Is the World Watching?

Football has a long tradition of ultimately pointless cup competions; from the Simod Cup, and the Zenith Data Systems both almost exclusively won by Crystal Palace to the second-tier exclusive Anglo-Italian Cup (last contested between Genoa and Port Vale in 1996) And then of course there is the infamous Anglo-Scottish Challenge Cup, which is technically still being contested by Coventry City and St Mirren. The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Highfield Road in December 1987, the second leg is still, twenty-one years on, yet to be scheduled.

Thankfully, these late 1980s and early 1990s nadirs in domestic cup competition taught the English FA a valuable lesson in footballing overkill; unfinished business aside, all of the above are now thankfully defunct. On the international stage however lessons are yet to be learnt; the Champions League is now so vast that for any champions of the continents 'lesser nations' to win the tournament, they would have to play two games a day from Septmebr through to May. And whilst UEFA may have combined the former Fairs and Cup Winners Cups into the singular UEFA Cup, they have done so in the Ocean Finance mould, and consolidated their two recognisable competitions into one great managable but no longer understandable competition. As such this year's UEFA Cup will be spread over seven years and will accumulate further participants as the years go by until its completion.

FIFA of course excel in the field of pointless cup competitions with a two pronged attack featuring, on the international stage, the Confederations Cup, an excuse to give Canada and New Zealand exposure as fodder to Brazil's latest batch of stars; the footballing equivalent of the Harlem Globestrotters' opponents. Now of course they have the club level equivalent, the Club World Cup. For the past four years this now annual event has pitted the reigning continental champions against one another, albeit in a staggered manner which means the champions of Europe and South America are only thrown into the mix at the semi-final stage. The footballing equivalent of letting a 400metre race get to its half-way stage before releasing Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson for the final bend.

Apparently this year's final was the predictable Bolt vs Johnson affair between Manchester United and Ecuador's Liga Deportiva Universitaria Quito, to use their sadly underused full name. Much to the delight of the Japanese public it was United who triumphed, but the real issue is, does anyone really care? This, theoretically at least, is the pinnacle of the global game at club level. And yet, as United paraded their shiny decanter much more hype was being generated in the British press by the impending Arsenal vs Liverpool league fixture, and also curiously, by the sacking of Gary McAllister... manager of what is, despite their history, a third tier English club.
So understandably, whilst United can call themselves World Champions the debate remains as to what is the biggest prize in football? Thankfully, I can tell you the answer, the holders of the biggest prize in football are not United, nor is it Milan, nor Barcelona. It is in fact Wolverhampton Wanderers. In front of an 80,000 strong Wembley crowd in 1988 Wolves beat Burnley 2-0 to win the Sherpa Van Trophy, and claim the biggest prize in football... their very own Sherpa Van. Take that Ronaldo.