The Hazy World of Pro Football

Not that it's anything new in professional football, but the referee for last night's Carling Cup quarter final between Liverpool and Arsenal couldn't see a thing.




That's not because he was useless, it's because the Anfield pitch had become shrouded in the Mersey fog, much to the dissatisfaction of Rafa Benitez and Arsene Wenger, who for the first time claimed he could actually see something on a football pitch.

As the crowds walked home, the TV crews packed their cameras and the Arsenal team headed back to the airport, the arguments raged into the night about fixture congestion. Liverpool and Arsenal must now reconvene their Carling Cup semi-final engagements and meet again in the FA Cup in addition to fulfilling their league requirements. In short, the two sides are looking at 7 games in 22 days. Not surprisingly, messieurs Benitez and Wenger are far from amused.

They could have it worse though. Don't let the '7 games' thing fool you. Last night was not intended to be anything other that a reserve team kick-about in a third-rate competition. Neither side is a supporter of the Carling Cup contest (until it suits them) and neither side had any intention of fielding a first eleven last night, nor will they for the rearranged fixture in January.
So that realistically means six games in 22 days or in simpler terms, 2 games a week with a day to spare.

Yet despite this, the avid supporters of our national game deem this excessive but lets look at what supporters, players and coaches of other sports have to endure.

The Edmonton Oilers of the NHL Ice Hockey league will have taken the ice no fewer than 14 times between December 2nd and 31st. The LA Lakers are even more hard done by, appearing in 16 games in the same period, four of which take place with less than a 24 hour turnaround. And lets not forget that in the States, travelling to away fixtures is about equivalent of European footballers jetting across the continent rather than making a simple bus journey across the city or at worst, a 45 minute flight from London to the North West.

But still, lets show some sympathy for our elite band of millionaires who might have to put in a little extra graft this Christmas