I was absolutely gob- smacked by the reaction of the players when I called them to arrange a presentation of medals they had won for winning the league (top of the table at season’s end)
There I was telling the players that they had won a medal each for being “champions” and their response was, and I quote, “There must be a mistake Mr Fenech, we lost the Grand Final.”
I could not believe that these players have been so influenced by the culture in Australia where the Grand Final is the be all and end all.
I am very angry that our sport “football”, through administrators, chooses to “follow” the culture in other codes instead of “leading” the way by sticking to the traditional football culture which places the emphasis on winning the league.(home and away fixtures over a season)
The reality is that the “champions” are teams that are the most consistent over an entire season by accumulating the highest amount of points throughout the season.
It is rich to call the winner of what amounts to a three-week, end-of-season consolation competition, “champions” and call the winners of the season-long competition the “minor premiers”.
Surely that must be insulting.
In our sport “football”, we really should be lobbying to scrap the end-of-season consolation competition and replace it with something more meaningful, like rewarding players with representative honours where the best players in each age group in QPL/NPL play against each other.
This would involve most if not all supporters of the game, not just two teams
Winning the league title is what describes “champions”!
Try telling Manchester City; Bayern Munich; Juventus; Barcelona et al that they were only the “minor premiers” having finished top of their respective leagues.
I say it is hollow recognition winning two games at an end-of-season consolation competition, when compared to being part of a squad that was the most successful over a nine-month competition.
I think that the reward should mirror the effort.
Frankly, there should be no finals series – it is NOT football.
Further, we must stop trying to make everyone a champion, and teach our kids that you only get trophies when you earn them.
Let’s teach our kids some resilience and teach them that not everyone is a winner.
