Cameron Carter analyses the different reactions to football’s many controversies

Just as there must statistically be teatime programmes on the BBC that do not feature Alex Jones or John Barrowman, so we must assume that there are gay footballers out there somewhere in the universe. In Britain’s Gay Footballers (BBC3, January 30), Amal Fashanu, niece of Justin, daughter of John, quested for a gay man among the 4,000 professional players registered in the UK.

Read more…

As fans of Manchester United and Liverpool traded insults the clubs looked more similar than ever

Liverpool and Manchester United will not play each other again until August at the earliest. We should all be thankful for that. The fallout from last October’s confrontation between Luis Suárez and Patrice Evra lasted for more than three months, incorporating secondary flare-ups at an FA Cup tie and the reverse league fixture. New developments were announced on an almost daily basis. Liverpool were accused of harbouring a fascist. Callers to radio phone-ins turned into linguists when debating the difference between “negro” the adjective and “negro” the noun. A pre-match handshake was subject to more forensic analysis than anything since the Zapruder film footage of the Kennedy assassination.

Read more…

Alan Fisher on Tottenham Hotspur’s plans for a new ground

Given the swingeing cuts in the Post Office over the past decade, the opening of a new branch is newsworthy wherever the location. But for the residents of Tottenham, it has a special meaning. Not only is it a valuable civic amenity restored six months after it was destroyed in the riots that tore through London last summer, it is also a significant symbol of recovery. The community in Tottenham is striving to rebuild its emotional strength as well as the bricks and mortar of a scarred High Road.

Read more…

{youtube}C7JCr2GwFkg{/youtube}