The Problem with English Football

Above: Jean-Marc Bosman taking his case to the European Court of Justice.

Of all of the few things to come out of Belgian over the years that isn't chocolate the Bosman ruling made in 1995 by the European Court of Justice has in many ways damaged the English game.

Can you think of a time when the national side fulfilled its expectations both abroad and at home? Maybe as many argue the press overemphasis the national teams strength. Maybe as many argue the press gives the national team to much pressure proclaiming before every world cup that 'this will be the year' and 'football will be coming home'.

Cricket and Rugby have not had the same problems football has experienced. It would be silly to make comparisons between the three sports as less people play Rugby and Cricket but surely with this countries large fan base and the sheer number of qualified FA coaches and players we should be punching above our current weight.

Cricket has always had caps on the amount of foreign players allowed to play for any team and genuinely when foreign players have played they have had a positive influence on the young home grown English talent and on the other English players. Football is obviously a sport that is dominated by money and some may be inclined to argue that if we took away the ability for football clubs to have as many foreign players in there team we may see the premier league become boring leading to poor attendance figures. One would heavily dispute this, a few foreign players would have a positive influence and we would also see more English talent something we are lacking.

Recently, the FA Youth Cup Final was contested between Manchester United and Sheffield United. Yes! The same Sheffield United who have dropped into League One or if you want to be blunt Division Three. I remember vividly when Sheffield United played in the Premier League! This however is not the point. Sheffield United have one of the best youth set ups in the country and have been in the FA youth final for 7 of the last 8 years I believe. Surly this further supports the claim that the English game is saturated with foreign players.

I remember watching Arsenal play in the European Cup a number of years ago when I started to become interested in Football turn out a side that had no English players at all. Surly this cannot be right? In fact, the last time a club put out a side that had players who could qualify for England was in 1999. That club was Middlesborough and yes one of the players did go on to play for Scotland, this is not the point as they all could have played for England.

This sorry state of affairs is not so apparent in Rugby Union with Harlequins fielding a side with two foreign players both of whom have acted as role models for young English talent to hopefully emulate. Nick Evans generally believed to be the best fly half in the Aviva Premiership has been a great role model for young English fly half Rory Clegg. Harlequins look to be one of the most promising sides in European rugby with many young home grown English players. The side does not play boring rugby but with panache and razzmatazz.

For those of you unsure of what the Bosman ruling is then let me explain what it has to do with what I have talked about. It was bought about in 1995 when a Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman went to the European Court of Justice to demand the right for players within the European Union to be able to go to other clubs in Europe freely. It will come as no surprise to you that as a euro-sceptic this really does bring out the 'disgusted of Royal Tunbridge Wells' of me but it also raises two huge issues. One political the other sporting. Firstly, is it right that for a few men in robs in foreign courts to make these decisions and further to this courts which do not have proper consent from the British people and  Secondly, is it right that football is dominated by foreign players which is proving detrimental to the English game?

Football: It is time we left FIFA - 'For the Good of the Game'

Today, I call upon the Football Association to have some backbone and to leave FIFA. Recently, we have seen BBC Panorama exposing yet more corruption and bribery dominating football's governing body. Let's stand up for the traditional British values of democracy and fair play and leave this corrupt and scandalous organisation.

Last year the Football Association put together an outstanding bid to host the Football World Cup, with  political big beasts and some of English football's biggest characters came together and proclaimed that football was coming home. Sepp Blatter, taking a very anti-British line, spoke of how football was invented in China and then spoke of how it was Britain that developed the rules. Well Mr Blatter, for it to be considered a game surly it has to have rules?

It has not been the first time that corruption has been exposed in the top eschelans of FIFA, however this time FIFA, in response to the growing criticism and the recent Panorama programme, has sought to investigate the corruption claims made by the television show about Jack Warner and Mohammed Bin Hamman - who is seeking to contest the FIFA presidency against Sepp Blatter. You just couldn't make it up; all Football Associations will have a choice between two devious, manipulative and shady individuals. No wonder the FA has chosen to abstain.

The FA does not have the backbone to leave FIFA and I suspect given half the chance that a number of the 'old boys' who seems to dominate these kind of associations would be guilty of some of the same charges had they the opportunity. For the FA to leave FIFA it would actually reactionary and give the world the impression that we are soar little Englishmen who cannot accept defeat. Perhaps we should have blown the whistle on corruption in FIFA much earlier and forfeited the chance to hold the World Cup but, as a historian, I am it is always dangerous to say 'what if' and 'in hindsight.'

One would prefer the FA to leave FIFA and set up a rival governing organisation to be controlled in London, seeing as the rules of Association Football were devised on our green playing fields and not on some all-weather artifial pitches in the desert. I think if we went ahead then it would not be long before other countries would follow in our footsteps. It's time that we stop complaining about FIFA and actually did something - if perhaps a little radical - about it.

Video: Dan's round up of sporting events

Dan gives you another fantastic review of sporting goings on, including the state of football's governing body and who he thinks will win the French Open.

Motorsport: Hunter-Reay to race in Indy 500

Andretti Autosport's Ryan Hunter-Reay will race in this Sunday's Indianapolis 500 after his team reached an agreement with AJ Foyt Racing for him to replace Bruno Junqueira.

Hunter-Reay was left without a drive in the 200-lap race after he was bumped at the last minute by teammate Marco Andretti, which would have left him alongside fellow Andretti Autosport driver Mike Conway on the sidelines, however, due to race rules Hunter-Reay will now driver the No. 28 car with a Foyt/Andretti livery from the back of the field, despite Junqueira qualifying in 18th place.

Speaking of the move, Hunter-Raey said: "There has been an incredible range of emotion these past few days...I know this is not the first time this has happened in Indy 500 history but I feel terrible for Bruno and I thank him for his efforts and I hope he understands."

Despite the rivalry that is shared between Foyt Racing and Andretti, Foyt accepted that some situations require perspective: "We've been competitors for many years but still it's the kind of relationship when someone is really down and out, you can't turn your back on them - at least I can't."

Hunter-Reay had previously driven for the Foyt team in the backend of 2009, after Vision Racing (his then team) ran low on funds. However, the decision has not been met well by Indycar fans, with comments such as " Bump day? Why bother!" and " The integrity of the greatest spectacle in racing has been compromised.".

Whilst the move is set to stick, what appears to be the right move for Andretti Autosport, Foyt Racing and Ryan Hunter-Reay may end up damaging the history and legacy of the Indianapolis 500, especially given that this year's race will mark a hundred years since the first race at the Brickyard.

Rugby Union: The Mighty Quins

Harlequins are fast becoming the glamour club of England, just as Stade Francais were the glamour club of France. The south west London club, playing in that famous strip of cyan, magenta, chocolate brown and grey have played the 2010-11 season with copious amounts of flaire and panache.

What has really excited me about the club this season has been the sheer amount of players that could qualify for England in the starting line up - a stark contrast from association football, where the last time there was an all english side playing in the top flight was in 1999 with Middlesborough. Since then we have seen some of the bigger clubs such as Arsenal field sides without any English players. Harlequins have shown this season that you do not have to have a team packed full of foreign talent, and instead you can achieve results and silverware with home-grown players.

Key to the success of Quins has been kiwi fly half Nick Evans. Judged by many to be the best stand off in the Premiership, he has had a positive influence on the squad, mentoring young english fly half Rory Clegg. On Friday night Harlequins played Stade Francais in the final of the Amlin Challenge Cup and the Quins - completely against the run of play - scored a try in the last five minuetes to win the match with a touchline conversion from Evans. Quins always seem to leave it late against the parisians; one recalls the match between Quins and Stade at the Twickenham Stoop in the group stages of the 2008 Heiniken Cup when Quins won the game in overtime after going through nearly 30 phases.

Having experienced both the highest and lowest moments in the modern history of the club, I believe that in the next couple of seasons Quins will be making progress in the later stages of the Heinken Cup and in the Aviva Premiership. I wish the Quins the best of success and will be reporting back next season!

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