Once in a decade there appears a footballer so sublimely gifted that he is applauded even by those with no interest in the game. Lionel Messi, Barcelona's young Argentine star, is so good that he could become the greatest player ever.Yet, there could be no real argument that a man who consistently performed at such an ethereal level again throughout 2010 should join the elite who have won the Ballon d’Or twice. Messi, is still only the ninth player to achieve the feat, putting him alongside some of the all-time greats – Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Ronaldo, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Alfredo Di Stefano. He is the first to win it in consecutive years since Marco van Basten in 1989. My last football match was in 2008 during the London championships, were I broke two ribs and after 6 months I decided to hang up the boots. But my passion for this sport has driven me again to have another opportunity and with the group from Stonewall FC, I was very welcome to play again. I hope I can be play more and don't have any injuries, as fitness and age is not the best for a footballer... So far so good, the match ended 4-0 and we went to the pub happy and enjoyed some pints like old times. A founder of one of the first gay football teams said he was "pinching himself" after being appointed an MBE. Londoner Aslie Pitter, 50, was recognised for helping to tackle homophobia after setting up London-based Stonewall FC almost 20 years ago. He told the BBC it was nerve-racking being one of the first openly gay teams to "put our heads on the block" and start playing Sunday football. But he said the team had barely received any abuse over the decades. Mr Pitter, who lives in Balham, south London, now manages Stonewall FC's second team. He said: "Being black and being gay I thought I might come in for a lot of stick. "In our first game we were sharing a communal shower with seven other teams and I was pretty nervous. "But it has never really been a problem." Unfortunately Mr Pitter's father died only days before the announcement. He said: "It is a shame neither of my parents were around to see it." Stonewall FC chairman Liam Jarnecki said: "Aslie is a wonderful guy. People like him are the salt of the earth and the lifeblood of grassroots football. "We're all overjoyed for him." |
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