One of the things I love the most about sport is when the stars of that sport put themselves out to help people less fortunate than themselves.
I think it’s essential that sport is seen as something supporting the community around them and leading the conversation on improving people’s lives.
Sunderland saw one of the great examples of that when Jermain Defoe (and others) went to see Bradley Lowery. And when the players go to the children’s wards at Christmas.
Some players have set up football related schools, hospitals and healthcare centres in incredibly deprived parts of the world. Have visited hospitals treating AIDS and HIV patients around the world, helped in food banks, encouraged vaccination against killer illnesses in Africa. Using their wealth to help and their celebrity to raise the profile of the stories of those areas and situations.
The power of football is beyond comparison. The reach of footballers in terms of spreading messages second to none. It’s why, inevitably, some people who want to improve their own reputation around the world want to get involved.
It’s why Putin wanted the Olympics and World Cup to be in Russia, why China followed suit with winter and summer games. The goal wasn’t to encourage a love of physical fitness, health and teamwork in their communities, it wasn’t to raise the profile of those in the area suffering for their religion, sexuality or poverty, it was to show the world that those countries couldn’t be as bad as you’d been told because they had beautiful venues like ours and loved a kick about. Notice that you’ll always see the dictator/ruler having a kick about with some legend of the game who is prepared to sell their entire career as a role model for a few quid.
Fans who believe in the role of football as a community sport, a community builder, something that helps people come together to support each other and others outside their community must stand up for that power and not let it be diluted by those wishing to ride on the back of football to spread other, more selfish and potentially harmful messages.
As a recent personal example, I won’t buy a first team shirt this season. I detest betting and don’t think Sunderland should be associated with it. I’ve not tried to force others into the same stance, it’s a personal decision for people to take. I don’t walk around trying to rip them from people’s chests. But I have highlighted why I think it’s wrong to friends, then it’s up to them. It’s as ridiculous to me as allowing a smoking sponsor.
When Man City, PSG and other less important clubs received investment from Middle Eastern countries involved in political practices that are generally accepted to be morally repugnant, I felt the footballing bodies should step in and prevent it happening. The role models of millions of children are suddenly being paid by and are expected to visit, have photo shoots in, help raise the positive profile of places who execute journalists, believe women are second class citizens, stone people, consider homosexuality to be a sin worthy of death…
The football bodies – the Premier League, the FA, UEFA, FIFA should have said no. But instead, they accepted not just those investors with open arms but also accepted being wined and dined by those people and they themselves ended up raising the profile of such states.
The phrase Sportwashing dates back a very long time. Hitler used sport through the 1936 Olympics to show the superiority of the master race. It backfired because of the legendary Jesse Owens. He had more success when the England team played football against Germany and agreed to raise their arm in salute to Hitler. It remains, especially for those players, the perfect example of the risk of accepting the invitation of dictators. History judges them badly and, in my opinion, rightly judges them that way.
The World Cup shouldn’t be happening. It has been bought by a country who want us to ignore their civil rights, their employment rules and regulations, the fact thousands died building the stadia, the fact that our government were wined and dined by the Qatari government to persuade them to tell us that gay people should mind their behaviour while there, the fact that people who disagree with the government are imprisoned and sometimes executed… is that what you want from the sport you love? Imagine if we were looking at Nazi Germany as World Cup hosts. Would we simply advise Jews not to travel and enjoy Harry Kane and Gareth Southgate doing keepy ups with Himler and Goebbels?
Of course it might be that the England team stand up as Jesse Owens did and highlight the appalling situation in Qatar. I hope that happens and I’ll be sad to miss their bravery. But I will miss it. Because I refuse to watch.
As I said before, I won’t judge anyone who watches it, it’s your choice. But if it’s a success with decent viewing figures and good sponsorship income, ask yourself what next? A North Korea Olympics? Maybe Putin would like something else to show us all that Russians aren’t bad lads really. Or Syria? Where do we draw the line?
