Wednesday 5 December 2007

Christmas Might Be Cancelled


Christmas is allegedly on its way. And no doubt you like me are busy writing cards and choosing presents.

No? Bit of a last minute wonder are you?

Well here are some present ideas with a football theme to help you along.

To start with what about celebrating the buildup to Christmas with a WAGvent calender?

And who could resist a personalised football? Or that great stocking filler, a football annual?

But for those of you with a less commercial bent, what about pausing to thing about the very special connection between Christmas and football.

The story is well known now but for those of you who are not familiar with it, on Christmas Day in 1915, during the awfulness that was World War I, a group of English soldiers and a group of German soldiers spontaneously left their trenches to play a game of football. If ever there was a tale that highlighted the senselessness of war this has to be it. The same men who hours before and minutes later would be trying to kill each other, joined in a shared act of understanding.

Other connections?

Well there is the Christmas Island football team. Their 'league' does not seem very extensive. In fact as far as I can make out all their matches are against only one other team - Cocos Island. A permanent derby.

It would be like Manchester United and Manchester City or Liverpool and Everton only ever playing each other. Transfer opportunities would be somewhat limited and the practice of passing managers around would soon run out of steam.

Of course, all this nonsense will offer little comfort to Sam Allardyce, who would be quite happy just keep his job until Christmas I suspect. Although he is making plans for himself and his team to spend some time together during the festivities. Sweet!

Sssshhhh! I can hear Big Sam making a Christmas wish. What's that? You are going to tell those young Arsenal players that if they beat you tonight Father Christmas won't come this year?

Mmmm. An interesting ruse. It might just work. They are still just babies after all.

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