Sparky’s Column

The Final Countdown

The countdown is on and the draw for the new season is Tuesday the 14th. Every fan of every club looks for the same three things in the new season. Number 1 is your first match, number 2 is the date of your derby fixture and number 3 is your game against the champions. The rest of the fixture list is only assimilated once these three important factors have been digested. It’s then the realm of fantasy for fans to work out which games will be championship deciders or relegation dogfights. The joy of a new season is more often than not working out what may or may not happen. The football season starts before a ball is kicked; it's basically as soon as the fixtures are set out for the new campaign.

 

The job of the football agent is to get the best for his client. It could be contract negotiation, sponsorship deals or more often than not touting players to potential suitors. Agents spend countless hours compiling DVD's, making phone calls and meeting club administration.  There are exceptions and one is former Premier League player Zesh Rahman, he was in the UAE with his current club Kitchee of Hong Kong. He wasted no time once fresh from his post match shower to offer himself to clubs in the UAE. He pointed out that having played for Pakistan he's an ideal Asian import who has premier league experience. I don't know what his current club made of such a brazen attempt to sell himself but if a jobs worth doing then do it yourself. It seems the days of the agent are numbered if Zesh Rahman has anything to do with it.

 

I sit here writing this column from a cloudy Liverpool and 30 miles up the road Omar Abdulrahman has also swapped the heat of the UAE for the damp of North West England. He is on trial at Manchester City after impressing at London 2012. It must be an unbelievable experience for the young Emirati to be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Vincent Kompany. If he breaks into the professional set up at the current English Champions then it's a huge step for him and Emirati football. If he does not manage it then it will be Al Ain's gain but you do wonder if more European suitors will come knocking for the talented playmaker.