I’m not sure who it was that first came up with the quote, “sport and politics should never mix” (there seem to be a number of candidates – no political pun intended) but generally it seems to be a sensible policy… in an ideal world.
Football – the ‘beautiful game’. Politics – ‘an ugly business’. Oil and water. Never the twain shall meet you might hope.
But of course with a General Election looming next May and all shades of political leanings desperate to lure the populist vote, it seems the round ball game is becoming… well, a bit of a political football.
From Nick Clegg giving his opinion on whether former Canary Ched Evans should resume his career at Sheffield United now he’s been released from clink, to Boris Johnson cruelly tripping a young ‘opponent’ in a kids kick-about, and all media opportunities and political colours in between.
Does all this interest the ‘average’ footy fan (a pigeon hole into which I fit snuggly) who, on the whole, has little interest in the cogs and gears of the parliamentary machine?
I have no problem with politicians who claim their undying support to a club – they are welcome to some downtime outside of the wacky world of Westminster. Norwich are of course ‘graced’ by the support of Shadow Chancellor and former right-hand man to Gordon Brown, Ed Balls.
The honourable MP for Morley & Outwood (West Yorkshire) has always been considered a bit of a political ‘bruiser’ and seems to take that reputation onto the pitch now. In a recent politicians-journalists match, his stray elbow dishonourably met the face of an opponent who was left with blood pouring from a wound close to his eye. George Osborne be warned!
If you live in Norwich then you may be familiar with the names, Chloe Smith (Con: Norwich North – majority of 3901) and Simon Wright (Lib-Dem: Norwich South – majority of 310). Ms Smith is a keen cyclist and badminton player (football interest unknown) while Mr Wright’s Twitter photo is accompanied by the Canaries badge. Has anyone seen him at Carrow Road?
The Prime Minister himself rather bizarrely claims (along with even more bizarrely, Prince William) to follow the Villa. I’m not too sure how many times either man has been to Birmingham but it seems that Paul Lambert’s knighthood is assured if he guides his men to Premier glory. Unlikely I know.
Nor do I have an issue with footballers using their fame and influence in seeking a political role once the boots have been packed away.
Sol Campbell has recently announced his interest in joining the Conservative Party. Make of that what you will but at least it shows ambition and a desire to make a difference beyond the muddy pitch if into the muddier world of Westminster.
99.9 per cent of footballers would rather spend their time knocking a golf ball about or appearing on a ‘celebrity’ TV show involving slug eating or the Viennese Waltz so, whatever your opinion on Sol, I would commend him for taking his life after football seriously.
One area where political action is surely welcomed by the majority is the introduction of ‘cross-party’ calls for action in setting up a public inquiry to address a particular issue. A fine example of this category is the ‘Concussion Can Kill‘ effort led by Chris Bryant MP (Labour) calling for a serious debate/action on the issue of head injury in sport and the short and long term effects suffered by individuals.
In football, the most well-known historic cases are of Jeff Astle (WBA) and our own Duncan Forbes from repetitive heading back in the old heavier ball days. More recent examples involving Premier League keepers also highlight the need for action.
Hopefully this effort will give the FA a much needed kick up their collective backside to release a long overdue report which they claim to have compiled from research on the subject.
Where the ‘line’ begins to become fuzzy maybe and where I get a bit queasy is when political parties begin to lever policies into their manifestos, and there seems to be plenty of that going on as the Tory-Lib Dem coalition begins to crack as it enters its final phase.
The Lib Dems look to be leading the way with stated political initiatives in support of the issues of safe standing areas at football grounds and action on homophobic chanting within grounds. The Labour party has recently come out in support of legislation for greater fan involvement in the running of clubs. All very important topics but should they be left to the whim of politicians seeking re-election? As far as I can tell, neither the Tories or an upwardly mobile UKIP have yet to build in football-related policies ahead of the campaign trail but it wouldn’t come as a shock if they did.
Is such policy making to be commended and welcomed as a genuine attempt to address a pressing issue or dismissed with contempt as just being a cheap, populist stab at vote grabbing?
Personally, I suspect the latter.
It seems football is ‘fair game’ for politics with every vote counting. Which box will I be ticking? I honestly don’t know but, whoever I decide on, their football policies will not be a priority. How about you?
Apologies for the cynicism but if you consider being ‘graced’ by the support of Ed Balls as turning up very occasionally (when we’re doing well) as support then you have a more relaxed view on what constitutes support than me. You can bet your life that should we fulfill our aim for this season then he’ll almost certainly find time in his busy schedule to turn up for the end of season photo opportunity!
And as for the proposals of his party to impose some sort of control on the running of what are essentially private businesses. Complete nonsense comrade, if you don’t like how your club is being run, just vote with your feet and don’t follow them.
Politics and sport is like politics and religion-they should be mutually exclusive and never the twain shall meet…
Unfortunately that is, and will likely never be the case.
The phrase “political football” is a long standing one-nice to see our national game being connected with a political negative.
Ed Balls support for Norwich is not manufactured at all. Its genuine enough and he is, at least, fairly subtle about it, compared to some at Westminster.
Tony Blair was supposedly tripped up over a claim he “sat at the Gallowgate End at Newcastle and watched Jackie Milburn”-that became a political football he was subsequently beaten with. The problem was, he never said it! The story actually owes its origin to a Radio 5Live interview in 1997 which was subsequently reported in the North East in the local Sunday Sun newspaper.
Thereafter, it appears to have taken on a life of its own. Eventually, early in 2010 BBC Newsnight reporter Adam Livingstone tracked down a tape of the original interview. When asked when he had become a supporter of Newcastle, Mr Blair replied that it had been ‘just after Jackie Milburn.’ He never mentioned the Gallowgate End at all.
Charles Clarke used to go to games regularly, without any fuss or special treatment, when he was Home Secretary and MP for Norwich South. I often saw him queueing at away games.
Of current leading figures I have met, shadow sports minister Clive Efford, a former cabbie, is a proper Millwall fan and Andy Burnham (shadow Health) is Everton barmy and has done a lot of really good pro-football stuff, including being instrumental in getting Prem League and FA to set up and fund Football Foundation, which ploughs money into grassroots facilities.
That’s an example, I think, of how politics and sport are never really separate. Politics is the business of deciding how things are done and almost everything we do has a political implication.
Nobody in Norwich should forget Ian Gibson, scientist, lecturer, ex-footballer and MP and NCFC ever-present.
Thanks for the comments.
I’m sure Mr. Balls’s support is genuine as he was born in the Fine City – he could go along to billionaire row (Chelsea or Arsenal) if he was just looking for footy-related photo-ops. What are the odds of the ‘Balls dream double’ happening – Canaries promotion and a Labour government next May?
Tony Blair – don’t go there! With supporters like that, who needs enemies? Don’t think he’s been seen in the ‘Toon of late though.
Charles Clarke and Ed Balls would make a fearsome Labour wrestling tag team – two old-school political heavyweights if ever there was. It’s just a pity that the careers of Michael Foot (a keen Plymouth supporter) and Ed Balls never crossed.
I suppose we should be grateful that no clubs in this country are under the rule of a politician/owner – I’m thinking ‘Bunga Bungler’ Berlusconi.
Fair shout with Dr. Ian Gibson (who Chloe Smith followed) – his Canaries credentials are beyond reproach – unlike his expenses claims.
*Let’s hope we see some (yellow and) green shoots of recovery on Friday night.
Russell: politics being the complicated business it is, any Election result next May has implications for the Balls household. Labour win and he’s Chancellor. Labour lose and there’ll be a vacancy for Party leader, with his partner Yvette Cooper a leading candidate.
Fortunately, he’ll have no such conflicted interest where City are concerned. He’ll be pulling as strongly as the rest of us for promotion.
PS Mick beat me to talk about Charles Clarke. Often saw him in the Gunn Club; always happy to chat.
Respect to Charles Clarke is due (at least from a footy point of view).
I once got a flight back to Norwich with Jim Prior (‘did time’ in Heath & Thatcher governments) in the seat behind wearing a yellow and green scarf. His son was a North Norfolk MP who lost his seat to Norman Lamb.
Seems football and politics is more miscible than my initial oil and water analogy.
A further memorable sighting of Charles Clarke to report. Whilst Home Secretary he was, along with the rest of the Norwich fans, ‘kettled’ in the car park at Ipswich train station waiting to be ‘escorted’ to Portaloo Road. Politics in sport indeed!
Politics and football are inextricably linked, in so much as both are often cited as being reflections of the wider society in which they both exist and represent. How much one agrees with this sentiment is obviously a matter for debate, but a number of key issues within football and sport in general are undoubtedly connected to varying degrees of political decision making. Much of what has been discussed here is Politics (capital P) on a Party Political level, but any time supporters engage in organised action or debate in some form, it can be said to contain a political (small p) element to it (for example, recent FSF organised protests around ticket pricing.)
I think the problem in this country is that many clubs and fans simply don’t have the same history of links between football and politics. That is obviously fine, but there are plenty of examples in areas of the world where football, and sport more generally, have been used in both positive and negative ways politically, and by individuals who form part of the Political class.