Football and Music

My full time werk is keeping me away from here. I’ll try to post something when I can.
Today’s post needs your involvement:

The gossip/paparrazi website TMZ.com has Derek and Skeletor on their radar since they moved to La La Land, but recently Mr C.Ronaldo went over to L.A for a holiday and this caught TMZ’s attention and they were less than complimentary…

Honestly when you have nearly all the attention because of the uncertainty of where you will be kicking a ball next season, going to the center of all the world’s media is a bit of a silly move. (Like the one he will probably make in a couple of weeks). Or maybe he did it on purpose…

Judging by the what is reported I think Ronaldo likes, even loves the attention and wants more. MORE !

Maybe he wants to be bigger than Derek. He wants to have all the newspaper gossip. Not just on the back pages, but all the pages. He’s lining himself up, media and financially-wise, to be the next Beckham.

But is he there yet ?

Do you think that Ronaldo is now the football star or does Derek still hold that crown ?

- Have a listen to the related music first and then afterwards take the vote…

The track is short and sweet and comes via a Swedish artist who performs under the name of Strawberry Fair.

Strawberry Fair is the stage name of Swedish soul/pop musician Jenny Franzén. Inspired by bands such as The Aislers Set, Shop Assistants and Television Personalities she began writing her own material in the early part of the 21st century. 2003 saw the release of her first two self financed CD-R singles: “Empty Wallets and Greedy Companies” and “Strawberry Fair”. That same year her song “Don’t Take Everything So Seriously” was featured on “Picknick Picks!”, a cassette compilation put together by the Swedish fanzine Picknick and the California based record company Popgun.

» We Heart Music profile
» Last.FM page

» Strawberry Fair - Football Star

Poll:

» Alexi Lalas - Half A Chance

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.