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Roger Godsiff MP - Early Day Motion re England

MP for somewhere in Birmingham and Charlton season-ticket holder Roger Godsiff has put down an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons as follows:

ENGLAND'S FAILURE TO QUALIFY FOR THE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS22.11.2007


Godsiff, Roger
That this House congratulates Croatia and Russia on qualifying for the European Football Championships from Group E; acknowledges that the Croatian team which beat England were far superior in technical ability, skill and commitment than the insipid and inept England team; notes that £747 million was spent on the new Wembley Stadium but the match was played on a surface similar to those used by Sunday footballers on council pitches; thanks the efforts of the Israeli and part-time players of Andorra in trying to help England by doing their very best against Russia; commiserates with the fans who have spent large amounts of their hard earned money following England during these championships; believes that the over-paid, over-pampered and over-hyped English prima donnas from the Premiership who took the field against Croatia disgraced the England shirt once worn by legends such as Stanley Matthews, Duncan Edwards, Bobby Moore, Nobby Stiles and Bobby Charlton; and recognises that they will no doubt be consoled by the thought that while they are watching the European Championships from their luxurious holiday destinations their celebrity lifestyles will be protected by them still receiving their vastly inflated wages, provided by Sky and Setanta television money, from clubs in a Premiership League which is nothing more than a money making machine for players, agents and entrepreneurial club owners which does very little for promoting the well-being of football in England either at the grass roots or international level.
Signatures( 2)
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Status
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Godsiff, Roger
Russell, Bob
«1

Comments

  • Fair enough but why is an MP wasting his time with this issue?
  • God old Roger, Charlton season ticket holder to boot
  • [cite]Posted By: vancouveraddick[/cite]Fair enough but why is an MP wasting his time with this issue?
    Presumably because 'somewhere in Birmingham' they don't have crime, social housing, environmental, public services, transportation, local health services or education to worry about.
  • [quote][cite]Posted By: vancouveraddick[/cite]Fair enough but why is an MP wasting his time with this issue?[/quote]
    Sure football pales into insignificance compared to plenty of things but he's a genuine long-standing football fan, not a prawn sandwich eater and he feels strongly that the game's changed for the worse....funnily enough so do a lot of people. There's plenty of hypocritical sycophantic bollox spoken by MPs of all persuasions, he should be applauded for telling it as it is.
  • Agreed Peanuts, it's a great diatribe, and fully justifiable.
  • Agree totally with his rant, however I find it a bit rich a politician honking about footballers being on obscene money and letting people down
  • edited November 2007
    [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Agree totally with his rant, however I find it a bit rich a politician honking about footballers being on obscene money and letting people down

    Come on Carter, you can do better then rolling out the cliche, he's a good constituency MP, does a good job in his part of Birmingham, but he's a massive football supporter, lead the campaign to bring back terracing to grounds, and a massive Charlton supporter. So he cares about the sport and the national side
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  • You'll find the money for backbench MPs isn't particularly obscene as well, considering it's one of those jobs which takes most of your life away.
  • [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: vancouveraddick[/cite]Fair enough but why is an MP wasting his time with this issue?
    Presumably because 'somewhere in Birmingham' they don't have crime, social housing, environmental, public services, transportation, local health services or education to worry about.


    What of it? It's an Early Day motion, nothing more. Is an MP not allowed to watch England play football or have an opinion about it?
  • I'm not denying he sounds like a top bloke (for a politician) who cares about the same things as me but I'm not sure what he's hoping to achieve.
  • [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]I'm not denying he sounds like a top bloke (for a politician) who cares about the same things as me but I'm not sure what he's hoping to achieve.

    Technically if this got enough signatures from other MPS it could then be debated in the House, but then the Leader of the House would have to find time for a debate and that happens very rarely. Conseuently EDMs are generally used by backbench MPs to publicise their views on a particular subject, like this they generate a bit of national/local interest and that's it.
  • BTW, Roger Godsiff is MP for Sparkbrook and Small Heath.
  • Isn't St Andrews in his Small Heath constituancy?
  • edited November 2007
    [cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: vancouveraddick[/cite]Fair enough but why is an MP wasting his time with this issue?
    Presumably because 'somewhere in Birmingham' they don't have crime, social housing, environmental, public services, transportation, local health services or education to worry about.


    What of it? It's an Early Day motion, nothing more. Is an MP not allowed to watch England play football or have an opinion about it?

    Yes he is, of course he is allowed an opinion just like the rest of us. However Is this really an issue that needs debate in the Houses of Parliament, and if not then the Early day motion is a big waste of time in a profession where surely time is at a premium. Will such a debate actually result in any positive results in such an arena?
  • Yes he is, of course he is allowed an opinion just like the rest of us. However Is this really an issue that needs debate in the Houses of Parliament, and if not then the Early day motion is a big waste of time in a profession where surely time is at a premium. Will such a debate actually result in any positive results in such an arena?

    ..............

    You don't appear to understand how British Parliament works. An EDM is more of a petition and the result will be read out and if it passes, i.e. it gets a majority of signatures it is possible that it will be debated. However for it to be debated time would need to be found and this would be so down on the list of priorities that even Godsiff wouldn't expect to see it on an order sheet.

    It's a light-hearted take on England's non-qualification and has not wasted anymore than a few seconds of the HoC's time, if that, it has however shown up quite a few people to be lacking a sense of humour.
  • [cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]Yes he is, of course he is allowed an opinion just like the rest of us. However Is this really an issue that needs debate in the Houses of Parliament, and if not then the Early day motion is a big waste of time in a profession where surely time is at a premium. Will such a debate actually result in any positive results in such an arena?

    ..............

    You don't appear to understand how British Parliament works. An EDM is more of a petition and the result will be read out and if it passes, i.e. it gets a majority of signatures it is possible that it will be debated. However for it to be debated time would need to be found and this would be so down on the list of priorities that even Godsiff wouldn't expect to see it on an order sheet.

    It's a light-hearted take on England's non-qualification and has not wasted anymore than a few seconds of the HoC's time, if that, it has however shown up quite a few people to be lacking a sense of humour.

    Don't patronise me BFR, I know what an EDM is. My point was why bother formally adding to the endless list of opinions on this subject using a system that is highly criticised for the extreme levels of bureaucracy, other than to gain publicity and notoriety for himself. Such actions IMO are one of many reasons why a majority of people in the UK do not have much trust in the "wheels of democracy".

    As for the motion being either light hearted or indeed any way amusing, I think you must have been reading a different document.
  • So the performance of England's national team in its national sport, and the governance of that sport, should be of no concern to the people's elected representatives, then?
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  • edited November 2007
    Oh, and St Andrews is in Clare Short's constituency of Ladywood, along with Villa Park, oddly enough.

    Godsiff was mayor of Lewisham in the 70s.
  • Don't patronise me BFR, I know what an EDM is. My point was why bother formally adding to the endless list of opinions on this subject using a system that is highly criticised for the extreme levels of bureaucracy, other than to gain publicity and notoriety for himself. Such actions IMO are one of many reasons why a majority of people in the UK do not have much trust in the "wheels of democracy".

    As for the motion being either light hearted or indeed any way amusing, I think you must have been reading a different document.

    ............

    And I think you've had a sense of humour bypass...otherwise I agree, it's shocking that someone should dare voice an opinion withyout checking with you first. I hope you've told him not to make that mistake again?
  • Just to throw my two cents in again. No matter who this man is and whether he is Charlton or not (and the humour of the letter is not lost on me) why is he actually bringing this into the house of commons. Even after reading BFR's response I cannot see what the national teams performance has to do with politicians.

    As a politician I hope he is in a safe position to cast stones.

    And what could be achieved by this being debated in the house of commons?
  • edited November 2007
    [cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]Don't patronise me BFR, I know what an EDM is. My point was why bother formally adding to the endless list of opinions on this subject using a system that is highly criticised for the extreme levels of bureaucracy, other than to gain publicity and notoriety for himself. Such actions IMO are one of many reasons why a majority of people in the UK do not have much trust in the "wheels of democracy".

    As for the motion being either light hearted or indeed any way amusing, I think you must have been reading a different document.

    ............

    And I think you've had a sense of humour bypass...otherwise I agree, it's shocking that someone should dare voice an opinion withyout checking with you first. I hope you've told him not to make that mistake again?

    Pot, Kettle and black spring to mind here,I think I'm correct in remembering others in the past others saying the same about you BFR (that is the lack of a sense of humour).

    The second part of your reply is quite frankly childish.
  • edited November 2007
    [cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]Just to throw my two cents in again. No matter who this man is and whether he is Charlton or not (and the humour of the letter is not lost on me) why is he actually bringing this into the house of commons. Even after reading BFR's response I cannot see what the national teams performance has to do with politicians.

    Because when national teams do well, it makes the country happy, and happy people are more likely to vote for you. If people feel good about the country, they're more likely to gloss over any deficiencies.

    And successful sports teams inspire people to get off their arse and play those sports, which makes for healthier people and cuts health service bills. (Obviously, the Labour/Conservative governments' policy of selling playing fields hasn't helped this.)

    And... what else can a Labour MP complain about that can't be blamed on his party, eh? ;-)
  • Good god that's desperate then!!
  • Pot, Kettle and black spring to mind here,I think I'm correct in remembering others in the past others saying the same about you BFR (that is the lack of a sense of humour).

    The second part of your reply is quite frankly childish.

    ........

    FFS grow up.
  • As the pair of you seem to have the dubious desire to have the last word, please take it to whispers now if you want to continue it further, thanks.
  • But, but, yeah but AFKA he started it

    ;-)
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