Stuart Lustigman column
As the years pass it seems that what was important to football fans between the 50's and the 80's has distinctly changed since the introduction of Sky's money to the English game. Sure there were big matches to write about last week. The 50th Carling Cup Final at Wembley between Aston Villa and Man U; the clash (or is it 'cash') of the titans with Chelsea endeavouring to secure another Premier Championship against Manchester City with their ambition to make it into the Champions League. However, what appeared to transcend the game of football was whether Wayne Bridge would shake hands with John Terry? What a perverse world we live in when the captain of England can lose his job for moral indiscretions while, for exactly the same shenanigans, the heir to the throne can still be King of England!
My masters football team Ashlodge is a reunion of many of the guys who played together in the MSFL, although I was not one of them. However, I did some research and found what was probably their last season when they came bottom of the Premier Division in 1988/9. Looking through the 5 divisions of 47 teams it's amazing to think that some 21 years later the MSFL is still as strong and many of the teams are still in existence e.g. Glenthorne United, Temple Fortune, Brady Maccabi, MAL (now LML), NW Warriors & Athetico Neasden (now NW Neasden), South Mancs, Catford & Bromley and Oakwood. Thanks to Maccabi Masters football, the dream lives on.
Last week I was in Spain to have meetings with representatives of the Jewish communities in Torremolinos and Malaga as part of the initiative to create Maccabi Costa del Sol. At the end of May they will host the 5th European Maccabi Football Trophy the current holder of which is Maccabi GB. Having seen the facilities, the players selected (usually from the MSFL) can look forward to a superb weekend. Viva Espana!
