issue 156 - football supporters' federation · football supporters’ federation (fsf), the...

I S S U E 1 5 6

HOLLAND V ENGLAND 23RD MARCH 2018

PAG

E

P R O D U C E S F R E E L I O N S

Website: www.fsf.org.uk Email: [email protected] helpline: +44 7956 121314

@FSF_FreeLionsfacebook.com/FreeLions

3

...the free England fanzine

produced and distributed by

the Football Supporters’

Federation (FSF) as part of

our Fans’ Embassy service.

Contact Free LionsE-mail: [email protected]

Gifts & Postcards to: Free Lions, c/o the FSF1, Ashmore TerraceStockton RoadSunderlandSR2 7DE

Useful NumbersFans’ Embassy Helpline: +44 7956 121314

England Supporters Club (FA): +44 7970 146250

British Consulate: +31 70 4270 427

Emergency: 112

Holland v EnglandJohan Cruijff ArenA, AmsterdamFriday, 23rd March 2018

Kick–off 20:45, local time

England will probably play in WHITE

COVER STORY

THANK YOU

We are grateful to Getty Images and the FAOPL for the cover photo. As ever, this fanzine has been a team effort. This edition was edited by Kevin Miles, and thanks are due to Phil Rowley; Clive Hetherington, Joe Hetherington; Robert Lindsay, Danielle Cohen; Harpreet Robertson; Gijs Wieringa; Helen Precious and Dan Atkinson

IT WASN’T ME

The Free Lions fanzine is produced by the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), the national membership-based organisation for fans. We have tried to ensure the accuracy of all the information provided in this fanzine, but can accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience suffered by

any one relying on its contents. None of the financial support we have received to produce Free Lions impacts on what we put in it. Consequently, none of our supporters can be held in any way responsible for the contents of, nor the views expressed in, this fanzine.

Given Gareth Southgate’s known preference for central defenders who can play the ball out of defence, and for playing three at the back, Manchester City’s John Stones looks likely to have a key role to play in Russia this summer.

And welcome to Amsterdam, for an England away friendly

in one of the great party cities of Europe. A great take-up of tickets – over 5,000 England fans will be in the official away sector at the ground – should make for a fantastic atmosphere at the game. There’s every reason to think that could be replicated in the city before and after the game too, and we have a great opportunity to cement further the positive reputation that we have all done so much to earn over the last few years. So treat yourselves, and each other, and everyone we meet, with respect, and have a great time.

It should make for a very refreshing break from some of the difficult news stories over the last couple of weeks about relations between the

UK and our hosts for this summer’s World Cup, Russia. At the time of Free Lions going to press, the situation is still very fraught and quite volatile, and we are constantly being asked what it means for fans this summer.

The best advice we can give at this stage is that fans should keep an eye on, and heed, the Foreign Office travel advice – and that’s not a bad idea generally, for the 2018 World Cup or any future away games. “Be on the Ball”, as the saying goes.

Hopefully there will be nothing that will prevent a great festival of football this summer. As long as the England team is taking part, then we’d imagine fans will travel to support them, and the FSF’s Fans’ Embassy is planning to be there to support those fans.

Stay safe, and have fun.

BY JOE HETHERINGTON CONTACT JOE VIA [email protected] OR DISAGREE WITH JOE HETHERINGTON?

HOLLAND NOT WHAT THEY WERE?

P R O D U C E S F R E E L I O N S P R O D U C E S F R E E L I O N S



Receive urgent info:Sign up to Free Lions’ FREE SMS text serviceText “UPDATES” to +44 7956 121314

With a new manager in the host’s dugout and England growing ever nearer the World Cup, both sets of players will be looking to impress. England have not beaten Holland since 1996, a famous 4-1 Wembley

win at the Euro finals with braces from Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham. They also lost 2-1 against them in their last meeting in 2016 at Wembley, but I’m going for a spirited draw.

HETHERINGTON’S VERDICT Prediction: Holland 1 England 1

PAG

E4

PAG

E5

WHEN Holland were knocked out of the last World Cup at the

semi-final stage by Argentina on penalties, few would have predicted that the men in orange would not even qualify for the next edition of football’s most prestigious tournament.

There are several factors in the decline of the Dutch national team, and coach Louis van Gaal’s departure to Manchester United at the conclusion of the 2014 World Cup doubtless had its impact.

The vastly-experienced van Gaal had done an admirable job in repairing the Dutch image after the debacle of the 2010 World Cup final, in which his predecessor, Bert van Marwijk, employed a shamefully brutal approach in their 1-0 defeat to Spain.

Four years later, there would be a rematch at the group stages of the 2014 World Cup, van Gaal overseeing a 5-1 hammering of Spain which helped Holland on their way to the last four.

Since van Gaal left, Guus Hiddink, Danny Blind and Dick Advocaat have all failed. Though the managerial upheaval has not helped, Holland’s greatest concern has not been the coaching staff or tactics, but the players themselves.

The truth is the Dutch are no longer producing world-class players. In the 2010 World Cup

final, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben were in the starting eleven. All three players have since retired and Holland have been unable to replace such talent.

Their struggles in this regard have some parallels with England following the retirements of the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry.

However, while England have enjoyed the exciting emergence of players such as Harry Kane and Dele Alli, the young Dutch stars are nowhere near the level of their forerunners.

Memphis Depay is a good, young player, but will he reach the same heights as Robben? It seems unlikely. With Virgil van Dijk, Jasper Cillessen, Georginio Wijnaldum and Daley Blind still around, it is not all doom and gloom for Holland.

On paper, they should be good enough to qualify for tournaments

and this could be considered a transitional period, albeit a lengthy one after they also missed out on Euro 2016.

Ronald Koeman is the man tasked with bringing his nation out of the wilderness. The manager knows many of the England players very well, having spent three years in the Premier League with Southampton and Everton.

A success on the south coast, but a failure on Merseyside, his sacking at Everton was partially down to his decision not to sign a conventional centre-forward after the departure of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United.

Ironically, this is arguably Holland’s most problematic position, with the international futures of Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar both uncertain.

Koeman, of course, has caused problems for England before, scoring with a chipped free-kick when he should have been sent

off earlier for tugging back David Platt in Holland’s infamous 2-0 qualifying victory in Rotterdam in 1993, a result that nudged Graham Taylor’s Three Lions to the brink of World Cup elimination.

While England will always have their 1966 World Cup final triumph to cherish, Holland have never won the trophy, though they have been finalists three times.

In 1974, England fans backed Holland when they faced hosts West Germany, which pitted ‘‘Der Kaiser’’, Franz Beckenbauer, against Dutch master Johan Cruyff. Holland lost 2-1, despite English referee Jack Taylor awarding them a penalty in the first minute.

Four years later, with England absent again, Holland were beaten 3-1 by hosts Argentina, remembered for Rob Rensenbrink hitting a post late on before extra-time.

In the past 40-odd years, Holland have often been the centre of attention, whether it be for their sublime “total football’’ or controversial internal unrest.

They will again be a talking point at the World Cup, but purely because of their absence, and only time will tell whether they regain their status as one of world football’s major forces.

HOLLAND – THE KEY THREE BY JOE HETHERINGTON

He started his career in his homeland with Groningen before moving to Celtic in 2013. Winning the Scottish Premiership on two occasions, the 26-year-old switched to Southampton for £13million. It is maybe surprising that van Dijk only made his debut for Holland in 2015 and was not even a regular for the national youth sides. Though questions will undoubtedly be raised about his price tag, he is a formidable opponent due to his height and power.

MEMPHIS DEPAY The Lyon attacker has been in

good form this season

and will surely be hoping to use this game to silence some of the criticism he has received after his mediocre spell at Manchester United. The 24-year-old began his career at PSV Eindhoven, his fantastic performances for the Dutch side making him one of the hottest properties in football, and he signed for United in 2015 for around £25million. After just over a season in England, he left for France. England will have to be wary of Depay’s pace and control, especially when he cuts inside.

JASPER CILLESSENDespite struggling for

appearances at Barcelona,

Cillessen is one of Holland’s most important players. Still young for a goalkeeper at 28, he made his professional debut for NEC in his native country and soon after signed for Ajax in 2011. Following the departure of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona, the Catalans opted to spend around £15million to bring the Dutchman to the Nou Camp. In the 2014 World Cup, eyebrows were raised when Cillessen was substituted for Tim Krul moments before the penalty shoot-out against Costa Rica, though Louis van Gaal’s unusual tactic paid off as his side reached the semi-finals.

VIRGIL VAN DIJK The towering

centre-back became the

most expensive defender in the world when he moved from Southampton to Liverpool for £75million in January.

PAG

E7




PAG

E6



YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDEWELCOME TO AMSTERDAMHOLLAND MUSIC QUIZ

SCOUSE PHIL’S FREE LIONS

Scouse Phil’s latest music quiz is this time fairly easy to explain – each

question, or answer, contains some reference to something or someone connected to the country of our hosts for this game. That’s Holland, by the way. There are no prizes, it’s all just a bit of fun.

1 ‘Better Off Alone’ was a 1998 hit for which Dutch trance

music group: Alice Deejay, Alicia Deejay or Amelia Deejay?

2 Which member of Take That shares his surname with the

Royal House of Holland?

3 Anita Doth is the lead singer of which Dutch group who

had various worldwide hits in the ‘90s including ‘Get Ready For This’ and also the UK Number One ‘No Limit’?

4 English singer, songwriter and record producer Declan

McManus sang about ‘New Amsterdam’ but what was his stage name?

5 Which band fronted by Paul Heaton had a hit with

‘Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)’ in 1996?

6 And hailing from Rotterdam, Kim and Denise were the

female vocalists of which band who had hits in the late ‘90s with ‘We Like to Party’ and ‘Boom Boom Boom Boom’?

7 Which song by the band Teach-In was the last

Eurovision Song Contest winner for the Netherlands in 1975: ‘Ding-A-Ling’, Ding-A-Dong’ or ‘Dong-A-Ding’? Answers can be found on page 13

Question 3: Anita Doth

PAG

E

enable us to deliver our service, we do not pass any information about any individual to the police of our own or any other country.

So, if you’re ever in need of any information, advice or assistance – or just a bit of craic with a friendly face – you know where to come.

As is now the norm at England away games, all official England

tickets must be collected in person by each individual ESTC member. You will need photo ID (ideally your ESTC membership card or passport), and it will speed up the process considerably if you know the name of the lead member in whose name your group’s tickets were applied for.

The ticket collection point is in the Park Plaza Victoria Hotel, which is on the corner of Damrak, the main street directly across the road from the central station. Access is via the side entrance to the right of the hotel.

Their opening times are between 14:00 and 20:00 on Thursday 22nd March and between 10:00 and 18:00 on Friday 23rd March (match day).

For those who cannot make it to Amsterdam at those times, there will be a further opportunity to collect tickets from an ESTC booth near to entrance C at the stadium, between 19:00 and 20:45.

TICKET COLLECTION

FSF FANS’ EMBASSY

8 ‘I’ll Be There For You’ was the theme tune of US series

Friends, but which group, who share their name with a famous Dutch artist, sang it?

9 Which American heavy rock band was formed by two

Dutch born brothers, Alex and Eddie, whose surname is the name of the band, and has had numerous hits including ‘Jump’ and ‘Why Can’t This Be Love?’?

10 On her almost self-titled 2008 album Santogold, US

artist Santigold sampled which song by Siouxsie and the Banshees, which shares its name with an infamous district in Amsterdam?

Question 10: Santigold

Your FSF Fans’ Embassy team will be active in Amsterdam on the

afternoon of Thursday 22nd March from till about 17:00 and on Friday 23rd March from 10:00 to about 17:00.

We will be based outside Amsterdam Centraal Station; look out for our distinctive fans’ embassy flags, and we won’t be far away.

We are of course available to offer any information, advice and assistance that

we can 24 hours a day, via the helpline on +44 7956 121314.

Don’t forget also to register for our free text message updates service, by texting the word ‘UPDATES’ to the above number.

Welcome to the city of Amsterdam, venue for the first of a pair of

friendly games in which Gareth Southgate will no doubt be trying out one or two new ideas, and possibly one or two new players, as the preparation for the summer’s World Cup in Russia starts to get serious.

And alongside the new players, we’re aware that we are likely to be in the company of a number of new fans, people at their very first England away game. Welcome – supporting England away is a fantastic way to use up all your money and annual leave; you can see lots of places you’d possibly never otherwise have visited, experience new cultures and ways of doing things, drink beers you’ve so far never heard of, occasionally see a scintillating exhibition of football, and make loads of new mates along the way.

For the benefit of those reading Free Lions for the first time, we should maybe explain a little bit about who we are and what we do. Free Lions is the free (there’s a clue in the title) England fanzine written, produced and distributed by the Football

Supporters’ Federation (FSF) as part of our “Fans’ Embassy” service.

The FSF is the independent national membership-based supporters’ organisation with over half a million members, from clubs up and down the football pyramid, providing fans with a democratic collective voice at all levels of the game. It’s free to join, so if you’re not already a member, there’s no reason not to sign up, via our website at www.fsf.org.uk/join

At England away games, our “Fans’ Embassy” is here as an independent and confidential service to offer assistance to all travelling fans, whether you’re members of the FA’s England Supporters’ Travel Club or not. We’re at every away game, and have been for many years now – as you can tell by the fact that this is edition number 156 of our little magazine.

As well as the Free Lions, which contains most of the information you’re likely to need, we also run a 24-hour telephone helpline service (on +44 7956 121314), and we will try to help with pretty much any issues you might have. And we’d stress, it’s entirely confidential; although we work closely with the authorities to

PAG

E8





YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE 9

GETTING TO THE GROUND

The Johann Cruijff ArenA is located to the south-east of the city, and is fairly

well served by public transport, with both Metro and train services running to the ground from the city centre.

Best bet for getting to the ground in normal circumstances is to take a Metro from Amsterdam Centraal. Metro line 54, in the direction of Gein, serve both the stations next to the ground, Strandvliet/ArenA and Bijlmer; the Metro line at Centraal station is underground and reached by stairs just outside the main station entrance.

The official England sector in the stadium is at the north end of the ground, which means that the nearest station is the Metro station at Strandvliet/ArenA. Note though that there’s not much in the way of facilities outside that end of the

stadium (apart from the ESTC ticket collection point), so if you want a drink near the ground, you’ll have to head to the other end, nearer to Bijlmer station. The bars and restaurants in the area around the stadium will however be very busy, as not only will the stadium be at pretty much full capacity, but there is also a concert taking place.

The stations near the ground aren’t particularly well equipped with ticket machines, and some of the ones we tried were credit card only (and not very receptive to our English cards either), so you’d be well advised to buy a ticket for the return journey in town before you set off. Each ticket will cost €3, but if you’re planning on doing any other travelling around, it would be worth getting a 24-hour ticket for €7.50. You must have a ticket before you travel, and we know from experience that they do sometimes check.

An alternative to the Metro is the mainline train to Bijlmer (every 15 minutes from Centraal, return fare €4.10), or there are trains every 30 minutes to Duivendrecht station, which is about a 15 minute walk from the stadium. If you’re travelling direct to the ground from the airport, head for Duivendrecht – there are trains at 6 to 13 minute intervals.

If you’re travelling by car, the ArenA is located close to the A1, A2, A9 and A10 – follow signs to Transferium. On match days, all ArenA car parks are reserved for visitors with a parking permit, but there are several other car parks within walking distance. Expect to pay up to €10.

Taxis will drop off outside the main entrance of the stadium and will also wait here to drive back into town after the match, but the usual caveats apply about cost and traffic congestion.

Our match venue is the home of Ajax, formerly and originally known as

the Amsterdam ArenA and now officially renamed as the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

The ground was originally conceived as part of Amsterdam’s bid to host the 1992 Olympics, and a multi-purpose venue with an athletics stadium was envisaged, but on losing out to Barcelona, the construction plans were abandoned. Various other proposals were mooted over subsequent years, and eventually work began on a new football stadium as a home for Ajax in 1993. The stadium was finally

opened on 14th August 1996 (by Queen Beatrix, since you ask).

In its day, the ArenA was a ground-breaking and innovative new concept in stadium design, the first in the world to combine a retractable roof with a removable grass pitch. The all-seater capacity for a football match is 54,033, though the highest recorded attendance is 52,316 for an Ajax v Feyenoord game in 2011. The construction cost was €140 million; there are no obstructed views, but the rake of the stands is quite steep at 45 degrees.

The ArenA hosted the 1998 UEFA Champions League final

(Real Madrid v Juventus) and the 2013 UEFA Europa League final (Chelsea v Benfica), and will host three group stage games and one second round game at Euro 2020. The stadium’s name was changed to the Johan Cruijff ArenA with effect from 25th October 2017 (not be confused with the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff currently under construction in Barcelona). In the absence of a dedicated national stadium, the ArenA hosts most of the Dutch national team’s matches.

For this game, England fans have been housed in the north end of the ground, on the upper tier, in blocks 410 to 415, accessed via entrance C.

THE STADIUM

PAG

E

WELCOME TO AMSTERDAM

PAG

E10





YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE

PAG

E11


A MESSAGE FROM OUR HOSTS

The Amsterdam police and city authorities have given us this message to pass on to all England fans visiting the city for the game:The gates to the stadium

will open at 18:45, the customary two hours

before kick-off.

The usual system of ticket checks and search cordons will apply on the approach to the stadium, and the standard list of prohibited items will also be enforced, so that’s no pyrotechnics, flags with sticks, firearms, stepladders, domestic pets…

We are told that only small bags – no bigger than the size of an A4 sheet of paper - will be permitted.

Arrangements have been made for England fans who want to secure

as prominent a position as possible for their flags within the ground to have access early on to hang them.

To take advantage of this opportunity, you’ll need to report to Entrance C – the gate to the England sector – at

There should not be a problem with power packs for mobile phones.

Ironically, among the things that we occasionally encounter on a banned list (though admittedly not for a while) that are welcome here are coins. Ironic, because the ArenA is a cashless stadium, where none of the retail outlets accept cash at all; payment can be made by debit card, MasterCard, Visa, Visa Electron American Express and VPay.

The ArenA operates a no-smoking policy, and there will be no alcohol on

15:00 prompt. Don’t be late, as the stewards will have to leave the gate to escort people inside.

There should still be plenty of time after hanging your flag to get back into town for a drink before coming back for the game, or alternatively there are a few food and drink outlets around the Bijlmer Arena station at the other end of the ground.

sale in the England sector. We’re told that entry could be refused to anyone who appears drunk at the turnstiles.

It is unlikely that there will be a hold-back of England supporters at the end of the game, though that can change depending on events; if there is a change of plan, details of any hold back will be announced (in English) over the stadium loudspeakers.

GROUND RULES

FLAGS

ID – Under Dutch law, everyone over the age of 14 has to carry photo ID with them at all times. For British nationals, that would generally have to be a passport, but the local police have told us that for most purposes around this game, a photocard driving licence will suffice.

Drugs – recent changes to the law here mean that the legal regime relating to drugs is not quite as liberal as many people believe. The tolerance for cannabis use exists only within designated premises known as “coffee shops”; buying or smoking so-called “soft drugs” in a public place is an offence in Amsterdam. Psychoactive mushrooms are also illegal.

Avoid confrontation with anyone offering you drugs on the street; there are some aggressive drug dealers around who are not averse to stabbing people who refuse to buy from them.

Beware the three silent killers of Amsterdam – that’s trams, bicycles and canals. The danger of trams is fairly obvious, but they’re deceptively quiet, and there’s also a real risk of being clattered into by one of the country’s 11 million cyclists. If you are leaping out of the way of a bike, make sure you don’t inadvertently end up in a canal – there are a number of deaths in the city’s waterways every year, many of them under the influence of alcohol.

Petty crime – watch out for pickpockets and other scammers, particularly around the central station and other crowded areas.

TIPS

If you’ve arrived in Amsterdam without any accommodation

booked, your best bet is to go to the VVV tourist office outside the Centraal station.

They have access to the full range of available accommodation and can book it for you there and then, at good last-minute rates. There is a small charge for their booking service, but it beats trailing round the streets. They also have an online booking engine on their website at www.iamsterdam.com

ACCOMMODATION

The City of Amsterdam welcomes you. We hope you have a nice stay in our beautiful and hospitable Amsterdam and Amsterdam ArenA.

We have some rules you have to respect if you want to enjoy our hospitality!

• Always follow the indications of the police officers.

• Any kind of fighting is forbidden and you will be arrested and banned for the match.

• Public urinating is forbidden, the fine is 149 Euros; it’s also dangerous, every year drunk urinating men fall in the canals and drown.

• Face-covering clothing is banned.

• Fireworks and flares are forbidden and you’ll be arrested and placed into custody.

• Don’t take pictures of the prostitutes in the Red Light District.

• Don’t make too much noise in the Red Light District: think of the residents and their sleeping children.

• You may only drink alcohol in a pub or on the terrace of the pub.

• Public intoxication is forbidden and you will be arrested.

• Only use the subway from the city to the ArenA-stadium

• Don’t buy drugs: they are mostly fake, it’s a risk for your health and it’s punishable. A sale on the street often turns into a robbery.

• Don’t bring flags on sticks to the stadium.

The England Entrance

PAG

E12





YOUR FREE LIONS GUIDE

PAG

E13


Quiz

Answers

Scouse Phil’s Free Lions Football Quiz1.Everton – Ronald Koeman (Holland) and Roberto Martinez (Belgium) 2.Adam Lallana 3.Wigan Athletic 4.Bristol City 5.Saido Berahinho 6.Motherwell 7.Yeovil Town 8.Tunisia 9.Lyon 10.Kieron Dyer

Music Quiz1.Alice Deejay 2.Jason Orange 3.2 Unlimited 4.Elvis Costello 5. The Beautiful South 6.The Vengaboys 7.’Ding-A-Dong’ 8.The Rembrandts 9.Van Halen 10.‘Red Light’

Amsterdam is the kind of place where, even without any help

from us, you would probably manage to find somewhere that sells beer and maybe even something to eat. Nonetheless, there’ll be some people here for the first time, and we’ve had people asking where, from experience, we think England fans are likely to be found. So, here’s a pointer or two for first-time visitors to the city…

Assuming that, like most people, you’re arriving into the Centraal station (which may well be where you’ve picked up this magazine), then as good a place as any to start might be the Grasshopper – you can see it from the station, just look down the main drag opposite and it’s on the left hand side, on the waterside.

Back on the main street (Damrak, to give it its proper name), there are a number of bars and restaurants down the right hand side, many with pavement terraces. They’re always full, which suggests they’re popular, but they’re also probably among the most expensive tourist traps in town.

Go past the Grasshopper pub away from the Damrak and you’ll enter the famous red light district; for some strange reason this has also proved a popular area to drink.

There are several bars dotted around among the sex clubs; one of the most popular in previous years has been the Old Sailor, and English-style bar, and there’s also a little chain of places all operating under the brand name of the Bulldog.

A little further afield, and bit less sleazy, is the Leidseplein, where there are a lot of bars and clubs popular with locals. Trams 1, 2 and 5 will take you there from the Centraal station, and for those of you who do these things, there’s a Hard Rock Café nearby at Euweplein. Also increasingly popular is Rembrandtplein, where there’s a good number of decent bars and cafes.

Eating’s not going to be hugely problematic either. There are lots of fast food outlets in all the main areas, from kebab shops and pizza

kiosks to the usual international names like Burger King, McDonald’s and KFC. Look out for places called FEBO, which are open 24 hours for various snack such as the Dutch delicacy of chips with mayonnaise; or there are the many Indonesian restaurants, which are to Holland what curry houses are to England.

Selling match tickets on the black market is a criminal offence in the Netherlands.

The police tell us that they will arrest anyone caught selling a ticket, and while the buyer will probably not face any charges, they would more than likely have to assist the police in compiling a report – which

sounds to us like a bit of waste of precious Amsterdam time, so it’s probably best not to end up in that situation.

If you have got hold of a ticket in the “home” sectors of the ground, that shouldn’t be a problem in and of itself, and you will probably have no difficulty in gaining admittance

to the stadium as long as your behaviour is OK in other respects. Be aware though that – much like at home – if there any difficulties that arise inside the ground as a consequence of your presence, then regardless of who initiated it, it’s likely to be you that gets removed. You will not be relocated into the England sector.

BLACK MARKET TICKETSEATING AND DRINKING

coming to collect his copy of Free Lions, and staying to chat, sharing his tales of his trips to and around games.

Marcus’s friendly face will be sadly missed by all of us in the fans’ embassy, and his absence will be acutely felt by those who travelled with him following England.

We extend our sympathy and condolences to his family and friends.

It was with great sadness that Free Lions learnt last month of the sudden

and unexpected passing of our friend Marcus Brittan at the tragically young age of 51.

Marcus, a loyal Nottingham Forest fan, had been an England home and away regular since 1998, and was a popular, well-liked character who always made a point of

MARCUS BRITTAN9th December 1966 – 8th February 2018

RIP Marcus Brittan

BY CLIVE HETHERINGTON CONTACT CLIVE VIA [email protected] OR DISAGREE WITH CLIVE HETHERINGTON?ENGLAND’S FUTURE





ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate won approval after throwing the spotlight

on the young generation in the Wembley friendlies with Germany and Brazil.

From a Three Lions perspective, the November games ended in creditable goalless draws as Southgate showed his faith in England’s embryonic stars. It was a bold move that offered opportunities for the players in question and options for the man in charge ahead of this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia.

Against the Germans, no fewer than five rookies made their debuts: Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Blues striker Tammy Abraham starting, while Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and Burnley’s engine-room man Jack Cork came off the bench.

It was the first time three England debutants had started in the same game since keeper Fraser Forster, midfielder Adam Lallana and striker Jay Rodriguez lined up in Chile’s Alexis Sanchez-inspired Wembley victory in November 2013.

And it was the most debutants England had fielded in a game since a year prior to then when Leon Osman, Steven Caulker, Ryan Shawcross, Carl Jenkinson, Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha made up the six that visited Sweden on the night four-goal

Zlatan Ibrahimovic taught the Three Lions a lesson with his extravagant finishing.

In the Brazil match, Southgate shuffled his pack, starting with Gomez and handing a debut to an Anfield colleague, striker Dominic Solanke, as a substitute.

And Solanke almost made an immediate impact when a chance came his way late on, but his control let him down at the vital moment.

After Pickford and Loftus-Cheek had impressed against Germany, it was Gomez who caught the eye in the encounter with Brazil as he operated in a three-man central defence.

Ex-Arsenal and England right-back Lee Dixon echoed an increasingly widely-held view that three at the back is Southgate’s favoured system.

Dixon said: “It was a learning curve and I think they learned an awful lot from those two games. Maybe Germany weren’t at full strength, but Brazil…

“They go really narrow when they attack you and sometimes you can get done down the lines.

“But Gomez was outstanding and rightly got man of the match and I think it’s good that the combination of the three of them are learning how to play in those positions without a full-back outside.

“Joe Hart said after the game that we did well, we didn’t lose, but you have to set your standards and you have to be looking to play against that type of opposition because we’re going into a World Cup.

“We’ve had qualifying and that was relatively easy. We’re coming across the cream now. In the first half against Brazil, a couple of players were blinded by the yellow shirt and needed sunglasses, but they got into the game a bit in the second half and we ended up with a clean sheet.

“I think a back three is preferred by Gareth. We’ve seen they can play with a four, but he preferred to play in a three as a player and it I think it suits the players we have.’’

Dixon’s old Gunners and England teammate, Highbury striking legend Ian Wright, was encouraged by England’s attacking endeavours but demanded more from the defence.

Wright said: “With the defending, John Stones and Harry Maguire have got to come out more because they’re footballing centre-backs and they can make the extra man

in midfield, so we have more of an attacking option. We should be pushing them to want to do that.

“Joe Gomez was man of the match against Brazil and Ruben Loftus-Cheek was man of the match against Germany.

“And I was pleased when Solanke

came on against Brazil. He was up for it right from the off and he had a chance when the ball came at him really quickly. People might say he could have taken it first time, but the keeper did brilliantly.

“It looks like it’s going to be Harry Kane and one other when it comes to naming the team. You want

Solanke to get a run with Liverpool and Tammy Abraham to do well on loan at Swansea, and Jamie Vardy will probably be there if he’s fit.

“What you want is competition at that end and you want people going into the tournament scoring goals. Then you can have people going there with confidence.’’

TWO hugely popular former England players sadly left us in January.

The death of Cyrille Regis at only 59 was followed by that of Jimmy Armfield, who was 82. Right-back Armfield, who played a club-record 627 times for Blackpool, was in Alf Ramsey’s World Cup-winning squad in 1966, but didn’t play.

He moved into management with Bolton and Leeds, who he led to the 1975 European Cup final in which they lost to Bayern Munich.

The multi-talented Armfield became a match summariser on BBC radio, covered football for the Daily Express, and also acted as a consultant for the FA.

He won 43 England caps between 1962 and ’66, was outstanding at the World Cup in Chile and captained his country on 15 occasions.

But for injury, which allowed George Cohen to establish himself at right-back, Armfield might

have been skipper against West Germany at Wembley in ’66 instead of Bobby Moore.

Armfield finally received a winners’ medal from Fifa 43 years later. He died after a battle with cancer.

Striker Regis was a trailblazer for black players and one of the ‘Three Degrees’ under the management of Ron Atkinson at West Brom, with teammates Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson.

Regis, born in French Guiana, came to England at a young age and spent most of his career in the Midlands, where he also played for Coventry, Aston Villa and Wolves.

In 1987, he was a member of the Coventry side that beat Tottenham in a memorable FA Cup final.Regis was unfortunate not to win more than five England caps between 1982 and ’87, and failed to score for his country.

Competition for places in attacking roles was fierce, with the likes of Paul Mariner, Trevor Francis and later, Gary Lineker, on the scene.

But Regis was a strong, quick, powerful forward who would have been a big success in the modern game. His untimely death came as a result of a heart attack.

PAG

E14

PAG

E15


JOIN THE FSF FOR FREESign up at www.fsf.org.uk to become a member of the Football Supporters’ Federation.

4

3

1

8

9

10

5

6

72

Which Scottish Premier League side’s home ground is Fir Park?

‘The Glovers’ is the nickname of which English League Two side?

Who will England’s opening game be against in this year’s World Cup Finals?

In which city will this year’s Europa League Final be played?

I was born in Ipswich in 1978 and played for various clubs including Ipswich, Newcastle and West Ham and won 33 England caps between 1999 and 2007. Who am I?

Which Premier League club’s previous two managers were appointed as national team managers on leaving the club?

Which player scored England’s first goal in qualifying for this year’s World Cup Finals in a 1-0 win in Slovakia in September 2016?

Which team knocked Manchester City out of this season’s FA Cup?

And who did Manchester City beat in the semi-final of this season’s Carabao (League) Cup?

As of the end of February 2018, which Premier League striker has gone 2 years without scoring a goal in competitive senior football, having played in 42 matches during that time?

Scouse Phil’s Free Lions Football Quiz (answers on page 13)

HOLLAND SQUAD WORDSEARCH

The following list of players may bear little resemblance to the squad chosen for our game this week, but for the purposes of our Wordsearch puzzle, the UEFA website-listed Holland Squad for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers is more than adequate. They’ve all got the summer off, of course, but for now, you still have to

try to find their surnames hidden in the grid.

N U F C X K E E B E D N A V TV A N G I N K E L Q U I K V DS U S T A L O C A D I A W O EH G W T G I L E D W E H S A OE U R M K I K E R S V T E T HA V E U N D Y L S I N A D N BR A L D B S A A L E J A A E NE N E L V N P H Z B N M P S IR G G A S H E L V E T N Z S TL I A N C N D L F L R A F A EE N T J A N S S E N S J Z A ZB K J I D N A V A K W O M L MA E O W S D Y D E N E K O K CB L I N D O K Q E T E T U E AM S L A L A S C E L L E S M B

Jeroen ZOET PSV EindhovenMaarten STEKELENBURG EvertonJasper CILLESSEN Barcelona

Daley BLIND Manchester UnitedWesley HOEDT SouthamptonMatthijs DE LIGT AjaxKenny TETE LyonNathan AKE Bournemouth Daryl JANMAAT WatfordJoël VELTMAN Ajax Virgil VAN DIJK LiverpoolKarim REKIK Hertha Berlin

Donny VAN DE BEEK AjaxRyan BABEL Besiktas Georginio WIJNALDUM LiverpoolDavy KLAASSEN EvertonMarco VAN GINKEL PSV EindhovenTonny VILHENA Feyenoord

Memphis DEPAY LyonVincent JANSSEN FenerbahceBas DOST Sporting Lisbon Jürgen OCADIA Brighton

issue 156 - football supporters' federation · football supporters’ federation (fsf), the...

Documents