How did sports enthusiasts entertain themselves before video games. What were popular sports-related toys and games in the 1970s. Which classic baseball board games simulated real MLB action. Why did handheld electronic sports games gain popularity.
The Evolution of Sports Entertainment: From Pitch Back to PlayStation
The landscape of sports entertainment has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past few decades. While modern youth often gravitate towards video game consoles for their sports fix, previous generations found joy and skill development through a variety of creative gadgets and board games. This shift in recreational activities highlights not only technological advancements but also changes in how we interact with and understand sports.
The Pitch Back: A Baseball Player’s Best Friend
One of the most iconic sports training tools of the past was the Pitch Back. This simple yet effective device consisted of a metal frame with a taut net, allowing players to practice their throwing and catching skills solo. Endorsed by baseball legend Hank Aaron, the Pitch Back became a staple in backyards across America. Its popularity stemmed from its ability to simulate various game situations, from grounders to fly balls, depending on how the user threw the ball.
The Pitch Back’s versatility extended beyond baseball, proving useful for softball players as well. Its portability and durability made it a favorite among coaches and players alike, providing endless hours of practice without the need for a partner.
Board Games: Bringing the Ballpark Home
For rainy days or when outdoor play wasn’t an option, sports enthusiasts turned to board games that simulated their favorite pastimes. These games offered more than just entertainment; they provided a deep dive into the statistics and strategies of professional sports.
Longball: Statistics Come to Life
Longball stood out as a favorite among baseball aficionados. This board game ingeniously incorporated real MLB statistics, allowing players to create all-star teams and simulate matchups. The combination of player cards and dice rolls brought an element of chance to the game, mirroring the unpredictability of real baseball.
What made Longball particularly engaging? Its reliance on actual player statistics encouraged users to familiarize themselves with team rosters and player performances across the league. This deep engagement with the game’s data fostered a generation of fans with encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history and statistics.
Strat-O-Matic: The Pinnacle of Sports Simulation
While Longball captured the hearts of many, Strat-O-Matic emerged as the gold standard for sports simulation board games. Expanding beyond baseball to include other sports, Strat-O-Matic offered an unparalleled level of detail and realism.
How did Strat-O-Matic differ from other sports board games? Its sophisticated system took into account various factors such as player skills, ballpark effects, and even managerial decisions. This complexity allowed for a more immersive and strategic gameplay experience, appealing to hardcore sports fans and statisticians alike.
The Rise of Handheld Electronic Games
As technology advanced, so did the world of sports-themed games. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the emergence of handheld electronic games, marking a significant shift in portable entertainment.
Mattel Electronic Football: Pocket-Sized Gridiron Action
One of the most iconic handheld games of this era was Mattel Electronic Football. This small device featured a simplistic display of blinking lights representing players on a football field. Despite its rudimentary graphics, the game captured the imagination of a generation.
Why did Mattel Electronic Football become so popular? Its pocket-sized format allowed kids to carry the excitement of football anywhere, even sneaking plays during school hours. The game’s simplicity was part of its charm, challenging players to use their imagination to fill in the details of each play.
The Impact of Classic Sports Games on Fan Knowledge
These vintage games and gadgets played a crucial role in shaping sports fandom. Unlike modern video games that focus on realistic graphics and player control, classic board games and simple electronic devices emphasized statistics, strategy, and a deep understanding of the sport.
How did these games contribute to fan knowledge? By immersing players in team rosters, player statistics, and strategic decision-making, these games fostered a generation of fans with a comprehensive understanding of sports history and tactics. This knowledge often translated into a richer appreciation of live games and a more nuanced understanding of team dynamics.
From Physical to Digital: The Changing Landscape of Sports Gaming
The transition from physical board games and simple electronic devices to sophisticated video game consoles represents a significant shift in how we engage with sports entertainment. Modern games like those on PlayStation and Xbox offer stunning graphics and immersive gameplay, but do they provide the same educational value as their predecessors?
While contemporary sports video games excel in simulating the physical experience of playing a sport, they may not emphasize the statistical and strategic elements to the same degree as classic board games. This shift raises questions about the different types of knowledge and skills cultivated by each gaming era.
The Enduring Legacy of Vintage Sports Games
Despite the dominance of digital gaming platforms, many of the classic sports games and gadgets retain a devoted following. Strat-O-Matic, for instance, continues to produce updated versions of its games, appealing to both nostalgic older fans and a new generation of statistics enthusiasts.
What keeps these vintage games relevant in the digital age? For many, it’s the tactile experience and social interaction that tabletop games provide. Additionally, the focus on statistics and strategy in these games aligns well with the growing interest in sports analytics, attracting fans who appreciate a more cerebral approach to sports entertainment.
Bridging Generations: The Role of Classic Games in Modern Sports Fandom
As we reflect on the evolution of sports entertainment, it’s clear that each era’s games and gadgets have played a unique role in shaping fan engagement and knowledge. While modern video games offer unparalleled visual and interactive experiences, there’s a strong case for preserving and promoting classic sports games.
How can vintage and modern sports games coexist? By recognizing the distinct benefits of each, we can create a more comprehensive sports entertainment landscape. Integrating elements of statistical analysis and strategic thinking from classic games into modern digital platforms could enhance the educational value of contemporary sports gaming.
Moreover, introducing younger generations to classic sports games and gadgets offers an opportunity to bridge generational gaps, fostering shared experiences between older and younger fans. This connection can enrich the overall sports culture, combining the depth of historical knowledge with the excitement of modern technology.
The Future of Sports Gaming: Blending Tradition and Innovation
As we look to the future, the world of sports gaming continues to evolve. Virtual and augmented reality technologies promise to further blur the lines between physical and digital sports experiences. However, the enduring popularity of classic games reminds us of the importance of engaging with sports on multiple levels – not just as a physical activity, but as a rich tapestry of statistics, strategy, and history.
Can future sports games balance immersive gameplay with educational value? The challenge for game developers will be to create experiences that capture the excitement of modern graphics and interactivity while retaining the depth of knowledge and strategy that made classic games so compelling.
By embracing both the nostalgia of vintage sports games and the possibilities of new technologies, we can create a diverse and engaging sports entertainment landscape that appeals to fans of all ages and interests. This blend of old and new not only honors the rich history of sports but also ensures that future generations of fans will have a comprehensive and multifaceted understanding of the games they love.
Looking Back at Old Sports Games and Gadgets
Harv Aronson
0
Sports History
For sports fans that aren’t at the stadium or in an arena watching their favorite teams in action then perhaps they are playing a sport of their choice. It seems these days more kids and teenagers and even some adults alike aren’t on the playing fields of a particular sport but rather in front of a television or computer screen playing a sports game using Xbox or maybe a PlayStation.
As I grew up in the 1970s such devices didn’t exist. Therefore, in my neighborhood it was either playing sports outside or in my case, playing a sport using one of the popular board games or handheld devices of the day. My first love was baseball and when playing pickup baseball outdoors I can remember imitating Willie Stargell’s windup swing or the bat position of Bobby Tolan holding my bat way up high. There was Joe Morgan’s chicken flapping-wing before swinging the bat and attempting over the shoulder catches on fly balls like the late great Roberto Clemente used to do.
If none of my neighborhood friends were around to play ball with, then available was the “Pitch Back” device endorsed by Hank Aaron. This was simply a metal frame with a net attached to the inside that would allow you to throw a baseball into it and the result was a return fly ball traveling only as hard as you threw the ball into the netting. I spent hours just having fun throwing and catching a baseball using the Pitch Back. I also used the divider between my father’s two-car garage that was made of brick but using a rubber ball or tennis ball to create the same result.
If not outside playing ball, being such a huge baseball fan I would sit at a table in my house and play one of several baseball board games. My favorite was one called “Longball” which was theoretically based on real statistics from Major League Baseball. You could put your favorite team against another by creating all-star teams. Along with the cards that came with the game, the results were based on a combination of stats and a roll of the dice.
Rivaling Longball was a game still being produced today which is “Strat-O-Magic”. Not just baseball but the company also produced the game for other sports. With these games, you also did not need another person to play. So for hours I would sit at a table and play simulated baseball games. I played so many times, I can remember that I memorized nearly every Major League Baseball team roster. Growing up in Pittsburgh naturally I remember the Pirates the most but one memory that sticks with me is the Los Angeles Dodgers infield that had the same players for so many years in a row. Ron Cey at third base, Bill Russell at shortstop, Davey Lopes at second base, Steve Garvey at first base and Steve Yeager catching.
For the Bucs, Willie Stargell was a mainstay in left field and Al “Scoops” Oliver manned center. The great Roberto Clemente was in the right field with big Bob Robertson at first. Richie Hebner and Jose Pagan manned the hot corner and sharing shortstop was a combination of Jackie Hernandez and Gene Alley. The second base rotation was Bill Mazeroski, Dave Cash, and Rennie Stennett and the smiling Manny Sanguillen was the primary catcher backed up by Milt May and Charlie Sands. These players made up the 1971 World Series championship team Pittsburgh had when they defeated the Baltimore Orioles in seven games.
But it was Longball and Strat-O-Matic that forged my knowledge of baseball and the players that made up the teams of the 1970s and fans today either don’t realize or recognize the rich history of baseball that came before the 1990s. As indicated, today sports games are all about the Playstations and XBoxes that attempt to give players the sensation they are actually the athletes performing on the field. For me, knowledge of the game should come before having the skill to operate a controller.
Looking back, we had games in the 70s that are now an afterthought. How many remember “Mattel Electronic Football?” The device was a small fit in your hand electronic football game that consisted of nothing more than some buttons to push and some small green lines moving across the very small screen that was in the shape of a football field. The game was a smash when it came out and was all the rage and you would often find it in the hands of kids even while in school.
If the sports board games were not enough along came the electronic games that made Mattel’s version seem like a dinosaur. Another game that became extremely popular and is still around today is electronic football. If you’ve never experienced the game, your first encounter would probably make you laugh and scratch your head. It’s basically a metal football field that after setting up your 11 offensive and defensive toy players, the field was electronically turned on and it causes a vibration forcing the small plastic players to move around the field and the hope is the one designated to have the ball would make its way upfield to score a touchdown. The game is quite ridiculous.
If electronic football isn’t and wasn’t bad enough, Mattel then came up with “Talking Baseball.” With this game, you were provided small little discs that looked like phonographs and when placed in the disc player provided, you would hear an announcer giving you the result of the play. I believe there were also games of this sort for other sports as well.
A few other table games that are still popular today are “Foosball” and soccer game that you had to have two players or more to play and reaction time is critical in this game as well as good reflexes that are mirrored in the table game of “air hockey.” Let’s get out of the house and go back outside dropping the table games. If not playing pickup baseball, in our neighborhood as I’m sure in many others around the country, street hockey was a favorite. Not on roller blades, not on ice skates, but just running between goals with sneakers on. We used a hard round ball and everyone had their own hockey stick.
Our goalie on one end was a kid from one street down that would come fully equipped with pads and a mask. We had one kid on the street, George Reed, who was that neighborhood hockey star with a slap shot that struck fear in everyone. When George wound up, the seas parted and everyone got out of the way. George would play the real game of hockey and eventually coach in it too.
Nerf footballs became a big thing back then and I used to love throwing the “Vortex” model that was endorsed later by John Elway because that sucker could be thrown extremely far even if you didn’t have a strong arm. Outdoors was the place to be perhaps because we didn’t have the computers and electronic games like they have today. If we weren’t playing sports, then perhaps we were flying kites which was immensely popular back then as were the rockets that could be set off to fly high into the sky. They even made some that you could collect insects and put them in the see-through capsule to send them off into space and see if they returned alive.
The 1970s were a great time to grow up. We were forced to find or create our own entertainment with the absence of computers and absolutely no cell phones around. Not having cell phones makes me try to recall how we kept in touch with our parents as we were permitted to roam free at the time as long we were home in time for dinner. You certainly can’t have that these days.
Some may not be able to relate to this story of reminiscing about things that have been gone and forgotten for over 40 years but for those growing up in the era I did, they can recall how much fun it was back then and the games and toys we had to keep us entertained. For that group of people, you might remember Yo-Yos? “Klik Klaks?” With that toy, I remember clearly not operating it correctly and smacking my knuckles and it hurt! Just Google 1970s toys and games and you might appreciate what we had!
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6 tips to get over a fight easier
18+
The guy you’re dating didn’t show up for your birthday party after you invited him three times and he put it on the calendar. Or maybe you suddenly found out that he constantly communicates with his ex. These are not necessarily signals that it’s over, but such situations will annoy you even if he apologizes. Why?
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Perhaps because you, if you are under 35, belong to the so-called “lost generation” of the 80-90s, and you take even a small setback in a relationship more seriously than, say, your parents. In addition, there are many dreamers among young people (especially women) who believe, if not in fairy tales, then in the fact that everyone will find their soul mate and be happy. And from such a position it is not easy to say: “Yes, he made a mistake, it happens.” You may feel like everything fell apart because of one misunderstanding.
You can see things differently. For example, it would never occur to you to buy vacation tickets with friends without asking him, but he will first buy and then think about you. And you understand that you either love each other differently, or simply didn’t speak out the procedure in controversial situations.
Returning to the situation when he completely forgot about something important. You’re upset, and that’s okay! Now it would be nice to be alone for a while, experience disappointment and return to normal life. Here’s how to walk the path of resentment with minimal losses.
1. Describe the situation
Instead of endlessly replaying in your head how he let you down, vent your emotions on paper. This will help you better understand how you really feel. You will also understand how to act if you were offended, without constantly returning to the moment of offence.
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2. Treat yourself
Do what you like. Leave work early and go to the movies or take a walk around your favorite places. Anything that makes you smile will do.
3. Discuss with friends
If you feel you need support, make an appointment. Communicating in writing is not as effective as getting a third party’s opinion by looking in the face.
4. Go home
Especially if you feel that all these thoughts lead to illness. Go to your parents, lie down, feel the care. A person can and should sometimes show weakness, we are all not made of iron. If the feelings are so strong that it is not easier to survive with your parents, try to contact a psychotherapist.
5. Remember the good things
Living through the bad things and thinking that you will never be that close again is not the best path. Remember how you rejoiced at something together, how you experienced difficulties hand in hand. .. In the end, if he suits you, it makes no sense to constantly think about the bad and spoil the relationship with this.
6. Look at the situation differently
Perhaps the fact that he planned a trip with friends is a sign for you to do the same. And the fact that he did not come to the holiday is an opportunity to communicate more with loved ones. Many situations can be a positive experience.
Archive 2021: A step back to take two steps
- This article is archived
Minister of Sports Matytsin O.V.
(Copy to RFS)
Dear Oleg Vasilyevich!
Here are excerpts from your speech:
“If there are 5-6-7 legionnaires in a team, then who will we form the national team from? Legionnaires? I don’t have specific recipes, you need to be careful about this. I repeat, development should be at the forefront the national system, football in particular. Clubs’ activities should be aimed at developing their own reserve. ” “Here’s the format of the limit to be discussed.”
We offer our format recipe for discussion:
Of course, one should not go to extremes, but one should look for the “golden” mean! To cancel the limit is stupid, because it will completely fill our teams with foreigners, which will close the way for our players to the RPL, to the source of higher skill. Not inviting foreigners at all is also stupid. It is closed by an iron curtain. The word limit is the restriction of foreigners in teams. The constraint can be right or wrong. Useful and harmful. Therefore, it is necessary to find something in between, a compromise. We believe that our formula is useful and, at the same time, not harmful: 3 legs + 6 Russians + 2 home-grown. The trend is as follows: if there is one legionnaire in the team, then the salaries of our players are minimal, if 2-3 legs, then our salaries increase, and if 8-10 legs, then our salaries are EXCELLENT!
Legs have a lot to learn and this number (three) does not harm ours, experienced ones gain even more experience, homegrown ones smoothly move into adult football. It’s just common sense. And the leaders of a huge number of football associations have it, who consider 3 foreign players useful for their teams.
Useful limit HELPS to improve the skills of our football players, but RESPONSIBLE for the improvement of management and coaches. The management selects the right coaches, including successful foreign ones, and our coaches improve their skills in coaching. And only then from football schools and academies will be produced high-quality products (DOMESTIC football players) no worse than Western models.
In order for our domestic football to function perfectly, its interests should be taken into account, this is the direct responsibility of the RFU.
We consider the ideal combination at the base to be the number of players on the field in the Premier League: 3 legionnaires, 6 experienced Russians and 2 homegrown (under 21).
Note that in this way, there are … three “weight” categories according to the level of SKILL: legionnaires, experienced Russians and young Russians not older than 21 years old (home-grown, as defined by the Regulations).
There can be no ORIGINAL competition between these groups! Like in boxing, for example, between weight groups: lightweight vs heavyweight!). This is what the limit for foreigners, the quota for experienced Russians and the quota for home-grown ones are intended for.
But within these categories in terms of skill, there will be FREE competition, who will go on the basis of the field.
Legionnaires will compete – with reserve legionnaires, experienced Russians – with experienced ones from the reserve, young from the quota group – with reserve quotas and with home-grown youths. Because within the group the conditions are EQUAL!!!
All domestic groups will have the main thing – playing practice, playing together with the legs of their team and against the legs of the opposing team!
Within the domestic groups there will gradually be a stratification – some of the smart and diligent experienced Russians can equal the skill of the legionnaires in skill, and if some exceed their skill, then the coaches can easily replace the legs with them. Transfer legs to the reserve or for sale in order to buy more classy legionnaires…
Only at this stage, with EQUAL skill, the FREE competition between foreigners and our players will begin!
Note that the homegrown will NEVER be able to push or force out the legionnaires, but they can reach the level of some experienced Russians! And then move on to this group of experienced ones upon reaching the limit of the youth quota. (At the discretion of the coach, of course.) This is where FREE competition arises in conditions of EQUAL skill between experienced Russians and home-grown ones who have already reached the level of experienced Russians.
The homegrown ones push the experienced Russians and by this they don’t let them “rest on their laurels”, while the experienced Russians press the legs so that they don’t relax, but work at trainings and games with full dedication.
A homegrown running out of a large group of players from the youth team.
With such a system, the STIMULUS to improve skills in all “weight” categories works great! And legionnaires initially do not block the way for any of the Russians to improve skills and participate in matches in the MAIN squad, and experienced Russians do not block the way for homegrown ones! The main thing is that young people will have a real prospect for growth!
Such a “conveyor” is designed to accelerate the improvement of skills of domestic football players, and for home-grown players – a smooth and quick entry into adult football. (In addition to improving the infrastructure, of course, which makes equal starting conditions for the development of football in different countries.)
However, such a pipeline will work for any level of our infrastructure.
So the limit of three legs (as opposed to 8 legs!) contributes to the growth of the skills of domestic players, encouraging them to improve their skills.
In fact, such a proposal is a temporary step backwards (replacing legs with home-grown ones!), Not a popular step, but this is such a step, after which our football will immediately take TWO steps forward in quality! (Minus and plus and give this step forward, otherwise , maybe two steps or THREE forward!)
=============================================
Why homegrowns should play in the base on the field, and not sit on the bench of the reserve.
Preamble.
At one time, the RFU, taking care of the growing football shift, established a special clause in the regulations, where it obligated clubs to have a homegrown player under the age of 21 in the application for each game. The calculation was, apparently, that the coaches would give such players a few minutes to play with a safe score for the team.
However, this desire of the RFU collided with a strong reluctance of coaches to bring young players up to the level of first-team players. Why? It’s just that the interests of the owners of the clubs are completely opposite to the interests of the RFU. The owner needs a victory in every match, and for this we need ready-made experienced players in the team. The coach, of course, is a forced person, and the word of the owner is law for him. The owner said – the coach did it, otherwise the coach will simply be fired.
Thus a contradiction between the interests of the RFU and the interests of the owners of the clubs was formed. And the hosts won – the homegrown mostly sat on the reserve bench, and the closer the team is to the prizes, the more hopeless the fate of the homegrown: he did not play in the base and lost the practice of improving his skills.
However, on December 5, 2011, the RFU executive committee decided to cancel the rule on the need for a home-grown football player (a player no older than 21 years) to be included in the application for the match. This decision shows that the owners of the clubs are celebrating a complete and final victory over the RFU.
The Executive Committee took a step back, although it could have taken a step forward, that is, already in 2012 to allow two home-grown players to play at the base! And today the clubs are putting pressure on the RFU, demanding the abolition of the limit on legionnaires, for their own benefit.
How to resolve this contradiction so that young players also gain experience in games with experienced players in the Premier League and FNL, and so that coaches do not suffer from the fact that they put them (“weak link”) in the base?
Offer, how to take a step back to take two steps forward! So during the war, you had to stop or retreat a little back in order to replenish the composition and ammunition, send the wounded to the rear, and then, after a respite, FORWARD AGAIN!
We consider the following number of players on the field in the Premier League to be the ideal combination: 3 foreign players, 6 experienced Russians (over 21 years old) and 2 home-grown.
That is, for homegrown players, the Regulations set a quota of two players who must play from the beginning of the match to the end.
Two homebrew replacements are also installed in addition to the usual three replacements. (Young people get tired quickly, there is still no stamina).
(So, at one time, in the presence of two replacement players, a third replacement was installed, but only a goalkeeper! So now, a fourth and fifth replacement is added, but only for home-grown ones.)
Implementation
There are two implementation methods: very slow, slow, medium and fast.
1. Very careful.
There is only one homegrown and play 25 minutes at the beginning of the first half, so that both teams have “weak links” at the same time and experienced players can correct possible blunders of homegrown in 65 minutes.
2. – Slow way. Homegrown is only one and only plays the first half.
3. Medium way. Homegrown plays the whole match, and there are only 4 players on the field.
4. Quick way.
Two homegrowns play the whole time, and there are only 3 foreign players on the field.
Benefits of the offer.
1. In the Premier League, 32 of the most talented young players will play at the start, with 32 of the best young players in the reserves. Total, at least – 64! (there will be someone to choose from for the youth team!)
2. In the youth teams with teams there will be a powerful competition to get into the coveted four, and among these four – for the game in the base. The salary of young people should be the same as that of everyone in the youth team, and a contract with the base should be signed with them only after the age of 21. Or not to sign – at the discretion of the coach, depending on the results achieved.
3. In the PL it is more difficult for “uncles” to injure young people, because these matches are broadcast on TV and all TV viewers will see the filthy actions of bad uncles. And in the second division and the FNL, it is easier for the uncles to hide their meanness towards the young.
4. Place guaranteed not for a specific homegrown! And for the two BEST players from the youth team, according to the coach, for such and such positions FOR THE NEXT game!! This is a kind of prize for the BEST! A prize that is transferred to each game!
Young guys who want to get into the base for the next game will fight for this place!
! (After all, it’s the same for legionnaires and experienced Russians – no one is guaranteed to get into the base for EVERY game! The coach puts them on their readiness and their plan. Also, a group of legionnaires butt heads in training to have the best shape!) Competition, however!
5. Now the base coach rarely looks into the youth team, because his main concern is a concrete result with the base. And when there is a quota clause in the regulations, the coach will unwittingly live the life of and the youth team in search of the best players for the quota.
6. You can’t compare, for example, GERMANY, a country with a strong economy and developed football, with Russia, a weak economy and underdeveloped football!These are different categories of skill.
But in order to somehow catch up faster to the developed football countries, a QUOTA was conceived.
7. A homegrown player in the quota period will have a huge incentive to quickly adapt to the team and improve his skills, because at the age of 21 the privilege disappears and he needs to prove himself for playing at the base.
8 .Fans will watch with interest and experience the formation and growth of the young from THEIR team! Follow their evolution… ( Additional interest for many!)
9. Now the youth team is practically useless for the main team, and with the introduction of a quota for homegrown players, it will become a real addition-assistant to the main team, supplying their best players there.
10. And most importantly – homegrown will grow much faster in the base (Lovchev: “by leaps and bounds”) next to experienced Russians and legionnaires and playing in the base against experienced Russians and foreign opponents. For example, here are the words of Oleg Shatov, who received a lot of practice at the base:
” It is necessary to grow and develop. Once in Anji, I feel that I am reaching a new level. We have a strong coach, strong partners nearby. To stand still is not to respect yourself. There are excellent conditions for the progress of young players. Fortunately , now everything is going as it should – both in the club and in the youth team. ”
Alas, but Maksimov, Ionov, Kanunnikov received scanty time at the heart of Zenit. Their “experience” at the heart of the top team is wiping the stock bench! Loss of time in one’s own development…
Of course, it’s better to be on loan, but you can also sit on a bench there, and the level of the team’s players is already lower than native.
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Question for portal users:
“Will such an item be useful for talented youth and for our football?”
This is the main thing, because if there WILL be a benefit, then all obstacles with UEFA can be solved with the desire and skill.
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