TO FOLLOW in the footsteps of one of my colleagues who started quoting English verse a few weeks ago, William Blake would no doubt have been impressed by modern football’s sometimes ‘fearful symmetry’ if he were still about.
Sometimes it would appear that the rich men and/or officials who tinker with game’s fortunes have little sense of irony – or maybe the ‘irony’ bit is an unnecessary addition.
It has come to light that Manchester City have been fined 30,000 euros by UEFA for returning to the field of play half a minute late after the interval in the Europa League game against Sporting Lisbon last season.
The frightening symmetry in this instance is that the same footballing authority levied the same 30,000 euros penalty on Levski Sofia whose fans used the opportunity of playing against Sarajevo to chant and unfurl banners about (and threatening) genocide.
And to up the financial stakes West Ham have decided their best offer towards the costs of converting the Olympic Stadium into their new home ground will be £3m of the estimated £160m cost.
The amount the Hammers are reported to be paying in their nine-month commitment to on-loan striker Andy Carroll’s wages – a fearfully symmetrical £3m!
