A league with a social conscience?

social entrepreneurs

Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger, the German football correspondent for soccernet.com, argues that the Bundesliga remains the only big league with a "social conscience". Mass commercialisation has been eschewed for the masses. How so? Uli cites a litany of cases of successful collective fan actions, including the retention of terrace seating and the easy availability of highlights and other football coverage on free-tv. The clincher: Uli's season ticket to see Borussia Dortmund costs a mere 150 euros, less than many pay to watch a season of non-league football in England (and to think, gooners have to splosh 30 quid only for the privilege of eventually buying tickets).

Billy: shut yo face

shut up

An ill breeze descends on north London, it rains and rains on Islington and Hackney, heroes up and move to sunny Barcelona, vultures circle overhead, ravens caw prophecies of doom (before flying further north to shit on white hart lane), and stupid useless c*nts like William Gallas moan to the press.

The slow left-back, short centre-back claims we need to make bigger signings to compete. True enough. He also questions the abilities of new boy Eduardo da Silva and older new boy Adebayor as heirs to Henry. Also fair. But by pissing on his club and team-mates and by threatening to jump ship, Billy G has done club morale no favour.

I thought the French understood solidarity.

Clearly, Gallas does not. He complained routinely last season about the callowness of the team, while spending most of the season sidelined with various industries. When he played, Gallas was hardly commanding as a centre-back or adventurous as a left-back (the few goals he did nick were lucky), and is certainly not worth the grief and damage he causes to the club with his whining tirades. He should have left his Chelsea instincts in the Bridge, and Wenger should think about swapping him for someone more able at centre-back (Christian Chivu anyone?).