David Bernstein – the FA’s ‘Mr Clean’

JACK MILNER

Pictured Former FA Chairman David Bernstein (left) with the man he promoted to the position of England coach, Roy Hodgson.

 It somehow seems strange to imagine a Jewish chairman as top man in the FA, but Bernstein held the position with aplomb until his retirement last year. 

Analysts pointed to Bernstein’s business acumen in the revival of ailing companies such as French Connection, Manchester City FC and Wembley Stadium Limited.

His main claim to fame was the resurrection of Manchester City and his tenure at the club is fondly looked upon by City supporters who credit Bernstein – a lifelong City supporter – with preventing the club from ending up languishing in the lower divisions.

Bernstein’s election as chairman of the FA followed the failed 2018 World Cup bid in December 2010. Bernstein aimed to foster better relations with the Fifa executive committee with a view to increase English influence at the top of the world football body.

However, accusations of bribery and members suspended on suspicion of corruption at Fifa, meant the FA and Bernstein took a tougher stand on Fifa, with a demand of reform.    

The issue of the 2022 World Cup being awarded to Qatar, was at the top of his agenda.

Ultimately, the FA abstained from the 2011 Fifa presidential election between incumbent President Sepp Blatter and Mohammed Bin Hammam. The latter was later suspended by Fifa, days prior to the election and the English FA demanded that the election be postponed as there would only be one name on the ballot paper with two days to go until the election.

The day before the election was due to take place, Bernstein managed to get 17 football associations to support the FA demand. Other football associations, such as Germany’s, also voiced their concern at the events unfolding at Fifa, as did Fifa sponsors.

Bin Hammam was the subject of an exposé published by the British Sunday Times in June this year. The newspaper published leaked e-mails which showed that Bin Hammam had paid members of other nations’ football associations in the run-up to his Fifa presidential election campaign and prior to the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cup bids decision that took place in December 2010.

Bernstein has remained a supporter of Israeli Football and in June last year was one of the people who insisted the World Under-21 tournament went ahead in Israel, despite calls from some other countries demanding it be moved elsewhere.   

Under his tutelage, the senior England squad visited Auschwitz prior to the European Championships last summer and even had Israeli coach, Avram Grant, who lost family in the Holocaust, accompany the team.

Bernstein, at the age of 70, retired from his FA post last year and was replaced by Greg Dyke. He was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours list for services to football.

However, he came under fire for the appointment of Roy Hodgson as the national coach and that could still come back to bite him. 

Legendary Gordon’s innings comes to an end at 103

JACK MILNER

Pictured:Norman Gordon, the oldest Test cricketer in the world, has passed away aged 103.

Just four weeks after his 103^rd birthday, legendary South African cricketer Norman Gordon, passed away last week Tuesday.  

“He died peacefully at around 02:00 in his Hillbrow flat where he had lived for over 60 years,” close friend and former test cricketer Ali Bacher told Sapa.

“He was a person who lived a very full life. His passion was for cricket and then golf and he always felt so privileged and appreciative of the wonderful people he had met.”

It was in 1934 that Norman was first called up to play for Transvaal, but it was an inauspicious beginning. It was his first time on a grass pitch and Norman had a bad game.

“It was not until 1937 that he was recalled to the Transvaal team and in that year they won the Currie Cup. There was no money for them in those days, but Norman did not care. As he pointed out: ‘I just wanted to play cricket.’”

In 1938 he was called up to the South African team to take on the touring England team and he played in all five of the Tests. After the opening Test, legendary England batsman Len Hutton referred to him as the best South African bowler he had ever faced. Norman got Hutton’s wicket in both innings. 

In the final Test Norman took match figures of 1/256 and was not out in each innings, scoring 0 and 7. That match in Durban was the famous Timeless Test, which took 10 days and was eventually drawn by agreement. It was 1939 and the threat of war was looming in Europe and as the tourists had to go home by boat, the match was called off with England needing just 42 runs for victory, with five wickets standing.

Norman set a record which still stands today. He bowled 92.2 eight-ball overs. Translated into simple numbers that means he bowled 738 balls in a single Test match. Nobody has ever come close.

He is survived by his son, Brian, who took care of him until his death.