This afternoon, England will play Ukraine in a World Cup Qualifier that is meaningless for the national side. Absolutely meaningless, pointless and a waste of time. In fact, we would learn more if Fabio Capello took his team to London to watch a bunch of ex-soapstars and sportsmen take to the dancefloor scantily clad with the Russian champion of waltzing on their arms. At least, that would appear to be the view of the BBC, Sky, ESPN and the other big-name broadcasters that have abandoned their duties to the millions of English football fans up and down the country. If we want to watch Rooney, Terry & co play their penultimate competitive match before June in South Africa, we will have to pay the best part of £10 or more for the privelege. Is it worth it?
To many hardcore football fans, the answer will be yes. Any opportunity to watch the 11 brave young men of England take on a bunch of foreigners is worth it. Any other view would be treason. There are, of course, still questions to be answered before South Africa. Can Robert Green cut it as England's number one? Is the much-maligned Emile Heskey a better option than Defoe or even Carlton Cole? Ukraine poses a real test for England, far more so than the game on Wednesday, against Belarus, will likely do. Let us imagine that (God forbid) Wayne Rooney is carried off with England 1-0 down this evening. This is where Capello will earn his corn. England have not been convincing without their star man in recent times, and if Rooney is to show the same hot-headedness that was displayed in Germany in 2006, England will need a Plan B. These are the sorts of games that a Plan B needs to be trialled. We cannot simply reply on the impromptu job of hoofing it long for Heskey to flick on for Defoe- far better teams than Croatia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will deal with this threat. However, Mark Thompson, Director-General of the BBC clearly already has the solution, or at the very least feels that Capello has it all under control.
Maybe you are of the opinion that the repartee between Bruce Forsythe and Len Goodman is far more entertaining than that of John Motson and Mark Lawrenson, and won't be paying to watch England, in your view, 'labour' to an easy victory. I don't blame you. I really don't. To someone who is not an expert on computers (don't let this blog fool you), the whole system sounds rather risky. Picture the scene: Wayne Rooney has just been felled by big Ukrainian centre half Vitaliy Mandzyuk. England's physio has rushed onto the scene. It looks bad. A long term injury could be fatal to England's chances. All of a sudden, the football has been replaced by a pop-up selling Viagra. The match has vanished into cyber-space, along with your money. And we still don't know if Big Vitaliy has received a card to rule him out of Ukraine's next match...
On a more serious note, football has become too expensive. I can only speak for my club, but ticket prices are driving fans away, and money is scarce. Not only is the international break a diversion from the stress that comes with the club side, it is also a chance to rebuild finances before the long cold winter. An away trip can cost the best part of £100. £10 to watch England on a crackly screen is, for some, an insult.Especially when Big Joe Calzaghe is midway through a rumba that makes an elephant falling through a roof look dainty.
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