The game is the game

A summer without an international tournament to distract us can often lead to such crazy things as watching cricket or tennis. It can however get us rather nostalgic, offering us an opportunity to ponder the game before it was rebranded as the game.

Those magical days full of mystery, the unknown, the signing that came from nowhere, and before the transfer window existed and the hellish phrase of “[news agency] understands” was uttered. However today isn’t really that bad. In fact it is probably better.

Anyone of my generation will recall the glory of the summer of 94. Post World Cup and still recovering from Il Divin Codino’s woeful penalty miss, the radio report that Spurs had signed Jurgen Klinsmann broke me from my melancholy and had me scrambling for more information, information that due to the internet not existing was unavailable.

I had to wait 24 hours for the Mirror to Photoshop (Windows Paint?) Klinsmann into a Spurs kit and splash it across the back pages. It took 24 hours for us to get information. Think about that now as you pass the rest of your day. Having to wait 24 hours for information, or having to find a TV, navigate to a Ceefax page and wait for it to click through. Were these really better days?

[linequote]The radio report that Spurs had signed Jurgen Klinsmann broke me from my melancholy and had me scrambling for more information, information that due to the internet not existing was unavailable[/linequote]

Pick up your smart phone. Open Facebook/Twitter/BBC News/Tinder and count to 24 seconds before you can use it. It is a lifetime. You can’t wait. We are now unable to. Waiting may have been part of the fun, but it was because we knew no different. It wasn’t better, it was just slower.

The speed in which information and knowledge is available to us today is a good thing. News, situations, events, simple moments happening across the world are in our minds immediately. Football has simply tagged along for the ride. The speed in which football information is available is great, stats can be checked, player bios, records, clips of old goals are available immediately. We know more and knowledge is power.

Admittedly with some Twitter accounts chucking out daily 60 second round up videos, post-game reviews from their bedroom, or CTRL C+Ving their way to clickgasm I do occasionally pray that the satellites drop out of the sky, if that is in fact how the internet works, but until then I will simply control what I consume and enjoy having the information I want as quickly as possible.

Over-consumption of fast and processed food will eventually make your trips to the toilet uncomfortable, digesting too much rot on the internet will have similar affects to your mind. Pick and choose, the web gives us the option to do this.

I do admit, however, that it is sad that there is no longer a surprise package that bursts onto the scene at a World Cup or Euro Championships. The mystery there for us has gone, although it wasn’t really a mystery it was more of a not knowing. Roby Baggio when he slalomed his way beautifully through the Czechoslovakian team had already been signed for £9m by Juventus and in that same World Cup Roger Milla was already an icon of African football.

[fullquote]As with most things when we look backwards, everything has that beautiful Valencia filter on it. Attending games, Harry Redknapp’s cavalier football, Ceefax and the lack of a transfer window[/fullquote]

In 1986 the explosive red and white Danish dynamite of Elkjaer, Laudrup and the Olsens that took the tournament by storm, weren’t road sweepers who just happened to wander into the stadium that day against Uruguay, Laudrup and Elkjaer where already stars playing in Serie A, the latter helping tiny Chievo Verona to the Scudetto in 1985.

As with most things when we look backwards, everything has that beautiful Valencia filter on it. Attending games, Harry Redknapp’s cavalier football, Ceefax and the lack of a transfer window. What we seem to forget is the violence and racism, losing 1-0 at home to Wigan/Wolves, Ceefax impatience and a big team being able to buy a player whenever they wanted, not just in January and the summer.

Eric Cantona, the man who changed United’s history signed for them in November, West Ham in 96/97 were heading for relegation when Redknapp dipped into the market in February 97 to sign John Hartson and Paul Kitson. The transfer window has its issues, but at least it limits movement and does in some way protect smaller teams.

Imagine Real Madrid under Rafa Benitez are struggling for goals in September and decide that Harry Kane is their solution, there is nothing in place to stop them buying him then and there. Or Man City with the league title within touching distance decide they need cover for a broken Joe Hart and make a bid for Hugo Lloris in March. This security is worth the 48 hours a year we have to put up with yellow ties and SkyBet.

[linequote]The game is the game, it just the way in which we consume it that has altered. Football is now in line with everything else in our life. It is instant. [/linequote]

If you think SSN is bad now for 4 out of 12 months a year, imagine the scenes and the amount of “sources” appearing and reports outside of training grounds all year round?

Football has changed. It always changes.

When Bill Nicholson signed Greaves for £99,999 he changed the British game. When Trevor Francis went for £1m he changed it. When Spurs became a PLC they changed it. When the Premier League was formed it changed. Nothing is permanent but change. There is nothing to be done.

Has football suffered because of the changes? No

Has it improved? No

The game is the game, it just the way in which we consume it that has altered. Football is now in line with everything else in our life. It is instant. We can immediately communicate our feelings, thoughts and exact location on this planet. What we are eating, where we are, what we are doing is shared instantly, so is football. If this is a bad thing throw your phone out of the window, close down your Instagram/Facebook/Persicope and instead invite people round to your house and power up the projector to show your holiday photos.

Life is different. In some ways it is better, in others it is like a genital rash. However right now football for me anyway is more enjoyable. If we could only we could safely stand at games.