Trade minister Greg Hands presses the case for ‘creating a lasting, positive impact’, conveniently overlooking appalling abuses suffered by migrant workersFor obvious reasons, the small hours of last Wednesday turned out to be an excellent time to bury bad news. Even so, I was pleased to be awake for a tweet emanating from the trade minister Greg Hands, in which he announced: “In Qatar to open our #SportIsGreat conference, supporting Qatar’s 2022 World Cup & offering UK to be the partner of choice for delivery.” Related: Qatar World Cup 2022: Amnesty hits out at UK silence on human rights Related: Infantino’s jetsetting contrasts grimly with migrant worker’s Fifa case | Marina Hyde Continue reading...
Gareth Southgate seems on course to land the England job, Wales slip up, Republic of Ireland must stifle Gareth Bale and Spain warm up for WembleyCurrently there are no outstanding teams in international football. In part this is down to concentration of money in the club game, which has led to the world’s best players converging at fewer clubs than ever before. But to look at the winners of the last World Cup and European Championship, and to look at the South American giants, is to look at a fallow period across the board. Which is to say that it has never been easier to succeed, which is to say that England stand on the verge of opportunity. Though they...
After almost four years in office Strachan has provided no tangible progress and it is time for Scotland to seek better leadership elsewhereScotland’s followers are in danger of wanting to stop the world before leaping off. In what has curiously grown as a theory relating to the country’s troubled international set-up, some would have us believe the identity of manager is irrelevant because of the pitiful resources he has at his disposal. Shoulders shrug as bad results accumulate.This does a disservice to what Scotland can call upon. It also offers tacit admission of one of Gordon Strachan’s most glaring failings: not maximising what he has at his disposal. Nations who have achieved far more than Scotland in recent times would...
The midfielder’s retirement U-turn when a World Cup 2018 qualifier against England looms increases the pressure on his national managerThe intensely tribal nature of Scotland’s football scene means neutral analysis of Scott Brown is about as forthcoming as peace marches before an Old Firm fixture. The combination of Celtic captain and a confrontational playing style that is viewed as being favourably looked upon by referees means Brown is adored by one club’s supporters whereas rivals view the midfielder as an individual they love to hate. This is not a novel concept, as Barry Ferguson, Graeme Souness and Neil Lennon will confirm.On Friday Brown is expected to step back into the Scotland team after a brief absence that only intensified debate...
Even without the background of Donald Trump as president-elect, Friday night’s World Cup qualifier will be played between two teams in transitionWell, that escalated quickly. The preamble to last year’s USA v Mexico clash, for the right to represent Concacaf at the Confederations Cup, seems impossibly quaint at this moment. To pick out a couple of random phenomena, Fox Soccer were forced on the defensive for a video montage that seemed to make light of Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, while on the Mexican side it was possible to walk through the Rose Bowl parking lots before the game, and see Trump piñatas dotted among the portable BBQs. But it still all seemed like so much carnival posturing on both sides.The...