Sport

Workers vs police at the World Cup

Whilst the constant buzz of vuvuzelas and the chirpy pre-match commentary from Adrian Chiles and a rotating line-up of ex-footballers sound throughout the South African stadiums, a more important noise is resonating in the country. “We are struggling for our country!”came the chants of striking stewards demanding that contractors increase their tiny wages, and as we go to press the pay dispute is spreading to most of the stadiums hosting the World Cup. The stewards, working for Stallion Security, had started their struggle in Durban with a protest outside the company’s office. Strikers later...

World Cup wildcat: stewards walk out over low pay

From the BBC website Stewards due to provide security at a World Cup football match in South Africa have gone on strike in a dispute over wages. About 1,000 police officers stood in for the stewards at the game, between Italy and Paraguay in Cape Town. Fans said there appeared to be no security problems at the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Earlier, riot police in Durban fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of stewards protesting over pay. South Africa's World Cup chief, Danny Jordaan, said it was "unacceptable" for the stewards to be trying to disrupt the games. He said it was an "employer...

On WAGs and snobs

So the WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) of England’s football team are to be banned by England coach Fabio Capello from attending the World Cup. Boozing, too much sex and the stress caused by competition over who had the biggest and most expensive handbag (and that’s just among the players) was the reason for failure in the last World Cup… apparently. Leave aside the heterocentric nature of the tag “WAGs” (so potential boyfriends would be allowed into the team camp if they are not acknowledged to be part of the usual entourage?); is there a sexist undercurrent to Capello’s ban? And do we care much...

World Cup: forced evictions and hyper-exploitation

Even for those of us who love sport, the saccharine liberal puff that inevitably accompanies any major sporting event can be a little nauseating. Once you realise that it’s not an insufficient quantity of football in the world that causes poverty, racism etc, and that these things cannot be magicked away by the unifying power of the beautiful game, you begin to begin to find statements like this one, accompanying FIFA’s “Win With Africa” campaign, very tiresome: “The goal is to reach beyond football, because FIFA firmly believes its responsibilities extend outside the sphere of the sport...

Reclaiming the game

We speak to Jules Spencer of the FC United of Manchester board. Q: Do you think the financial turmoil gripping several football clubs - from top-flight Portsmouth to aspirant lower-league sides like Notts County - is an inevitable result of the hyper-commercialisation of football as a sport over the past two decades? There are a myriad of reasons for the current financial state of the game, but central to these reasons is instability within the clubs, owners promising much but delivering little. The two examples you cite are perfect examples of that, where supposed rich owners have promised...

Manchester City Jewish footballer to be banned

Manchester City footballer Tal Ben Haim faces exclusion from club training sessions and exhibition matches only a few weeks after joining the club from Chelsea. The reason? Ben Haim is Israeli, and the club has just been bought by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi. The purchase, so the sports pages say, is not just a business decision, but part of a plan to develop Abu Dhabi as a sports centre. Very unlike the Taliban, which banned football, Abu Dhabi's ruling family prides itself on being relatively modern and liberal. But it has limits. No Israelis will be allowed there.

The Olympics: Excellence or exploitation?

Who could not be impressed by the sight of the Jamaican Usain Bolt running faster than any human being in history? Or other awe-inspiring performances on the track, in the pool, in the veladrome or countless other venues? All that training, the coaching, the commitment, the dedication, the sacrifice, to go “citius altius fortius” — faster, higher, stronger. The humanity of the Olympics, the taking part, pushing yourself to the limits, the striving — and above all the apparent equality of competition, has an undeniable appeal. The veneer of internationalism, the prominence of women and black...

A boost for Chinese Stalinists

As an excellent article in the French revolutionary weekly Rouge (31 July) documents, the Olympics have been a major political self-boosting operation for the Chinese regime. The Associated Press report for the opening day, 8 August, sums up the line: "China comes of age in stunning style... China commandeered the world stage on Friday, celebrating its first-time role as Olympic host with a stunning display of pageantry and pyrotechnics... Now ascendant as a global power, China welcomed scores of world leaders to an opening ceremony..." Repression in Tibet? Denial of all democratic and workers...

The Olympics and politics

Who could fail to be impressed by the sight of Usain Bolt running faster than any human being in history? Or other world beating performances on the track, in the pool, in the velodrome or countless other venues? All that training, the coaching, the commitment, the dedication, the sacrifice, to go “citius altius fortius” - faster, higher, stronger. The humanity of the Olympics, the taking part, pushing yourself to the limits, the striving – and above all the apparent equality of competition, has an undeniable appeal. The veneer of internationalism, the prominence of women and black people, of...

Behind the Black Power salute in 1968

If you missed the “Black Power Salute” film on BBC 4 last night you missed one of the best hours television for ages.

The film looked behind the iconic salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the podium after the 200 metres at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Smith and Carlos were suspended from the U...

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