QSI SI, WHATEVER WILL BE WILL BE, BUT I QUESTION IT MORALLY, QSI SI.

2019-06-04T10:54:00.001-07:00

QSI SI, WHATEVER WILL BE WILL BE, BUT I QUESTION IT MORALLY, QSI SI.

So finally I've decided to start this blog, mainly for myself and probably to the comfort of my girlfriend and people unfortunate enough to call me ‘mate'. This should hopefully be a platform that prevents my endless ramblings in the late hours of the evening or the reams of messages sent into the cold abyss of WhatsApp groups about anything and everything. I'm not sharp or witty enough to get my point across within the 140 characters allowed on Twitter, sometimes there's too much to speak about so a post seems more appropriate. I was wondering whether the first of these posts should be an introduction, but I'm not that interesting and that isn't what people want to read. Maybe none of this will be of any interest to anyone anyway, but here we are and I hope you enjoy it.

As many people know I'm a Leeds United fan. Like many, blinded by the hope of success and usually disappointed by sombre mediocrity in the warm embrace of mid-table. Marcelo Bielsa's first season in charge teased us with the carrot that is the Premier League on the EFL stick, but true to tradition the donkey keeps on plodding but still can't bite into that fresh orange crunch. ‘Next season' has been a common theme throughout most of my life, but with the interest of Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) funded by the oil/gas-rich state of Qatar, it would be strange to overlook the possibility of some actual success. Nasser Ghanim Al-Khelaifi, most recognisably associated with PSG is an old friend of Andrea Radrizzani. Radz as he's known has a few questionable mates. He seems to know a lot of people, including the people in charge of football in Myanmar. It was only a year ago a few weeks back since Leeds took a post-season tour there. Radz' media company, eleven sports, then unsuprisingly went on to sign a 9 year deal for the rights of the Myanmar football league. This league's 'All-Stars' team that went on to beat us 2-1. Ethnic cleansing, human rights abusing Myanmar. That, in my opinion, was wrong. A year ago I argued with people over it quite fiercely and my stance has not changed. One thing is crystal clear though, only one reason Leeds went to Myanmar, money.

Money is unquestionably the fastest route to success in football now, apart from the ‘miracle' of Leicester… which wasn't a miracle if you analyse how awful the ‘big 6' were in relation to how they'd usually perform, but you get my point. The confusion of this proposed investment is almost a case study as to how people should feel about moral issues. Investment potentially leading to a takeover, the confusion of my feelings towards this comes from my own position in the world at the moment. I've been stuck in the University bubble in a new city for the last five years and going home on the odd weekend for the football more recently has given me a number of fresh perspectives to consider. Coupling that with my strange enjoyment of sociology, something I wish I'd have taken up earlier, I have realised I am influenced by my surroundings more than I'd like to think. It is this opinion based discussion from the fans perspective that I'd like to look into rather than the potential implications of a Qatar team in the Premier League in terms of diplomacy with the UAE and soft power and blah and blah, as I was reminded by a group of my friends only earlier can be ‘fuck all to do with football' as well as ‘extremely fucking boring'. Point taken. Apologies lads. Who am I to tell people different either, only because of my exposure to this sort of research? Nobody, that's who. A couple of years ago I wouldn't have given this as much thought. This is why we shouldn't be so quick to judge people if they do get excited about the potential benefits that the vast amounts of money this small state might pump into this club that matters so much to so many. As weird as it is. People never seem to consider the fans standpoint, and what might influence certain ideas.

So, let's consider Qatar for a second. Like many things I know and have an awareness of, it's because of sport. The 2022 world cup bid ceremony. I remember it clear as day. December 2010, Zurich. I wasn't there. It was a cold day in Greetland, a small part of Halifax on the top of a hill. My dad made me and my little brother some tomato soup with tiger bread to watch it (an outstanding bit of scran), England are in for the 2018 World Cup. Anticipation was rife, a World Cup close to home and I'll be old enough to go with my mates. Of course, the charm of Beckham didn't seem to matter as Russia won. But Qatar? Who? What? Where? What is Qatar? They've… won? Eh? Corruption was the flavour of the month and Sepp Blatter was enemy number 1. I was 14 and I thought I knew what it all meant, but looking back almost a decade ago, I didn't really have a clue. Being honest most people, myself included, wouldn't know where Qatar was if it hadn't have been for the football. Would people know or make as much of a point about the human rights violations of Qatar if it wasn't for football? You can decide for yourself on that. A year later QSI bought PSG and have since spent over 1 billion US dollars on the acquisition of players alone. 2011. Would I have been excited for QSI to by Leeds in 2011? Yes, absolutely ecstatic. I was a different person in 2011, unaware of the human rights abuse of this state, its track record of workers dying building world cup stadiums and the abhorrent views and punishment of homosexuality. That's why knowing what I know now, as much as the big money should excite me, it just feels wrong.

But I empathise with those who are excited. People should be allowed to be. Huge investment might be the golden ticket back to the glory days, something fans dream of. Qatar is awful but that isn't the fans fault, the fans who might not get much joy from life but get it through football. The fans who have and will be there when players, owners and sponsors leave through the revolving door of the money machine that is the football industry. Some are quick to pass judgement in my opinion without a true reflection of the situation and without consideration of the situation or the person in question. Something I myself am trying to improve upon, reflecting and gathering as much information about something before forming an opinion. People are different, some stay in education, some go on to get jobs. My different groups of friends highlight this, I think it's healthy and it keeps me on my toes rather than comfortable with people who only share the same opinion and environment. There has been the odd idiot on Twitter adding a Turban to pictures saying they are ‘getting ready for Qatar' which isn't the sort of behaviour the club should be known for and as a fan base should make sure doesn't become a regular thing. I think the confusing part of this situation is the vibe of having to choose a camp to sit within regarding potential investment. Camp 1 – This is wrong, morally so so wrong it must be stopped. Camp 2 – Bring on the billions, about time we got something. I know that this is morally wrong, even when internally it gets to around 3% excitement as the prospect of us doing well replays in my thoughts, my dad jokingly texting me saying ‘Mbappe benched for Bamford LOL' the idea is crushed thinking of the horrors people have suffered at the hands of that state. Marching out together, the LGBT Leeds supporters group who work so hard in the community and proudly don their flag next to the away fans on a match day, are we letting them down? Are we letting more people down?

This situation, arguably like football in general, is entrenched with moral disengagement. I've even toyed with the idea of ‘well they do it, why not us', and that is a dangerous game to start playing when analysing such a situation. Newcastle are set to be bought out by rich investors from the Gulf, after years of hurt the overarching consensus seems to be a welcome with open arms. I wonder what the overarching consensus would be if it was Sunderland. Would there be calls that it is morally wrong? But, maybe this is not a situation that is falling on a few football clubs, football fans or even football in general. I think it acts as a metaphor for something quite bigger in wider society. Are we guilty now as a society of a general displacement of responsibility for each other? Why does it always seem to be football or sport that opens the door to these particular debates? As rhetorical and open-ended as these questions seem, the possible explanations to them are becoming less important as we become more selfish to the idea of self-benefit rather than as a collective. I also wonder whether why a news story and rumour starting to build momentum makes me think this way. The whole situation is far more complex than just more money for transfers.

The point I'm trying to make is that I'm confused as to how to approach my thoughts here, and surely won't be alone. Initially, I wanted to go in all guns blazing preaching about ethics and morals, but why? It is up to people to form the opinion they want about this situation. Another area of improvement for myself, letting go of pushing my own opinions too hard and yet again it seems like sport is the thing that's guiding me in these life lessons. It is healthy to have an opinion, and it is fair enough to be happy about the investment of Qatar. Far too many people may jump the gun and attack others for their opinion. Another area of improvement, which every day I aim to improve upon. If it does happen I will still be Leeds, still be at games, and should we win obviously I will be happy…but as of yet I don't know whether deep down it will feel right.

@1_jdean

The Social Spectator

QSI SI, WHATEVER WILL BE WILL BE, BUT I QUESTION IT MORALLY, QSI SI.