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Source: Reuters -
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August! Yeah - football fans around the globe rejoice as their wives groan at the thought of all those hours of TV coverage. It's time to reclaim the remote, ditch the 'Desperate Housewives' and let those desperate husbands get their first football fix of a new season.
August is always a month of optimism. Every team has its aspirations, there are new signings to watch, perhaps a new manager to judge and probably a new replica shirt to buy.
Even those Geordie fans will have something new to watch - unknown opposition. Many Championship followers will be looking forward to their Newcastle fixture.
In the Premiership debutantes Burnley undertake the great adventure that Stoke and Hull pursued last season. No doubt, if the Clarets can emulate the feats of these two there will be much singing at Turf Moor.
Already the European competitions are in their qualifying
stages, Fulham safely negotiating there way to the next round of
the new look Europa Cup.
Meanwhile the various leagues in Europe, South America and here
closer to home are about to raise the curtains for the main act as
the marathon once more gets underway.
Easter Island
Even in far off outposts like Easter Island, first round cup games have already been played, with the hosts slumping out of the Chilean Cup, watched by the whole island population.
However, spare a thought for those Argentinian fans. Down in the dumps already because of a poor run in the World Cup qualifiers their league has decided to postpone the start of the season. While Real Madrid spends obscene amounts of Euros on players during a global recession, the professional clubs in Argentina are struggling to stay afloat.
The whole mess is not helped by the Argentine Football Federation(AFA) who have a history of mismanagement and fraudulent behaviour. The President Julio Grondona is pressing for a bigger slice of the TV revenue that is generated by the matches, but even if he succeeds the majority will have to go to the taxman.
In the meantime angry fans have demonstrated their displeasure at the way the league is run. Until the dispute is solved, on which no date has been set, club football across the country is suspended. Fans will have to survive on the meagre fare from the Copa Sudamericana that has just begun.
To add to their woes Argentina have a massive World Cup match looming on the horizon. Brazil come visiting (exactly where nobody knows yet, but that's another tale) in September and nothing but a win for the albiceleste will do. Coach Maradona's position is under growing pressure and a defeat could see Argentina slip into the play off place.
Imagine the storm of discontent that would ensue then. It could be the end of Grondona and Maradona. Perhaps this will be the biggest kick-off of all.
