Mihir Bose

Matt Stevens: I am more than just a support act for the Lions

mihir — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:30:34 +0000

Saracens prop faces a challenge to make the Lions front row but the shock pick is not daunted Evening Standard Matt Stevens laughs at the idea his selection for the Lions was due to Warren Gatland needing the prop to bring a club feel to the squad in Australia. As we meet at the Saracens training ground, the 30-year-old, who was runner-up in the The X Factor: Battle of the Stars in 2006, says: “I like the social activities [of the tour] but it’s more about enjoying each other’s company.

Sir Alex Ferguson, why we will never again see the likes of him

mihir — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:08:27 +0000

It is a measure of how much Sir Alex Ferguson changed football that his retirement should have overshadowed the Queen’s speech and led to newspapers printing souvenir editions. It is hard to imagine any other football manager leaving his job, and that too at the age of 71, having such a profound impact. Indeed the [...]

We must recognise it’s not about foreigners doping. It’s real, it’s live and it’s here in the UK

mihir — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:27:40 +0000

Evening Standard Ask the man who set up UK Anti-Doping three years ago whether he is confident that UK sport is clean and his answer is sobering. “Do you know what, I don’t know.” says Andy Parkinson. “The only people that can tell you are the athletes themselves. What I can say is we’ve got one of the most robust programmes, as many tools as we possibly can have to catch drug cheats.”

Can we any longer allow football to regulate itself?

mihir — Wed, 01 May 2013 15:12:22 +0000

Insideworldfootball The recent disclosures about the scandals in world football, so graphically documented on this website, not only raise serious questions about football and its lack of morality but also about how such issues are treated in the western media. That football has become a business is now so taken for granted that it hardly seems worth repeating. However the problem with the football business is that the business is self regulated. That may be true of all sport but no sport is such a huge business that football has become in the last two decades.

Trevor Birch: ‘It took only 10 minutes to do Chelsea deal with Roman Abramovich but I had to Google him first … I wasn’t sure if Jeremy Beadle was going to jump out’

mihir — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:33:45 +0000

Evening Standard Trevor Birch was the man who welcomed Roman Abramovich into Stamford Bridge but he did not last long under the billionaire. In fact, it was little over a month after the £140million takeover at Chelsea in 2003 that the Russian decided to replace Birch with Peter Kenyon as chief executive. But then Birch sensed early on that he was not on same wavelength as the oligarch.

John Madejski: We built Reading brick by brick but QPR have hallmarks of a quick fix

mihir — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:44:13 +0000

Evening Standard Back in 1990 when Sir John Madejski bought Reading, he marked home victories by making what he felt was a simple gesture of thanks to his players. “I would take them to the bar of Elm Park [Reading’s old ground] and buy them a drink. I can’t do that any more because they now have all these sports scientists, nutritionists and God knows what else. But I still go into the dressing room before a game and give them a talk.”

Why football cannot have its cake and eat it

mihir — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:42:14 +0000

Insideworldfootball In Britain this has been a great week for turning the clock back promoted by the death of Lady Thatcher and a necessary look back at her legacy. Yet it is too simplistic to see the riots by Millwall fans at the Wembley semi-final as a return to the old spectre of football hooligan. There is, of course a historical twist to this. With the riots coming just days before Thatcher was laid to rest it was natural to reflect that it was Millwall and their riotous fans back in 1985 filling British television screens with violence which first prompted the Lady to think that the only solution for such behaviour was more stringent police control. This, followed by other acts of football hooliganism that caused deaths, led to the dreadful, and ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to impose ID cards on football spectators.

Britain’s Libel Laws: Malice Aforethought

mihir — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:51:37 +0000

Mihir Bose recalls a classic case highlighting the problems with Britain’s antiquated libel laws. History Today Volume: 63 Issue: 5 2013 The decision to set up a royal charter to underpin Justice Leveson’s recommendations ovn regulating the press may or may not mean the end of press freedom in this country, 334 years after the expiry of the 1662 Licensing of the Press Act. But the Leveson report has done little to deal with a problem that has done much to discourage good journalism: Britain’s wretched libel laws. Leveson did not look at the libel laws, arguing that Parliament was already debating a new bill. However he did comment on the cost of libel and proposed a free arbitration service for anyone who feels unfairly treated by the press. It would have the power to impose fines and compensation. That sounds worthy but the problem is the system, as now agreed by Parliament, may result in exactly the opposite of what Leveson intended. As Simon Jenkins has pointed out, it could result in a ’stampede for anyone – including lobbyists – trying to grab a compulsory correction plus a quick payoff ... Fines and compensation at the arbitration stage will put editors in thrall to chief executives and nervous publishers. Worse ensues if editors reject the new regulator and, because a matter of law is at stake, the case goes to a proper court. They there face punitive “million-pound” fines.’

Rugby League wants its own Jonny Wilkinson moment: Brian Barwick reveals his World Cup hopes

mihir — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:22:27 +0000

Evening Standard 16 April 2013 Brian Barwick may seem an unlikely Rugby Football League chairman. His life has been all about the round ball game; a former editor of Match of the Day and chief executive of the Football Association, he grew up in the 60s singing You’ll Never Walk Alone while Bill Shankly made Anfield a feared name in English football. But as we meet in his office in Twickenham, he is keen to talk about his new dream of the climax of this November’s Rugby League World Cup Final at Old Trafford. Pointing to a huge picture on the wall of Jonny Wilkinson about to score the drop goal that won England the union equivalent in 2003, Barwick says: “Ten years ago I was in Sydney to see him land that kick. If Kevin Sinfield [the England captain] lands the same sort of kick at the same time, it will have the same impact.”

The Little Wonder: The Remarkable History of Wisden, By Robert Winder Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2013, Edited by Lawrence Booth

mihir — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:54:57 +0000

The Independent Like cricket itself, its annual chronicle has adapted to survive on a tricky modern wicket Cricket has always claimed to be more than just a game. Neville Cardus wrote that, "if everything else in this nation of ours were lost but cricket, her constitution and the Laws of England of Lord Halsbury, it would be possible to reconstruct from the theory and practice of cricket all the eternal Englishness which has gone to the establishment of that Constitution and the laws aforesaid." And CLR James was convinced that "cricket is first and foremost a dramatic spectacle. It belongs with the theatre, ballet, opera and dance". Those who care little for the sport might dismiss such claims as dotty. But the game does attract some remarkable devotees. Cardus, then the Manchester Guardian's music critic, doubled up to become its cricket correspondent. James, a West Indian radical who 50 years ago published his classic Beyond a Boundary, was a Trotskyite deported from the US. And the great mathematician GH Hardy, a confirmed atheist, consoled himself as he lay dying by getting his sister to read out the scores of an Australia-India series.

The Iron Lady was never a football ‘person’ but had a shaping influence

mihir — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:49:48 +0000

Insideworldfootball Mrs Thatcher's death not only marks the passing of a leader, the like of which we may not see again, but it also marks a watershed in sport. Thatcher was the last of the British Prime Ministers who did not care about sport. Her husband Denis was passionate about sport, particularly his golf and was a former rugby referee, her son Mark played cricket for Harrow's first XI but Mrs Thatcher could not understand why people cared about sport.

Dave Whelan putting Premier League survival before FA Cup glory

mihir — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:23:51 +0000

Semi-final is a chance for Wigan to create history and is of huge personal significance to club owner but his priority lies elsewhere Evening Standard Given Dave Whelan’s past with the FA Cup, it is clear how much Saturday’s semi final against Millwall means to Wigan’s owner. The former Blackburn player will lead his team out at Wembley 53 years after he suffered a double leg break in the Cup final against Wolves, an injury which ended his top-flight career. With a laugh, Whelan says: “I will not be wearing shorts on Saturday — I wish I could. I hope to go into the Wigan dressing room after the game as I only go in if we’ve won.”

Who is the most powerful man in football?

mihir — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 07:57:24 +0000

Insideworldfootball.com Why is it impossible to decide who is the Lionel Messi of football's men in suits? Forget the argument about whether Lionel Messi is the greatest player. That argument can never be resolved as it depends on a variety of factors, many of them intensely subjective.

Only judge Di Canio on his ability to do the job

mihir — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:40:40 +0000

Evening Standard The controversy surrounding Sunderland’s appointment of Paolo Di Canio as manager is turning into a classic soap opera. It emphasises how the hype the Premier League generates means some supporters do not understand that while football springs from society it does not represent all of society. Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly may have said football is more important than life and death but he meant it as a joke. The Di Canio froth shows the problems caused when Shankly is taken literally.

He helped write Cantona’s trawler speech, so Watkins is well qualified for the choppy waters of British swimming

mihir — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:59:01 +0000

Evening Standard As a man who has felt the hot whirr of an Alex Ferguson hairdryer and helped draft Eric Cantona’s infamous “seagulls following the trawler” speech, Maurice Watkins deserves to be listened to. Not for nothing did he earn the nickname ‘Henry Kissinger of football’, honed after 28 years on Manchester United’s board, and now he is applying his diplomatic skills to another sport.

Why English football cannot get rid of the monkey on its back

mihir — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 17:14:50 +0000

Insideworldfootball.com The World Cup qualifiers have produced the usual bag of results that make you sit up and take notice. Spain rediscovering their touch with their victory in Paris, Israel suggesting they might become more than a country that makes up the numbers but, inevitably, it was been England that has made all the headlines and the wrong ones at that.

Eddie Hearn v Frank Warren: the fight for survival

mihir — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:37:53 +0000

British boxing’s biggest battle is outside the ring as an exodus of talent from the old guard to the new sparks a war of words Evening Standard Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren do not need to imitate their fighters by donning gloves and getting into the ring. The battle between the promoters is proving more exciting than any recent fight and has the makings of a classic Hollywood script. Warren, who recently qualified for his bus pass, became a promoter even before 32-year-old Hearn was conceived. Hearn, in contrast, had no thought of becoming a promoter. He was happy looking after poker and other businesses in Matchroom, the family firm run by his father Barry. But, two years ago, after promoting Audley Harrison’s fight against David Haye, he decided to take on Warren.

Don’t blame Ferdinand blame the structure of football

mihir — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:08:01 +0000

Insideworldfootball The Rio Ferdinand saga has once again raised the hoary old question of club versus country, always a potent question in international football, particularly the English game. Over the years this has generated much heat, except in the case of Ferdinand this old story has taken a very modern, and it must be said, fascinating twist. In the classic battles between club and country the story often went as follows. A player would be called up to play for England. The weekend before the match, and remember in those days we did not have double headers and internationals were played midweek, often Wednesday, the player after playing in his club match on a Saturday would report injured and pull out. He was supposed to have suffered some tweak to some part of his body, usually a hitherto unknown muscle, and the club would inform the FA that he could not play.

Former Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers is loving every minute of Accrington’s fight for League survival

mihir — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:41:12 +0000

"Accrington? It's as special as Valencia" Evening Standard Few footballers have had such a dramatic change in fortunes as Francis Jeffers. Tonight, he will turn out for Accrington Stanley against AFC Wimbledon exactly 10 years to the day since he played for Arsenal against Valencia in the Champions League. The two stages could not be more different. Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium seats 55,000 and is the fifth largest in Spain. Accrington’s Crown Ground holds 5,000 and gates this season are averaging 1,500. The club, propping up the Football League, have no training base so players change at the ground and then practise at a nearby school or college. But, unlike that night at Valencia when he came on as a substitute, Jeffers will definitely start tonight’s match.

English football should not turn defeat into disaster

mihir — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:25:00 +0000

Insideworldfootball It is always tempting in sport to draw huge global lessons from one defeat or victory. That is a temptation that should be avoided for the simple reason that sporting victories or defeats on their own do not signify vast changes. That only emerges if they are part of a consistent pattern over several seasons. The most potent example of this was provided by Barcelona. Before their match against A.C. Milan many were prepared to write their obituary. Not only had they lost fairly comprehensively to the Italians in Milan but there had been some bad defeats in the Cup to Real Madrid. Much was made of the effect on the team of the illness of their manager and how from his sick bed in New York he was trying to guide the team.

The heat is on but Alex Ferguson’s ally Paul Nicholls can handle it

mihir — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:00:57 +0000

Champion trainer is ready for Festival battle with Henderson Evening Standard You would not have expected Paul Nicholls to stop for anything over the last few weeks as he prepared for jump racing’s annual show stealer, the Cheltenham Festival, which started today. But, last Tuesday, he did. Taking his cue from Jose Mourinho that the world would stop to watch Real Madrid play Manchester United, the champion trainer travelled from his yard at Ditcheat in deepest Somerset to Old Trafford. He returned mourning for the man whose horses he trains, Sir Alex Ferguson.

How race can trip us all up

mihir — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:15:21 +0000

Insideworldfootball The resignation of Paul Elliott from the FA and other bodies because he used the "n" word in a private text sent to another black player and a business colleague, is both sad and revealing. It is sad because Elliott had, probably still has, the capacity to go from having played the game at the highest level into becoming an excellent football administrator. It is revealing because it shows how attitudes to race, and particularly use of certain racial words, have been transformed in recent years. Although Elliott did not like being described as an "insider" in many ways he was. This was exemplified by the fact that he advised David Cameron when he held his round table conference on racism in football in Downing Street last February. And in a country like the UK where, unlike many other countries, particularly on the continent, the ex footballer prefers to move from the players lounge to the television studio Elliott was prepared to sit many hours on committees and do his bit for the game.

Will Wenger be devoured by his own revolution?

mihir — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:39:46 +0000

Insideworldfootball A revolution devours its own as history teaches us. Arsene Wenger, known as the Professor, should know that. But he seems to be oblivious to the fact that having been the greatest agent of change in English football he cannot stand still and needs to evolve if he is to move forward and not fall victim to his own revolution. That Wenger has been the greatest revolutionary in British football cannot be doubted. This is all the more remarkable because English football, before Wenger, was intensely insular. So insular indeed that when the directors of Manchester United considered appointing Alex Ferguson as their manager their main worry was that no manager brought up in Scottish football had succeeded in England. Matt Busby and Bill Shankly were Scots but they had had a through grounding in English football. In contrast Jock Stein, perhaps one of the greatest managers these isles have produced and Ferguson's mentor, failed to make it in England.

Football is no longer a game but a driver of growth and business

mihir — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:36:28 +0000

Insideworldfootball Last weekend's English Premier League match between Sunderland and Arsenal does not on the face of it merit much attention. A regular Premiership match, one of the rare ones played at 3pm on a Saturday, it ended in that classic score: 1-0 to Arsenal, after the Gunners weathered a late Sunderland assault. Yet it is what happened in a committee room next to the Stadium of Light, followed by discussions in the one of the executive boxes of the stadium, that shows how the game has radically changed. This proved that football is no longer eleven men against eleven men on a park, but a vehicle of commerce and business. Not just in this country, but all over world and, in particular, Africa.

Warren Gatland: I won’t do Lions like Sir Clive Woodward

mihir — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:31:45 +0000

Evening Standard Warren Gatland will not make the same mistakes as Sir Clive Woodward when he leads the Lions this summer. Sir Clive’s touring team crashed 3-0 to New Zealand in 2005 but it was not just on the pitch there were problems for England’s World Cup-winning head coach.

Warren Gatland: If I choose too many Englishmen it could put pressure on Lions

mihir — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:15:56 +0000

Head coach warns that 'circus' surrounding Red Rose squad could limit his thinking regarding which men he will take Down Under this summer Evening Standard Warren Gatland limps in to meet me at a hotel in Cardiff. He is still nursing the ankles he broke falling from a ¬ladder while cleaning the windows of his beach house in Waihi in New Zealand last April. But, while his footsteps are hesitant, the mind of the head coach, who will take the Lions to Australia in June, is crystal clear. He knows all about the potential problems of picking too many Englishmen for the three-Test tour.

Why match fixing cannot be fixed

mihir — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:27:53 +0000

Insideworldfootball The story of match fixing in football is very like the story of Lance Armstrong. The world knew, with the singular exception of UCI, cycling's world body, that Armstrong was a cheat. The problem was finding enough evidence to prove that he had doped his way to victory. And once the Americans had seen the light it was always a matter of time. Of course even now the UCI refuses to accept responsibility for the fact that Armstrong cheated right under their noses. But that is because as Dick Pound, the man who set up the World Anti Doping Agency and was the American's greatest scourge, told me, the UCI is behaving like an alcoholic refusing to believe it has a drink problem. And in any event it does not matter because the UCI is now such a discredited organisation that not many care what it thinks or does.

Cycling did not do enough to detect Lance Armstrong. How could they not know?

mihir — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:45:41 +0000

Evening Standard Dick Pound is the one sports official entitled to gloat about Lance Armstrong and boast: “I told you so.” The man who set up the World Anti-Doping Agency and headed it until 2007 never doubted that Armstrong was a cheat. But, far from boasting, the unmasking of his old nemesis only shows Pound how far cycling still has to go. The QC says: “In Churchillian terms this is not the end, or even the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning. There is a lot more to be done.”

Britain’s government wants change but will it enforce it, and is it asking the right questions

mihir — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:17:15 +0000

Insideworldfootball It would be foolish in the extreme to believe that just because the Commons Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport has given the football authorities a bollocking, things will change in the national game. This may be the second verbal lashing the MPs have administered football in two years but just because the MPs wave a big stick it does not mean they will follow up by using it to whack the football authorities if, as so often in the past, football does nothing. Here it is worth recalling what John Whitingdale, chairman of the committee, told me back in July 2011 when the committee looked at the bidding for 2018 World Cup. His words were: "I am instinctively against government intervention. The government has an awful lot on its plate, the state of English football is a lesser priority than improving the welfare state and the NHS. I don't think there will be a great wish for legislation."

Holly Colvin: I want to rule the world … then take on the men

mihir — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:13:30 +0000

Evening Standard Holly Colvin, women’s cricket’s answer to spin-king Monty Panesar, has never thought it a big deal to play against men. This summer, England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor is set to make history by playing second XI cricket for Sussex, having already held informal talks with the county. Colvin may not have gone as far as her old school friend and long-time colleague but the 23-year-old is thinking along the same lines. She cut her teeth playing with men for Brighton College as a 15-year-old and Colvin insists: “For me and Sarah, playing men’s cricket made us tougher and it’s something I’d quite like to go back to.

Lies, damn lies and alienating statistics

mihir — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:47:27 +0000

Insideworldfootball One important reason why football of all ball games is the most popular game in the world is because it is simple. Its rules are easy to understand and have none of the complexity that, for example, rugby has. Football's celebrated off side rule may be a diverting after dinner conversation with which to bait those who do not care about the game but it is nowhere near as mind blowing as trying to work out why a penalty is given in rugby. This explains why the round ball not the oval ball, despite the fact that both games have common origins and for many years in its infancy the football both allowed hacking and carrying with the ball, became the world game.

Securing a bright future for Britain needs work, panellists argue

mihir — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:45:22 +0000

British Futures The themes of community and trust dominated the Bittersweet Britain: What unites & what divides us debate, held on 22nd January on London’s HMS Belfast to mark British Future’s first birthday and the launch of its State of the Nation 2013 report, writes Richard Miranda. Moderated by journalist Mary Riddell, a diverse group of people [...]

Gus Poyet: I want to manage at the highest level. Does my Chelsea and Spurs past mean I can’t be the boss at Arsenal?

mihir — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:46:04 +0000

Evening Standard Managers the length and breadth of the country insist they are only thinking about the next game but Gus Poyet’s mind is already on challenging and, possibly, managing Brighton’s FA Cup fourth-round opponents, Arsenal. The Uruguayan has the small matter of a 600-mile round trip to Blackburn in atrocious conditions for tonight’s Championship clash while Arsenal entertain West Ham in the Premier League tomorrow night.

What has the FA done, Daddy?

mihir — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:14:30 +0000

Insideworldfootball The 150th anniversary of the Football Association certainly deserves to be celebrated. Any organisation that has reached such a venerable age has the right to celebrate its birthday and no doubt get a telegram from the Queen, or however Her Majesty marks such occasions these days. But the tipple for the occasion should not be Krug champagne but a glass of Prosecco. For all the warm words that are now being showered on the FA from far and wide the best thing that can be said about the FA is that it still exists. But then so does Lloyds of London, an older institution than the FA let it be recorded. But not many would think of raising a glass to that organisation.

Mako Vunipola: Playing for England is surreal but I deserve to be in the squad

mihir — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:33:18 +0000

New Zealand-born prop of Tongan origin is having too much fun with the Red Rose to worry about questions over his background Evening Standard Mako Vunipola cannot understand why anybody should question his right to play for England. The Saracens prop could have followed his father, Fe’ao, and six uncles and played for Tonga. He could also have chosen the world’s best team, the All Blacks, as he was born in Wellington. And Wales were another option as he came to the principality as an eight-year-old after his dad joined Pontypool. So why the Red Rose?

Game Changer – review

mihir — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 10:47:25 +0000

The Independent by Simon Redfern This examination of the Premier League's birth 20 years ago and its subsequent flourishing begins in Singapore, where Liverpool are on a lucrative pre-season tour. That, and the fact it is published by an imprint dedicated to Asian business affairs, are eloquent evidence of the global interest English football's top flight now inspires. Less satisfactory for many English supporters is the increasing foreign ownership of clubs and the declining number of home-grown players detailed here. The appendix reveals – a favourite word of the author – that Arsenal's 30-man squad in the League's first season comprised 24 England-qualified players and six foreigners, of which two were Scottish and one Irish. Their figures for this season are six and 34 respectively. Read more

Football’s moral quagmire

mihir — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:13:24 +0000

Insideworldfootball Let us get this right. Luis Suarez is no more a cheat than most football players. I agree with those that argue that the moral spasm his handball goal has evoked is way over the top if not a touch hypocritical. I wonder if the critics have been to many football matches or if they have perhaps been too busy with other things to concentrate on what they are seeing. If we are saying Suarez was cheating, then how is that different from when a player claims a throw, or a corner, when he knows very well the ball has come off not the opposition, but himself or one of his team mates? Or when a goalkeeper, having faintly finger tipped the ball over the goal, pretends he has not but that the ball has come off the opposing forward. He is saying this in order to persuade the referee not to give a corner which could be a goal scoring opportunity for the opposition. As far as I am concerned all these incidents amount to cheating.

Watford boss Gianfranco Zola: Going crazy helps no one but I let the players know when I’m upset

mihir — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:21:35 +0000

Having been told by West Ham he was 'too soft' the Italian is thriving in his second spell as a manager Evening Standard There was a revealing moment after Watford’s FA Cup defeat at Manchester City on Saturday. The home fans booed Mario Balotelli when he came on as a substitute while Watford supporters shouted “fight, fight” as they taunted him over his training ground wrestling match with manager Roberto Mancini. However, Gianfranco Zola broke ranks and embraced the maverick striker. The Watford manager’s gesture showed he felt his fellow Italian deserved understanding not condemnation.

Why English football will never shake off its Europeanisation

mihir — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:32:49 +0000

Insideworldfootball Consider this question. In the next few years Britain may decide to leave the European Union. At no time since this country joined what was then the Common Market 40 years ago has there been such a strong anti-European feeling. And this is a mood that seems to be going beyond the traditional 'fed up with Brussels' to 'get out of Europe' clamour. But even should a referendum see the people of Britain vote to leave, one thing that cannot be reversed is the Europeanisation of English football. Indeed my prediction is that should such an eventually come to pass in say in two or three years time it may well coincide with the moment when this country's football follows down the ultimate continental route and introduces a winter break. It will be the final proof that Britain may have left Europe and returned to its island fastness but the country's national game will always carry the marks of European football ideas. What is more those marks can never be erased. Impossible?

Why the past will haunt the present in 2013

mihir — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:26:06 +0000

Those who forget the past, said the great American savant George Santayana, are condemned to repeat it. Football in 2013 runs the same risk. This is because many of the administrators who run the game seem to have forgotten the past. Or perhaps they never cared for the past despite their many references to it in public utterances. This explains why 2013 will be for the world's favourite game a question of dealing with issues many thought had long been settled. Take race.

Winter whisperers must not knock Qataris from their core 2022 message

mihir — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:29:15 +0000

Insideworldfootball So what has Qatar in common with South Africa? On the face of it you would think this is an absurd, Christmas quiz, question. But it is not. In footballing terms they have a lot in common. The common factor is both countries are pioneers for the world's most popular game, staging the World Cup in their part of the world for the first time. And both countries have had the need to convince the world they are worthy of having this honour.

But can medallists write?

mihir — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:15:37 +0000

British Journalism Review I grew up wanting to emulate Neville Cardus, the legendary cricket correspondent of The Manchester Guardian. In my Jesuit school, in the city I shall always call Bombay, Cardus’s essay on the cricketer Ranji was part of our syllabus. And while I realised that it would be difficult for me to be exactly like my hero – he spent his summers writing about cricket and his winters being the paper’s music critic – I felt sure that once The Guardian realised how wonderful my cricket knowledge was, they would find plenty for me to do in the winter. If nothing else, I could go on those long cricket tours which meant you escaped the English cold. I must confess I have not fulfilled that dream. But then there are many other dreams I have not fulfilled, which include scoring a century in a Lord’s Test and the winning Cup Final goal at Wembley. However, while I may not have become The Guardian’s cricket correspondent, I have no complaints about how my career has gone. What worries me is that the younger journalists cannot even dream like me.

The man who changed perceptions of Britain: Games-maker Lord Coe reveals why he is confident over London 2012 legacy

mihir — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:40:33 +0000

The Evening Standard After the magical summer that Lord Coe and his team conjured up, the reception he received as he stepped on to the stage at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards on Sunday came as no surprise. An audience of 15,000 at the Docklands ExCeL Arena, including many of the Olympians and Paralympians who revelled in a home Games, hailed the man whose vision turned the dream of London 2012 into a glorious reality.

Goodness, gracious, me — how India’s diaspora has made the UK its colonial home

mihir — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:15:46 +0000

The Sunday Times When Sony Entertainment Television, a channel aimed at south Asians, held a party to mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, it chose an unlikely theme: James Bond, writes Mihir Bose. Guests arrived at a London five-star hotel to find everything associated with Her Majesty’s most famous secret agent: cars, cocktails, casino tables and an actor pretending to be Blofeld, Bond’s deadly enemy — stroking a cat for good measure.

Football’s anti-racism chief threatens to quit

mihir — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:05:48 +0000

- I could go in days, says Lord Ouseley - Authorities not serious about racism Evening Standard Lord Ouseley is ready to quit as chairman of football’s anti-racism campaign over his frustration at the “collective failure” of the game’s authorities to deal with high-profile incidents in the past year. Ouseley has been chairman of Kick It Out since their inception in 1997 but in a wide-ranging interview with Standard Sport admits he could go in “days”.

Lord Ouseley: I may not be around. It could be in days … it’s as close as that

mihir — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:29:27 +0000

With racism in football on the rise again, chairman of the Kick It Out campaign is ready to quit over game’s collective failure to show moral strength Evening Standard It is only as we finish speaking and Herman Ouseley puts on his overcoat to brave the icy winds swirling round Marble Arch that he drops his bombshell. The chairman of Kick It Out, football’s anti-racist pressure group, is planning to quit. “I may not be around. It could be a matter of days. It is as close as that.”

‘64-team Champions League is no-go’

mihir — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 15:23:48 +0000

Evening Standard UEFA have no plans to expand the Champions League from 32 to 64 teams, according to a highly-placed source close to UEFA president Michel Platini. The Frenchman shocked football last week when, in an interview, he suggested there could be a restructuring of Europe’s tournaments.

Ian Holloway: My target is for Crystal Palace to be one of the best teams in London

mihir — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:48:33 +0000

Ahead of Blackpool reunion, boss talks of his hopes for his new club and star man Evening Standard Ian Holloway is never afraid to voice his opinions, or to take on the greatest in the game. There is a riveting clip of him suggesting he would be ready to chop off Michel Platini’s head after the leader of European football proposed that the 2022 Qatar World Cup be played in winter. But this weekend, as Crystal Palace face Blackpool for the first time since he switched Bloomfield Road for Selhurst Park last month, Holloway is for a moment unsure. When I suggest that Blackpool fans will still honour him for the memorable Premier League ride he provided them two seasons ago, he seems at a loss.

Ivan Bravo – I can die happy now Spain have won the World Cup

mihir — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:45:19 +0000

Insideworldfootball It is not often in football you hear many people talk about Roman Abramovich, Florentino Perez and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Crown Prince of Qatar being "visionary men", and all in the same breath. The first two are widely regarded as using football clubs, Chelsea and Real Madrid, as their play things, an impression strengthened in the Russian's case by the way he got rid of his last manager Roberto Di Matteo. And for good measure at four in the morning, hours after he had lost a UEFA Champions League match.

Nihal

mihir — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:18:17 +0000

BBC Asian Network Discussion and debate on the big issues affecting British Asians. In this episode, presenter Nihal discusses the Premier League and Game Changer with Mihir Bose. Click here to listen to the full programme. (Note: The section with Mihir begins at 1:12:00. ) The programme will be only available to listen again for 6 days

MK Dons owner: I now accept moving was pretty crass but we run a good club

mihir — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:29:15 +0000

Ahead of historic match, Pete Winkelman admits initial idea was to 'steal' a club, but denies doing that to Wimbledon. AFC fans disagree Evening Standard Getting MK Dons owner Pete Winkelman to give a straight answer even to a very simple question is not easy. We are in the bar of the hotel that fronts Stadium:MK and I have asked the former music entrepreneur whether he now sees himself as a football owner with property interests. I have to ask five times before he agrees to that description but then adds: “We’re in a very unusual position and I don’t think it’s easy to put me in a normal thing.”

Blatter is the sort of showman who likes to surprise his audience

mihir — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 17:33:22 +0000

Insideworldfootball You don't know what to expect when you interview Sepp Blatter. For a man who wanted to be on the stage since he was a child, he has always been the sort of showman who likes to surprise his audience. A book of Blatter sayings would be an instant bestseller. Yet what struck me when I had a long chat with him at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich last week, is that there seems little love lost between him and Michel Platini, UEFA President, often seen as his successor

Sepp Blatter: No, racism cannot be stopped with a handshake … sport must help educate

mihir — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 17:15:22 +0000

FIFA president explains change in his views and why other areas of society also need to look at the issue Exactly a year ago, Sepp Blatter was fighting calls for him to resign. It was not the first time FIFA’s president had been under pressure to stand down and certainly not the first time he had talked himself into trouble. But while some of his previous thoughts were dismissed as bizarre ramblings — such as suggesting women play in tighter shorts — his comments on racism sparked outrage.

To say that the FA is not institutionally racist does not mean there are no glass ceilings in football

mihir — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:31:47 +0000

Insideworldfootball The debate on racism in football has now descended into absurd levels. On one hand, we are having accusations that the Football Association (FA) is institutionally racist. On the other hand, there are those who argue, and this includes some very powerful figures in the game, that Chelsea should never have made a complaint against Mark Clattenburg. Both positions are absurd. Let us first deal with the Chelsea situation. As is very clear from what Bruce Buck, the Chelsea chairman, has told me after the Manchester United game, the club faced a very straightforward situation. This was that two of their players, John Obi Mikel and Ramires, were alleging that Clattenburg had called Mikel a monkey. Indeed, Mikel had tried to get into the referee's room to confront him after the game and was prevented from doing so by Roberto Di Matteo, the Chelsea manager and his assistant, Eddie Newton.

Chelsea chairman: We’d have been really crucified if we had not reported Clattenburg and it then leaked out

mihir — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:26:11 +0000

Bruce Buck explains why club accused referee of racial abuse, says reaction to it has been ‘very unfair’ and insists they’re not hypocrites despite supporting skipper Evening Standard Bruce Buck normally has a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach when Chelsea lose. “I feel horrible and I can’t sleep that night but I didn’t feel that way at all on Sunday,” says the club’s chairman referring to the home defeat by Manchester United two weeks ago. In the decade since helping Roman Abramovich buy Chelsea, Buck has rarely spoken publicly, let alone about his turmoil over losing. But now, as we meet in a private club in the West End, he is willing to talk for the first time about, arguably, the most explosive event in this colourful club’s history.

Keys and Grey Show

mihir — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:21:43 +0000

talkSPORT Former Everton favourite Peter Reid sits in for Andy Gray alongside Richard Keys interview the biggest names in sport. Peter discusses the current football scandal and the history of the Premier League and Mihir's new book Game Changer. Click here to listen to the full programme (Note: click on the tab '1100 - 1130'. The section with Mihir starts at 20:30)

Owen Farrell – our South Africans won’t be texting their mates in the Boks dressing room

mihir — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:42:53 +0000

Fly-half dismisses idea England’s rugby squad could make same mistake as Kevin Pietersen and says his main concern is becoming an even better player Evening Standard Edward Griffiths, chief executive of Saracens, tells of the time he tried to comfort a disconsolate Owen Farrell. The fly-half was practising kicking and his effort flew just past the wrong side of the post. As he cursed loudly, Griffiths said: “It’s only a game.” But Farrell angrily brushed him aside and started to kick again. For those who know Farrell well, this is what marks out the playmaker as a real talent, one who is part of the England squad for the four autumn Tests, starting against Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday. The experts may say he is not blessed with speed or exceptional ability but nobody doubts the 21-year-old’s commitment to becoming an even better player.

How Terry storm led to Chelsea pursuing Mikel ‘monkey’ claim

mihir — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:24:21 +0000

Cover-up fear plus employee law were behind the decision to proceed with complaint against referee Mark Clattenburg The Independent Chelsea are well aware that should the FA and police investigations show that Mark Clattenburg did not racially abuse John Obi Mikel in last Sunday's match against Manchester United, the club would face an enormous backlash. Referees are already threatening to boycott the club as a result of the allegation. However, the club felt that they had to make the complaint because otherwise they would have faced the even more explosive charge of trying to cover up alleged racial abuse. More so as Mikel, who was allegedly called a monkey, and Ramires, who also claims to have heard it, felt very strongly on this issue.

The coming split in world football

mihir — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:19:41 +0000

AGI Magazine Football is so overwhelmingly the world’s No 1 game that that nothing it seems can shake its status. However the first signs have emerged that the world game may be heading for a crisis which could see a major split between club and national football. The likely causes of this split are the dates being proposed for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Michel Platini, President of UEFA, the European governing body for the sport, has made it very clear that he wants 2002 staged not in the heat of the summer but in a Middle Eastern winter. This would amount to the biggest change in world football, as all previous World Cups have been staged in a European summer, irrespective of where they were held. But as Platini made crystal clear to me in a recent conversation, “I hope it will be held in winter. We have to go to Qatar when it is good for everybody to participate. What is better for the fans?”

Schmid on getting more for less, a winter World Cup and managing social media deluges

mihir — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:01:10 +0000

Insideworldfootball Last Sunday Marcel Schmid was at Wembley to watch the New England Patriots play the St Louis Rams. Nothing remarkable in that you may think, some 84,000 others were also there as NFL made its annual foray outside its homeland in an effort to reach a worldwide audience. But for Schmid, chairman of the International Football Arena (IFA), it provided renewed focus for one of the themes that will dominate this year's conference in Zurich on November 12-13. This is a subject that has often puzzled him: how do NFL teams get more out of their sport despite playing a lot fewer matches than most British or European club football teams? Schmid readily admits he has no great attachment to America's national sport. "I do not find the game very appealing. But what is fascinating is they have a much shorter season, 18 competitive matches in a season. Imagine how many competitive matches Chelsea or Manchester United have in a season: 60/70. These teams have something like 35 home games, NFL teams have just nine."

Oh, would that Patel could bat!

mihir — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:57:09 +0000

OUTLOOK India Indian cricket at 17 was like a teenager who had ‘come out’, free from her governess, and could roam the world at last. By 1949, India in world cricket was no longer India vs England. In its first 15 years as a Test-playing country (1932-47), India played just 10 Tests, all against England. Barring some unofficial tours, cricket largely comprised matches between Hindus, Muslims, Parsees and the Rest, which had done much to nurture the game here. Just before independence, these matches, seen as a manifestation of communalism in sport and condemned by Gandhi, were stopped. However, by 1949, India had taken steps to become like other Test-playing countries with regular official home and away tours. In 13 months between January 1948 and February 1949, India doubled the number of Tests it had played in the past sixteen years.

Paolo Di Canio, ‘I tell my players – don’t be stupid like I was’

mihir — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:13:21 +0000

With tensions between referees and teams in the spotlight, the Italian at the centre of one of British football’s most infamous moments talks of the importance of everyone keeping their cool Evening Standard Paolo Di Canio is an unlikely football missionary, particularly when it comes to preaching about good behaviour on the pitch. After all, this is the player who, in his second season in England in 1998, pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground at Hillsborough after being shown a red card. He was banned for 11 matches.

Game Changer

mihir — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 13:08:58 +0000

Evening Standard columnist and former BBC News sports editor Mihir Bose talked to Gorkana about his new book to mark the 20th anniversary of the Premier League, how the advent of the new league influenced the UK media landscape and the communications challenge it faces over transparency. Gorkana It is twenty year since the launch of the football league. Few would have predicted how it would become such a global brand or the extent to which it would dominate the cultural agenda but for Mihir Bose, one image earlier this year sums up the Premier League’s journey. “It is in Chicago at the time of the Champions League final when the front pages had a picture of David Cameron, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama all watching the final in Munich. It’s inconceivable that Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher would have shared a moment like that.”

Loughborough honorary doctorate

mihir — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:43:21 +0000

What a great honour and privilege it was to return to Loughborough University on 13 September and receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters (Hon DLitt) for outstanding contribution to journalism and the promotion of equality. When I came to study Industrial Engineering from India, I could never have imagined this. I have such fond memories of Loughborough, having been elected president of the Student’s Union soon after I arrived. The University has grown and the changes to the campus are quite astonishing. Facilities for the students and the Union are now very different and I cannot imagine the present day Union being racked with disputes over the choice of bands invited to perform at the Saturday night dance.

Keys and Gray Show

mihir — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:27:53 +0000

talkSPORT Richard Keys and Andy Gray bring you unmissable debate and exclusive interviews from the biggest names in sport. Mihir discusses football and the recent cycling scandal with Richard and Andy. Click here to listen to the full programme (Note: To hear the section with Mihir click on the '1030 - 1100' tab. Mihir's section starts at 06:50)

I’m glad I didn’t buy Liverpool

mihir — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:56:32 +0000

New England chief is thrilled to be back in London this week for an NFL game but reveals why owning a football club here is a non-starter for now Evening Standard Robert Kraft, a fan of the New England Patriots long before he bought the club, has always been proud that, in sport, his heart has ruled his head. So, when he takes his seat on Sunday at Wembley for the match against Stan Kroenke’s St Louis Rams, his feelings will be those of a fan rather than an owner. “Unfortunately the low of losing is lower than the high of winning. You want to prevent losing as much as you can.”

Soccer charity reaches out to create leaders of communities

mihir — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:24:56 +0000

Evening Standard by Mihir Bose and Maxine Frith Two top executives are spearheading a new charity project that aims to help inner-city youngsters achieve successful careers through football. Tottenham Hotspur is one of two Premier League clubs which have been chosen by the Leadership Through Sport charity to harness the potential of local teenagers. The first 30 youngsters started on the course this month at the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, the charitable arm of the club, as well as at Everton. They have been chosen for their love of football and will be coached and mentored by experts at the foundation.

England training complex better late than never

mihir — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:19:18 +0000

Goal.com The benefits of England’s new training complex will take time to come, according to journalist and author Mihir Bose. The 330-acre complex at St George’s Park, finally built by the FA at the cost of just over £100 million after a decade of delays, boasts 12 full-size training pitches, including an exact replica [...]

Frankel’s farewell romp

mihir — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:58:02 +0000

When a legend runs for the final time on Saturday, watching at Ascot will be Sheikh Fahad, one of racing's major players who three years ago had never even visited a track Evening Standard Saturday’s British Champions Day at Ascot has just about everything. With £3million in prize money it is racing’s richest day and will host Frankel’s last race. There could be no better finale to the flat racing season than for the wonder horse to win the Champion Stakes and retire to stud unbeaten but he is up against last year’s winner, Cirrus Des Aigles.

Midweek sports special with Dan and Ugo

mihir — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 13:22:08 +0000

Colourful Radio Latest sporting news, gossip, controversy, opinion and great music. Mihir discusses his views of the FA as a leader of a game for everyone and football in India. Listen to the programme here (Note: Click on Listen again and look for '2012-10-10 14:00'. The section with Mihir starts at 14:20)

Ian Bell: Touring India is our big test but we won’t fear it

mihir — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:18:28 +0000

Evening Standard Subcontinent has long been England’s undoing but the batsman is hopeful team will show their mettle, regardless of whether KP is ‘reintegrated’ or not In the next few weeks Ian Bell will meet Kevin Pietersen. In normal circumstances, with Bell expecting his first child and Pietersen telling the world he wants his five-year-old to play for England, this would have been a chat between the two England stars on the joys of fatherhood. But this will be no ordinary meeting and one of many Pietersen, returning to England in between playing for the Delhi Daredevils in the Champions League in South Africa, will have with his national team-mates.

We will recover, says Greek god Giorgos Karagounis

mihir — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 12:54:44 +0000

Evening Standard The economic collapse in Greece may force the country out of the euro but for Giorgos Karagounis, captain of their football team, that is no reason to forget your naturally generous instincts. I was about to pay for the coffee the interpreter had ordered when Karagounis, who had not spoken a word of English during our hour-long chat, gestured to the waiter and said: “No, no I pay.” With that he smiled and went off for the English lessons he has been taking since arriving at Fulham on a free transfer last month after being released by Panathinaikos.

Football runs the risk of rotting from the top

mihir — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 14:08:44 +0000

Evening Standard In an age of austerity, the Premier League is one English institution that should have little to fear. Even in the teeth of the worst recession for 70 years, it attracts money that would make bankers feel envious. However, as the League celebrates its 20th birthday, it would do well to heed the warning a slave would give to a victorious Roman general returning from foreign conquests. During the ceremonial ride, holding the golden wreath above the general’s head, he constantly murmured in his ear: “Respice te, hominem te memento” (Remember you are only a man).

Today programme

mihir — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:41:51 +0000

BBC Radio 4 - Today programme The Football Association has found John Terry guilty of racially abusing another footballer. Sports journalist Mihir Bose and sports expert Paul Stothard discuss the verdict. Also in the programme - A report into the Libor scandal is due this morning, which will detail whether rate-fixing will become a criminal offence - we hear from the man behind the report. Also on the programme, the American man behind the anti-Islamic film which sparked violent protests has been arrested in Los Angeles - we will speak to the Pakistani minister who has called for his killing. And the first big discovery from the Mars Rover. Click here to listen to the full programme (Note: The segment with Mihir starts at 2:22:10)

FA on rack over ‘kangaroo court verdict’ on John Terry

mihir — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:12:55 +0000

The decision to delay hearing into Terry backfires, leaving football’s governing body facing criticism from every side Evening Standard Whether or not John Terry succeeds in overturning his four-match ban and £220,000 fine for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, the affair will force the Football Association to examine their handling of the case. The organisation are acutely aware that they have inflicted dreadful collateral damage on themelves in the year-long process.

At home: Katherine Grainger

mihir — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:40:53 +0000

Financial Times The Olympic rower talks about her 12-year struggle to strike gold, her academic career – and the healing power of safari It’s very clearly an Olympic rower’s house right now,” says Katherine Grainger as she ushers me in from the rain into her red-brick house in Maidenhead, Surrey, in the south-east of England. “Right now” suggests that she feels apologetic about her rowing paraphernalia lying unpacked in the study. This is odd after a summer of outstanding sporting spectacle, with Grainger’s story a scriptwriter’s dream. Dubbed the Steve Redgrave of women’s rowing, in three previous Olympics – Sydney, Athens, Beijing – she had to settle for silver. Then, on home waters, and with the nation holding its breath, she finally struck gold, victory in the double sculls giving her the place on top of the podium for which she had strived so hard, and for so long. However, as Grainger leads me to the sitting room, it becomes clear that her rowing reference was not an apology but a statement about her home. She may have won 12 medals at world championships and Olympics since 1997 but, she says, “I use my house to get away from rowing in a good way. The only room with rowing pictures is my study. The others are deliberately not rowing or sport.” The sitting room is dominated by photographs of elephants and lions. “They give me perspective and balance,” she says. That was vital after the Beijing Olympics, where she lost gold in the quadruple sculls by a small margin. “It was a crushing disappointment, like suffering a massive personal loss. I had to go through a huge grieving process.” Read the full article

Michel Platini: Get set for my winter World Cup

mihir — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 09:28:58 +0000

Evening Standard UEFA president on his radical plan for the 2022 tournament in Qatar which could change the calendar for Euro football Michel Platini once turned down the chance to play in England because there is no winter break on these shores. Tottenham fans will wince at the revelation that the much decorated midfielder was minded to move to the club in 1982 until he discovered the season here did not stop for Christmas.

Change the law to stop homophobia, urge FA

mihir — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 12:13:11 +0000

The Independent The Football Association wants homophobic chanting outlawed under the same legislation currently used to stop racist abuse. The governing body is also calling on the Government to ensure that technology providers are made aware of their responsibility in "managing abusive behaviour via their platforms". The measures indicate a belief within the game's governing body that more must be done to curb all forms of abuse.

Stuart Broad shoulders England World Twenty20 hopes

mihir — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 15:55:58 +0000

All-rounder shrugged off disappointment of his first two World Twenty20 campaigns to win last time out and is confident that his England team will put up a strong defence Evening Standard Stuart Broad is preparing to lead England in the defence of their World Twenty20 title well aware that the shortest form of cricket can quickly turn you into a villain. At the inaugural tournament in South Africa five years ago, Broad was hit for six sixes in an over by India’s Yuvraj Singh. Two years later, he bowled the final over of the competition’s opening match at Lord’s with Holland requiring seven to win. He missed three run-outs and dropped a catch, leading to a sensational win for the minnows on their first visit to the headquarters.

Twenty20: Cricket’s Biggest Hit

mihir — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:48:52 +0000

BBC Asian Network Mark Ramprakash explores the impact Twenty20 has had on cricket ten years since it was introduced and discovers what was first seen as a gimmick by some is now funding the county game – for some clubs like Yorkshire and Leicestershire t20 matches provides additional money and can account for 70 per cent [...]

Alastair Cook: We had an amazing run as a Test team but being No1 in the world did not sit comfortably with us

mihir — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:23:51 +0000

New Test skipper Alastair Cook insists the Kevin Pietersen affair did not derail England’s summer and, after sitting in on his first selectors’ meeting, says he’s ready to lead a gruelling winter tour of India Evening Standard Alastair Cook has no fear that, after a summer of unprecedented sporting success, a nation famous for treasuring plucky losers may suddenly expect victory all the time. The expectation for British sport has been raised to an unsupportable level but that is not a burden for the new England cricket captain, who on Tuesday took part in his first selection meeting to select the squad for the winter tour of India.

Peter Hill-Wood: Of course Arsenal can win the league this season . . . and Spurs won’t trouble us

mihir — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 12:45:35 +0000

Evening Standard Arsenal’s victory at Liverpool may go some way to reassuring restive fans that this campaign will not be a repeat of last season. Then, after suffering their worst start in nearly 60 years, Arsenal just edged Tottenham in the race for the Champions League, largely due to the collapse of their bitter north London rivals. But, even before Sunday’s success, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood had no doubt that wider horizons beckon this season. We met at his home in Sandwich as the Old Etonian prepared for his annual holiday to Long Island in New York and the 76-year-old could not have been more confident.

Could the collateral damage of FIFA’s reform be the loss of Britain’s home teams?

mihir — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:44:13 +0000

Insideworldfootball It was always to be expected that the London 2102 Olympics would see a Team GB in football for the one and only time in the modern era. This was inevitable given the vehement opposition of the Scots, and the lukewarm response of the other home nations; fearful that an Olympic Team GB will mean the end of Britain's unique position in world football, the only country with four teams. But while Team GB in the wider football world will never come about, I get the strong sense that the London Games marked a major, indeed historic, shift in the relationship between the FA and FIFA, and the other home nations. It is, in many ways, a further development of what has been a steady progression for some time. And when the change is finally confirmed, as I expect it to be soon, it will mean that the English FA, which has often had a turbulent rollercoaster ride with FIFA, will have finally come to terms with the world organisation. In essence, what the change amounts to is that the FA no longer wants to be tied to the home nations when it comes to international football.

Edinburgh Festival is great, but could learn from London 2012

mihir — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:02:07 +0000

In the last few days, I have fulfilled a long term ambition: to go to the Edinburgh Festival. It came about because I was asked to speak about my book, The Spirit of the Game, at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. My wife, Caroline, and I decided we would combine the trip with an extended [...]

Football, with its herd mentality, could learn from Olympic sports’ willingness to share information

mihir — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 15:34:22 +0000

Insideworldfootball The Olympics always puts football in the box, if only for a brief two-week period. Indeed, the very nature of football's participation in the Games, with teams composed of players who hope to aspire to be the best, but are not yet the best, give it the status of an interloper. And as if to emphasise this status, football starts even before the Opening Ceremony. In the wider world, it may be the greatest of all sports, but in the Olympics it is just one of 26, and by no means the most important – that distinction going to track and field.

Don’t have too many hopes of Olympic spirit in football

mihir — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:26:00 +0000

It’s not easy to make Club England like Team GB PlayUp So goodbye Team GB and welcome back club England. The timing of England’s match against Italy, three days after the end of the Games, was very telling. For while this pre-season friendly – albeit it showed English football is not quite bereft of ability – is [...]

Mark Hughes: Manchester City experience is helping me at QPR

mihir — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:10:57 +0000

Evening Standard Huge as the London Olympics have been, the pull of the Premier League remains an astonishing story as Mark Hughes, manager of Queens Park Rangers, discovered last month. His club may have just managed to avoid relegation on the last day of the season but, as the team arrived in Indonesia at 11pm, huge crowds met them at the airport. And, on this tour, the match against a local team was streamed to 3.1million viewers in that country.

Memories from the London 2012 Olympics

mihir — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:22:54 +0000

PlayUp 2012 has created a host of memories and the success of the games has exceeded my most optimistic hopes. But there is one memory of these games that I still cannot get over. The scene is the Archery at Lord’s. I am sitting on the top tier of the pavilion, a place very familiar to me. But now I am watching a Korean and a Mexican battle it out.

Legacy of London 2012

mihir — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 09:35:40 +0000

BBC World Service - The Forum It's been a two week-long festival of sporting excellence that has captivated the world: there's been spectacle, drama and the inevitable controversies. But what might be the legacy of the London Olympic Games, for the UK capital and its people, for Britain as a whole and for international sports events of the future? Bridget Kendall was joined by distinguished sports commentator Mihir Bose, Australian Professor Malcolm Gillies, social deprivation researcher Faiza Shaheen and financial journalist Anthony Hilton. Click here to listen to the full programme

‘I cannot see the Olympics coming to the Arab world any time soon’

mihir — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:40:02 +0000

The Independent IOC member Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein of Jordan talks about the success of London 2012 and whether the Arab world is ready to hold the Olympics We may be living the Olympic dream as Team GB racks up medals, but spare a thought for Jordan which has never ever won an Olympic medal. This explains why for Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein of Jordan the most memorable moment of London 2012 is yet to come.

Today programme

mihir — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:13:20 +0000

BBC Radio 4 - Today programme India has received four medals so far in the Olympics Games whereas much smaller South Korea has six times as many. Sports journalist Mihir Bose and Rachel Lee, presenter on Arirang Radio in South Korea, discuss why some countries with large populations do not perform better at Olympic Games. Click here to listen to the programme (Note: the section with Mihir starts at 2:54:00)

IOC reject president Seb Coe but David Cameron must let him shape our next generation

mihir — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:40:20 +0000

Evening Standard We can take it as read that the nation will express its gratitude to our Olympians, starting with the victory parade in London next month. But how can we thank the man who created this marvellous stage for Team GB: Mr London Olympics, Seb Coe?

To build on this success British sport must go back to school

mihir — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:26:38 +0000

Evening Standard There is no great mystery about the reasons for British success at this Olympics. Our cyclists do not have magic wheels that are larger than other nations and neither are we using home turf to get an unfair advantage. The foreign scepticism is partly due to the fact there is always a tendency in this country to try and present success as something that just happens. So, at the height of British power, it was fashionable to say Britain had acquired its empire in a fit of absentmindedness. But then that is hardly surprising in a nation that prides itself on muddling through.

Bob Beamon says we’ve shown the American spirit

mihir — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:25:58 +0000

Evening Standard Much is being made of the fact that the British, intoxicated by the success of the Olympic team, have lost their British sense of fairness and become far too partisan. But here is one man who thinks Team GB are like no other.

British crowds put ‘Elite’ into Olympic performance

mihir — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:18:35 +0000

The London Olympics will leave many memories but, for me, Eton Dorney on Friday morning sums it up. I had got up at 6am to get there because I wanted to see whether Katherine Grainger would finally win a gold in the women’s double sculls, so often having been the bridesmaid at previous Olympics and making do with silver. The 20,000 odd crowd had come for this moment yet the day began with an F final in men’s single sculls between Mejri from Tunisia, Etia Ndoumbe from Cameroon and Djibo Issaka from Niger. Actually it was not a final in the sense that most of us would understand the word, it was a classification match to decide which of these rowers would finish in the last three positions of this competition. Now, in many other sports, football for instance, such a contest would not happen and, if it were to take place, it would provoke universal derision.

Bolt’s the enduring image

mihir — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:29:46 +0000

Evening Standard Usain Bolt’s victory in the 100 metres has not only confirmed his status as an Olympic legend, but demonstrated that there has been a fundamental shift in our perception of athletic worth. In the early days of the Olympics, the race that mattered was the marathon. Indeed, in 1908, the way the British reacted to Dorando Pietri endowed the race with a special magic. The Italian, who crossed the line first but was disqualified for receiving help from stewards, evoked such sympathy that he was given a special cup by Queen Alexandra and a street near White City was named after him. The world then was fascinated by the ability of the human body to endure physical pain and suffering during a sporting contest. The men’s marathon may still conclude the Olympics and there can be no doubting the impact the London marathon has had in this country. Nor will Bolt, exceptional athlete as he is, have a London street named after him. However his success, and the billing of yesterday’s race as the biggest event of the Olympics, shows that what moves us now is to discover who is the fastest man on earth rather than the one who can bear pain the longest.

India’s bad reception

mihir — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:19:58 +0000

Evening Standard We may not want to shed many tears as Australia suffers with only one gold. But, if you have any tears to spare, save them for the Indian athletes. India, a culturally rich country, is a sporting midget - apart from cricket. Since it began competing in 1900, the world's second most populous country, largest democracy and the ninth largest economy has won a grand total of 23 medals, nearly half in hockey. It was only in Beijing that India won its first individual gold courtesy of shooter, Abhinav Bindra. London is unlikely to provide even that solace and the three medals so far means the ratio of medals won to population is 1:407 million. This is despite the millions poured into Indian sport by Britain’s richest man Lakshmi Mittal. The causes of this failure are endlessly analysed by Indian sociologists but I am convinced one reason is the appalling leadership. This was vividly demonstrated at a reception just before the Games when the visiting Indian sports minister proudly announced that coaches who did well would get jobs as civil servants. Can you imagine Hugh Robertson thinking that this would motivate the coaches who guide Jessica Ennis and Co? Given such twisted thinking, is it any wonder the Indians fail?

Olympics the perfect marriage of sport and nationalism

mihir — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:56:14 +0000

PlayUp One of the fascinating things about the Olympics has always been how it emphasises nationalism, yet expects us all not hate other nations. In sporting terms, we in Britain find that difficult and we are by no means alone. Yet these London Games have once again shown the Olympics pull off this amazing trick: drape yourself in your nation’s flag but do not seek to burn other people’s flags.

Russian’s Premier League fashion ambition

mihir — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:48:40 +0000

Evening Standard If Mohamed Al Fayed’s Harrods had supplied the clothes for Team GB it’s hardly likely he would also have been appointed deputy chef de mission. However, Mikhail Kusnirovich is fulfilling both roles with Russia. He combines his Olympic job with running the Bosco fashion label, which is also providing the kit for Spain and the Ukraine.

London 2012 Olympics: Jessica Ennis leads by example at the heart of a very British success

mihir — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:25:50 +0000

Evening Standard A few hours after Jessica Ennis made sure Super ¬Saturday will be forever ¬special in the nation’s sporting memory, I was asked in a BBC broadcast if this was London’s equivalent of the Cathy Freeman moment at Sydney 2000. None of us present then can forget how the stadium gasped as Freeman lit the flame. And almost all of Australia seemed to find it difficult to watch as she ran in the 400metres. Like Ennis now, she was the odds-on favourite but Australians could not bear to think she might be beaten. On that rainy evening some even feared she might slip. But she won and you could almost feel the collective sigh of relief as the entire nation exhaled.