Good news about RVP’s baby. Congrats to him. Hope all goes well with fabulous Fabregas.

I fully confess that I have not been to South Africa, and the comment was based on what is said to me by my two South African friends who spend some time in the UK and some in South Africa and on what I read and hear on the BBC.

The comment was not meant in any way to provide some sort of knowledgeable insight into South Africa’s current situation, but rather was part of an article which was mostly a rant against FIFA and the way in which it, and its World Cup, regularly disrupt Arsenal.

My knowledge on South Africa is therefore partial, but it includes reading reports on the appalling level of sexual violence in the Republic, and comparative figures on gun crime. As you can see from http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita South Africa appears to have the second highest level of gun crime in the world, second only to Columbia. You might also like to read http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/World-Cup-Crime-Fears-As-South-Africa-Robbereis-And-Sexual-Assault-Figures-Soar/Article/200909415387259 for another perspective.

But although what I read and hear suggests that there is a problem in South Africa, I was not meaning particularly to attack South Africa, any more than I was attacking Ukraine for its security, or Serbia, Slovakia and Montenegro (whom I did not mention but all of whom I had in mind on the racism issue, and where I have spent some time) for their inability to tackle racism in football.

And before you point it out to me, yes it is ironic that I can write an article attacking the media, and then rely on the media to back up my case. But I never claimed to be either consistent (except in support the Lord Wenger) or logical.

your self congrulatory distinction between pre and post 1994 rings very hollow seeing as the end of apartheid and recognition of the ANC was very much fought against by the whites at the time.

goonerbeall, i am not careless. i wasnt commenting on crime or violence in RSA, just the fact that it is a bit ripe to claim that it is a decent society. let us not forget the durban necklace.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/picture-the-sunday-mirror-claim-manchester-city-are-after-carlos-toure/38302/

the bbc and itv were said to be reluctant because they didnt want to move some dancing and singing shows. fair enough, but bbc has 4 channels, so does itv. but no-one was prepared to pay 3-5 million quid for the match.

in hindsight i would say that it was a good decision, because, if nothing else, last nights game showed the gulf between club and international football.

what worries me is that upto 300000 punters paid for the game at 12 bucks each. 90% of them would have bought thematch on match day. this means that they probably raised the 3 million that the broadcasters wouldnt pay. and this for a game that rated about 1 on a scale of 1 to anything in terms of potential blockbusterishness. (i’m not sure if thats a word). imagine the figures they could get for big games.

the only bonus is that if you are happy to watch footie on the pc, then you will find the match for free. just as i did last night.

However, we are a decent society. When America asks us to go to war, we refuse. When the IMF asks us to deregulate our banks, we refuse. Our pensions are, in real terms, getting bigger, not smaller. Can the UK say the same?

It is far more likely that an Arsenal player will be injured walking from the bus to the dressing room than by off the pitch violence.