A purple velvet bag. To understand the innate conservatism of many football fans, we need look no further than a simple drawstring purse of plush, woven fabric.
Every year, in the build-up to the televised FA Cup draw in England, at least one pundit will say with a whimsical sigh: "Of course, it is not the same now they have got rid of the velvet bag." The comment will be echoed by fans of a certain age across the land.
You see, in the halcyon days of yore, the numbered balls, each representing a different team, would be plucked at random from a purple velvet bag. We loved that bag. It was as much a part of the cup's magic as giant-slaying in the third round, or a sun-baked Wembley in May.
Then, a few years ago, Fifa forced the English Football Association to change the procedure. They took away our velvet bag and, like Kubla Khan in Xanadu, "a stately pleasure dome decreed".
Well, in truth, it was more of a small perspex dome, of the type a French patisserie owner might use to keep the flies off his apricot tarts.
Certainly it contained no sacred rivers, nor caverns measureless to man, which is probably a good thing as it would have made retrieving the balls a bit tricky.
No, not a pleasure dome but just another showy plastic gimmick for our increasingly showy plastic game, we grumbled.
They may have given a reason: transparency of process, perhaps, which as we all know is very important to Fifa.
But we were not listening. All we knew was that they had taken away our velvet bag - no, it does not count that they continue to pour the balls from the bag into the dome, as a patronising nod to tradition. Things would never be the same.
So, now you understand how many football fans feel about a change in ball-receptacle for a domestic cup draw, try to imagine how they might react to a slightly more significant upheaval. Like, oh I don't know, holding the World Cup in the winter.
Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, has suggested that Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup in January or February to avoid the intense heat of June or July. Of course they should.This is a classic no-brainer, which already has the theoretical backing of FIFpro, the world players' union.
It will surely make for a more comfortable and competitive arena for fans and players alike.
Yes, it will disrupt the normal order of things for certain countries: an earlier start to the season, a later finish, possibly a dip in attendance figures and television revenues, perhaps a break in players' mental focus on their club ambitions.
But so what? These issues are surmountable, and the disruption will affect every top club in the same way. Would it really hurt to try something different for a single season?
European football (and it is the big dogs of Europe who will com'plain most bitterly) managed to survive the disruption of the Second World War, but do we honestly believe it will crumble to dust if we take an extended winter break?
The Bundesliga already takes a month-long winter break, while the leagues of Spain, Italy and France pause for a fortnight over the Christmas period.
English clubs take no winter break but prefer to bury their heads in the snow, seeming genuinely puzzled when Arctic conditions yet again force the postponement of fixtures, as happened this weekend. (Seeing footage of the snow-bound chaos in the UK this weekend, one must wonder why they are not actively seeking an excuse to visit Qatar.)
Alas, these arguments are logical, and the velvet bag brigade prefers to respond emotionally.
Ian Holloway, the excitable manager of Blackpool, launched a bitter and hysterical tirade against Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, for even mooting the idea, suggesting that Fifa's next plan would be to "reschedule Christmas". (They are not moving Christmas, of course, and nor is Blatter suggesting holding the World Cup during that period, which would no doubt disgust Holloway even more.)
Perhaps the most reasonable charge to be levelled against Blatter is the timing of this suggestion, which was instigated by him and not the Qataris.
The time to discuss the possibility of a winter tournament, one might say, was at the bidding stage and not after the vote.
But here's the rub: it had to wait. Awarding the tournament to Qatar was always going to be controversial, but even a body as progressively-minded as the Fifa executive committee may have struggled to swallow such a seismic proposition.
The sleight of hand was a necessary trick to achieve Blatter's dream of taking the game into new territory.
Progress is not always easy, particularly in a "football family" so fond of its rituals and traditions that it borders on the obsessive compulsive.
Sometimes change must be forced through the barriers of innate conservatism by fair means or foul.
An iron fist in a velvet glove, you might say.
Or perhaps an iron fist in a velvet bag.
sports@thenational.ae
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
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On sale: now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
