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User:Rhys.Redfearn/Judicial Politics in Australian Rugby League

Link to Presentation ---> BPS2011 - Judicial Politics in Australian Rugby League

Introduction
The judicial system in professional Australian rugby league has an extensive history, and has had many different forms since its inception. The judiciary seen today in the professional Australian rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL), is a diverse and dynamic body. The judiciary is the head group in charge regarding on field issues involving players and officials.

The NRL Judiciary has a main role within the operations of the NRL. The judiciary deliberates over on field discretions committed by players and officials. As seen in the link, the judiciary states all of the guidelines regarding penalties and judicial proceedings.

But the judiciary is so much more than just this. The judiciary holds much power in the world of professional rugby league. It can hold a player’s future in its hands, it can be a mediator of disputes and it can be the ‘theatre’ where cases between parties can be discoursed and deliberated to much fanfare and drama.

Today’s judiciary in Australian rugby league is far different from its past formation. It has its supporters and its critics. The judiciary now has much more responsibility to handle. Its word in most cases is final. The judiciary’s influence and the influence on itself is a major aspect of Australian rugby league and all it comprises of. The business and politics of rugby league is closely related to judicial proceedings, and this relationship is one that is never really discussed openly. This essay wishes to explore that relationship.

Judicial Background and Structure
The National Rugby League (NRL) is Australia's premier rugby league competition. The NRL judiciary is the chief body regarding judicial issues in the sport of rugby league. The judiciary is a panel of experts who deliberate over the match review committee’s charges against players, officials, staff and teams/clubs. The NRL judiciary in its current form has been in operation since the rival ‘Super League’ competition was completed in 1997, and merged with the Australian Rugby League (ARL) competition in 1998, to create the NRL.

The NRL judiciary is the next step past the match review committee. As mentioned, the MRC will decide on the category of the charge and the grade. The judiciary has a demerit point system already in place which coincides with the MRC’s verdict. The NRL judiciary assigns demerit points to each charge and grade. For example, the MRC finds that a player is guilty of a ‘Grade 3 Dangerous Throw’ charge. This charge has the penalty of 525 demerit points against the player charged, as determined by the judiciary. When the player receives the charge, he may either plead guilty and accept the penalty, or may enter a ‘not guilty’ plea and contest the charge in front of the judiciary. A rare third option may be enforced by the player, in which he can plead guilty to the charge, but contest the grading, i.e. reduce the penalty associated, but the first two pleas are most common.

The following is an excerpt taken from the NRL’s website regarding judicial procedure:

"To ensure consistency and fairness in penalties awarded by the NRL Judiciary, penalties are awarded according to a pre-determined points system. Each 100 points received by a player will result in a one match suspension. For example, a penalty of 275 points will result in a player receiving a two-match suspension, with the remaining 75 points staying on the player’s record for 12 calendar months as ‘carry-over points’.

''Following the end of each round, clubs and media are advised of details of charges laid by the Match Review Committee. Clubs have until noon on the following day to enter a plea on charges. If the club and player plead guilty, no judiciary hearing is necessary. If the player and his club plead not guilty or ask that the ‘grading’ of the charge be downgraded, he will be required to put his case to the judiciary."''

(NRL.com, Reference Centre – Judiciary, 2011)

Dramatics and Influence

The Adam Blair and Glenn Stewart case highlights what the judiciary can encompass. Fanfare and drama with much riding on the line. This case showed the theatrics of the judicial procedure due to the magnitude of the case itself and the reactions to the outcome.

“There was plenty at stake for all involved - Manly and Melbourne keen to keep their premiership campaigns on track and the NRL desperate for a harsh enough penalty to show all the mums and dads out there that violence of this nature would not be tolerated.

The NRL judiciary had not had a night like this since retired superstar Andrew Johns was banned for two games for abusing a touch judge back in 2006, or when Storm skipper Cameron Smith was rubbed out of the 2008 grand final.

''But through it all, Blair appeared calm, even as the judiciary panel was subjected to seven different replays of an incident that has barely been off the screens from the moment it occurred. The bravado gave way to dejection as the verdict was handed down. It wasn't the five to seven weeks the NRL counsel wanted, but the three matches on top of the two-game ban was enough to end his days with the Storm.''

Then through all the build up and angst came a relatively calm ending, Manly pleading for more time to rebuild their case.

They were granted their 24 hours, but whether it is enough to save Stewart's season is another matter."

(NRL.com, Fighting stars poles part at NRL judiciary, August 31st 2011)

The judiciary can be much more than a place of deliberation and hearing. This particular case had enormous repercussions for both players and their teams. The brawl incident was on the eve of the finals series, with Manly and Melbourne the top two teams in contention for spots in the grand final. With emotions running high, this case was of the highest importance for the NRL.

The judiciary hearings for both players though could not be any more different. Public view was that Blair was not the instigator of the brawl, yet he was served with a five match ban. Stewart on the other hand, seen as the main perpetrator was given another 24 hours to prepare his case after claiming his counsel was not prepared. Amazingly, the judiciary agreed. This outcome caused much controversy for the judiciary, being accused of double standards and coercion. The judiciary stuck by its decision, but the media and rugby league public became involved in very heated debates over judicial proceedings.

Mal Meninga V Judiciary
Mal Meninga's rant during the 2011 State of Origin series was unprecedented for a high ranking coach or official. Meninga felt that his whole State of Origin campaign was being undermined by his New South Wales rivals, and in particular judiciary officials who had suspended Queensland forward David Taylor for five matches for a dangerous tackle in a club match, ruling him out of the remainder of the series.

The case involving Mal Meninga and the judiciary was never before seen in Australian rugby league. Meninga’s ‘rant’ was a blatant attack on the judiciary. He criticised not only its panel members, but accused the judiciary of working with New South Wales rugby league, to undermine Queensland’s chances of winning a record six straight State of Origin series.

“And unlike the case in which judiciary panel members sued Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy and chief executive Brian Waldron for defamation over comments they made after Cameron Smith was banned from the 2008 grand final, Greg McCallum, Peter Louis and Bradley Clyde have the full backing of the NRL. It is believed the judiciary panel members involved in the legal action against the officials from the News Ltd-owned Storm each received $45,000 in an out-of-court settlement.”

(Brisbane Times, Judiciary trio to sue unless Meninga apologises, July 13th 2011)

The Melbourne Storm and its officials had already set a precedent back in 2008 when their club accused the judiciary of favouring the other grand finalists Manly-Warringah by suspending Storm captain Cameron Smith and excluding him from the grand final. However, that time around, when the judiciary members decided to take legal action over the Storm comments, the governing body, the NRL did not support the members’ actions and advised against. The members did go through with the action and the case was settled out of court.

The Politics
So why did the NRL change its stance when ‘going after’ Mal Meninga? It was based on politics.

The Queensland V NSW rivalry is always at its most volatile and strongest around Origin time. No matter if it is on or off the field, there is passion and hatred for one another. With the NRL and the judiciary being based in NSW, Meninga alone saw this as a chance to substantiate his argument against the judiciary and its members.

The battle for state supremacy is a never ending one between NSW and QLD, no matter the sport. It is intensified however in the sport of rugby league because of the State of Origin concept. State of Origin is billed as ‘state versus state, mate versus mate’.

That tagline is usually reserved for the players but in this instance the Origin rivalry went further than the players.

Not only did Mal Meninga and the judiciary members become involved in a scandal, the governing body of the sport, which would normally distance themselves from such an event, got firstly involved, but then also took sides and backed the judicial members in their attempts to force legal action. As mentioned before, this was an unprecedented move by the NRL, as the last time they were faced with such a decision, they distanced themselves from proceedings.

The NRL has significant interest in such matters when they arise, due to the judiciary members representing the NRL as an organisation, but the judicial members themselves are independent from the NRL, i.e. they do not work for the NRL; the judiciary is impartial has no conflict of interest in judicial matters. Conflict of interest for both the NRL and the judicial members occurred when the NRL stepped in and declared they would support the judiciary.

The NRL wanted to state that it is the governing body, and it would not be pushed around by one person. In doing so, the NRL brought politics into the argument by siding with the judiciary and promoting its own agenda.

In the end, Meninga apologised off the record and the judiciary members dropped their legal case. This type of occurrence shows that the judiciary has a lot of influence in the operations of the NRL, as well as showing how easily a reasonably straight forward matter can turn into a real episode.

Judiciary and Business
Jeff Wall's article discusses the recent controversy around judicial proceedings, and in this particular case, the politics behind the judiciary's decision regarding Brisbane Broncos' player Sam Thaiday as well as its effects on the NRL as a business.

"The current process does not have flexibility - the judiciary cannot mitigate a penalty when it involves a suspension from an origin match, a semi final, or a grand final.

It ought to be able to determine the penalty on the basis of the impact it will have.

The best way to achieve that is to allow a player, and his club, to have the judiciary decide the case on its merits...on the evidence put before it, and tested by counsel representing the NRL and the player.

There is a risk in that for a player - the judiciary might decide on a higher penalty.

''I thought the Thaiday dangerous throw was in the "middle range". But that is just one opinion. The review panel clearly views it as more serious than that.''

Let the "independent judiciary" decide the penalty, if any, based on the totality of the evidence put before them."

(League Unlimited, Off the Wall, September 5 2011)

The current judicial process in the NRL has come under much scrutiny since its inception in 1998. Previously, a case put to the judiciary was assessed before the judicial panel. There was no involvement with a match review committee, because one did not exist. Each case was heard and then an outcome was derived, much like being involved in a court process.

Since the MRC was introduced, the judiciary has taken on a different form. Rather than a place where parties can deliberate a case, the judiciary is now the outlet if a charge is sought to be downgraded or removed altogether. The MRC takes away the opportunity to plead a case.

This is where the business side of rugby league has a stake.

The Business
With the current judicial system in place, the argument currently stands at is the judicial system a fair and unbiased structure, and does it facilitate good business?

As aforementioned, the pre 1998 judicial system was much like a court process. It was lengthy, arduous and expensive, but it was seen to be the fairest and most unbiased way of deliberating over such cases, because of the time and effort put into presiding over a case.

With the introduction of the MRC in 1998, the judicial process is much more straightforward. Cases can be heard over a shorter period of time, with little need for deliberation because of the MRC preparing the details to be discussed before the matter reaches the judiciary.

What is good for business can entail a few aspects in regards to rugby league. Does the current system have to ability to assist players and officials in making the judicial process easier to understand and follow? Does the simplified system save resources which can be used in other areas? Does the judiciary positively reflect to the public that the course of justice has been followed stringently?

Jeff Wall asks for leniency and understanding from the judiciary when presiding over a case in his article, especially when the player involved could be excluded from a significant match.

But is not that then showing bias and being unfair towards the player and the business by having a conflict of interest and taking into consideration outside factors that may not relate to the case at hand, everything which the current judicial system is not?

The major reason why the pre 1998 system needed to be changed was because of the many variables that could influence a case. By having such a complex system, things became ‘lost in the shuffle’. Post 1998, the NRL decided to eliminate these variables by introducing the MRC, and having an independent judiciary. This is not to say the original judiciary was not effective in its operations. However, the current system alleviates the concern over whether the course of justice could be wayward or manipulated when a case is heard. It is simple in its approach, and is a true representation of how a sporting tribunal operates.

Conclusion
Professional Australian rugby league is a powerhouse sport in the context of the national sporting landscape. The judiciary is seen as a cornerstone of the sport, being the mediator and acting as the body to end disputes and aid communication. The influence it has over the sport and all its aspects and its relationship to the business and politics of rugby league makes for a multifaceted and complex relationship to say the least. Judicial politics and its effects on sport and business has the power to change the landscape of a sport, and in Australian rugby league, the judiciary has such close ties to the NRL, yet is an independent body. It is an intricate situation, yet the judiciary is determined to serve the sport to the best of its ability, and will continue to do so into the future.


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User:Josh.O'Brien/The changing landscape of Rugby League in Australia

View my presentation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxgXMb3mEYw

The idea to have an independent commission run the NRL first came from a Chief Executives conference in May 2008, with Gold Coast Titans CEO Michael Searle selected to head a sub-committee given the job of exploring the idea with NRL clubs and stakeholders. Under the current structure, Rugby League in Australia is a tangle of various boards and partnerships, with the NRL a 50/50 partnership between the ARL and News Ltd. 8 Commissioners have been selected to form the Independent Commission: John Grant, Catherine Harris, Ian Elliot, Peter Gregg, Gary Pemberton, Jeremy Sutcliffe, Wayne Pearce and Chris Sarra. The Independent Commission will be involved in negotiating a new TV rights deal, expected to be worth around $1billion which will secure the financial future of the game for the next few years. They will also be involved into the research and development of expansion clubs, making the NRL a truly national game.

Introduction
The topic of the changing landscape of Rugby League in Australia was chosen because of the unique position the game is currently in. While it has been successful for many years, the biggest happening since the Super League war of the 90s is set to change the game. An Independent Commission has been set up to take over the running of the game from the Australian Rugby League and News Limited, removing conflicts of interest that have hampered rugby league for over a decade. This essay will look at how the Independent Commission came to be formed, who the commissioners will be and what it will mean for rugby league in this country. It will also look into a couple of issues the Commission will be involved in; the new TV rights deal and the expansion of the game.

The Independent Commission
The idea to have an independent commission run the NRL first came from a Chief Executives conference in May 2008, with Gold Coast Titans CEO Michael Searle selected to head a sub-committee given the job of exploring the idea with NRL clubs and stakeholders. Under the current structure, Rugby League in Australia is a tangle of various boards and partnerships. The NRL is a 50/50 partnership between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and News Limited, and is responsible for the Telstra Premiership, Toyota Cup and other main revenue streams. The NRL Board is made up of 6 members, 3 from the ARL and 3 from News Ltd. There is also the NRL Partnership Executive Committee that oversees the key financial areas of the partnership agreement between the ARL and News Ltd. Both sides take it in turns every 12 months to appoint the chairman of each of these boards (NRL 2011). While each of these boards and committees have many experts in their field responsible for running them, there is currently no single group of people that plan and implement strategies across the game. The main objective of the Independent Commission when they take over is to make the game more efficient by centralising funding, development and control. It will do this by dissolving and replacing the ARL, NRL Partnership and NRL Boards.

8 Commissioners have been selected to form the Independent Commission. They were selected by a committee including an ARL, News Ltd, Queensland Rugby League and NRL club representative. They then had to be approved by the 16 NRL clubs. The 8 Commissioners are: (Staff Writers Fox Sports 2011)
 * John Grant (Chairman)-Managing Director Data#3
 * Catherine Harris-Chairperson of Harris Farm Markets
 * Ian Elliot-Former Chairman of George Patterson Bates
 * Peter Gregg-CFO Leighton Holdings
 * Gary Pemberton-Former Chairman of Qantas
 * Jeremy Sutcliffe-CSR Chairman
 * Wayne Pearce-Australian Representative and Fox Sports Commentator
 * Chris Sarra-Executive Director of Queensland Technology’s Stronger Smarter Institute

Concerns have been raised that the Commission will be a ‘puppet’ for the 16 NRL clubs to get what they want, while grassroots and regional rugby league will be an afterthought. The reasoning for these concerns is that the idea for the Independent Commission came from an NRL CEO’s meeting, and now the Commissioners selected had to be ratified by the clubs. This questions the claim that having the Independent Commission will remove the conflicts of interest in the NRL. For example, the clubs have already 'threatened' the Commission, demanding nearly double the current annual grant to be handed out from next year. The threat of a breakaway league, similar to what the Super League was, could be the consequences should the clubs not get what they want (AAP 2011).

Since the NRL was formed in 1998 after the Super League War, conflicts of interest have been deeply seeded in the game. As mentioned previously, the ARL and News Ltd have a 50/50 partnership in the NRL. News Ltd is also the owner of the Melbourne Storm, is a major shareholder in the Brisbane Broncos, a 25% owner of Foxtel and is the publisher of the official newspapers of the NRL (Hadassin 2010). The Independent Commission will remove these conflicts of interest by taking News Ltd out of running the game, meaning it wouldn’t have to deal with entities it had an interest in. It is thought that some sort of conflict of interest/corruption might return to the game with the Commission, as the NRL clubs have a vote to have a commissioner ejected if they are not happy with them. This opens up the question that, what if the clubs keep churning through commissioners until they find 8 that will do what the clubs want? For the good of the game at all levels, the commissioners will have to stay true to their purpose and run the game with no influence from external parties.

TV Rights Deal
A TV rights deal is an agreement made between a television network/s and the NRL over what time and days games will be played, whether live or delayed, and how much the network will pay for the rights to broadcast the games. The current NRL TV rights deal was negotiated in 2005 and started in 2007, worth $500million over 6 years from Channel 9 and Fox Sports (ABC 2005). With this deal expiring at the end of 2012, a new deal to commence in 2013 is currently being negotiated and is expected to be in the vicinity of $1billion. The expectations for the NRL’s next TV deal is set high due to the recent deal the Australian Football League (AFL) negotiated with Channel 7, Foxtel and Telstra which will start in 2012, worth $1.25billion (Witham 2011).

Being the top 2 football codes in the country, the NRL and AFL are often compared in their activities, with their TV deals being no exception. After the announcement of the AFL’s new deal being worth $1.25billion, many immediately expected the NRL’s deal to be worth a similar amount. The major issue with these expectations are however, that despite both being popular sports, they are 2 differing products. The main reason a TV network will pay so much for the rights to broadcast games is because of the potential revenue they can generate by selling advertising time during the games. The AFL has an advantage over the NRL in that the game has more natural breaks in play for ads to be shown. These natural breaks are created by the actual game being longer, it is played in quarters (meaning there is time between quarters to show ads), and a quick ad can be shown after every goal before play restarts (O'Connell 2011). On top of this, a broadcaster can take advantage of these breaks but continue to show the game live, a huge bonus for fans. The NRL is disadvantaged by the chance that there will be very few chances during a live broadcast to have an ad break, hence why games are often on a delayed broadcast. This can upset fans trying to enjoy the game on delay, as results can easily be accidentally found out in the current world of Facebook, Twitter or even a text or call from a friend who was at the game.

The NRL clubs and their players are the main beneficiaries of a large TV rights deal. The money that the NRL gets from the deal is mostly put back into the clubs, by the means of the annual grants it gives out. The revenue generated from the deal is also directly related to how much the salary cap is worth each season. The more that the NRL can give to clubs in the annual grant, the higher the salary cap can be. This isn’t only a benefit for players, but also for the fans. Over the past few seasons fans have had to see some of their favourite players such as Mark Gasnier and Sonny Bill Williams leave the game in Australia to take up higher paying contracts overseas. A new TV deal and a raised salary cap will allow clubs to pay these marquee players what they deserve. With the new Independent Commission in charge of negotiating the deal with networks, any conflict of interest regarding News Ltd and Fox Sports is erased. In the last deal negotiated which involved those 2 organisations, many thought that the deal could’ve been worth a lot more, however News Ltd didn’t want to sell the rights for too much to the network they have a share in. What this meant was that Fox Sports and News Ltd got a better deal by getting the game cheaper, while the NRL was left with a deal far under what was reasonable.

Rugby League Expansion
In the quest to become a truly ‘national’ competition, the NRL will need to expand and add teams from all across Australia. When compared to the AFL, it is a very isolated competition. All of the teams are from the eastern states with very few games played in states without NRL teams, while the AFL has teams across nearly all states, with a couple of teams with agreements to play in states which don’t have teams every season. On top of this, the AFL has recently expanded into traditional rugby league playing areas, with the Gold Coast Suns playing their inaugural season in 2011 and the Greater Western Sydney Giants to join the competition in 2012. This is a threat to the NRL not only by the setting up of new teams in rugby league areas, but also by the clinics and ‘Auskick’ programs that the AFL is also setting up in these areas to entice juniors to come and give Aussie Rules a try. The development of sport starts with juniors and grassroots programs; with the right implementation of these programs and with enough participants the current generation of juniors could soon favour Aussie Rules over Rugby League, leaving the NRL to play catch up to the AFL for years to come.

The NRL has been looking at expanding the competition the admission of a new team, or teams, in 2015. While this date does seem far away, it is estimated that it will take approximately 2 years to set up a new, fully functioning club. Plus with the new TV rights deal to be negotiated and commenced in 2013, the league is hesitant to act too quickly before the financial future of the game is clear and secure. Among the possible teams to be added to the NRL are teams based in Brisbane, Central Coast, Central Queensland, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, South Australia, Sunshine Coast, Perth and Wellington (McDonald 2011). Recently NRL CEO David Gallop commented that he expects two new teams to be added to the competition, saying ‘I anticipate it would involve two teams so that we would be able to have a ninth broadcast slot’ (Fox Sports 2011). As explained before, a huge amount of the NRL’s revenue comes from TV networks broadcasting games, and adding 2 new teams’ means creating 1 extra game every week, which would generate more money for the NRL.

Conclusion
The Independent Commission is set to bring to rugby league what has been missing for over a decade: freedom. The formation of the Commission will free the control of the game from the hands of the ARL and News Limited. Instead of looking after their own interests as the former directors of the game have done, the Commission's duty will be to do what is best for rugby league in Australia. This will include getting the most out of a new TV deal, expanding the game effectively to increase the profile of rugby league and managing the image of the game. Rugby league in this country is about to enter an exciting time, and with the Independent Commission in control is set to flourish.


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User talk:JoshHeuer

 Hello JoshHeuer, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. All users are expected to abide by our Privacy policy, Civility policy, and the Terms of Use while at Wikiversity.

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title: User talk:JoshHeuer


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User:JoshHeuer/Essay

Outline
Football (Soccer) is one of, if not the most popular game in the world. It is watched by millions from all over the globe and supported by even more. Because of this you would think that the sport would like to keep a good relationship with the public both in the actions it takes outside of the game and the consequence of these actions, whether they are positive or negative. What has recently been discovered is that the highest level of control over the world game, FIFA, is littered with corruption.

The news came about after the discovery of FIFA officials taking substantial bribes from the nations hoping to host the 2018 and the 2022 world cups. Qatar, who won the bid for the 2022 world cup, have now been stripped of the honor to host the one of the worlds largest events sporting events and Russia, who won the 2018 bid, although have not been proven guilty of corruption, are still being accused of wrong doing in their biding process.

Since this discovery it has allowed all sorts of people to question the integrity of the games officials and although the sport is still loved, it shrouds the game with bad press. In this essay I will discuss how the game itself has been affected, the impact on the players and teams, even though they played no direct part in the corruption and discuss whether or not money is beginning to change the shape of the game and the politics behind it.

title: User:JoshHeuer/Essay


text:
User:Gauntarchie/essay

Introduction
Football is a past time in much of Europe. It is a culture a religion. People are prepared to die for their team. Although this passion can be somewhat healthy. There is a fog of unease over much of the European games. A select few supporters like to ruin the atmosphere and traditions of this beautiful game. Rivalries in sport are a typical and great part about sports. However in the European game some of these rivalries can be taken to the next level. Old firm derbies such as Rangers vs. Celtic in Glasgow or the El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid frequently create a platform for violence and hooliganism. People who attend these derbies specifically to go and watch a game of football often get more than they bargained for. With riots, flares, fighting and disruptance in and around the ground it can often be hard to escape the self proclaimed “hardcore fans”. To them the result of the match comes second. As this creates a wave of unease and will make you think twice about before bringing your family to such games. The question remains why does football hooliganism still exist in a much more controlled society? Alcohol, testosterone and football loyalty. But why does the government not employ more policing leading up to and around the grounds. How do you stop violent people coming to the game? Should anyone with a violent or criminal history not be allowed access to the game? It has been suggested that football sets up an expectation of violence. Then does not settle in on the pitch. Whereas sports like boxing, rugby and NFL leave nothing in the stadium. The question still remains as to whether or not the FA and FIFA are doing all they can to prevent the violence.

1880
Stemming back years to where football Hooliganism in England all began. Started in the 1880’s much of the violence surrounding these games occurred between rivalling football teams. As travelling around the country to games was less common. These games tended to be quite violent and disruptive. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the real hooliganism began. Football clubs started to create firms. Organised fighting groups “unofficially” tied to the club.

1970-1990
Depending on what part of the country you were from, you would have different ideas about the roots of football hooliganism. In the north there are two major footballing cities. Liverpool and Manchester. Some of the most iconic grounds, teams and supporters around the globe come from the two clubs only 35 miles away down the M62. The rich history between these football clubs came in the late 1970’s, Liverpool’s golden era. Between 1977 and 1984 Liverpool won four European cups. These were the glory days for supporters allowing to travel all around Europe for years. What occurred with this was unexpected. Fans would bring back memorabilia, old school jackets and t shirts that were stolen from various places around Europe. This fashion ware became a symbol for hooliganism. As it represented that you were here to fight. Wearing team colours to the game indicated that you were a supporter, not a hooligan. But what followed from these times were one of the most fierce rivalries in world football. As Manchester United’s firm the “red army” and Liverpool’s firm the “the urchins” frequently exchanged in heated battles. As the hooliganism increased so did the casualties. With the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, which resulted in 39 Juventus fans being crushed to death because a riot that broke out between Juventus and Liverpool. This resulted in a ban on English teams being allowed to play in Europe for the next 5 years.

Introduction of CCTV
In the south much of the London firms were gaining recognition as being hardcore thugs. Millwall, West Ham, Chelsea and Tottenham were notably some of the worst fans scouring up and down the country for violence and football. It was not until the 1980’s that CCTV footage was introduced in and around the grounds in a bid to prevent the violence. Huge football bans were introduced and lengthy prison terms were given to anyone committing acts of hooliganism around the ground. Although this did stop much of the violence it would still exist but this time in the streets around the stadium. Where the hooligans could say the violence was unrelated to the football.

2010
Nowadays firms still exist all around the country so does the hooliganism. Much of the implications and the laws that the FA, FIFA and the government have set in have done much to stop the violence. But this hooliganism still exists. In 2009/2010 season a match between Mill wall and West Ham in the Carling Cup resulted in frequent pitch invasions culminating in a mass pitch invasion at the end in which police struggled to contain. There were violent scenes on the outside of the stadium in which many people were arrested and footballing bans were employed.

Security
Football is not just a sport it’s a business generating billions of dollars per year through merchandise sales, ticket sales, sponsorships and TV rights. It’s a global business. But much of there costs go toward security in and around the ground. Typically a policemen comes to the cost of about 250 pounds for a 5 hour shift. Hiring multiple stewards can halve the price of security costs. But this comes at a cost to the safety of the public. As stewards only have so many rights that they are allowed to enforce to the general public. They are essentially just “peace keepers”. As this is not such a problem for the richer clubs such as the Manchester United’s and the Barcelona’s of football. Having large numbers of police officers tend to be a problem for the lower league clubs. Extra cash needs to be handed by the FA to these lower league clubs for safety concerns. This was shown in a local match between York City and Luton Town. Where around 50 Luton players invaded the pitch shortly after the final whistle sparking violent scenes in which it took 10 minutes for riot police to come and sort out the matter. Luton Chairman Nick Owen stated that “'I don't deal with the detail of stewarding and police numbers, but they certainly seemed to struggle with the swarming number of Luton fan heading towards the opposition end at the end of the game". This type of behaviour is obviously unacceptable in the sport, but can only be controlled with an influx of funding which is especially hard to come by at a local level.

Local to National
There is such a huge gulf within Europe clubs between the lower level clubs and the high profile clubs. It often makes it difficult to place the limited supply of police officers. The contrast of the business and the hooliganism stems from the fact that football clubs were not founded by rich guys trying to make a few extra bucks. They were a social organisation for the ethnic and religious groups that served as a community focal point. So when the wealthier and the poorer clubs meet, they fight.

Firms
At the other end of the spectrum many footballing clubs have organised hooliganism groups that are tied “unofficially” to the club. These groups are called ”firms” and the owners of these clubs realise it would be financial and possibly real suicide to eject these fans from fighting around the club. They bring in too much profit for the lower league clubs as these fans do represent a high proportion of the fans of one club. The business, politics and sport all tie into this one subject. Making a “catch 22”. Without the sport you don’t have the hooligans, without the hooligans you don’t have a business and the politics remain. Should non-violent supporters be at risk of violence because football clubs cannot function without these firms?

Euro 2000
In euro 2000 the match of the tournament that every fan was waiting for was England vs Germany in Belguim. There was a large expectation before the match that there would be some sort of hooliganism. What occurred on the night of November 10th 2000. Has lived long in the memory of many English supporters and brought a new level of politics to the world of football. Rioting occurred in the streets of the Belgium capital Brussels. Where as many as 40,000 English supporters without tickets to the game were expected to travel to the stadium. What occurred were not fights between rival nations England and Germany. The fights occurred between firm rivalries in the pubs. Stating “You could walk down that group and go Middlesbrough, Leeds, Tottenham, Bristol, Shrewsbury, Newcastle and walk down that group and pick out the people that were known trouble makers”. Over 200 people were arrested, luckily much of the footage and media coverage of the riots were not recorded and thus were not shown around the world. The following day in the city of Charleroi once again riots occurred. But this time it was broadcast to the world the prime minister of England Tony Blair stated “ I regret that a small group, that aren’t really football fans at all, they’ve disgraced this country”.

The result of these riots impacted the politics and businesses all around the country. It effectively ruined England’s bid for the 2006 world cup. Ultimately going to Germany. As a football hooligan this was a win for them. They have no desire to attend the world cup in their own country. It’s something you build up for and want to travel. One hooligan stating ''“the more damaging our actions, the better it is”. As the FIFA world cup is the most popular sporting event on the planet. It brings a huge amount of impact economically and socially to a country. As well as new infrastructure, business opportunities and huge tourism increases. As football hooliganism is having such a large impact on England’s opportunities to get global competitions. The FA needs to bring in harder and faster laws in order to police it. Recently they took a huge step to preventing overseas hooliganism by banning convicted hooligans passports.

Racism
Compounding all of this is the hooligan’s attitude to racism. In 2001 in Oldham, England there was growing tension regarding Asians and Englishmen. Two young Asian men aged 12 and 13 were said to have caught and bashed an elderly man. There was outrage around Oldham because of this occurrence and a lot of the Englishmen wanted to get back at the Asians. As football tends to be a focal point of their community that represents them. It was a football match which sparked the violence on April 28th. Between Stoke City and Oldham Athletic, huge crowds swarmed the streets before the game. Afterwards large swarms of Stoke City and Oldham fans banded together and proceeded on the housing commissions where much of the Asian community lived. Riots throughout the night subsequently occurred resulting in fires, bashings and lots of general damage. Costing the community millions of dollars to housing, business, policing and hospital bills. This political unrest around the community once again culminated from a league two football game, not enough police and old firm groups. This time banding together. Proving the point that much of these fans do not come for the football, but for the violence. The football ends up just being a meeting place and a common interest other than violence.

Conclusion
Although hooliganism is a blight on the sport of football. It is also a part of its history. In one sense of the matter it is violent, disruptive, dangerous and intimidating. But on the other side of the scale it creates a vibrant atmosphere for supporters. Much of the attraction about English premier league football is obviously the high quality level that it represents. But also the fans, the noise and atmosphere of going to a local derby around Britain is seldom seen anywhere else in the world. And this is a great attraction for many fans globally and nationally. There is obviously such a huge gap in English football between lower tier clubs and higher profile clubs. But many of these fans view that the level that they can compete on is not on the football pitch it’s in the stands. It’s the passion, the exhilaration and the chance that your team might go one goal up. Obviously a lot of the violence is unnecessary. But for many of these hooligans it is how they have been brought up, it is a culture they have lived in and for many there firms are there families. This hooliganism does still exist around all of England. But it is somewhat controlled. These firms are large scale businesses for many clubs. Publishing books, introducing new fans to the clubs and of course ticket sales. Many of these hooligans are seen as celebrity figures around Britain. There is obviously a lot of racial tension that occurs among rival fans and firms. The FA must realise that although violence should not be tolerated. There is a certain history that it represents, a tradition that many fans do not want to see die. That is why it still has its place in society and will still in many years to come.

title: User:Gauntarchie/essay


text:
User:EdwinaElizabeth/Commercialisation of Sport

Listen to my presentation, by clicking play and follow along with the prezi presentation on the link below. The next link is another aspect in which I have included by using wordle. This program pulls the most frequently used words within my essay to give you the main points and ideas. Enjoy.

Prezi

Wordle

There are many different elements when it comes to sport and the sporting world. Over recent years it has changed significantly, transforming from amateur – playing for ‘fun’, to professional - where athletes are now receiving financial gain for their efforts. This is emphasised as a ‘big business’ and 'big businesses is involved in sport'. This concept will be explored through many different examples, as it is seen as a major issue today. Over recent years sport has become increasingly commercialised through many different elements such as increased media exposure and sponsorship, facilities of sporting venues, change in government and a significant change within the management of sport itself.

This paper will describe and explore commercialisation in sport and the changing elements of the business and the politics of commercialisation, within the sporting world today, not only at a local and regional scale, but also to a national and international scale as well.

Commerce may be defined as the ‘activities and procedures involved in buying and selling products’ a commercial activity ‘involves producing good / services in large quantities in order to make a profit’; and commercialisation is ‘mainly concerned with making money’ Westerbeek (2003, p. 89). When applying these elements within sport it seems logical that the commercialisation of sport involves producing sport products and making money.

The commercialisation of sport has two aspects. The first has been an increase in the truly commercial operations of sport. Sports organisations have become focused on maximising revenue, using this principle as the underlying rationale for decision-making and strategy development. As a result expenditure on sponsorship, television rights, players salaries and sports betting has risen markedly in the past few decades as sports organisations have sought to optimise their opportunities to generate revenue by adopting a business approach to the management of sport Houlihan (2003, p. 166).

The second aspect of commercialisation has occurred within not-for-profit organisations or state sport organisations. These organisations have undergone substantial cultural and operational change within the last decade as managers have moved towards a business-like approach in the management of their organisations Houlihan (2003, p. 166).

Professional sports, a big business that has grown rapidly over the last three decades. This can be seen through professionalism of sports management, which is now a pivotal influence in modern sport. A trend in good management practice being the key to organisational survival is evident in the modern day culture, where performance is measured and management techniques and marketing plans are implemented in all areas within sport Churchill (2008, p. 3).

The increase in commercial operations of sport has primarily been caused by a growth in the number of professional sports and sporting teams. Athletes are now being paid to train. The true value of sport however as a business, is perhaps most obvious in those spectator sports with a worldwide audience, such as football or formula 1 Houlihan (2003, p. 166). Sport organisations have also established brands and brand loyalty, which is high in the sport industry. People are becoming emotionally attracted to their teams; especially when a team has a long and proud history they can ultimately generate or convert, a new generation of loyal fans. This therefore can be seen as a powerful mix and as a result attracts communication companies to sport and lead to an increase of mass media Westerbeek (2003, p. 92).

The coming of mass media, and the rise of mass advertising from the 1880s, represented an opportunity for closer links between sport and business. Mass media provided a way in which products could be promoted to an ever-increasing audience Cashman (2010, p. 145).

Advertisers facilitated a closer relationship then before between sport and big business. At first business merely attempted to profit from the indirect sports association, but sport provided such a profitable means selling products that some companies sought a direct link with a sport Cashman (2010, p. 147). This is evident as Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB proposed to buy Manchester United, the worlds most famous soccer club for US$950 million; it therefore became quite obvious it was not at all about the value of the club Westerbeek (2003, p91).

Big businesses also invest a considerable about of money with athletes themselves. Hundreds of professional athletes earn easily over $1million a year. This can be evident with Tiger Woods for example who remains sports' highest earner with an annual income two and a half times larger than his closest competitor. The world's top golfer made $110 million over one year and is the best-paid sportsman for the eight years in a row Badenhausen (2009, para. 1). It can also be seen that “endorsements make up over 90 percent of athlete earnings” Sunset (n.d. p. 1). This can also be seen through Tiger Woods and Nike. Woods profited from his success where the companies golf division (Nike), hit a record $725 million. Woods' most lucrative new endeavor is his golf course design business. In 2008 he also announced plans for a third course to be built in Mexico. His other courses in Dubai and North Carolina are currently under construction Badenhausen (2009, para. 3). Sponsors need to associate themselves with an achievement, team or individual to gain maximum exposure. This therefore is evident between Nike and Tiger Woods along with Rupert Murdoch and Manchester United.

The expansion of television from the 1970s represents the continuing relationship between sport and business. There can be seen in the recent decade a greater incentive for ‘big businesses’ to become involved in sport. Arguably once again the world’s most powerful media entrepreneur, Rupert Murdoch believes that sport absolutely overpowers all other programming as an incentive for viewers to subscribe to cable or satellite television. “Sport remains king when it comes to the list of most attractive media entertainment” Westerbeek (2003, p. 90). Mass media can therefore be seen to play a major part in commercialisation. It brings greater exposure to sport therefore increasing fans to events and ultimately improving revenue and productivity of sporting clubs, internationally, nationally and locally.

The commercialisation of not-for-profit or state sports organisations has been primarily a result of a push towards efficiency, effectiveness and quality and this, alongside the increasing competitive sports market led these organisations to adopt the same strategies and techniques as profit orientated organisations. The most obvious example of this is the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC and strong advocates of commercialisation, the Olympic Games is a much sought-after product and subject to intense competition between sponsors Houlihan, (2003, p. 167).

In the early part of the 20th century, “98 percent of the Games amateur competitors made no money from their participation”, Sunset (n.d. p.1). In contrast, today’s Olympic athletes are far from amateurs. The IOC recognise the inevitable creep of commercialism and professionalism, and instead of requiring participants to be amateurs they merely ask that participants have an “amateur spirit” (n.d. p. 1).

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) on the other hand also provides increased support to national sporting organisations to create additional domestic competition opportunities to increase the standard of our national competitions, and further support to enable elite athletes to be exposed to international competition and compete on the world stage ASC (2011, p. 11).

According to the Australian Sports Commission, athlete support is critical to retaining Australia’s talented athletes within the sports system and in recognition of this, the Australian Government through ASC will provide increased funding to targeted athletes through a Direct Athlete Support scheme to assist them in their preparation for major international events. This scheme will embrace an increased number of elite athletes and emerging athletes. In addition, ASC will also expand the Local Sporting Champions initiative, which provides financial assistance for junior sportsmen and women, young coaches, umpires and referees to compete and participate at state and national sporting events (2011, p. 12).

Even at a local level a cultural shift has emerged in the management of sporting facilities, highlighting how the use of commercial management techniques and practices were now common place, within this sector of the sports industry. Similarly in the volunteer sector, national sports organisations have moved towards a more professional and bureaucratic structure Houlihan (2003, p. 168). Thus, the commercialisation of the sport industry has not just been confined to commercial organisations; indeed it could be argued that there is little difference in the management techniques used to run sports organisations whether commercial, state or not-for-profit Houlihan (2003, p. 169).

With sport now becoming a major industry the government has implemented commercialisation strategies on sport to capitalise on the growing potential of the industry. There are more investments on grassroots, coaching and interaction aspects of sport to encourage participation increase and expand the professional sector rationally Churchill (2008, p.2). The attempts to develop modified games of mini football or kanga cricket recognises the need of children by developing a game with less contact, greater co-operation and more enjoyment Cashman (2010, p. 157).

With this strategy in place it increases sales on sporting goods such as equipment, supplements and television broadcasts. If children or young sporting star hopefuls see their favourite player or athlete run in a particular pair of shoes for example, kids will ultimately want those shoes. This can be seen though Michael Jordan Nike Air, which are still the most recognised product on the market Churchill (2008, p. 5). The sporting sector also generates income through facilities, education such as the modified games for children and events Churchill (2008, p. 2).

Commercialisation has had an exuberant influence within sport at a local, national and international level. It can therefore be seen that, without the support of the business community, technology, people, services products, telecommunication financing towards sport are all part of sport and its increasing business. Sport has become a highly marketable commodity and big businesses have sought more direct investment in it than before.

Alternatively it can be argued that the commercialisation of sport has been condemned as an undesirable process, as commercialism takes away the essence of sport. In your opinion what do you think? What are your thoughts on the commercialisation of sport?

Australian Sports Commission, (ASC), (2011). Agency resources and planned performance, viewed 21 October 2011, www.health.gov.au/internet/budget/publishing.nsf/.../ASC.rtf

Badenhausen, K. (2009). Worlds highest paid athletes, Forbes sports valuation, viewed 20 October 2011, http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/17/top-earning-athletes-business-sports-top-earning-athletes.html

Cashman, R. (2010). Paradise of Sport, Walla Walla Press, Petersham, NSW, Australia, http://www.wallawallapress.com/sports-paradise.php

Churchill, G. (2008). The influence of commercialisation on professionalisation of sport, viewed 20 October 2011, pp. 1 – 5, http://www.scribd.com/doc/3927334/Commercialisation-In-Sport

Green, S. (2011). Advantages and disadvantages of commercialisation in sport, Sports Marketing, viewed 20 October 2011, http://www.ehow.com/info_8630534_advantages-disadvantages-commercialization-sport.html

Houlihan, B. (2003). Sport and Society: a student introduction, Sage publications, London, pp. 166 – 170, http://books.google.com.au/books?id=H1gqxnOWOV0C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Lawrence, G. & Rowe, D. (1986). Power Play: the commercialisation of sport, Southwood Press Pty Limited, Marrickville, NSW, Australia.

Slack, T. (2004). The commercialisation of sport, Routledge, New York, United States of America, http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OYcHkxUh5tkC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=commercialisation+of+sport&ots=JelezigpJb&sig=Z8a04gwSuNnLIVohPdJLw0BrpXg#v=onepage&q&f=false

Sunset, B. (n.d.). The commercialisation of sport, viewed 25 August 2011, http://blaisunset.hubpages.com/hub/The-Commercilization-of-Sport

Westerbeek, H. & Smith, A. (2003). Sports business in a global market, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstroke, Hampshire and New York. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=8ZJ8Fp8NJ_kC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false


text:
User talk:Rhys.Redfearn

 Hello Rhys.Redfearn, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. All users are expected to abide by our Privacy policy, Civility policy, and the Terms of Use while at Wikiversity.

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You don't need to be an educator to edit. You only need to be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage. See you around Wikiversity! --Abd 00:58, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

title: User talk:Rhys.Redfearn


text:
User talk:Josh.O'Brien

 Hello Josh.O'Brien, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. All users are expected to abide by our Privacy policy, Civility policy, and the Terms of Use while at Wikiversity.

To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.
 * Explore Wikiversity with the links to your left.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.
 * Follow Wikiversity on twitter (http://twitter.com/Wikiversity) and identi.ca (http://identi.ca/group/wikiversity).

You don't need to be an educator to edit. You only need to be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage. See you around Wikiversity! --Abd 01:00, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

title: User talk:Josh.O'Brien


text:
User talk:Perfect Jav

 Hello Perfect Jav, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. All users are expected to abide by our Privacy policy, Civility policy, and the Terms of Use while at Wikiversity.

To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.
 * Explore Wikiversity with the links to your left.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.
 * Follow Wikiversity on twitter (http://twitter.com/Wikiversity) and identi.ca (http://identi.ca/group/wikiversity).

You don't need to be an educator to edit. You only need to be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage. See you around Wikiversity! --Abd 01:02, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

title: User talk:Perfect Jav


text:
User:JoshHeuer/B,P and S Essay

Outline
Football (Soccer) is one of, if not the most popular game in the world. It is watched by millions from all over the globe and supported by even more. Because of this you would think that the sport would like to keep a good relationship with the public both in the actions it takes outside of the game and the consequence of these actions, whether they are positive or negative. What has recently been discovered is that the highest level of control over the world game, FIFA, is littered with corruption.

The news came about after the discovery of FIFA officials taking substantial bribes from the nations hoping to host the 2018 and the 2022 world cups. Qatar, who won the bid for the 2022 world cup, have now been stripped of the honor to host the one of the worlds largest events sporting events and Russia, who won the 2018 bid, although have not been proven guilty of corruption, are still being accused of wrong doing in their biding process.

Since this discovery it has allowed all sorts of people to question the integrity of the games officials and although the sport is still loved, it shrouds the game with bad press. In this essay I will discuss how the game itself has been affected, the impact on the players and teams, even though they played no direct part in the corruption and discuss whether or not money is beginning to change the shape of the game and the politics behind it.

title: User:JoshHeuer/B,P and S Essay


title: File:Pea1.f11.mtg8.djvu


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User:Alex.Timms

I am currently studying Business, Politics and Sport a the University of Canberra, in which we are required to write a 2000 words Journal Article on the intersection of Business and Politics on a particular sport at a Local and International level.

I had originally written an abstract for the /The Development of New Technologies Surrounding Snowboarding/ as this sports to me presents the greatest freedom and adrenalin rush or all sports. From the shape similar to a ski with similar products, like wood and fiberglass, to today where the carbon footprint is the challenge to manufacturers, using green products, specially regulated forests, recycled plastics and space-aged composites like carbon-fiber. All these developments and improvements made popular by the pros that rock the best gear.

The article /Action Sports and their Rise to Popularity/ will delve into the development of action sports and pursuit for new sports under this umbrella and how important the youth of today is in this challenge. Looking at the rise of the first action sports in the 1980's, to today's action sporting events that dot the globe and bring the promise of seeing the best and brightest stars come out the play and challenge one another for the crown.

title: User:Alex.Timms


text:
The Development of New Technologies Surrounding Snowboarding

Abstract
A recently new sport with its introduction to the 1998 Winter Olympics, snowboarding has come an exceptionally long way since the first boards were crafted in 1976, aided by advancements in materials, board shapes and super progressive riders. Jake Burton who founded Burton Snowboards and Tom Sims who founded Sims Snowboards a couple of the original manufacturers of snowboards.

To lessen the impact this sport has on the environment, companies like Arbor and K2 are using bamboo, Burton and Forum have specialised forests and Lib-Tech use a unique bio plastic as a pose to normal plastics. These companies also pursue different board shapes with camber, reverse camber and boards with both as well as rail designs and board sidewalls. Like Lib-Tech’s Magne-traction edge which provides better traction and grip by cutting into the snow, and Burton's Mid-Spoon edge which makes the board more catch-free when sliding rails in the park.

Since Burton and Sims were founded, most snowboards were shaped like skis, with the tip and tail on contact with the snow and the middle of the board off the snow. In the last few years snowboard shapes have changed dramatically, giving rise to reverse camber, the middle for the board touches to snow and the tip and tail are off and boards with both camber and reverse camber, giving the benefits of both shapes.


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User:JoshHeuer/Corruption in Football

Outline
Corruption in World Football

Football is one of, if not the most popular game in the world. It is watched by millions from all over the globe and supported by even more. Though recent allegations of corruption within FIFA following the bribery scandal involving the 2018 and the 2022 world cup bids has shrouded the game in a negative light to some people and it has shown a side of the world game that has not been seen before.

The problems have come about after the discovery of FIFA officials taking substantial bribes from the nations hoping to host the 2018 and the 2022 world cups. Qatar, who won the bid for the 2022 world cup, have now been stripped of the honor to host the one of the worlds largest events sporting events and Russia, who won the 2018 bid, although have not been proven guilty of corruption, are still being accused of wrong doing in their biding process.

Since this discovery it has allowed all sorts of people to question the integrity of the games officials and although the sport is still loved, it shrouds the game with bad press. In this essay I will discuss how the game itself has been affected, the impact on the players and teams, even though they played no direct part in the corruption and discuss whether or not money is beginning to change the shape of the game and the politics behind it.

Corruption in World Football
Football is one of, if not the most popular game in the world. Referred to as The World Game it is watched by millions from all over the globe and supported by even more. The Football World Cup is the showpiece of World Football. Though recent allegations of corruption within Federation International Football Association (FIFA) following the bribery scandal involving the 2018 and the 2022 World Cup bids has shrouded the game in a negative light to some people and it has shown a side of The World Game that has not been seen before.

The problems have come about after the discovery of FIFA officials taking substantial bribes from the nations hoping to host the 2018 and the 2022 World Cups. Qatar, who won the bid for the 2022 World Cup, have now been discovered to have bribed their way to hosting one of the worlds largest sporting events and Russia, who won the 2018 bid, although not proven guilty of corruption, are still being accused of wrong doing in their bidding process.

Since this discovery it has allowed all sorts of people to question the integrity of the games officials and although the sport is still loved, it shrouds the game with bad press. In this essay I will discuss how football around the world is corrupt, how corruption is affecting football and how corruption in word football is being addressed to prevent future events of this nature from ruining one of the worlds great games.

How is Football Corrupt?
Corruption within World Football is a big issue no matter which footballing nation you come from. All over the world, there are deals being made and money exchanging hands to benefit the people who don’t deserve to be part of the sport. The reason that football is so corrupt is due to the actions of clubs, agents and some officials, which are only involved in the sport for profit. Their motivation is financially driven and not focusing on the game itself.

The latest saga to bring corruption to the surface is that which is surrounding the 2018 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Bids. Russia won the right to hold the prestigious event in 2018 and Qatar were honored to win the 2022 bid. The celebrations only lasted a short while due to the discovery of foul play during the biding process. Representatives of Qatar, Russia and FIFA officials are all being accused of making and accepting bribes, some involving large amounts of money and others making deals between countries for the benefit of their countries footballing reputation.

This is just the most recent corruption saga to strike World Football. But like the past claims this drama will eventually blow over and the fans attention will turn back onto what they care about most, the game itself.

This is not the first time that corruption has been overlooked. Juventus, one of the top Italian teams and a major competitor in world competition, were stripped of two Serie A league titles and dropped to a minor league for two seasons back in 2006 because they were found guilty of manipulating games, match officials and even players. In 2004 in Portugal, 171 people, including two mayors and a league’s president, were accused of being involved foul play and fixing championship games.

Even in China, where football isn’t the most popular sport, or the most supported at a professional level, there have been accusations of corruption. Almost any footballing nation, organization or league in the world can be accused and most likely found guilty of some form of corruption.

This is because the potential for corruption is substantial. There are large amounts of money changing hands all the time, its what helps keep the fans excited. When they see a player being sold for £50,000,000 it builds an aura of excitement. So with such extravagant amounts of money being tossed around like it is pocket change, would you not expect the people around it to think how they can get their hands on some of this wealth?

The fact is that lots of agents have found a way to get maximum profit for their clients, while they make maximum profit for themselves. They are in the position to make bribes and also receive bribes depending on which end of the deal they are on.

"I've encountered it once abroad when I was taking an international player to an Italian club and I was offered a suitcase full of money to make sure the deal went through. I didn't want it. I had no interest in it."

"Let's say I buy a player from Eastern Europe. I find out he is valued at £2million by his club. I say to that club: 'I can sell him for £5m in England? There will be £500,000 in it for you but the other £2.5m makes its way back into his account'. (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-10117412/English-football-most-corrupt-in.html, retrieved 20/10/2011)

This is the main source of corruption within world football. It is not the players and the referee’s that are the keystones of this corruption, but the agents and club officials. These are the people that are handling the money; they are the ones who get sucked into temptation.

“Are agents corrupt? No, not all? But the majority.” (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-10117412/English-football-most-corrupt-in.html, retrieved 20/10/2011)

These sources demonstrate that corruption is alive in football, and even those who are not looking to get involved in such a thing are tempted. This is why the game is corrupt. There is no way of making sure people don’t give into temptation as there is never and easy way of proving that is has happened. Agents and clubs work together to help look out for themselves and themselves alone and by doing so they are the reason that corruption can survive or even thrive throughout world football.

How Is Corruption effecting Football?
Corruption effects football around the globe because it destroys the respectability of the people involved in the sport such as the players and the officials and it tarnishes the image of the game. By tarnishing their image, football clubs, leagues, players and officials are liable to lose friends, fans, jobs and sponsorships all because they got involved in the dark side of football.

Corruption not only tarnishes the reputation of the players and the game but it also holds some severe consequences for those involved. Officials and players receive heavy fines and suspension for being mixed up in corruption while club officials and board leaders receive fines and most likely lose their jobs.

“Corruption destroys the essence of football.” (http://www.freedomfromfearmagazine.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148:corruption-in-football&catid=47:issue-4&Itemid=183, retrieved 13/10/11)

This source is one example of how corruption is affecting football on a much broader spectrum. The source refers to the essence of football which can be interpreted as many different things. The values and sportsmanship the players aim to portray while on the field could be one view of the essence of the game. We can also look at the following that football has created and say that the support and love for the game that the supporters show week in and week out is the essence of football. I don’t think that it is one singular thing but the combination of all of these. The source is really telling us that no matter what the essence of football is, corruption will have negative impact on it. Corruption will manage to erode away the things that make football great and people will begin to only focus on how football is wrong and immoral due to the exposed corruption.

“The willful violation of sporting values, such as fairness and open competitions, eliminate the central meaning of the sport.” (http://www.freedomfromfearmagazine.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148:corruption-in-football&catid=47:issue-4&Itemid=183, retrieved 13/10/11) As shown by this source we can see that if we allow things such as corruption to run wild within football, the meaning is lost. People will no longer watch and support because their love for the game has disappeared. Why would they put their time and energy towards something that they know to be rigged? The supporters understand that if corruption gets a hold of their sport that even if they do support their team it is not going to matter because the outcome is more than likely going to be decided. Corruption will affect the game from the lowest level of competitive competition right up to the champion’s league and world cup tournaments.

This just shows us how corruption is affecting football and how it will affect world football if action is not taken. Not only will the sport lose countless numbers of fans but also it will loose its respect. And if we do not do something soon, corruption will affect all levels of competition from local premier teams all the way up to the World Cup, the grand stage of football.

How is Corruption Being Handled?
After the recent World Cup corruption saga, which still is not over, the world of football is starting to realize that action needs to be taken against anyone involved in such activities. Strict punishments and consequences for those found guilty of corruption exist but there also needs to be prevention methods introduced to help stop corruption from occurring in the first place.

The big issue that faces these forces fighting corruption is lack of resources at their disposal. Without sufficient backing the required deterrents cannot be set up and therefore proper investigations are unable to take place and punishments are unable to be handed out.

But although the support may not be there yet, it is starting look better for the fight against corruption. After the recent World Cup scandal, the pressure to push an investigation was backed by majority of FIFA representatives which consisted of most, if not all of the losing countries that made bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and most importantly the fans around the world. As a result, before an investigation could take place the head of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, Who is under high pressure to do something about these corruption claims and also under serious pressure due to the fact that he is a priority suspect in the investigation, set up three specialized task forces aiming to seek out and destroy the sources of corruption. The investigations will be looking into everyone considered to be involved. A month after this announcement there is still high pressure for Blatter to step down and report say he is considering stepping down as head of FIFA after 2 years rather than serving his full term.

The investigations are still to be carried out and if found guilty, Blatter will receive the required punishment.

Other things that are being done in the fight against corruption are the formation of special task forces, which focus solely on investigating possible corruption within all levels of football. The other main focus is finding methods on how to prevent corruption so we can stop it from happening in the first place.

Conclusion
In conclusion we can see that corruption in football is a big deal. Right now we are only uncovering those forms of corruption where people make a mistake and get caught, but we must look further. If we do not attack this issue head on corruption will end up dominating world football. The recent World Cup scandal is perfect evidence of this. If someone was willing to try and rig the biggest football competition in the world then what will they not try. We can already start to see the effects of corruption on football through the fans reactions and also the damage that corruption is doing to the name and reputation of FIFA and world football. Luckily enough people do care enough to do something. Special investigations are being carried out following the uncovering of the World Cup scandal. More resources are also being used towards preventing corruption rather than uncovering it because if we can catch the problem before it begins, we have already won half the battle. With these task forces being formed and with the aid of the footballing world, fans, officials and players a like, we will be able to prevent corruption in world football from continuing and focus on what really matters, the game.

title: User:JoshHeuer/Corruption in Football


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User:Manyoun Kuel

My name is Manyoun Kuel I am from Sudan. I have been in Australia for 10 years. I am studying Business, politics and sport in 2011. We are required to write a 2000 word essay.

 * /The Formation of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)/

title: User:Manyoun Kuel


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User:Manyoun Kuel/The Formation of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

FIFA Formation
The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is an association governed by Swiss law founded in 1904 and based in Zurich. It has 208 member associations and its goal, is to enshrined in its Statutes, is the constant improvement of football. FIFA employs some 310 people from over 35 nations and is composed of a Congress legislative body, Executive Committee, executive body, General Secretariat administrative body, and committees assisting the Executive Committee. FIFA is the international governing association of the sport of football, known as soccer in the United States and in all over the world. In fact, it is the largest sporting governing body in the world. The FIFA Headquartered is in Zurich, Switzerland, FIFA is accountable for the organization and management of the major international football tournaments, the most notable being the FIFA World Cup. The World Cup, held every four years, is a competition between men's teams representing various nations. Over 200 associations are members of FIFA, making it the world's second largest international association, with the United Nations being the largest. The need for a single association to oversee the worldwide game prompted the founding of FIFA in Paris on 21 May 1904. Original membership belonged to seven European countries, though within several years membership began to expand beyond the European continent. The first non-European country to join was South Africa, in 1909, followed by Argentina, Chile, and the United States in subsequent years. Following the success of the Football International de Football Association competitions and the rising popularity of football, FIFA began seriously contemplating the staging of its own regular World Championship. The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. The next World Cup was held thereafter in Italy in 1934.

FIFA not only operates at the international level, but it also has confederations governing the game in the different continents and regions of the world. Most national federations qualify their teams for entry into FIFA competitions by claiming membership to both FIFA and their region's confederation. In addition to its management of the World Cup and involvement in Olympic competitions, FIFA also manages World Championships for players at the under-17 and under-20 levels. It has also introduced the Confederations Cup, a competition held every four years for the champions from each confederation along with the World hosts and World Cup Winners. FIFA also presides over World Cup tournaments geared specifically toward women, club competition, and modified forms of football including beach football and futsal or indoor football. The intellectual property value, including merchandising profits, of FIFA has become very valuable. Football simulation games for the personal computer and other game consoles are released annually, with additional versions sporting World Cup branding to correspond with the tournaments. FIFA recognises 208 national associations and their associated men's national teams as well as 129 women's national teams; see the list of national football teams and their respective country codes. FIFA has more member states than the UN, as FIFA recognises 23 non-sovereign entities as distinct nations, such as the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom or politically disputed territories such as Palestine. Only 9 sovereign entities don't belong to FIFA Monaco, Vatican City, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau, Nauru and South Sudan. The FIFA World Rankings are updated monthly and rank each team based on their performance in international competitions, qualifiers, and friendly matches. There is also a world ranking for women's football, updated four times a year. The FIFA Congress is the supreme legislative body of FIFA, and has met 66 times since 1904. Since 1998 the congress has been held annually. At the congress decisions are made relating to FIFA's governing statutes and their method of implication and application. The congress approves the annual report, and decides on the acceptance of new national associations and holds elections. Each national football association has one vote, regardless of its size or footballing strength. In the year following the FIFA World Cup, the President of FIFA is elected.

The political issues at the time
The Politics at the time and even today it has a big influence on FIFA-s selection process for World Cup locations, for example looking at the recent World Cup in South Africa, where critics, commentators questioned the suitability and safety of the venue right up to the starting kick-off. FIFA tends to choose locations for the World Cup that are politically stable and considered safe for tourists. This makes the dream of hosting the World Cup virtually unattainable for many developing countries. Even though these countries could benefit from the increased tourism and economic activity that would come with any World Cup, they are often passed over for more politically and economically stable countries. Gaining the home-field advantage can also play a role within the selection of the World Cup location. Countries with more political clout within FIFA try to draw the World Cup to their home turf, where they will be assured of a built-in cheering section for their team. This can put teams from developing countries at a decided disadvantage. While fans from wealthy countries can afford to travel to watch the matches, most fans from developing countries cannot afford the often prohibitive costs of attending the games abroad.

The political issues today
Politics is the only way for soccer to developed today because everywhere you go there is soccer looking at the Australian soccer or A-league is not very strong because everyone like AFL in Australia because it’s the only sport that give Australia government a big popularity, if a country has no good sport team it is hard to be known around the world politics is being played in every way America is now known around the world for the best sport they have, they have good sport like NBA, NFL and Soccer. Therefore sport play a big role in the country identity for example looking at the Scotland football, the sport of football has come a long way since the days of the English public school boys. Scotland has been a pivotal player at every stage of the sports development, and the sport has played a central role in maintaining and defining Scottish identity. In the early days of the sport, the Scots were politically weak within the United Kingdom, but were kings on the pitch, winning 11 and drawing 4 of the 18 matches against England in the 1870s and 1880s. Today, the tables are turned, as Scotland is increasingly politically independent with a strengthening nationalist movement, but the national side is struggling and the league faces the same difficulties it has for over a century. We’ll look at what’s changed for Scottish football, how football fits into modern Scottish identity, and what’s next for Scotland and the Scottish FA.

Where it is going in the future
Football is the largest sports organisation in the world, football becomes the biggest sport that have a large popularity in the world. Soccer has started as small type of sport in 1904 in Europe and become the largest thing for the world, football has the organizing body which is called FIFA, and is looking after all the countries those are involved in the world cup competition and even the Olympic Games. FIFA is now growing into a big sporting organization that control and managed the beauty of sport around the world FIFA is now known to the rest of the world and they even host their first African world cup in South Africa in 2010 last year and now is moving into Asian continent. So therefore in about 5 years’ time FIFA will be the biggest sport organization around the world with a big national entertainment of soccer, football is growing into a different level looking at the quality of the game now and back in 1904 fields, uniforms the money that those teams have and the referees are now better than before and even the technique. Does FIFA impact soccer at the local club level? The impact of FIFA in the local level are the rules, regulation, polices and procedures have impact on the local level, to bring up the local to the world soccer level through. For examples thing like FIFA business within sport, their media and TV advertisement and policies of the club and players contract. From my understanding FIFA have a big impact to the soccer in a local level because soccer or football as now become the world largest business sport, now it is hard for anyone to get a soccer club that can play him because every club is looking for people or players that can grow their club in business side and for any club you go to they now looking for under age players, and players are so expensive to get club like Manchester United are now looking for players those are fit for their club and can win them the trophy. Now players are so hard for them to get into the national teams because they are now fit for the level of the game that FIFA have. Everything now is change even the uniforms and the quality of players that each club buy for their club and the players are now being paid a lot of money for their performance at a national level.

Does it impact soccer at the national level? How.
FIFA impact on a national level is designing the policies between players. Looking at the local government and clubs, in looking at the soccer level in the Australia now the FIFA money into sport. impact is that looking over the players where by now Australian sport are developing and before the Australian government did not paid a lot of impact soccer in all the level in the national and in local. FIFA was established in the early 1904 in Swiss and football existed without a single set of rules for years, played in various forms throughout the country (and the world), primarily by the lower class. However, football came together under a more formalized set of rules due largely to its presence in schools. In 1863, a group of London-based schools came together to draw up an agreed upon set of rules. 11 schools formed the Football Association (FA), and modern football was more or less officially born. In 1871, England saw its first FA Cup, a competition between various football clubs. 15 clubs participated in the first tourney, with Wanderers winning the first championship. Some of the initial aspects of the game remain today – both sides used 11 men on the pitch and touching the ball with the hands was illegal (save for the goalkeeper). However, other things in those first games have long since disappeared: teams switching sides after each goal and passing only as a last resort.

What are people thinking about FIFA at the local and national level today?
Now everyone thing that FIFA is a very important organization which help soccer grow in all level at the international level FIFA is a power full body representing soccer as sporting code. For example, Looking at the Australian government interest on soccer as sporting code is still weak compare to England Spain and all the other European country, not to mention the South American countries.

Conclusion
FIFA is a very good organization that was established to run soccer and gain interest of soccer all around the world, from 1904 soccer was managed by FIFA and become a very big and popular sport around England and were curried to the rest of the European country and the rest of the world. FIFA has become a big organization with 208 members and developed soccer from the local to the national level and made soccer reached the other part of the world for example FIFA had host their first world cup in South African in 2010 and gain a lot of African interest in soccer and the African soccer were seen or made known to the rest of the world and now become part of the nations those are within the FIFA world.

Refrence
Classical Football (2011) The History of FIFA http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/history/fifa/historyfifa1.html: (Accesed, 12 October, 2011)

OleOle (2011) FIFA World Cup http://www.oleole.com/fifa/world-cup/history/ehi7.html: (Accesed, 12 October, 2011)

FIFA (2011) FiFA Soccer http://fifasoccerblog.com/blog/fifa-history-101/:(Accesed, 12 October, 2011)

Saberingles (2011) History of the FIFA World Cup

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/reading/world-cup3.html : (Accesed, 13 October, 2011)

BlogSport (2011)Politics & Soccer http://a517dogg.blogspot.com/: (Accesed, 13 October, 2011)

Ucpress (2011) Soccer as a Political Stage

http://www.ucpress.edu/blog/5365/soccer-as-a-political-stage/: (Accesed, 13 October, 2011)

Business of Soccer (2011) how soccer relate to business http://www.businessofsoccer.com/ :( Accesed, 13 October, 2011)


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User:Rhiannon Stephens

My name is Rhiannon Stephens and i am currently in my second year of studying tourism and sports management at the University of Canberra.

/The Effect of Animal Cruelty Allegations in Sport/

title: User:Rhiannon Stephens