Maple Lions

German officials are nervous about activity by extreme-right organizations during the World Cup, at least some of whom can barely contain their enthusiasm for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran:

A worrisome Berliner Tagesspiegel report on March 30 stated that right-wing extremists, in Germany and internationally, were preparing to disturb the sports event, taking advantage of the heavy workload of the police and security forces. For further provocation, they are planning to distribute a CD containing neo-Nazi music among the soccer fans.

 The German extreme-right-wing party NPD, which has repeatedly been on the brink of a judicial ban for spreading fascist ideas, plans to show solidarity with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who enjoys a certain popularity among German neo-Nazis for his denial of the Holocaust and his anti-Israel policy. Freely adapted from this year’s World Cup motto “The world visiting friends,” the regional NPD group of the east German region of Saxony titles its home page: “We are looking forward to Iran - Welcome to Leipzig!”

The NPD is also pushing for an all-white German national team.  Meanwhile, there’s nothing I can write which would do justice to this:

German police are afraid - particularly with regard to Iran’s games - that Polish hooligans could collaborate with German neo-Nazis.

Speaking of Iran, the government is finally going to let women attend football matches.

Damian P.

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Just when it looked like the FA had resigned themselves to a teeth-gritting consensus, the race for England manager sparked again with word that vice-chairman David Dein has been spearheading an effort to bring Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari back into the picture:

“FA have their Phil” screams the headline in the Daily Express, who to be fair were backing the Brazilian as long ago as Friday.

Harry Harris reports that “Kingmaker” and FA vice-chairman David Dein has pulled off an “unexpected coup” to secure the Portugal coach.

Martin Lipton, writing in the Daily Mirror, agrees, claiming that “Big Phil” is the new favourite for the job.

Scolari had an extremely impressive second interview and has the strongest CV of all the candidates, claims the Mirror, and the FA’s selection panel will meet on Wednesday to confirm their choice.

Several papers report that it is now a straight choice between Scolari and Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren.

The BBC page has a poll where you can vote for your choice of gaffer.  Curbs is still in the list, proving that all he needs to cap off his incomprehensible resurrections are a goalie mask and a big knife.

Paul Canniff

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Two brothers in a small German town founded a shoe company in the 1920s. After an absolutely brutal falling out, one of them left to start up a competing firm, and the rivalry continues to this day:

There is only one feud in Herzogenaurach worthy of mention and it’s between Adidas and Puma. Founded in the town by two warring brothers, the international sportswear giants have been based here since the 1940s, and their age-old rivalry is legendary.

And, with less than two months to go until the World Cup in Germany, the battle is unparalleled in its intensity. To kit out the winning World Cup team is the ultimate prize for any sports manufacturer. Companies spend billions each year sponsoring the top stars and the most popular teams at football tournaments all over the world in an attempt to raise their brand’s profile.

Some believe the firm that wins the sponsorship battle on home turf will be crowned the outright winner in Herzogenaurach’s decade-long sports shoe war. Others say, whatever happens, it will just make the one-upmanship worse. Adidas is kitting out six teams. Puma, long regarded as the underdog in the fraternal war, is quietly claiming that it has already won, since it has 12 teams on side.

“Some of the stories you hear are just mind-blowing,” says Filip Trulsson, marketing manager of team sports at Puma. The Swedish-born 33-year-old has a Scandinavian sanguinity about him, and a detachment from local politics that has probably prevented him from going mad during the eight years he has spent working in this conservative countryside town. “Puma people not marrying Adidas people, Adidas and Puma gangs in the schools, pubs loyal to one firm refusing to serve workers from the other, it’s all gone on here,” he said, shaking his head. “But there are a lot more international people here nowadays. I think the locals take it all far more seriously than the foreigners do.”

Herzogenaurach has been described as “the town of bent necks,” as no local would start a conversation with another without first looking down to check which firm’s shoes they were wearing.

At first I was going to write that Puma may be supplying more teams this summer, but that the Adidas nations - including Germany, France, Spain and Argentina - have a better chance of winning. In fact, FIFA ranks some of the Puma countries much higher than people assume: the Czech Republic are ranked second in the world, Japan is an astonishing 17th, and the Iranians are 22nd.

England, of course, will be kitted out in Umbro gear, while the top-ranked Brazilians wear Nike. Everyone’s official World Cup kit can be viewed and purchased here.

Damian P.

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Spurs supporter Stephen Pollard extends congratulations to his archrivals for their recent accomplishments:
Congratulations to Arsenal, who by salvaging a draw yesterday against Tottenham have guaranteed a place in next season’s UEFA Cup. That’s quite a performance for a scratch international XI.

No doubt their fans will be licking their lips in anticipation of playing teams of Finnish fisherman and part time Moldovian motor mechanics in the UEFA round robin stage at their new stadium. Enjoy it, Gooners!

Of course, some of us are praying for a shot against Finnish fisherman and Moldovian mechanics…

Damian P.

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Since there’s not much to write about with respect to their Prem progress, I guess I’ll write about their financial situation. Everton FC were the most profitable club in England last season.

Chelsea were one of only four clubs to be in the red - and Roman Abramovich’s losses were a staggering £140million in 2004-05 according to a Financial Times survey.

Everton outstripped Manchester United, Arsenal and neighbours Liverpool with profits of £23.5million but the encouraging news for the Premier League is that, excluding Chelsea, the other 17 clubs who have published figures made a combined £75million profit compared to a £27million loss in 2003-04.

Unfortunately, it’s almost all due to the Rooney sale.

(Wyness) said: “We would have to sell a Wayne Rooney every year for five years to consistently beat the big clubs in a table such as this.

In hopefully unrelated news, Everton has signed 17-year old striker Scott Spencer from Oldham Athletic. Spencer has been hailed as [gulp] “the new Rooney“. Surely, they wouldn’t sell him off after a year or two ~ ‘once a Blue, always a Blue’, right?

With young strikers like Spencer, James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe to work with, the Toffees may just put a few more into the back of the net next season. As a former Preston player and gaffer, Moyesie has been sniffing around young striker David Nugent, so who knows if we’ll see him on Merseyside one day. After ‘04-’05, you would have thought Moyes would understand that the club needs some firepower; if he doesn’t figure it out after this season, he ain’t never figuring it out.

Mike C

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Arsene Wenger produced a prize example of Gallic demeanour in his attacks on Martin Jol after today’s North London derby, stomping into the tunnel at the close of play. All because two Arsenal players collided with each other as Spurs advanced to a goal:

Referee Steve Bennett said: “I assessed the situation and saw that no-one was endangered and there were no head injuries, and in that situation the game can carry on.”

As noted elsewhere in the Telegraph:

All that happened was that two Arsenal players, Gilberto Silva and Eboue, collided and fell. While referee Steve Bennett correctly checked they were not seriously injured - both were able to look up - Spurs continued to attack down the left and Edgar Davids tried a low cross. Though Arsenal were understandably thin at the back, the irony is that Kolo Toure got close enough to the ball to impart the subtle deflection that took it into the path of Keane, who sidefooted wide of Jens Lehmann.

Fittingly, Arsenal’s next face Spurs at a new venue sponsored by an airline, from whom the Gooners could draw a worthy lesson. The aviation world has found one way to help avoid collisions: use English as a common working language. So crack those ESL books, mes amis!

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While the Telegraph reports that Steve McClaren is the leading contender for England manager after the latest interview round, the Guardian notes that McClaren may be favoured in an effort to achieve consensus. This follows news of sharp divisions within the FA nominations committee.

While McClaren’s recent performances in Europe add to his credibility, one has to be wary of any effort to find the least objectionable candidate in a hiring. That sort of attitude inflicted upon the public the likes of William Hague and Joe Clark (twice!).

Paul Canniff

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Another win for the Geordies today: 3-0 over West Brom, who will almost certainly not escape relegation two years in a row.

Newcastle is now even on points with sixth-place Blackburn - with an identical goal differential, to boot - but the Rovers have a game in hand.  Still, the Geordies are on a tear, leading into next week’s match against another club frantically struggling to stay up: Birmingham.   We have Chelsea at home to close out the season on May 7 - which could make the Birmingham match the quintessential trap game.

Damian P.

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Andrew Potter, co-author of “The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can’t be Jammed” offers his appraisal of the competing Nike and Adidas ad campaigns.

I concur that the Nike series has proven more appealing, although it took me some time to warm to it. The first ads were overly Brazil-focused and it didn’t help that Eric Cantona looked so unrecognizably world-weary. But the Ronaldinho and Rooney spots are bits of real genius in exciting the desire to play with all of one’s heart. And their move to create an online footie community with Google is savvy Net marketing.

For England fans, though, your destination has be to be Umbro’s OneLove online campaign.

Paul Canniff

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The Guardian has an excellent overview of the looming battle for sharing Sky TV’s rights to EPL matches. Of particular note is that broadband — Internet-based — vendors are on an equal footing with cable and satellite companies this time.

While this promises to infuse an additional £400 million into the game, the prospect of broadband-based offerings provides some hope for those of us trapped behind the Maple Curtain.  The CRTC remains vigilant in clamping down on viewer freedom in defence of the non-existant Canadian professional soccer market.

Paul Canniff

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