?

However, there are those that would argue football is progressing in the right direction. Compare a game of football from the mid 90’s to now and you can see that players are a lot more physically fit and managers and coaches are a lot more tactically aware. Although as I noted in a previous essay a huge consequence of commercialisation is that the divide between elite and amateur performers is growing with the divide set to increase more over the coming years. This is very true and can be seen today in the Uk Football scene. Grassroots football has suffered as a result of this also. A good example of this is how England do very well at youth levels versus rivals but then those rival players stay on and become better whereas the young English talents are loaned to league 1 and championship teams as managers have so much pressure as a result commercialistion to win everything and would rather trust a multimillion pound star then a young talent.

In conclusion I believe that even though teams are reaping the benefits of commercialisation, the fans and young players are suffering as a result and some would say the National side is suffering the most.

Reference List

Richard Holt (1990), Sport and the British: A Modern History, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Bibliography

Rob Steen – Floodlights and Touchlines, A History of Spectator Sport (2014)

Bill Murray – Football, A History of the World Game (1994)

2nd Ethan Interview

 GUNNING FOR OLYMPIC GLORY

Ethan Luke Chen,19 years old, is currently a student at Ual who represents his National side the Philippines in the U21 rugby league side. He has been Playing for his National side since he was 16 years old and has learnt and grown a lot over time.

‘When I first put on that shirt, the pride and elation I felt was amazing. Since then every time I’ve put on the shirt it’s been a huge rush of pride but nothing compares to the first time I wore the shirt. I still remember the match like it was yesterday’.

Balancing University and Rugby is no easy feat. Especially for a student with so much passion and ambition. However, Ethan comes across as a guy who is juggling both with relative ease. ‘I don’t get to train much during term time because I’m focusing mainly on my work, however I am always in the gym keeping fit and ready. When term ends, I fly out to the Philippines or Qatar and train with the rest of the squad. They put me through my paces but I’m generally at the same level. ‘

The 2020 Summer Olympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from Friday, July 24, 2020 to Sunday, August 9, 2020. Ethan, who has been in the side since he was 17, has ambitions and dreams to play in the Tokyo games. ‘The Olympics is the dream, as a sportsman I want a platform I can play on that means I can be recognised. More importantly though I feel as though wearing the national shirt at the Olympics surrounded by my teammates, all which I consider brothers, would be an absolutely unreal moment and something I could look back on with pride and cherish for the rest of my life.’

‘Obviously getting to the Olympics will take a lot of work, anyone who appears at any Olympic game has earned their right to be there and is someone I look up to. My sporting inspiration within the Philippines is the current National 1^st team captain Luke Srama as he has been there since I first got into rugby and is such a wonderful, wonderful player. My sporting hero though has to be Roger Federer. He is like a fine wine, with age he just gets better and better, He incorporates everything new he learns into his game and has been at the top now for quite some time. He has outplayed and outlasted many of his rivals and continues to be in the top 3 players in the world despite his age only increasing. He is an artist, I know this because he mates all the difficult stuff look so easy that you forget its actually really hard what he is doing’

Ethan will be Meeting back up with his teammates this summer and hopes to have a successful period with them and convince the coaches that he is still the right player for the squad.