“It’s a New Era !”   the F.A trumpets.   “There’s a New Hope !”   they blare out to all and sundry.
“And don’t forget to buy the new England™ kit !”

But actually (apart from the last bit) there isn’t and they said none of these things.

Despite the dismal showing a few months back, unlike the French farce who resolved to clear everything out, wipe the slate clean and start all over again there isn’t the same sort of thing going on with the England setup.

It’s true that Fabio will be looking at new players, or more likely the ones he left behind and didn’t take to South Africa. Trying to fix the mistakes after the event has happened.

Despite this resolve to correct an underperforming problem, we haven’t heard from the players themselves saying that yes it was partly my fault, or yes I was to blame for some part and I will take responsibility. I will retire from the internationals and let a younger generation have a chance.

After the World Cup they returned home (after an extended holiday), drove their Bentley to their club, got their agents to negotiate a contract extention and a boost to their weekly earnings.

Business as usual.

Then there’s another call up and they cry off with an injury which could have been dealt with pre-season but waited until an international break to seek treatment.

Yes I am still bitter about the whole thing. As I said nobody will put their hand up to admit their errors.
None of them will until they are in the twilight of their career and release an autobiography blaming Capello/ blaming their old club/blaming the F.A/blaming everybody but themselves for their pitiful performance.

Everything isn’t Irie & it will not be until certain players are dropped or retire from international duty.

[See post to listen to audio] » Black Grape – England’s Irie [See post to listen to audio] » England’s Irie (Pass the Durazac Mix) [See post to listen to audio] » England’s Irie (Suedehead Dub [See post to listen to audio] » England’s Irie (Mel’s L.A. Irie Mix)

I have a cunning plan.

Put this date in your diary:

25th October 2010

An explanation…

This morning (mid afternoon your time, and by the time I post this it will be late evening) I read on Teenage Kicks that if John Peel was still alive he would have been 71 years old today.

He probably wouldn’t still be on Radio 1, but I bet he’d be on 6Music.
6 Music is a (sort of) legacy from Peel, but the Beeb are trying to kill that legacy.
The station has been saved (for now) but the threat of closure still hangs over it’s head.

After looking around for a bit for other John Parker Ravenscroft mentions a plan began to formulate…

There once was a Radio 1 led John Peel Day, but they stopped doing it a few years ago.

The day is still commemorated and kept running with various events taking place at places around Europe, but my fear is like with 6 Music this day is slowly being killed off.

We shouldn’t forget his memory and should not forget his legacy. All those bands, all the music that we discovered thanks to him.

There should be a web version of the John Peel Day, with this one being commemorated by all the bloggers, tweeters, LJ users and tumblr’s out there. If you are Facebook then please join in too.

So on the 25th October 2010 I want everybody to post a Peel Session track by any of their favourite bands. If you are a Facebook user post a link to a You Tube video. If you are on Twitter then on October 25th post a tweet using the hashtag: #keepingitpeel and add a song/video clip, again from a Peel session.

That date, you’ve probably already worked out, is the date when we lost the great man…

This was partly inspired by JC using the same idea he had with the Paul Haig Day and I hope that he and all his fellow writers will join in to support this one.

I’ll keep a mention of it and will post updates. Plus add buttons for people to post on their blogs.

Your help is needed: Please write about or tweet #keepingitpeel on Oct 25th.

If you’d like to give a hand it would be most welcome. You can Contact Me Here.

For now to get you in the mood… a preview of #keepingitpeel on 25TH OCTOBER 2010 and to commemorate John’s birth date today – Some tracks from various Peel Sessions by The Wedding Present:

[See post to listen to audio] » John Peel introduces The Wedding Present [See post to listen to audio] » The Wedding Present – Happy Birthday (Peel Session) [See post to listen to audio] » The Wedding Present – Come Play With Me (Peel Session

Extra Time - A few football and music/John Peel related items I found:

- John Peel interviews Ian Rush
- A very surreal ambient track using the voice of John Peel

Additionally: Keep an eye on following, which are only the few remaining sites dedicated to John Peel that are still blogging. I’ll be bugging them about #keepingitpeel in the hope that they’ll join in.

- Fades In Slowly
- Teenage Kicks

and finally…

Ah since I mentioned it (with that link) the obligatory, seminal, legendary track:

Remember:

#keepingitpeel – 25TH OCTOBER 2010

I’ve done a poor job with promoting the Prediction League for this coming season…

This is another half-assed mention to see if you want to join.

I originally posted that you could “donate whatever you like” (as in a DVD, CD, flash drive…book…anything) towards the prize. But when thinking about it I realised that it would mean me chasing people to send us things. Bugger that. Too much work. The whole idea of a prediction league is that it’s only a quarter of what you’d have to do to maintain a fantasy league.

So I’m going back to the traditional prize, which is waving a few notes in front of your face.

The F&M/S&GFPL is a donate to play one. You don’t have to, it’s still free to play. But to be eligible for the Grand Prize you have to chip into the prize pot – which I’m going to make things interesting by bunging in my own funds to get it started.

As it stand the grand prize is:     $100

When the prediction league players join in and chip in that amount might be doubled.
(The reason it’s in American Dollars is that this site is run but an Expat living in the USA and that’s the default currency with my Paypal account. The prize will be converted to your local currency for the winner)

There you go then. The prediction league starts with the first Euro 2012 qualifiers in exactly 1 weeks time from now, but after that it will be every Sat & Sunday (and occasional Monday) every week after.

- For more details check this post.

- Then you can SIGN UP HERE.

This idea came to me as I was getting sunburnt on holiday. Yes that’s right whilst everybody else was enjoying the weather I was deep in thought about football and music. I never stop. Yes you are also correct, I am a bit of a sad bastard.

It is partly influenced by Half Man Half Biscuit, who are the patron saints of footie & music.
I was lying there on the beach listening to the ipod when The Referee’s Alphabet came on and the thought immediately occurred…

The idea is that you choose a letter of the alphabet. Selected a footballer with that letter. Then as Nigel Blackwell did with the Referee’s Alphabet you add a line about that player. Finally you add an accompanying song. It would be good if the tune was about that particular subject, but it’s not important. An appropriate song that would go with the person and/or situation would be good too. It doesn’t matter if it’s a current player or one from the past.
Additionally – the line doesn’t have to rhyme. That one did but yours doesn’t.

For example… Picking something topical here – The news that Mikel Arteta could get an England call-up, (because his UK residency qualifies him) but a certain pundit doesn’t like it.

So it’s A is for Arteta: The Spanish Arteta, playing for the England team ? “Not if I have owt to say about it”, burred the Lancashire born/Republic of Ireland international Lawro.

Then a song: Black Lace – Speaka Da Lingo

Ok that’s a terrible, terrible example, but you get the idea now.

What I’ve done is set up a dedicated page (which I’ll add a permanent link in the above toolbar) and will update it every time I have a new submission, so keep an eye on it:

www.footballandmusic.co.uk/footballers-alphabet

If you want you can reserve a letter now by posting a commment, or by contacting me here.

I’ll try again with a better one than above.

B is for Georgie Best:   He loved his football but loved his women more.

[See post to listen to audio]

» Lucy – Georgie

A bit of an improvement on the other. But can you do better ?

As mentioned the whole alphabet is up for grabs at the moment, so if you have an idea for a letter/player/line/song then mail me here. All submissions welcome.
(I don't publish my email address on the website because of spammers, but if you don't like forms and prefer an addy then it's manager [at] this domain name.)

I’ll be contacting various people and challenging them to think of a letter. These will be posted on the dedicated Footballers’ Alphabet page.

That is all for now. I’ll post updates when I have a few in. Please help with this project. I think it’s an interesting and challenging one, I hope that you feel the same.

Finally I’ll sign off with, because I gave them a mention and because I can’t resist…

Some random HMHB selections:

[See post to listen to audio] » Half Man Half Biscuit – 1966 And All That [See post to listen to audio] » HMHB – Dead Men Don’t Need Season Tickets (Peel Session) [See post to listen to audio] » HMHB – Mars Ultras (You’ll Never Make The Station) – Peel

The producer is Damian Harris aka Midfield General and the subject is:

I believe that some of you might have heard about him. He played somewhere in N17.

He recently took a position with the Ajax backroom staff and has said that he wouldn’t turn down a coaching role with that struggling North London club if the opportunity ever arose.

I don’t need to write any more about him. Go here for the previous entry (including music).

I want to talk about the creator of the following tunes, which are entitled about the above subject.

Damian Harris moved down to Brighton and eventually became a DJ, then a few years later got a job at a record label who had one Norman Cook signed to them. After this he co-founded Skint Records and Cook joined under the Fatboy Slim moniker.

F&M Factoid: They were the Brighton & Hove Albion shirt sponsor for 9 years.

Under the Midfield General guise in 1997 he released the Devil In Sports Casual single.
One of the tracks on EP was named after the Dutch master:

- Also from the 2007 album General Disarray was the following track, which contains the euphoric Dutch TV commentator Jack van Gelder:

(Also on that album was “Midfielding” – a collaboration with Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh)

Additionally… found this via YouTube which is a home made video tribute to Bergkamp:

Extra Time: The title tracks from the Devil In Sports Casual EP:

[See post to listen to audio] » Midfield General – Devil In Sports Casual [See post to listen to audio] » Devil In Sports Casual (Fatboy Slim’s ‘Does My Beat Look This Big’ Mix)

If you like this sort of thing then I highly recommend you visit Acid Ted for more of the same.

Those other remixers/producers:

Occasionally I get an idea about assembling a team, but with a theme. I then throw out these challenges on Twitter to see if anyone can help me fill in the teamsheet for a first XI. Last week I was looking for a #RotundXI and got a good few names which I could assemble two teams. Will do that another time though.

Today the idea is more inline to what we are all about – a #FootieAndMusicXI.

I received some excellent suggestions from newfieldchris who runs the Saggar Makers Social Club, and from Fredorrarci who rules Sport Is A TV Show with an iron fist. Thanks chaps.

Below is a rundown of the first team, plus the subs – and a team manager.

The eccentric goalkeeper Arnold Layne who has put that drug thing behind him and is the first name on the list now.

The solid centre back Charlie Brown, who has a persecution complex and he thinks that the referees are always out to get him. Not good with free kicks.

Absolutely nothing is known about this player.

One of the two Jonnie’s in the team, much to the delight of opposing fans. The veteran Johnny Thunder who has a distinguished career in the top flight.

Partnering his namesake at the back is a tricky right back who’s good at getting up for the crosses, can be see floating into the box.

The midfield enforcer and captain of the team. Do you feel lucky punk ?

The quick left sided midfielder, Kevin Carter sometimes joins in attack.

The tricky Italian winger who can play on the left or the right.

A product of the youth system, namesake son of the 60′s legend.

The right sided player who is absolutely blind as a bat and much to the annoyance of his boss, is constantly losing his contacts during matches.

Ernold Same, a summer signing and the flying Dutch winger is just coming back from injury.

- and the team coach… who some say walks like a woman and wears a bra…

[Subs Bench]

Three that are gathering splinters, probably make a change around 70 mins if it’s a stalemate:

Jimmy Ray out of the wilderness, signed on a free but fans keep on asking… / The sturdy defender Alex Chilton, just off the treatment table. / The ever retiring reserve ‘keeper Andy Warhol.

[See post to listen to audio]
» Jimmy Ray – Are You Jimmy Ray ?

[See post to listen to audio]
» The Replacements – Alex Chilton

[See post to listen to audio]
» David Bowie – Andy Warhol

[In The Stands]

There were a few others that didn’t make the squad and will have to play their football elsewhere…
You can find these and all the above selections via 6 Mirrors.

» If you are looking for a few names to form your own team. Try here.

If this was an actual team then it would be somebody like Bolton Wanderers. Don’t have a name for this XI. Suggestions below. Also if you’ve got a candidate that the F&M XI scouts should look at. Again leave a comment below.

This is a league in which YOU play but unlike the real thing it requires a minimum of effort.

Announcing the opening of…

The Saint & Greavsie Prediction League: 2010-2011 Season

No endorsement is implied by the above individuals.
Their identities have been concealed to protect their reputation.

This isn’t a fantasy football league. Too much effort with that.
This is a prediction league. Only half the work needed.

All you have to do is try to guess what the final score will be in a selection of matches every weekend.

That selection 90% of the time will be Premier League matches, but we’ll throw in the FA Cup fixtures and occasionally a matchup from other European leagues. Usually Barca v Madrid & the Milan derby.

This new season will begin with the first Euro 2012 qualifiers on FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2010 and it will end at final whistle of the FA Cup Final in May 2011.

Normally the prediction league will only be Sat/Sun (and the Monday evening match), but when there are international fixtures then you’ll see some Wednesday kickoffs.

Signups are open from now and will close before kick off of the first match on the 3rd.

In previous years the F&M/S&GFPL has been a donate to play one, but this season some changes.

I’ve changed my mind.

The idea originally was that instead of donating an amount towards the prize, you would donate something you found in your drawer. Something like a DVD, a flash drive…something like that… But I wanted to do less work than I had to do last season when maintaining the league (as mentioned below). With this plan it would still mean that I’d be busy chasing users to send something to me and then me sending all that out to the eventual winner. Bollocks to that. It’s back to donate (an amount) to play. You don’t have to donate if you don’t want, you can still play. But it will mean that you’ll NOT BE ELIGIBLE for the grand prize.

I’m going to make this interesting and start the prize pot with my own money. So then I’m putting in $100. If it goes like last year and all the players donate then that pot might get to around $250…
(The reason it’s in dollars is that this site is run by an Expat now living in the USA and that’s the default currency of my PayPal account).

So if you want to play, maybe win a bit of cash then SIGN UP HERE.

Last season there was too much hand holding. There was a retroactive default score function which if you donated towards the prize and forgot to do your prediction then your default score would be applied. But this season we are not doing that. It was too much work for me. This season it will be EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.

- Don’t forget that even with the late start, the season is still 8 MONTHS LONG.

You have to make sure that you’ve done your predictions EVERY WEEKEND (try to enter in the fixtures up to 4 weeks in advance but sometimes it’s not possible) from 3rd Sept 2010 until 14th May 2011.

… A bit more work than I thought actually, but still only a quarter than the fantasy one.

If you think that you are up to it then SIGN UP HERE.

Here for you now to get you into the fitba mood…some music:

-> THE PREDICTIONS:

- How to enter your predictions:
(When you are signed in) Click on “My Predictions”.
You will then see a list of all the matches.
Enter in what you think the result will be and click on the “Predict” button.
If you’ve selected the option in your profile you will receive an email confirming your predicts.

Additionally : Click on “My Profile” – there is a function in there where you can set a default score. One that will be applied to your predictions if you don’t enter a number. BUT - you have to log in and press the “predict” button for this to apply.

*PLEASE NOTE*
The Game Time is set British Summer Time and will be changed back to GMT in October.
You can do your prediction right up until kick off of each match.

-> THE POINTS/WHAT’S THE SCORING ? HOW DOES THAT WORK ?
You earn points by predicting the outcome correctly – either by getting the right score or the right result.

- If you predict a correct result – ie: You enter 2-1 and the result is 1-nil, you will get 3 points.
- If you predict a correct score – ie: You enter 3-0 and the result is 3-0 you get 2 extra points.
So if you get the right result and score you can get 5 points there. (3 for result, 2 for score).
- More info here

WHAT IF I STOP PLAYING:
I have a function which tells me the last time a user has logged in: If you do not log in after 4 weeks then YOU WILL BE DELETED FROM THE LEAGUE.

-> THE LEAGUE/HOW DOES THAT WORK ?
Works the same as a footie league. Predict more games correctly and get more wins > more points for you.

-> WHAT IF I DON’T DO MY PREDICTIONS or FORGET TO DO MY PREDICTIONS ?
It is up to you to make sure you enter in a prediction for every game. Don’t worry too much if you miss a couple it does happen. [Default score option: See above]
We will not enter in extra matches so you can catch up, if you miss predicting a match /a couple of matches or a weekend of fixtures then it’s tough titties.

-> WHAT IF I DON’T WANT TO PLAY ANY MORE ?
If you want to take your Mitre Delta Ultra and go home then that’s your choice. You can delete yourself from the league by clicking on your profile and entering in your password and pressing the button at the bottom.

*Other Bits*
Once you’ve signed up you should automatically be a member of the Prediction League. Keep an eye on the left hand menu for a message, if it tells you that you are not a member of the league – click on “My Profile”, look for the “Joined Leagues” section and check to see if there is a tick in the box. If not check it and click “Join League”.
-
-> Icons:
I have already upload some icons for you to use. These icons can be seen by other players (when you are logged in). Click on the current icon below your username. Choose any of the images there.
- If you want to use your own icon then send an image to me via the contact form.

– SPONSORSHIP:
Do you work for a company that has something to promote ? Footie and Music is happy to be sponsored by… you, if you can offer whatever you are pushing as a prize. Please contact me here.

The first chance for the fans… which is a misnomer because of what they’ll be doing… to boo the England team in a few hours. Many of the hacks in their published articles asking what’s the point of booing, the players knew that their performance in South Africa was dismal. But the “England fans” don’t have access to a newsroom and this is their way of showing their disapproval. Winter and his cohorts post their opinions online (and I hear they still have this print version). The “fans” will travel a few miles, spend money on petrol, food and upwards of 50 quid on tickets so this is their chance.

I suspect that the F.A. will actually encourage and approve the sale of vuvuzela’s at Wembley tonight.

I admit I’m still very jaded over the whole thing myself. After their ignominious exit and after what was, apart from a couple of matches, a poor World Cup. It is still summer and the sun is still shining… at least where I am… and my head is still not back in the game yet.

As it will be in a few hours for a few players. In this pointless friendly (a phrase often used every time one of these games are arranged) against Hungary and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s also a boring pointless draw.

Getting back to the players and the fans and the booing. This will happen for the first 20 minutes.
They will expect it. Gerrard knows it. He’s said that if he was one of those in the crowd he would too.
The hotheaded Rooney has retracted his statement after the outburst above after the Algeria match.
He’s not going to like it but he’s going to still be on the receiving end tonight. But if he bags a couple then he knows that it will go away. All is forgiven. Let’s look forward to the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

- The first matches for that are in only a couple of weeks and one week after the new Premiership season has started. Now the timing of these qualifiers… No sorry, can’t moan about. Deal with it.
England are in group G and they’ll be playing Bulgaria on Sept 3rd and then Switzerland (who were the only team to beat Spain at the World Cup) a few days later on Sept 9th. More details here.

Before that there’s thid Hungary match and the site of Bobby Zamora partnering Rooney up front ?
He’s looking forward to playing and has said that he can be the new Heskey – but with goals.

No I am being cruel. I don’t know why that Zamora still isn’t taken seriously. It could still be some remembrance of the (spoof) song done about him, but he does know how to find the net.

To the music…

Because of their exit in the competition I never got the opportunity to post more England songs.
A good thing I hear you saying. I agree with you. There was so much…. out there.

But there was one act, somebody who has a bit of history that I wanted to post a mention.
This was a one-hit-wonder but is a song that when you hear again you’ll immediately remember.

- I’m doing the opposite of how I usually do this, with the well known song first.
Now this song was done in a storytelling format. The story was a mundane one with an unexpected subject, but as you will hear it is a song about a broken heart.

The story goes that there’s this taxi driver who is given a pick up… no stay with me… but the address of who to pick up is the one where is girlfriend lives. The one who he’s just broken up with.
In the track you will hear the conversation between the dispatcher and the driver:

[See post to listen to audio] » Driver 67 – Car 67

The song stayed in the charts for 12 weeks and reached number 7 in February of 1979.
Here is Driver 67 performing the song on ToTP all those years ago:

Driver 67 is Paul Phillips. There was a bit of controversy with the content of the follow-up single, which was about a trucker menacing a lone girl on a back road. The Beeb refused to play it. After this Phillips went into journalism and became a magazine publisher.

Then a few months ago because of the official England song vacuum, went into the studio to record new lyrics onto his old tune:

[See post to listen to audio] » From The Terraces – Goal 67

It goes a bit wobbly in the middle but is still a solid tune. Out of date now because of the specific lyrics.

4th Sept 2008:

“Kevin Keegan has resigned as manager of Newcastle United after just eight months in charge…

… Keegan was furious to discover members of his already slim squad had been offered for sale during the final hours before the window closed, after he had reluctantly accepted James Milner’s £12m departure to Aston Villa.”

[See post to listen to audio]

» Busker – Thank You Kevin

At the end of the 2008-2009 season they were relegated.

9th Aug 2010:

“Martin O’Neill has resigned as Aston Villa manager with immediate effect…

…(Aston Villa owner) Randy Lerner had backed O’Neill in the transfer market during that spell but it became clear this summer that similar investment would not be forthcoming.

Lerner insisted that Villa would have to adopt a sell-to-buy policy and O’Neill was resigned to losing the services of midfielder James Milner to Manchester City.”

[Nobody at Villa sang about him, but when he was at Celtic]

[See post to listen to audio]

Derek Warfield-Ballad of Martin O’Neill

At the end of the 2010-2011 season… ???

I know, I know. They season hasn’t started. They haven’t kicked a ball yet. Plus the transfer window is still open and the prospect of managing a Premier League club, even if it’s now a selling one is very tasty for any candidate. Additionally they have a very decent squad – they’ve got Shorey …err… Heskey and um… that other swapsie from City from last season…

Aston Villa are a decent club who will probably finish mid-table now ? I mean… Stop me if you've heard this one... they are too big to go down.

James Milner. Tied in with both resignations.

But he wasn’t a part of the trouble with the Newcastle > Aston Villa transfer.

Oh wait he was:

“…Aston Villa have announced the signing of James Milner from Newcastle United – the England U-21 international has penned a four-year deal at Villa after passing a medical at Villa Park.

Villa have been after Milner for a couple of years now – and the youngster finally forced the issue by handing in a transfer request earlier this month.

But lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice.

Oh wait. It does:

“I had a conversation with James before the World Cup and he intimated that he’d like to go,” said O’Neill.

“I’d imagine things will be resolved in foreseeable future.”

“City made an offer but it did not meet our valuation.”

“I’m sure matters will be resolved soon.”

As a long suffering (yes I know I’m not allowed to say that anymore) Man City supporter I’m very conflicted.

On the one hand I welcome the prospect of seeing Milner playing over at Eastlands, but on the other hand I question as to why Bob Mankini (and the liability that is Garry Cooke) are stockpiling all these players. With this restriction on a 25 named squad for this season you have to wonder if half of them will be sitting with Robinho up in the stands. Maybe a few will go out on loan, but many of these (very overpaid) prima donnas will immediately start to sulk and demand a move. Shay Given has already started threatening.

Plus when they do get on the pitch it’s not going to be a set line-up. Again with some of these “firebrand” personalities, some of them…most of them like to kick out and have seen a few yellows and reds last season.

With this embarrassment of riches comes the extra trouble and pressure for Mr Mancini and I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t the next to follow O’Neill if the club isn’t topping the league.

As I said I’m very conflicted. It used to be when I mentioned that I was a Man City supporter I got a nod of sympathy from the other party. But now it’s the Mercenary XI and a sneer at their wealth.

I’ll let previous Citeh boss, previously mentioned, to play us out.

Because…

… being a City fan right now. No seriously. Stop laughing. It really isn’t.

No he isn’t one of City’s latest signings, but I haven’t seen him in a match so you never know…

Musa, originally from west London has a resume that make some of us jealous (I know I am !)
He gained a scholarship to Eton, then studied law at St. Johns College in Oxford before joining a prominent law firm in that same city.

Not only that but also… Ever since Musa was at Eton he had a desire (after reading Othello) to write, initially with poetry. He did this with great success winning a junior Bridport Arts prize for poetry and short fiction, as well as the 1996 WH Smith Young Writers’ Competition for short fiction.

The football…

Musa eventually resigned from the solicitors firm and whilst working in an admin job in the daytime, spent his evening just writing and writing. Finally this led him to combining it with one of his other passions. Football.

A few years ago he had his first book published: A Cultured Left Foot. In which he ponders on the elements that make up a footballer.

During this last World Cup you may have read some blog posts by him via The Independent or the New York Times.

There was a football and music element to one of the posts when he pondered; If World Cup teams were bands, who would they be ?

Next week (AUG 12th) he has another book coming out. It’s called Will You Manage ? In which Musa discusses the necessary skills needed to be a good gaffer. I mean…how difficult can it be…?
A bit of an intro to the book:

“Every weekend in pubs and living-rooms all over the country, women and (mainly) men discuss the day’s games and how they could have done better than the cretinous manager. Few people think they can fix their leaking sink better than a plumber or defend their dodgy cousin better than a barrister and yet every Tom, Dick and Harriett is convinced that they can do a better job than their team’s manager. Why is this? In Will You Manage?, Musa Okwonga breaks down the job of football management into its different components and shows exactly what skills the great managers have. He interviews big and little cheeses on the football scene and provides essential tips for Fantasy Football success. As a new season gets underway and managerial heads begin to roll, the reader of Will You Manage? will deservedly have a knowing/sickening smirk on his face.”

The music…

Getting back to the poetry part for a moment – the poetry of Musa Okwonga isn’t what you think. It’s not the “I wandered lonely as a cloud…” type of thing. It’s more modern, I would say almost like rap but maybe not that far.

I was having trouble as to what to write when trying to do some background, but then I stumbled across this on his MySpace page (Which I don’t think he maintains now, he’s moved onto another thing. More about that below) and this is a brilliant summary of what Musa is all about:

“Some are from the streets, from crews like So Solid;
I’m from refugees, Eton is my college:
Posh but no dosh; yes, I guess that’s ironic,
I don’t fight with knives or mics, I write sonnets…
Many mates from school pursue familiar fates;
They’re chasing millions, instead I’m craving William Blake -
So while these cats get fatter, I stay as thin as a rake
Wishing to show life as a poet’s not a silly mistake
And still here I wait, using the tube, not a limousine,
Paycheque is small, not like that footballer Zinedine’s,
Patience is low, ambitions high as the Pyrenees -
Lyrically I’m weak; I need to write more similies…
Seriously, those poor folk who don’t know Benin City
Don’t know what they’re missing, so we look at them in pity,
Poetry spoken over beats like you’ve never heard it:
Passionate chat, drum, bass and sax; the mixture’s perfect.”

As you can see this poetry lends itself perfectly to music and to the formation of the band Benin City.

» http://www.myspace.com/wearebenincity

Musa is co-vocalists with this group who are described as “Outkast-meets-James Brown”, very funky uptempo music. A musical mashup of hip hop with rap and spoken word, some jazz thrown in there.

Have a watch/listen below to Benin City in a live studio session performing the song “Work”

(Musa is the one with the posh accent)

The’ve released their first EP called Invisible Cakes which you can download and purchase here.
- For your listening please an online stream only of some selected tracks from the EP:
The track above, Work, also below you may have heard on Soccer AM. (No we don’t watch it any more either)

Additionally… as I was wandering around looking for info about the band I found this about an E4 sponsored event that took place at the Southbank Centre in London a few weeks ago. Benin City were one of the featured acts and they gave away a free download – a demo version one of their songs:

Finally for now here’s a little present for you courtesy of Musa himself:

[See post to listen to audio] » Musa Okwanga -The Flight

A big thank you to Musa. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Maybe you could get the band to record something about Theo Walcott’s silky skills…