Birmingham City published an article noting the contrast between previous transfer windows and the one that has just ended, which saw departures but no arrivals. Continue reading
Tag Archives: David Conn
Betting and football
The name of the league in which Birmingham City plays, the Sky Bet Championship, indicates the close relationship between betting and football. The 888 on the shirt reinforces the impression. Continue reading
Here we go
Zigic with scarf
Some of us will be going to the game at St Andrew’s tonight and I’m probably not the only one wondering why I’m going. Continue reading
A more splendid life
The Fulham game reminded me of why I first fell in love with football. When my dad first took me to St Andrew’s it was like going to a different world: a world of noise and excitement. As J B Priestly said, going to a football match “turned you into a member of a new community, all brothers together for an hour and half … having pushed your way through a turnstile into another and altogether more splendid life.” Continue reading
Stolen or sold?
I just came across a Twitter account called Sky Stole the Soul. I like the alliteration and sympathise with the sentiment but it is not strictly true. Sky didn’t steal the soul of football; they bought it. Continue reading
What do we want?
I’ve been thinking about the question that Nat Peters asked in a recent post: “What type of owner would we want?” I’m sure that opinions will be divided on this. Continue reading
Sorrows and joys
John from Australia
Watching Birmingham City play on Saturday left me feeling utterly miserable. Their game on Wednesday evening, against Burnley, reminded me why I love football. What made the difference? The result certainly helped; a draw is better than a loss and a last minute equaliser meant we ended the game on a high. For two women I passed as I walked back to town, it meant extra effort attempting to control a group of very excited young children. They explained that the kids had been hyper since that last goal. I was just glad to see kids who weren’t crying at the end of a game. Continue reading
Why care?
One person commenting on my last post about Nepalese labourers in Qatar asked, “Who cares?” That question is relatively easy to answer; I care and a lot of other people do too. It is harder to explain why I care in a way that will make sense to the person that made that comment but I’m going to try. Continue reading
“Richer than God” by David Conn
My aim in writing this review is not to give a balanced account of the whole book but to explain why I think it should be read by fans of all English football clubs and not just those who support Manchester City. The subtitle of the book is “Manchester City, Modern Football and Growing Up” and the middle phrase, “Modern Football”, refers to David Conn’s account of the business of football.
Why Rule 34 doesn’t apply to Mr Pannu
Birmingham City FC started out as a club, not a business. It was started by a group of young men from Holy Trinity Church who played cricket during the summer and wanted to play football together during the winter. According to the history page on bcfc.com the club turned professional in 1885 and became a limited company in 1988.
Mrs Thatcher and football
Mrs Thatcher has a family and friends who will be feeling sorrow at her passing. So before I express my opinions, I would like to offer my condolences to them.
“The Beautiful Game?” by David Conn
There is no mention of Birmingham City FC in this book but it contains much that explains the current plight of the club I support. The book explains how the clubs that were started in workplaces, schools and churches evolved into professional teams and why ticket prices have risen so much that many people can no longer afford to go and watch what used to be called the people’s game.It explores the reasons why so many clubs have been insolvent at a time when there is so much money in the game. It is well researched and well written by a fan who loves the game. It’s a must-read for anyone who cares about football and wants to understand what has gone wrong with football in Britain.