Cultured Football #89
What would a green World Cup look like and more
I am incredibly saddened by the passing of as great a writer and as ardent a defender of human rights as Grant Wahl. May his family find some crumbs of comfort in these dark moments in the knowledge that his spirit will live on through his writing and the many people whose lives he touched through his work.
Ghana star is scouting the next generation of underprivileged talent
By Jack Bantock and Jackie Prager for CNN
Derek Boateng found salvation on the football pitch which allowed him to build a life that would otherwise not have been possible. Now he wants to give back to both the game and his community by identifying the best African talent so that they can receive the best training - and an education to fall back on - from an early age.
What would a green World Cup look like?
By Jocelyn Timperley for the BBC
A lot has been said about the human cost of the Qatar World Cup (and rightly so) but other issues haven’t received the same level of exposure. The environmental impact of this (and other major sporting events), for instance. This is partly because of the difficulty in measuring this impact but also because we find it hard to imagine much being done in a different manner. Yet the options are there, even though it is hard to see many of them being taken on board by FIFA.
The 10 Commandments to EFL Success
By Gabriel Sutton for The Analyst
Articles like this that look at establishing patterns and leverage competitive advantages are pure catnip for me. And even if you don't have the same passion for such strategic views, you have to admire the work gone into this research to convey a blueprint for success.
Something Else We Loved This Week
Had no idea that the former Sweden, Feyenoord, Celtic, Celta and Alaves striker John Guidetti spent five years of his childhood in Kenya where he played for a number of development sides. About that period he’s said “[it] was very important for my development, both on and off the pitch. I played football barefoot in the slum areas of Nairobi and I came into contact with local people and their culture. I still have a strong link with Kenya and every time I go back there I always get a warm welcome.” Clearly the feeling of appreciation is mutual as, during a recent trip, Guidetti rounded up his former team-mates to recreate a photo from their youth.
Last Week’s Most Read: An Irishman’s Notion
By Cian Manning for Beyond The Last Man
It is impossible to think about how the game of football is played without considering the notion that a team that suffers a foul in the opponent’s penalty area is rewarded with a penalty kick. Yet that is what used to happen in the dawn of the game before an Irishman stepped forward and lobbied for a solution to the obvious problem. This, then, is the story of how the penalty kick came into being.