Teaching footballers about nutrition vital

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Nutritionists need to become better communicators in order to ‘sell’ their advice to athletes more effectively, according to a Premiership sports nutritionist.

Mayur Ranchordas, senior lecturer in sports nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University, has been working with Bolton Wanderers Football Club since they started pre-season training in August. He believes that sport scientists need to use their communication skills to overcome footballers’ resistance to dietary advice.

Mayur said: “In football, you tend to have four different types of responses to nutrition advice: those who do everything in order to improve as much as possible, those who take on board some of the advice, those who ignore the advice and do nothing, and those who are indifferent but will do it if they’re forced to. Part of the problem is how we as sports nutrition practitioners communicate, how we sell the message.”

“If you tell a footballer that drinking beetroot juice will allow him to work harder, beat his opponent to the ball, enhance his fitness test results, and therefore his match performance, he’s more likely to take that advice. It’s about translating our knowledge into practical results for them.”

According to Mayur, sport science is becoming a highly valued part of football, but there is still a clash between sport science and the culture among footballers.

He said: “Very few clubs outside of Manchester United and Chelsea have got a real suite of sport science services. They all have sports massage and physiotherapy specialists, but not necessarily things like a nutritionist, physiologist, chiropractor and acupuncturist, for example.  Ten years ago there were no dedicated nutritionists in professional football, it was left to the manager or the catering staff. Now it’s a key part of the support team.”

“Additionally, the move away from chemicals and supplements in nutrition to natural, food-based products means that players are often more receptive.”

Blackpool boss wants cameras to back up ref’s

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Blackpool boss wants cameras to back up ref’s Football authorities are being encouraged to use video in an effort to eliminate highly disputable refereeing.  The call for video is being led by Ian Holloway, the Blackpool boss. Holloway feels that Blackpool has been dealt dirty this year by refereeing decisions.

The latest debate sprang up during Manchester United’s match versus Tottenham, when referee Mark Clattenburg decided not to award a free kick on an obvious handball by Nani.

The problem came when Spurs’ keeper Heorelho Gomes set the ball down, assuming a free kick, and Nani tapped it into the net instead.

Blackpool’s Holloway feels as though these things do not always balance themselves in the season; even though he would have to say that equilibrium was achieved for Blackpool during their recent win against West Brom.

Cypress claims Euro 2012 corruption

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Cypress claims Euro 2012 corruption Spyros Morangos, former official of the Cypress Football Association, has claimed he has evidence of corruption in the form of bribery involved in the selection of Poland and Ukraine as hosts for Euro 2012.  He first made the allegations in a German newspaper in 2007, and said that he has tried for two years to get Uefa, European football’s governing body, to listen to his claims.

Uefa says they will investigate only when Morangos supplies them with his evidence, which he has not done to this point.  A meeting was supposedly called wherein Uefa would look at the evidence, but attorneys for Mr. Morangos say he was not given enough notice to get to the meeting, and Uefa says he refused to attend.

Now Uefa is instigating legal procedures against Morangos to protect the interests of European football against such allegations.  Unfortunately this scenario comes on the heels of another published allegation of bribery on the part of two FIFA officials.

Liverpool Football Club ownership battle goes on

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Liverpool Football Club ownership battle goes on The ownership troubles of the Liverpool Football Club have taken another twist as Peter Lim is stepping back into negotiations with an increased bid for the embattled team.  The billionaire Singapore businessman’s offer was originally overlooked in favour of a £300 million offer from the owners of the American baseball team the Boston Red Sox, NE Sports Ventures.  Now, Lim is back with a new offer.

The new offer may be of no avail since one of Liverpool’s major creditors, Royal Bank of Scotland, has gone to High Court to fight over who has the right to actually sell the Football Club.  IF RBS wins, the deal will go to the New England investors of Sports Ventures.

Lim, however, is countering with quite a deal.  First he will jump the offer to £320 million, all in cash.  Then, he will add £40 million for spending on players.  Such sums of money would pay off a £200 million acquisition debt, bank fees, and all of Liverpool’s existing debt.

The additional £40 million would be injected into the club so Roy Hodgson can get new players.  Lim says that he is committed to returning the Liverpool Football Club to the pinnacle of success.  He says that all the money is available immediately and that fact can keep the club from going under administration.

While his offer is generous and intriguing, it will probably have no bearing on the court case which is a fight between the club and investors George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who stand to lose £114 million if the Sports Ventures deal goes through.

Football Rich List

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The Football Rich List has been through a few changes this year and some millionaires and billionaires have seen better times.  Still, it is hard to cry for Manchester City’s owner who climbs from number two last year to number one, a Sheikh worth more than 20 billion pounds, who unseated last year’s number one richest, Lakshmi Mittal of QPR.  Mittal’s worth is, unfortunately, down to a paltry 17 billion pounds.

Let’s save our tears for someone more deserving like Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea who slid to number four with a fortune at 7.4 billion pounds as opposed to last year’s 7.8 billion, shall we.

While David Beckham is still atop the rich players list, he could use a handkerchief after seeing his fortune slip from around 125 million pounds to 100 million pounds.  Wayne Rooney’s troubles have appeared to take a bite from his wallet, as his wealth staggers down from 37 million pounds last year to only £25 million this year.

The richest manager is Fabio Capello who climbed from £30 million last year to 36 million this year, leaving Roy Keane at number two with £28 million and Sir Alex Ferguson number three with £26 million.

Here is the clubs rich list
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