It has come to my attention that anarchy finally rules in the JIFL!  'How did that happen?', I asks myself.  So let's get this straight right from the beginning.  This is neither Dale nor Your Hero nor Nico writing the column today.  This is quite another fellow indeed and I'm muscling into the action.  This is from somebody who knows you (nearly) intimately and for a long time.  This is somebody who can see what kind of person that you really are just by watching the way that you play on the field.  A clairvoyant in the truest sense.  I have this ability.  But I only use it for the good of mankind as I do now while I will write a list of gripes, grumblings and grievances that have been boiling just under the surface around the league for the last couple of months.  Things that are heard after the matches.  Spoken sarcastically and spitefully in many cases.  Things that could destroy the integrity and balance of the league.  A potential fatal minefield that could infect and sabotage potential relationships and futures of those involved.  Read the list of corruptors to the integrity of the league.

1.)  League expansion:  Why were the Sabor Latinos allowed into the league without going through the regular protocol like Korea had to do for two years before acceptance, like ESE successfully did six years ago, like ASA tried without success two years ago, and like Team Persia is doing this year?   Those teams first all played friendly matches against club sides, entered the Cup and joined any tournaments like the 6-a-sides in order for them to be integrated properly and screened (really) to see if it is all a match. Some of them took over two years before being ready for this league. This didn't happen this year.  Just two weeks after the league meeting, suddenly a vote was called over the internet to allow a basically unknown new team with perhaps 4 of the players recognized.  Why weren't the Persians allowed in then under the same circumstance then this year?  Seems like insider trading going on within the JIFL.  Sounds like some deals were going down which wouldn't be unusual in Jakarta.  Happens all the time.  What really took place there in that mad rush and flurry of activity early September?  A violation of JIFL protocol!  That's is what it looks like.  What kind of truce was made behind the scenes and who is holding which cards?  To the outsiders of the mysterious ways of the Wanderers, we have a query: why were 4 or 5 Wanderers' players suddenly allowed to make a new team of unknown characters and suddenly there are now two teams dominating the league table?  And I understand that the Wanderers have refortified again and built a wall of supreme humanity residing in the backfield.  Maybe the two clubs will suddenly both split again and next year we will have 4 of them up there and then we can finally split the league in two so everybody can enjoy it again?  Strange happenings to the uninitiated.  Being a clairvoyant on human nature does not make me a psychic on human conduct. 

2.)  SMS reporting (is not optional!).  Immediately after the game use this format:  (My Team) -v- (Your Team)  5-4 /// Goalscorers:  ____ (3), _____, (1), ____ (1) My Team /// MOM:  _________ (My Team) ///  ______ (Your Team) /// Yellow Cards: ________ Red Cards:  ________ /// Referee Rating:  (His Name): 8. (Push 'send').  

3.)  Referee abuse: For abusing a man for just attempting his job is disgraceful.  Red Card and two game suspension minimum.  Violent conduct or 2nd Red:  Expulsion from the JIFL.  We've done it before and so it is not new nor unprecedented.  No touching, talking to, shouting at, chasing around the pitch, or insulting the referee or his assistants at all (ever).  Stop the abuse of other human beings.  Arguing is not acceptable.  

4.) These phrases: "Those players are looking for contracts.  Those are professionals".  Before anybody makes such comments, why not go over and introduce yourself and ask him what he does for a living.  Be like Gopi.  Go over to the fellow that interests you, introduce yourself, shake his hand and comment:  "How are your, sir.  You played well.  Obviously, you played football at some level.  Tell me about it". That would end that rumor-mongering on the spot.  So it is up to all of us to engage in conversation and get to know these new and sometimes old faces amongst us.  Network.  You never know.  Some people are just good athletes and will be complimented if you thought that they were a professional player at one point in their lives.  Ask.  No harm done.  

5.)  Game cancellation and postponements.  I thought we all discussed this before?  Play whatever team shows up.  Who cares?  This is not the World Cup or professional football no matter what the hype that Dale tries to give it.  He likes to entertain but don't be fooled by his attempt at wit.  Keep yourself grounded and get to know each other.  This is a social football league (or 'soccer' as some of you North Americanos like to call it [and is always getting pointed out on this website]).  Make friends.  Enrich your life with new relationships.  You may never get the chance again.  

6.)  Paying players.  Quit embarrassing yourselves.  That is just petty cash that does no good for any man at all.  Are you actually aware of the wages that are paid nowadays in professional football?  So 20 or 50 bucks for a game is just insulting.  Knock it off and let those guys raise above such poverty and enslavement.  Let them be part of it because they care too about us as we care for them.  If it is only about a couple hundred thousand rupiah then cut them loose.  In that case, they are not really part of your club anyway.  Otherwise give them a job.  Get them educated.  Show them that you care.  Help the man raise himself up!  

7.)  And something that I pulled out of the head word-for-word off one of the defenders of the JIFL:

'I believe that the 'BuGils-Arario Mutual Agreement' should be detailed. I don't make it a personal case, not at all. I was just told by someone that during the last meeting, the guys had been talking for a long time about what should happen when a team refuses to play another team. This conversation started because BuGils made it clear they would not play Arario during the first leg of the season. After what was presented to me as a very hard discussion, it was voted that should any team refuses to play any other team, they just loose the game. As a consequence, the following rule was published on our web page:

24. Any team refusing to play another team that has been accepted into the league will forfeit the points for that game, no exceptions.

Then I would like to ask what the heck are we spending time in meetings and expressing a democratic behavior (you know, voting) if in the end, teams can jump over the rules by having some mutual agreement? It's one thing that before K-O the Captain from team A asks to the Captain from team B if they accept this or that, usually small things... It's a complete different story when basically a team gets one point for not showing up on the pitch.

I believe that Arario has agreed this 'one point for BuGils, one point for Arario' simply because they don't want to look like the tough guys again. Humble Asian attitude, they just don't want to make noise anymore.

For sure, the fight that took place on the pitch that day was simply unacceptable. This being said, how comes that what happened last season between BuGils and Arario now allows BuGils to grab a point for nothing?? I thought that the Arario case had been discussed and settled by the Committee... What does it mean to keep on punishing Arario a year later by stealing them two points? It should be BuGils 0 points, Arario 3 points. The rule.

Or, we officially say that from now on, the rules are just here to pretend that we are organized people but actually, we don't care about those rules because we can kick them out as soon as they don't fit our personal interest.

Listen to this JiFL mates: don't worry about our rules, just have it your way dudes!!!

and some advice: 

8.)  Increase the game time to 45 minutes per half like the rest of the world.  What is wrong with you players?  Everybody wants to play.  Just substitute the boys on when someone is tired.  This league is at least about getting a run-out and not winning the Universal Championships of the Solar Galactic Empire.   

9.)  We have one fan:  Come on!.  Let's get realistic here.  The only fan that comes to the games at ISCI is Hans the Coalminer and he comes purely to witness the fights and the arguments.  Let's put him out of business and drive our one fan away! 

Thank you Your Hero for letting another yet undiscovered writer sound off today with items of some importance.  Thank you Mr. Nico Sanders for your support and thanks to Mr. Dale Mulholland for allowing me to write without edit about anything that I chose as originally agreed last month.