(edit title) I do not understand. Why is England...so low? Options

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

I read this article a few days ago, and find that I cannot walk away from it.

I am new to English football and totally love the sport and what is stands for; I wish American sport could be like it...I gave up baseball years ago because they stopped playing it as it should be.

Now, I am "keen" on the Premier League, to the max!!!

I am also an Anglophile!

This article has me wondering, what became of the:"Empire" and Christian Europe?

Why should the rules/customs and basics of this "beautiful game" be changed to please a religion that would not do the same for us?

I f##ken don't like it!!!!!!!!! :angry

What say you?

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/6/...h-prize-of.aspx

[skogsbo]

firsly religion and sport shouldn't mix ever. One brings folk together the other just divides, pure and simple. It didn't do rangers or celtic any favours when they became religion orientated.

If players has low enough moral values to accept a ridiculous pay check each week, funded by those on significantly lower incomes in the crowd, he should also have the decency to take the prize, then give it away. It's only polite, otherwise he should not play.

Christian Europe, well hopefully people are realising that religion is pure fiction are moving towards a fact based world, one can hope!

Beautiful game, maybe once. Now it is all about pay cheques, sponsorship, over priced tickets, bribes, hooligans etc.. Very little about football is beautiful.

[byke]

Regardless of the blokes region, I thought it was a stand up thing to do.
And had I been in a similar position in the past, may have done the same thing if my head was screwed on.

Alcohol just doesn't bring on visions of sporting achievements IMHO ...
And this sport does have a large following of children watching.

So good for Yaya ... I salute you.

/Cheers

[Bender B Rodriquez]

Why not just offer a different award for those who cannot receive alcohol?

[SimonDMontfort]

The article is indicative of the stupidity and insensitivity of those concerned in running English football - no more.

I mean offering a bottle of alcohol – to a Muslim…? Come on..!

[Johno]

Agreed, and the op shows his profound ignorance for raising it. This is basic cultural sensitivity, not pc culture.

[Willy]

A bit silly to make it a "Christianity vs. Islam" issue. Abstinence from alcohol has a long history in the western world: teetotalers, adventists, mormons... The temperance movement even started in England back in the 19th century.

[jack sprat]

Storm in a teacup.
It was handled in good understanding spirit by all concerned, so what's the problem ?

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

My understanding of this situation is that the champagne is a symbolic reward...the athlete is certainly not expected to drink it.

Pop the cork and spray it on you mates...Right?

What would a Christian teetotaler do?

And why change tradition now?

[gplusa]

You're on the money there, byke. This isn't really about religion. Sport and alcohol have no logical place with each other. Unfortunately, as many sports rely on the sponsorship money waved in their faces by alcohol suppliers, it's going to be tough to do the right thing. That being said, they managed to get rid of tobacco advertising from F1 motor sport (apart from the not so subtle bar code on the Ferraris), so here's hoping.

A few years ago a mate of mine was involved in organising a major motor racing event in my home town. He managed to secure 100% sponsorship for the event from a major national beer supplier. Shortly after the contract was signed, covering all costs for the event, the beer company management suddenly realised that it probably wasn't a good look having alcohol and motor racing being publicised together. It was too late to cancel the sponsorship contract, so the beer company revised it instead. They would continue to cover 100% of the costs of the event, on the condition that they would receive zero acknowledgement of their sponsorship and that there would be no advertising of their product. My mate couldn't believe his luck.

[byke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRV5iv66rBE

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

OK, I'll try again...if his religion does not allow him to participate in another country's most revered sport and the customs surrounding that sport, than why take the money and play if not to achieve that reward?

[SimonDMontfort]

…because he (Yaya Toure) chooses - and wants - to play football and to develop his skills among other top players - and then be guided by his religion as to what is an acceptable reward…?

I don’t think that ‘top footballers’ necessarily ‘chase the money’: the money chases them; high player wages are currently ‘structured’ into the sport.

[skogsbo]

…I don’t think that ‘top footballers’ necessarily ‘chase the money’: the money chases them; high player wages are currently ‘structured’ into the sport.

yeah, I often hear about footballers who turn down very lucrative sponsorship deals, they are just there for the joy of playing football and would be content playing good footie for free if they could, they aren't materialist money grabbers at all. You certainly wouldn't catch a footballer having sponsorship for his boots, his razor blades, his hair gel, his aftershave, his 'normal' everyday clothing and you would never see one selling their privacy to Hello magazine for a photo shoot in their home!

[SimonDMontfort]

I meant that the wealthiest football clubs 'market' themselves and raise enormous revenues through being listed on the stock market for example. They then seek to become successful clubs such as by using that income to ‘buy’ the best players

However, since sport and commercial interests often go hand in hand these days, companies ‘play’ on the public interest in the guys seen on the football field. Advertising budgets can be influenced by what fee the latest ‘player of the year’ would take to endorse something – and this would increase sales revenue - and feed through to the next advertising budget

I'm not saying footballers are never greedy and do things for nothing - only that money chases them more often than is thought. Toure's manager said recently that Man City will match other clubs' spending on new players, in order to stay 'at the top'.