Football and Music

I was saddened to read the following article via Soccernet this morning. Sir Bobby is a battler and I thought he would have won this one too.

Sir Bobby admits defeat in battle against cancer

Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson has admitted he will lose his battle with lung cancer ’sooner rather than later’.

Robson has been battling a fifth bout of the illness and has accepted doctors’ prognosis that he is unlikely to beat it.

Speaking to The Sun, he said: ‘I have accepted what they have told me and I am determined to make the most of what time I have left.

‘I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go some time, and I have enjoyed every minute.

‘I have been fortunate to survive this long. It is thanks to the doctors and their dedication.’

Sir Bobby, who took England to the brink of a World Cup final in Italy in 1990, has enjoyed a football career spanning six decades - from playing days with Fulham and England, to managerial triumphs first with Ipswich and then as national coach at two World Cups, to continental coaching appointments.

He later returned to his native north-east to take over at Newcastle and most recently spent a short time as consultant for the Republic of Ireland.

» Full article

- Here is the legend accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year last December:

- TWTD : An independent website for news and views about Ipswich Town has set up a poll and somebody has started a campaign to get the North Stand named after Sir Bobby.

- You can vote in the poll and sign the petition but what would be a more fitting act right now is to donate to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation via the Justgiving page

Right at this moment it’s a bit of a dead zone footballing-wise. The teams are back in pre-season training and there are some friendlies being played, but the supporters give only a cursory glance and the goings on at their clubs and may attend a match if it’s at home and if there’s nowt decent on the telly that night.

But there are some leagues that are still playing and in the middle of their season.

- Such as the Faroe Islands, who’s current leading team EB/Streymur play Man City next Thursday in a UEFA Cup qualifying match.

- Plus there’s a Sunday League over in America known as the MLS…

Over the next few posts I’ll be featuring some American born soccer kickball players who have, as you may have guessed, combined music and football. Some songs by them and about them.

- - -

I want to begin by giving a shout out to South Bronx FC, who despite their name are actually based in Atlanta, Georgia.

South Bronx are somebody who really do combine footie and music. As they say in their About Me:
“…Just a bunch of mc’s, dj’s and various other folks from the Atlanta hiphop scene…trying to put a round ball into a net repeatedly. ….without having a heart attack first. ”

As well as playing the beautiful game they try to stage monthly musical events. I would love to see that.

I like the approach - I think this combination works. If the American soccer associations want to get people to take up playing football then I would suggest to them to follow South Bronx FC’s way of doing it. The way footie is in the UK …despite all the expensive imports… it is still grassroots.

Pub teams play, social clubs play, youth clubs, work teams and all local villages and towns play football. In the USA if there were more setups like South Bronx, which I see as the modern American equivalent of English grassroots football [they may disagree with this observation, this is the impression I get from their site] then more would take it up.

Grassroots is exactly where today’s featured player started. Clint Dempsey wasn’t a child of privilege, he and his family went through so much before he made it in the MLS and eventually to the Premier League with Fulham (or MLS London as I call them - they’ve had the most Americans at their club than any other).

Last season Clint (a midfielder) was Fulham’s highest goal scorer - with 6 goals. Which is one of the reasons why they skirted with relegation. His fellow American Brian McBride had an injury plagued season and has now left the club and might sign for MLS team Chicago Fire.

Clint was in the U.S National team playing in the finals of the 2006 World Cup and he appeared in a Nikesoccer.com promotional video in which Dempsey rapped…

Hey where are you going ?! Don’t worry this isn’t an Anfield or Arsenal-type debacle. He’s actually quite good.

From his Wikipedia page:

One of Dempsey’s passions outside of soccer is hip hop music. Using the alias “Deuce”, he, along with fellow Texas rappers XO and the late Houston rapper Big Hawk from the Screwed Up Click, are featured rapping the song “Don’t Tread” in a Nike football advertising campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup intended to showcase both the sport’s working-class roots and the United States team ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The song’s video is dedicated to his sister Jennifer and at Dempsey’s request, it ends with a shot of him placing a flower at her grave.

Video:

Audio:

» Deuce featuring Big Hawk & XO - Don’t Tread

- Before I forget I want to give another shout out to the newly formed Atlanta FC playing in the NPSL.
It was where whoever runs their MySpace page posted a link to F&M on South Bronx FC’s Myspace page, where I found the Clint Dempsey video. So thanks to the both of you. I wish you every success in your future footballing (and musical) endeavours.