Football Today

 

 (Picture Credit - Kevin de Bruyne from Pinterest co uk)

Right now we are inundated with football matches on TV. They are cramming as many games in as possible in order to “catch up” after the 2020 Lockdown. It’s Armchair Fan bliss. Often, however, I find myself recording games then Fast Forwarding to see the goals.

To be perfectly honest, most modern football is boring. Most teams play a passing game, even at Non League level. Even national side San Marino try to pass out from the back. And yes, “Passing Out from the Back” is extremely popular as a “Philosophy”.

But many teams take advantage of all this passing, by “Pressing as a Team”. They “set traps” for their opponents, to win the ball “high up the pitch” and thus score goals. Manchester City, Liverpool and many more use the “High Press”. Even the Women’s teams do it (along with the playing out from the back thing).

Some teams, such as Leicester, Manchester United and Wolves, on the other hand, tend to sit back and try to catch opponents “On The Break”. To be fair, Man U press more often now, but still… And commentators drone on about these teams “Keeping a Good Shape”. Lines of 4 defenders blah blah…

Personally, if I ran a team I would go more for the “sitting back” approach. But I wouldn’t encourage passing from the back. Most players just aren’t good enough to pass out laboriously from the back. It’s far too risky. I say get it forward to some “Target Men” and try to win possession in the opposing half, then play your football.

Everyone seems to have copied Pep Guardiola with his Barca and Man City “Press and Pass” teams. Enormously successful, but with virtual “World Sides”! They could play ANY way and still win! Those players are simply the best. Critics say they are “Bought” winners. Whatever, De Bruyne (Belgium) is the best midfield player in the world and his team-mates are pretty good too.

But still, I repeat, I wouldn’t have my teams play that way. Nor would I have my team play like Leeds! That may surprise you. For sure, Leeds are (collectively) arguably the most attractive team in the world. Their Up and At Em approach is great to see. And their Man for Man Marking system is very effective, until an opponent makes a break… So Leeds are high scorers but also high “conceders”! They Press as well as any side.

But for me, all this Pressing isn’t sustainable with so many matches being played. Look at all the muscle injuries etc.! That’s why my team would hang back initially – to save energy and protect those weary limbs.

Realistically the way forward for Leeds is to buy even better players and improve through Quality. I’m all for Good Tight Marking, by the way, but not the “Strictly Man for Man” stuff. Just pick up your nearest man, every one of you and make it tight when the opposition has the ball.

Thinking back on my personal “football career” (the odd friendly, Sunday League game and Five-A-Side) I could have done an awful lot better. But I wouldn’t play to my strengths. I have the intelligence but seldom used it. Much like today haha.

At my best I showed good positional sense and intercepted opposing attacks quite well. In my thirties I was praised at a five a side tournament for my running off the ball, by Louth United players! And my passing was probably my forte.

But as a kid I just wanted to dribble past everyone like Bobby Charlton. I once did that with my late cousin Jimmy and his school-mates (in the 50s\60s) but it was a flash in the pan. Realistically my centre of gravity is too high and everything else all wrong for me to be a good dribbler. And I’m not a good “juggler” either. No way can I balance a ball on my back for example. Simple passing for me. Play to your strengths lad!

Trouble is, now I have an idea how to play, I am far too old at 68 going on 69. Walking football might be a consideration. Footwear tips??? So there we are. Modern football explained.

 

Paul Butters

 

© PB 27\3\2021.

Thought of the Day

(Picture Credit SPFL (Fan Football) Trust)

It’s hell of a long time since I wrote an entry here. Been writing too many poems! So time to catch up.

I wish I could magically travel back in time to my 21 year old body. If I did that, with what I know now, I’d be able to make a much better fist of playing football. Imagine me harmed with all that knowledge of Barcelona, 3 at the back, pressing up front, keeping our shape and so forth.

If I played a game now, but in my 21 body, I would be closing opponents down immediately. I would compete and show energy. Try to make some impact.

I have a decent touch actually. But I could never balance a football on my back or shoulders like I’ve seen players do. Maybe I just don’t have that awareness of my own body required to do such tricks. Yet I do have some intelligence and vision. (If anything I am literally long-sighted). It’s just that I was never competitive enough at football. I wrote myself off far too quickly. Was always aware of my lack of height, strength and pace. And I was frustrated at not being able to dribble like some.

Of course, as a kid what I should have done was play to my strengths: good positional sense, ball-stealing ability and passing. Oh and I could always hit a good shot and stay cool in the box. My table tennis gives me great reactions for fast-play.

My cousin Martin Haresign (on Mum’s side of the family), who became a semi-pro with Farsley Celtic (and managed them plus Harrogate Railway), did not do lots of fancy tricks with the ball. Instead, he had his players (as manager) running repeatedly up steep hills on Hough Side School playing fields in Leeds where we lived. I recall him as a hard, grafting midfield player with no frills. We used to play together for fun with a tennis ball on the path in front of Mum’s house (her cat in goal!). I should have copied his style more.

By the way, my other cousin, the late Jimmy Butters (Dad’s side) was said by some to be capable of pro-football but didn’t get there for whatever reason. He did do all the tricks! A fantastic talent. But NB which of the two “got there”.

I’d better mention The World Cup! What I’m saying is that a Greece (in the past (Euros)), Mexico or South Korea can do better than more flamboyant teams. And such teams can even beat Lucky Germany (the Manchester United of International Football) ha ha. Yes, it’s a team game.

As for England, well in my estimation they have a fair chance of defeating Colombia, then Switzerland or Sweden. Sweden worry me: they knocked us out of the Euros in both 1992 and 1998! A player I rate very highly is the diminutive Shaqiri of Switzerland (born in Kosovo!). I say “diminutive” – he is just an inch shorter than me at 5ft 7inch. (I was 5ft 9 most of my adult life but…). Colombia? They are South American and therefore bound to be very competitive and skilful by default. Nuff Said. Out.

Paul Butters

© PB 30\6\2018.

Early Memories - Eleven a Sides

From Facebook today -

Woke around 3AM so... Think I have only played 1 competitive football match: for Tapp and Toothill (Printers) in the Leeds Sunday League lower divisions (late 1960s - maybe 1970). We lost 1-2 but it should have been more! Recall attackers running at us and being difficult to tackle. The only other 11 a side match I remember was one arranged by school pal Joe Rose: we lost 0-6 but 2 brothers on the other side had a fight so they conceded victory to us!!!

My Football (Soccer) Memories

(Me playing football in the mid fifties)

I’m 64 now so I only watch football (soccer) on TV. I must have learnt to play football in the school yard at Upper Wortley Junior School, Leeds. Until 1963 we lived at “Ashley Road”, otherwise called “School Street”. There is now a “Special Needs” Home where our terraced house once stood. The caretaker kindly let us play in the yard even when the school was closed.

I remember around 1960 when my talented footballer cousin Jimmy Butters Junior brought his school team mates to play. I ran rings round them, pretending I was Bobby Charlton! That was probably my best ever footballing performance, though something of a flash in the pan.

We have a photograph of me playing football at a caravan site near Flamborough Head. That was maybe the best pass I ever played. I was about 5 years old.

I’ve just checked out the first professional football match I ever attended (as far as I can recall). On the 24^th April 1962, my Dad took me to watch Leeds United draw 0-0 with Bury in the old Division Two. We were in what is now The Revie Stand (“Kop”) but then just a massive black hill. My only recollection of the match was that Leeds hit the post twice in the same attack!!!

The next match I remember was against Newcastle when I went with my Swinnow Estate friend David Bray to watch Leeds win 3-0. We went in the “Schoolboy Pen” and I have vivid images in my mind of a sea of waving scarves appearing when we scored. 

Just Googled that: it was on Saturday 30^th April, 1966 in Division One. We were having a lovely sunny spell just then, with blue skies and a brown horizon. Watched a rather interesting England international towards the end of July on telly that year (in black and white)…

Around this time I started going on the bus to Yorkshire Amateur AFC with trainer Alf Sennett, to help him put kit out etc. That was a wonderful football education. In the autumn of 1966 “Ammers” lost 0-1 at Farsley Celtic in the FA Cup 1^st Qualifying Round. I feel sure I was there: if not then, then some other cup match.

I also remember being told to sweep all the water off of the goalmouth at Bracken Edge (the Ammers’ home ground) before an FA Cup match. The damned drain didn’t work! One of the opposing players shouted, “Get out of that lake, kid!” The referee came up and said, “If you can’t clear this I’ll have to abandon the match!” Some people came to help me and we just swept all the water behind the goal. The ref was satisfied. Phew!

WHEN exactly this was, I’m not sure. Ammers lost for certain. Indeed they had poor league seasons (Yorkshire League Division Two) while I was there. They sacked one manager. That FA Cup match might have been in 1964 when they lost 0-1 to Bridlington Town. Or in 65 when they lost 2-4 to Hull Brunswick.

An abiding memory for me was watching a film at The Ammers Social Club of Real Madrid beating Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the 1960 European Cup Final. What an incredible display by Puskas and company!  Ken Wolstenholme was commentator. Real conceded first but led 6-1 at one point. The only match that might better that is the World Cup Final of 1970: Brazil 4 Italy 1.

Late in the 1960s I left The Ammers completely to go to Elland Road and watch just about every Leeds United home match. I was joined by friends such as Margaret Briggs (later Tones), Michael “Joe” Rose, the late Brian Hawkhead, Andrew Allen, John Gallagher and Paul Smith. We saw the great Don Revie side at their glorious best. 

In the autumn of 1973 Leeds usually scored well within the first five minutes. They went on the win The League magnificently (in spite of a stutter near the end). Manchester United were relegated in that near-perfect season.

Leeds were Runners Up in the League FIVE times around then. But that’s another story.

Before my mates turned up, however, my sister Joan came with me! She was forever admiring the scarves and banners etc. instead of watching the match. As we were leaving the ground once, she screamed that she’d lost her shoe and her foot was getting trampled! 

Suddenly some blokes picked her up and carried her outside onto the Gelderd Road pavement (as we’d gone in the East Stand that day). That was surprising enough, but then a lady handed us Joan’s shoe! It had been thrown onto car but then rescued by someone. (There must have been good communication amongst those supporters!).

Without wishing to namedrop, in the 1960s I played football with my cousin Martin Haresign. We used a tennis ball on the narrow path outside my parent’s house, 139 Swinnow Lane. Mum’s cat Sandy once came out of the garden and saved one of Martin’s shots! Martin always insisted that cat was the best out of the three of us. Lol.

I thrashed Martin at “Marble Football”, my own version of “Subbuteo”, 5-2 (from 0-2 down) and 7-0 on a good week. He must have learnt something: Martin became a semi-professional footballer and manager with Farsley Celtic and Harrogate Railway amongst others.

All these memories keep coming back to me…But hey, that’s enough for now.

Let’s leave it at that.

Paul Butters

© PB 8\8\2016.

PS - Posted on Facebook 15\12\16 but will blog here too -

"Woke around 3AM so... Think I have only played 1 competitive football match: for Tapp and Toothill (Printers) in the Leeds Sunday League lower divisions (late 1960s - maybe 1970). We lost 1-2 but it should have been more! Recall attackers running at us and being difficult to tackle. The only other 11 a side match I remember was one arranged by school pal Joe Rose: we lost 0-6 but 2 brothers on the other side had a fight so they conceded victory to us!!!"