The government should have jurisdiction over the management of national sports teams,

[Snotty]

its not like they could do a worse job than Maclaren did.

The british economy stands to lose £1.5 billion due to Englands failure to qualify for euro 2008, as the public will not being spending their cash on beer and replica kits. This is not at all what we need right now. Sporting results clearly have a far greater consequence than merely the results on the pitch. Its not as if the lost revenue can be reclaimed from the grossly overpaid footballers themselves, as they could just refuse to play.

Look at the old (no doubt state run) Iraqi football team. Hardly a team of world beaters but Im sure they were all highly motivated.

[SlowwHand]

Motivated? Yeah, I'd be motivated, too.
How about Cuban boxers? Of course you can't make any money, but WTF. Money, BAH. Over-rated.

[Cort Haus]

Re: The government should have jurisdiction over the management of national sports te

Originally posted by Snotty
its not like they could do a worse job than Maclaren did.

Oh, I expect this govt could do far worse. They'd probably lose the team in the post.

Interestingly, the South Korea football team was effectively nationalised for the 02 World Cup. They were taken out of the league and toured the world playing together as a unit. Somewhat ironic, I thought, for South 'not-the-state-run-North' Korea.

I think the £1.5 billion figure you quoted is probably an over-estimation, but the real problem is that, although a weak coach didn't help, the English players are not really as good as they and the media think they are.

[Dauphin]

The money will be spent elsewhere and under different auspices.

I give no weight to that estimate.

[Snotty]

I guess I look at it from having been involved with pubs and knowing how much extra revenue successful English sport can bring in, and how welcome that money is by publicans.

I cant find the rate of tax for beer, only an orwellian '1pence more, 1 pence less' type of thing. Ive stopped searching because my beer has been delivered. one site suggests 31% tax, which would beat the 17.5% tax the government would receive should the publics money be spent elsewhere.