| Spontaneity the secret to celebrations It doesn't take an anthropologist to discern that premeditation is the enemy of a celebration to shout aboutDesmond Morris's book The Soccer Tribe, published in 1981 but sadly out of print for many years, cast the celebrated zoologist's eye over the rituals and unique ceremonies of football and interpreted them, often hilariously, by applying the disciplines of social anthropology to the study. This allows him to compare the conduct of players, managers and fans to the tribal customs and animal behaviour he had observed while engaged on rather more orthodox academic research.Much of it seemed tongue in cheek and deliberately pseudish but his list of the 18 distinct ways of celebrating a goal sprang to mind this weekend when four Premier League players performed variations on the theme that have supplemented the art in the 29 years since publication.After scoring the goal that ultimately defeated Chelsea, Manchester City's Carlos Tevez pulled up his shirt to reveal a scrawl wishing many happy returns to his mother, reviving a tradition that began in the early 1990s with Ian Wright's "I love the lads", Robbie Fowler's pledge of support for striking dockers and the crass rallying cry of Birmingham City's Paul Tait: "Shit on the Villa." Vest sloganeering has encompassed the political, the parochial and the mundane and now seems solely the preserve of those who want to ingratiate themselves with, appease or amuse their team-mates or family. As celebrations go they are now about as self-referential as you can get.Robert Green's phoney Soprano vaffanculo gesture to the press box at Upton Park following his first clean sheet of the season was a different kind of celebration entirely, an act of vindication after enduring so much criticism. Any po-faced attempt to charge him should face the sort of derision that Green has been subjected to over the past few months. Emile Heskey, meanwhile, also had a pop back at his detractors by cupping his ears after that fine Nat Lofthousesque headed goal at Molineux to mock the abuse he had withstood for most of Aston Villa's game against Wolves. Ridiculing players always offers a hostage to fortune and who but the most charmless berk would complain when they have the last laugh?The last of the four triumphal sprees was undertaken by the Newcastle captain, Kevin Nolan, after scoring the penalty that put his side 1-0 up against Stoke. After wrongfooting Thomas Sorensen Nolan set off, pursued by team-mates, engaged in what can only be described as a chicken impersonation performed with such vim that had he been a few years older we might have taken for a tribute to Norman Collier. It was rather convoluted and difficult to decipher but had the right quality of daftness to entertain all but Stoke and Sunderland fans.We had such a string of well-rehearsed celebrations from 1992 to about five years ago that they began to pall. From Lee Sharpe's Elvis with the corner flag to Paul Gascoigne's priceless dentist's chair and Chelsea's 10-man primary school class photograph pose, they became a staple of Sky's Soccer AM each week and, as such, teams were egged on to top each other with ever more contrived routines from shining each other's boots to pretending to be Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer cooing down doves from above. The lack of spontaneity rather ruined it, just like Fulham's Facundo Sava and the mask he pulled out of his sock. Goodness knows what Morris would have made of that.The backflippers, taking their lead from Real Madrid's goalscoring dentist Hugo Sánchez, were a force for a while with Peter Beagrie, Lomana LuaLua and Robbie Keane but seem to have fallen out of favour, leaving the field clear for the hardy perennials – knee-sliding, belly-flopping a la Jürgen Klinsmnann and good old-fashioned high-kneed sprinting with one arm aloft. The waving the shirt over the head lassoo-style as practised so memorably by Duncan Ferguson and Ryan Giggs have been made obsolete by officious concerns about time-wasting.I don't think you can beat Denis Law's salute, one arm raised with his shirt cuff gripped in his fist, for elegant simplicity nor should we forget, in deference to Ed Miliband's outing of himself as a Leeds fan, Peter Lorimer's resemblance to a demented circus sea lion, clapping himself frantically after a goal. Mick Channon's was the one we all took off at school, whirring the right arm through 360 degrees, while a slalom solo run to score would demand a re-enactment of Emlyn Hughes's Crazy Horse gallop while screaming "Get in there" in the high-pitched squeal made famous on the BBC's 101 Great Goals video.I do not know whether any of the examples from the weekend other than Tevez's was cooked up in advance but it doesn't take an anthropologist to discern that premeditation is the enemy of genuine celebration nor that the greatest of them all, Marco Tardelli's in the 1982 World Cup final, would not have been the same had he lifted his shirt to reveal "Ciao Mama".Carlos TevezRob Bagchiguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Schalke 04 v Benfica: match preview Follow match preview of the Champions League Group B match between FC Schalke 04 and Benfica at the Veltins-Arena Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday Sept 29 2010, kick-off 19.45 BST. telegraph.co.uk |
Lowy worried by bid 'politics' Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy fears bid "politics" could hurt Australia's chances of hosting the World Cup. foxsports.com.au |
In full: statement from New England Sports Ventures and Liverpool • John W Henry: 'We are stewards for the club'• Martin Broughton: 'Comprehensively resolves club's debt'• All the latest takeover news on our live blog"New England Sports Ventures (NESV) today announces that it has completed the purchase of Liverpool Football Club. NESV wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to the board of Liverpool FC for their diligence and their efforts on behalf of the club and its supporters.The transaction values the club at £300m and eliminates all of the acquisition debt placed on LFC by its previous owners, reducing the Club's debt servicing obligations from £25m-£30m a year to £2m-£3m.New England Sports Ventures is committed to winning and currently owns a portfolio of companies, including the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Roush Fenway Racing."NESV principal owner John Henry said:"On behalf of the entire NESV partnership, I want to express how incredibly proud and humbled we are to be confirmed as the new owners of Liverpool FC. We regard our role as that of stewards for the club with a primary focus on returning the club to greatness on and off the field for the long-term. We are committed first and foremost to winning. We have a history of winning, and today we want LFC supporters to know that this approach is what we intend to bring to this great club."Liverpool FC chairman Martin Broughton, said:"I am delighted that we have been able to successfully conclude the sale process which has been thorough and extensive. The board decided to accept NESV's offer on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a new owner. NESV is buying Liverpool in order to put it on an excellent financial footing and continue to develop it internationally. This is a good deal which comprehensively resolves the pressing issue of the club's debt and should give staff, players and fans great confidence regarding the future of Liverpool FC."NESV chairman Thomas Werner said:"We recognise that Liverpool Football Club is an historic institution ultimately grounded in the community and the fans. Our first step as new owners will be to listen. We want to hear from the manager and the players and those who are part of the daily operation of the club. We will be visible at Anfield and will embrace and listen to those who have stood by this club and who are the rock on which its future success will be built. We want to hear from the fans, local leaders and the local community. We want to hear from those who know LFC best, who have made it the best and share our desire to return to a culture of winning."NESV is committed to creating a long-term, financially strong foundation for the club and dedicated to ensuring the club has the financial resources to be successful again and attract the best players. To that end, the transaction has been structured in such a way as to eliminate all of the acquisition debt on the club.In the coming days and months, NESV will work closely with the LFC executive team to listen and learn about every facet of the organisation. During this time, the new owners will begin to look at areas for greatest opportunity to increase the appeal of the club nationally and internationally. NESV wants to once again create a culture and environment to allow people to excel at the club on every front. During this period, NESV will also begin to examine opportunities to enhance the matchday experience in the short-term, while also carefully studying the various long-term options that may be possible.Mr Henry and Mr Werner added:"We are eager to commence with our plan, spend time with the organisation, its leadership, its supporters, and the local communities. We will take these steps alongside the club's executives with a shared objective of stabilising the club and ultimately returning Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successful and competing for trophies."John W HenryLiverpoolguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
England pulls out of 2022 World Cup bid race The World Cup bidding contests became a lot clearer after the United States withdrew on Friday from the 2018 race to focus on earning hosting ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |