Politics and Sport – some thoughts

This Welsh supporter’s hat was taken off Welsh supporters going into their first game by officials because it supports gay pride. If you host global events, you should deal with global beliefs and not suppress them

As those that know me well know I am not a great sports fan and have only ever been to one football match. But even I am aware of the World Cup taking place. I always keep a weather eye open for big games, not least because if your door knocking in Liverpool if Liverpool or Everton are playing it is a sure way to lose votes!! I always want Liverpool, Everton and England to do well but I am a very passive supporter!

I am also aware of the geopolitics and global financing on which a number sports, especially foot ball are based. I was, however, induced to think more carefully about this issue when I saw the following Tweet on my time line.

“Iranian team refusing to sing their anthem knowing they could go home and be jailed or executed for it. Our lot not wearing a bit of cloth because one of them might get a yellow card. Embarrassing.”

Now I have no idea whether or not sanctions will be made against the Iranian team I suspect they will be, but I doubt if they will be executed because of their stand. It does give us the idea that we should think carefully about how our international sports are organised and paid for.

I have always believed that sport is a very soft tool for global diplomacy. As  sport fans go from place to lace inside their country and from country to country they have the chance to observe behaviours and customs in those countries. Surely, they will learn from that and take some of what they see home.? This the whole principle on which the Olympic Games was founded.

However, these principles have sullied by money and the need for some sports organisations to make huge profits for their organisation and it would appear themselves. The World Cup’s handling by FIFA is an egregious example of this.

It is now apparent that bribery was involved in the original awarding of the Tournament for 2022. It was awarded to a Country of just 300,000 people most of whom live in just one City, Doha. I have been there, and money has been spent on all sorts of projects but if you don’t like posh nosh or boats there isn’t much to do. Of course, far more people live there than the ‘indigenous’ population. If you are a wealthy ex-pat you live a life of tedious luxury. If you are from South-East Asia, you will live a dangerous and tacky existence.

There is no infrastructure for football and a small amateur club team could have played better than the national team at the opening match. The infrastructure that has been provided has been built by basically slave labour. No-one knows how many people have died because of dangerous and unregulated building practices. No-one even asked!

Now the normal courtesies of global relations have been suspended and too many people do not care. Politics has been imported onto the field of play by crass decisions of FIFA about what can and cannot be worn. Human Rights issues that should have been sorted out before the Tournament was awarded and now are being fudged by a compliant FIFA who have the moral compass of a marshmallow.

If I look to my own City of Liverpool we can see Everton being controlled by overseas investors with considerable numbers of rumours that the money comes from a Russian oligarch whose money has been laundered by a supposed owner from a different country. I don’t know if this is true but what is clear is that the Club is in no way controlled locally.

Liverpool FC may or may not be up for sale. It is  owned by business men from America who just see Clubs as an investment opportunity and seek to maximise their returns. That’s business and in most cases, there is nothing wrong with it. Our Country does, after all, need foreign investment. But again, there is no local control.

The investment has, at least in the case of Liverpool FC reaped dividends on the field and off it. That is at the expense of many local people who passionately love their team but will never be able to afford to watch them play. Some Clubs are clearly owned by despots from despotic countries. Does that matter if the put the money in and the results flow?

Well, I believe it does. In some ways some clubs, especially in the Premier League seem to be vehicles for money laundering. The World Cup venues have been built at the cost of huge amounts of money and even more amounts of misery.

The only way that we can make global sport reputable is to introduce controls that would introduce morality into big events at an early stage and to reduce the role that money and greed play in global sport.

I have concentrated on football today because it’s the World Cup. I could have spoken about Formula 1 racing, cricket, the Olympics, golf and probably many other sports. The problems are ubiquitous.

I may be old-fashioned but I believe that all sports should promote events which are a noble competition between sports people and their competition. The sordid world of FIFA and the desperate scramble for football club ownership are far, far removed from this ideal.