2022-23 Season Premiership Predictions

Heres my predictions for the upcoming season. Obviously a lot can depend on what happens in the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window. But as it stands.

1.      Liverpool

2.      Manchester City

3.      Tottenham

4.      Chelsea

5.     Arsenal

6.     West Ham

7.     Manchester United

8.     Newcastle

9.     Aston Villa

10. Leicester

11. Crystal Palace

12. Brighton

13. Everton

14. Wolves

15. Leeds

16. Brentford

17. Nottingham Forest

18. Fulham

19. Southampton

20. Bournemouth

 

The title race will be another closely fought race but this time Liverpool will just come out on top. The race is likely to boil down to which team adjusts quicker to their new striker. Neither team have played with a target man number 9 for a number of years and will both require some tactical adjustment to get the best out of their new striker. The adjustment should be easier for Liverpool, while a greater spread of goals in their attack should help them. Without Jesus and Sterling, it is hard to see where the goals will come from for City if Haaland gets injured or struggles to adapt to the premiership straight away. Liverpool have Salah, Jota and Firmino to share the goal load with Nunez and that could be the difference. 

Below them are four teams going through somewhat of a rebuild, all too far off challenging for the title but with serious hopes of achieving top four and all-important champions league football.

Spurs, with Conte in charge will take some stopping. They have recruited well in the transfer window with Richarlison finally providing some cover for Kane while strengthening throughout the team. Big question will be whether, now with Conte in charge, they finally have the mentality to seriously challenge for trophies. The league looks out of reach but they could do well in the cups.

Chelsea have had to rebuild their defence which is still ongoing at time of writing. How they do this season will depend on how the last few weeks of the transfer window play out, they continue to be linked with various big names. They will be there or thereabouts although after the failed Lukaku experiment, they could still be short in attack.

Arsenal look to have missed their big opportunity of making the top four last season while Tottenham struggled. They have recruited well in the transfer window and are still expected to make 1-2 more signings. Likely to just miss out on top four, winning the Europa League would be a very achievable alternative way into the champions league though.

Manchester United are going through a big rebuild after the disasters of the Solskjaer and Rangnick period. Erik Ten Hag looks like a very capable replacement but the squad remains bloated with underperforming and average players. So far in signing Martinez, Malacia and Eriksen, United seemed to have signed players Ten Hag likes, rather than players they need. They now have five left backs but no decent out and out striker for example. If Ronaldo leaves, there will be a gaping hole in attack which Martial and Rashford don’t look good enough to fill. A lot of work for United to do and they won’t get back into the top four this season.

Indeed, they could even be beaten to sixth by West Ham who have made some decent additions to an already strong team. Unlucky to miss out on top six last time around, they are capable of doing that this season, while the greater squad depth should help them go far in the Europa conference league as well.

Newcastle and Aston Villa are fast improving and should finish comfortably in the top 10 having done good transfer business this summer. The next step for them then in 2023-24 will be to challenge for Europe.

Leicester are stagnant, last season was a real struggle with injuries and loss of form. No signings this summer, plus potential outgoings of key players suggest that their days of challenging the top four are over for now.

Crystal Palace and Brighton should consolidate their mid-table positions and continue to impress with their style of play under rising managers Vieira and Potter respectively. Its likely to only be a matter of time before someone bigger comes along to poach them though.

Everton should join them in mid-table after their disastrous 2021-22 season. Richarlison is a big loss, but Tarkowski should make a big difference to their shaky defence.

The remaining seven teams are likely to be in a dogfight to avoid relegation. Wolves should be strong enough to be safe, but the lack of attacking firepower is a big worry especially with the injury to Jimenez.

Brentford and Leeds have both recruited well but have lost key players in the transfer window. Second season syndrome to strike Brentford and they could easily be relegated. Leeds should have enough to stay up, especially as they have addressed their lack of squad depth.

Southampton have signed a number of overpriced youngsters, but after a disastrous run of form towards the end of last season I think their time in the premiership could be coming to an end. They are another team lacking goals in attack while their defence can be very shaky. Its hard to judge how the new players will do but it’s a lot of pressure on them.

Of the newly promoted teams, Bournemouth look relegation certainties. The team looks significantly weaker than the one relegated in 2020 and they have been very quiet in the transfer window.

Nottingham Forest by contrast have been very busy in the window, but all the new players will take time to gel as a team. If they can come together quickly, then their quality could see them safe.

Fulham will depend on how well they can utilise Mitrovic in the premier league. He struggled the last time in the premiership but the team seems better equipped to get the best out of him this time and he has undoubted quality.

2021-22 English Premiership Season Preview

 

Manchester City still look like the strongest team despite the loss of Aguero, who didn’t play much last season anyway due to injury. The signing of Jack Grealish for an English record transfer fee was a statement signing even if it isn’t exactly clear where he will fit in the team, and who will lose out. Further outgoings are possible, with Bernardo Silva likely to be sacrificed to make way for Grealish and provide extra funds towards the signing of a striker. City have made no secret of trying to sign Harry Kane but whether they sign him or not is likely to depend on whether Tottenham can find a suitable replacement in time. With or without Kane, City are favourites to win the league. Ultimately their season will be judged on whether they can finally deliver the holy grail, the Champions League trophy. Given the travails of other major clubs around Europe, they will certainly be among, if not the favourites. But even while focusing on Europe, the squad is strong enough to challenge on all fronts.

 

Their strongest challenge on both fronts is likely to come from Chelsea. Buoyant after winning the Champions League, they will be determined to challenge for the league title after four relatively barren seasons domestically by their standards. The expected signing of Romelu Lukaku will address their problem area up front. They could still do with a centre back though as Thiago Silva isn’t getting any younger while Christensen and Zouma don’t totally convince at the highest level. The rest of the squad is incredibly strong though and arguably has the most strength in depth of any in the premier league. Now they need to back up that quality with a sustained title challenge.

 

Liverpool should bounce back after a difficult season with the return from injuries of key defenders Virgil VanDijk and Joe Gomez while they will be hoping for less injuries to their midfield as well. If they can keep everyone fit, they should be able to challenge for the title again. One question mark remains over their midfield where they haven’t replaced Georginio Wijnaldum after his departure to PSG. Liverpool tend to do their business on the quiet though, so the lack of rumour or speculation about possible signings doesn’t mean they aren’t close to finally signing the midfielder they need. They could also do with more cover for star forwards Salah and Mane as they are likely to miss up to six weeks mid-season for the African Cup of Nations.

They have signed one player so far this summer in defender Ibrahima Konate, but it’s difficult to see where he will fit into the team and he is likely to be a squad player for now.

 

Manchester United have made two excellent signings in winger Jadon Sancho and centre back Raphael Varane who should provide more ammunition in attack and tighten up the defence respectively. Whether that will be enough for the title challenge the club craves remains to be seen. On paper they have top quality players all over the pitch. But presuming Sancho and Fernandes are automatic choices, who will play alongside them out of Rashford, Greenwood, Martial and Cavani, and how does the manager keep the others happy. The squad is bloated with too many players not playing and some including Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Daniel James, will need to be cleared out.

Question marks still remain over manager Solskjaer’s tactical nous at key moments. When the pressure was on in the Europa League final, Solskjaer did nothing and the team sleepwalked to a shootout defeat. This is a massive season for Solskjaer, given the money spent on this team, unless there is a real title challenge and progress in the Champions League, surely his time will be up.

 

Another manager under pressure to show signs of progress will be Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. Consecutive eighth place finishes are not good enough for a club of Arsenal’s size. A limp Europa League exit to Villarreal didn’t help especially when the team clearly put all their focus on that competition in the second half of last season. Talk of a massive overhaul of the squad with significant investment hasn’t materialized this summer with plenty of rumour and speculation only yielding centre-back Ben White, left-back Nuno Tavares and midfielder Albert Lokonga so far. White looks like a decent signing albeit overpriced, but central defence was not a priority this summer given the existing strength in depth there and a decent defensive record last season. Tavares and Lokonga meanwhile look to be back-up players with long-term potential. The team still desperately needs a playmaker and goalkeeper though. And the right-back position needs to be sorted, they have three decent options there but Arteta didn’t settle on one of them last season while there is still speculation they could bring in someone new and sell Bellerin. This was symptomatic of the manager’s problems more broadly where Arteta was prone to frequent rotation and he desperately needs to settle on a first choice eleven. Arteta’s other big challenge will be getting key striker Aubameyang back to form after a poor season, a new playmaker should help with that. 

Arsenal could benefit from not having the distraction of European football meaning less games and less need to rotate players. The African Cup of Nations will have an impact though with four first-teamers likely to be called up for the tournament including Aubameyang and key midfielder Thomas Partey. They could be away for up to six weeks during a crucial period of the season. Other teams will be affected as well but Arsenal will be one of the hardest hit.

 

Leicester City have quietly gone about their transfer business this summer adding much needed strength in depth with striker Patson Daka, midfielder Boubakary Soumare and left-back Ryan Bertrand. Given the injuries to Fofana and Evans, they still need a centre back while Maddison will have to be replaced if he leaves. Leicester should remain in or around the top six again this season but manager Brendan Rodgers will need to do something differently to prevent the end of season collapse that cost them champions league football in the last two seasons. Making use of the increased strength in depth will help prevent tiredness creeping in towards the end of the season.

 

After months of speculation, Tottenham finally settled on a new manager in Nuno Espirito Santo, who left Wolves at the end of last season. He was clearly far from Spurs’ first choice and the long search for manager has affected their transfer business and preparations for the new season. The big news this summer though is over whether main man, striker Harry Kane will leave. He has made no secret of his desire to leave while Man City have made it very clear they want to sign him. Tottenham owner Daniel Levy is a tough negotiator and holds all the cards given Kane is under long term contract. The likelihood is that Kane will go this summer but the transfer could go to the wire. Tottenham won’t want a repeat of 2013 though when they sold Gareth Bale and the money was wasted on poor signings. With or without Kane, the team is short of a few players if they want to challenge for the title. Even if they keep Kane, they will still need a striker as back up while they also need a centre back and another central midfielder would help. The pressure will also be on Nuno to move away from the more conservative tactics that characterised his spell at Wolves.

 

In contrast to Spurs’ scrambling for a manager, Everton moved decisively to replace the departed Ancelotti with Rafa Benitez. Despite the fans misgivings over his previous connections to rivals Liverpool, Benitez has a proven track record and should be a good appointment for the club. Their transfer business so far has been uninspiring, wingers Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray are not the bigger names Everton had been getting used to in recent seasons. But it suggests a more direct tactical approach with focus on providing service to the striker. They’re still a bit short to challenge the big six but should among the best of the rest even without Richarlison for the first few games after his busy summer playing at the Copa America and the Olympics.

 

The big news at Aston Villa is the sale of their playmaker and talisman Jack Grealish to Man City for a record fee. Grealish will be difficult to replace but Villa are going about it the right way. They have used the money to make three excellent signings in striker Danny Ings, playmaker Emi Buendia and winger Leon Bailey and still have money left over. Not enough to challenge the top six but should do well and could make a go of it in the cups.

 

West Ham had an excellent season last time around but its hard to see that being repeated without a couple more signings. They definitely need a striker, but a central midfielder and centre back wouldn’t go amiss either. Under reliable manager David Moyes, the hammers will be steady but not spectacular.

 

Leeds should have enough quality to avoid any second-season syndrome but without the investment needed to really push on another quiet mid-table finish is the likely outcome. Given their long years out of the premiership, fans will be perfectly happy with that.

 

Crystal Palace will be hoping for a safe, uneventful mid-table finish, the kind they generally had under manager Roy Hodgson. With Hodgson now retired the pressure will be on new manager Patrick Vieira. While he had plenty of playing experience in the premiership this is his first managerial job in England and his previous job at Nice went sour after a good start. Signings so far have been good, and they have begun the process of bringing youth to what has been an older team. A decent striker would really help though. Wilfried Zaha, subject of speculation for years, looks set to stay this summer though which will be a boost. Crystal Palace are the third team who will be most impacted by the African Cup with Zaha, along with midfielders Kouyate and Schlupp and striker Ayew all expected to be called up. Their absence could go a long way to deciding whether Palace enjoy mid-table safety or a fraught relegation battle but over the course of the whole season they should be safe.

 

Wolves decided manager Nuno had taken them as far as he could and replaced him with another Portuguese in Bruno Lage. Lage, formerly of Benfica is new to England but the number of Portuguese players at the club should at least help with any culture shock. They have been quiet on the transfer front but at least that means they have held onto key players. Young forward Francisco Trincao who arrived on loan from Barcelona is very highly rated and will provide much needed support for striker Raul Jimenez returning after serious head injury last season. Too often last season, Wolves were dour and uninspiring to watch (not helped by Jimenez’s absence) and Lage will be expected to address that. Likely to be a season of transition culminating in a mid-table finish.

 

Newcastle have had a quiet summer with no signings yet although Joe Willock is expected to join after his successful loan spell last season. It won’t be pretty to watch but they should just have enough to avoid a relegation battle.

 

Brighton will be delighted with the £50m they received for Ben White, a huge fee for a player with just one season of top division experience. And despite his departure, they are still well covered in defence while having money to improve their whole team. They have been linked with a number of strikers who could make a big difference, Brighton tend to play decent football but goals have been a problem. If they sign the right striker expect them to move away from the relegation battle and into safe mid-table obscurity.

 

The sale of Danny Ings is a big loss for Southampton. Adam Armstrong had an excellent season with Blackburn in the championship but there will be huge pressure on him to make the step up and replace Ings’ goals. The experience and reliability of Ryan Bertrand will be a big loss after his departure as well especially with what is otherwise a young and callow team. The way the team collapsed after a strong start last season doesn’t bode well for them either. Expect them to struggle this season and relegation is a definite possibility.

 

Usually at least one more established premiership team gets relegated in a season and that is likely to be between Southampton and Burnley this season. Burnley have had a quiet summer, just signing centre back Nathan Collins and back up goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey to add depth to an already strong defence. Burnley will grind out the results as usual but this season it might not be enough.

 

The three promoted teams have been busy in the transfer window. Of them, championship winners Norwich look the best equipped to stay up. They have lost star playmaker Emi Buendia but have made good signings in winger Milot Rashica and striker Josh Sargent while they will be stronger for the experience they had in their last premiership season.

 

Watford have improved the age profile of their team since their last season in the premiership with a number of younger players coming into the team. They have reverted to signing more experienced players again this summer though. The manager Xisco Munoz’s lack of experience could be a factor though especially as he has only managed winning teams. How he responds to managing in a league where they will lose most of their games will play a big part in how they do this season.

 

Brentford who were promoted through the play-offs will be a bit of an unknown quantity. Unlike regular yo-yo teams Norwich and Watford, Brentford haven’t been in the top division in over 70 years. Known for playing good football and a strong bond with their local community it is good to see them at this level. The premiership is a big step up in quality though for a group of players with no experience of this level and they will struggle.

Final Prediction:

1. Manchester City
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Manchester United
5. Arsenal
6. Leicester City
7. Aston Villa
8. Tottenham
9. Everton
10. West Ham
11. Leeds
12. Crystal Palace
13. Wolves
14. Brighton
15. Newcastle
16. Norwich
17. Burnley
18. Southampton
19. Watford
20. Brentford

'Bobby Sands: 66 Days' is revisionist propaganda

A documentary detailing the hunger strike by IRA member Bobby Sands in 1981 which led to his death. The film centres around the writings of Sands himself while he was on the hunger strike at the Maze Prison. Around that, we have a number of historians, former IRA members and politicians giving their views, interspersed with archive footage of scenes from the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The dominant interviewee in the film is the Irish journalist Fintan O'Toole. He espouses, at great length, the idea that Bobby Sands was an artist, who in dying, was making the ultimate sacrifice for his art. O'Toole completely separates Sands actions from the political context of the time.
Sands was in prison for a second time for IRA activities. He had joined the IRA in 1971, having grown up in a time of violence, discrimination and oppression of catholic people in the 6 counties. This is the context behind Bobby Sands' actions but it is barely mentioned.

The violence perpetrated by loyalists and the British army, against nationalists is never mentioned in this film. Only violence by the IRA is mentioned. The film even mentions the upsurge in violence in 1972, without mentioning the biggest reason for it, Bloody Sunday which occurred in January of that year.

And therein lies the biggest problem with this film. It is determined to present a very one-sided picture of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, where the IRA were the sole aggressors and everyone else, including the British were victims. At the same time, Bobby Sands is separated from the historical context by the constant positing of him as some kind of artist.
The film disrespects Bobby Sands and all the hunger strikers by removing their actions from the political context of the time.

And while some of the animated sequences are well done, the editing is poor. Scenes are juxtaposed together which jar against each other. Thus the film doesn't flow very well and can be hard to watch, while certain scenes are unnecessarily repeated.

Ultimately, the film is revisionist propaganda, serving a particular political line. Decontextualising the hunger strikes from other events in Northern Ireland does not do the story of Bobby Sands justice.

Birdman: Potential, but ultimately disappointing

I found this film showy and way too self indulgent. The whole film is devoted to parodying itself, and acting, and theatre, and its cast and itself again. Yet it lacks the requisite humour. We get it, Keaton used to play Batman and is now washed up, and Norton is a method actor. Knowing this before hand, as would most cinema-goers does not make this parody particularly worthwhile.

The film takes a typical pot shot at theatre critics, and then attacks theatre for being bourgeois. Yet the film is filmed like a theatre play and it never escapes its stagey setting. Aside from Keaton and Norton, overacting at the centre, a variety of good actors are left on the sidelines in throwaway roles. Andrea Riseborough is particularly neglected and then cast aside for the majority of the film.

The middle of the film drags along as well before picking up at the end. But the finale is risible. The scriptwriters don't seem to have fully decided whether Keatons character is actually a birdman or just delusional so they go for both in a clichéd ending.

The film had potential, a great cast, some good cinematography, but ultimately it was a disappointment. Certainly shouldn't be the Oscar favourite all the critics seem to be raving about.

SPECTRE: Formulaic, boring Bond!

SPECTRE contains all the famous elements of a James Bond film - fast cars, beautiful women, explosions, dastardly villains in secret lairs. The problem seems to be that the director and writers seemed more concerned with including all these elements than creating a coherent plot or memorable characters.

The film begins with a superlative tracking shot following James Bond through downtown Mexico City during the Day of the Dead festivities. The sequence shows great technical skill but it is brought to a shuddering halt. Too often in the film, good sequences are ruined by jarring moments that don't fit. Later, a car chase in Rome, contains moments of attempted humour that jar against the overall dark tone of the film. And SPECTRE is certainly dark, almost all scenes take place at night, and often in the dark of abandoned buildings. At the same time, the car chase lacks the tension of a classic Bond chase scene, seeming more like an advert for the beauty of Rome than Bond escaping with his life.

This chase follows a largely unnecessary diversion to meet Monica Belluci's gangsters moll. Her role is completely inconsequential to the film other than to send Bond to a meeting with the films main villain, Franz Oberhauser.

Too quickly, the meeting is over, and overall, Oberhauser features far too little in the film. Of course, this could just be a set-up for appearances in later films, but it leaves SPECTRE lacking in villainy. This isn't helped by the fact that Oberhauser's dastardly plot is incoherent, and not a particularly frightening prospect. Oberhauser's plot is to take over global surveillance systems which suggests the films desperate attempt to appear relevant in a world following the revelations of the NSA and Edward Snowden. Oberhauser's plan doesn't appear any worse than the reality of what is actually going on in the world. Furthermore, Oberhauser's intentions are complicated by his seeming desire for revenge against James Bond over old family connections, a plot point borrowed from Skyfall and Silva's desire for revenge on M.

And as has become de riguer for Bond films, there is a mole within MI5 who is working for the villain, but its obvious from the start who it is so there is no surprise in the reveal.

The film borrows heavily from earlier Bond films with references to From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice amongst others, as well as tying up loose ends from the previous three films.

This determination to pay homage detracts from the film as there is little original on show. Its a shame as the film has an excellent cast but in particular Christoph Waltz and Monica Bellucci are wasted. Lea Seydoux is good, but at times falls into the tropes of the Bond girls of old instead of the more nuanced female characters of the more recent films. It was nice to see more of Ben Whishaw as Q, but Ralph Fiennes is a huge step back from Judi Dench as M, while Moneypenny played by Naomie Harris fails to justify her larger than usual role in the film. Most worryingly Daniel Craig is on autopilot, seeming disinterested, no longer the perky young Bond of Casino Royale.

Overall, the film then is a disappointment. Sam Mendes brings nothing new here, hopefully the talk of him signing on for Bond 25 comes to nothing as the series needs a new direction.

The Big Short: A witty expose of the Wall Street crash of 2008

The Big Short focuses on four individuals on Wall Street who predicted the sub-prime mortgage crisis and banking collapse of 2008. Knowing that the housing bubble was going to burst they decided to bet against the banks by buying credit default swaps. Christian Bale plays Michael Burry, a hedge fund investor who in 2005 makes the prediction and starts the market on credit default swaps. Other investors, played by Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt soon get wind of Burrys prediction and decide to follow him.

The banks laugh about them as they are so confident about the security of the housing market but sell the credit default swaps thinking its easy money. But of course, as we know, these people were proved right as a mortgage crisis led to several banks collapsing while others were given huge government bailouts. When the housing market collapsed, these investors made billions, with Burry making a 489% profit on his investment!

The film does very well to explain the jargon behind the banking. It does so by regularly breaking the fourth wall as characters talk directly to the audience.

At the same time the film highlights the bravado of the banks and bankers who were so sure of the housing market that they walked straight into the crisis. Bankers are shown as narcissistic, greedy individuals who care only about making money and don't care who suffers. At the same time, the four who bet against the bankers are shown as the heroes of the film, as if they, unlike the bankers, have a conscience. This is despite the fact that they made huge amounts of money as a result of banks going into crisis which lead to millions in the USA losing their homes and jobs

Some of the characters do try and warn the banks they are heading for crisis, and also tip off the media, but they are ignored and ridiculed. One particularly memorable scene sees Carrell speaking at a debate at a bankers conference in Las Vegas. He is laughed at and ridiculed by a banker from Bear Stearns, while at the same time, the banks value is shown plummeting, an event that helped precipitate the crisis.

Unfortunately the film does descend into Wolf of Wall Street style excess at times when showing the bankers lifestyles. This can be wearying and seems to be a desperate attempt to add a bit of thrill to what is otherwise a very dialogue heavy film. And women have a very small role in the film, other than when they are strippers being objectified. By the time Marisa Tomei reappeared near the end of the film, I had forgotten that she was in it. Although this can be said to be a reflection of the real banking world, which is very male dominated.

Overall though, the film is enjoyable and informative. The film is very well acted, particularly by Steve Carrell who is on top form as the most cynical of the four. He is also the one who most realises who will suffer most from the banking crisis, its not the bankers or investors. Its the people who are evicted from their homes.

The film ends with the frustrating note that the banks who survived the crisis, are now engaging in exactly the same practices that led to the crisis, they have just changed the jargon. As we know, capitalism is bound up in boom and bust cycles, during the bust, some companies like Bear Stearns will go broke but others will survive and continue on. And it will be the ordinary people who pay for the damage. Ultimately, we have to change the system that is tied up in these institutions. To protect people, and end the greed and avarice of the wealthy and powerful, we need to get rid of capitalism.

A 2011 report from San Francisco

This is an article I wrote in September 2011 in relation to protests against police brutality in San Francisco at the time. Given the current events in the USA, its still relevant so thought I would share it again.

Report from an American city up in arms

Protest is alive and well in the US, well at least in San Francisco, where weekly protests have been held against police brutality. This follows the recent killing of two people by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police. Kenneth Harding, a 19 year old African-American was shot in the back as he ran away from police who suspected him of having not paid his $2 fare on the BART train. Charles Hill, a homeless man was gunned down on a station platform. These two killings by BART police took place in the space of a month.

These events have led to the setting up of the No Justice, No BART Campaign who have organised the weekly protests. Targeting busy BART stations during evening rush hour, they have provoked a hugely disproportionate response by the Police. Police have shut off mobile phone use in BART trains and stations to stop protesters from organizing. Witnesses to the killings and protesters have been intimidated and even thrown in prison.

For the duration of the first two protests, police closed all Downtown BART stations also affecting the MUNI subway system which shares many of the same stations. On Thursday 8^th September, protesters at Powell St. station, (one of the busiest in the city) attempted to open the station gates so passengers could get on the trains without paying. The police responded by closing the station and kettling around 100 protesters inside. Other protesters outside handed out leaflets to bewildered would-be passengers, and shouted slogans and abuse at the riot cops blocking the station entrance.

 

The BART serves some of the poorest areas in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay area. The two men shot dead by the police were both shot in poor neighbourhoods in San Francisco. This is part of a growing problem of police brutality in the poorest areas of American cities. In Oakland, which is connected to San Francisco by the BART, and is much less well off, statistics show that 80% of the time when police draw their guns they shoot. This has contributed to a growing fear and distrust of the police in poor areas, particularly in black and Latino areas, as police patrol these areas heavily armed. This fear would likely have contributed to Kenneth Harding running away from police despite the fact they only suspected him of fare dodging.

 

These actions have brought into question the whole necessity of police on trains and in stations as well as the whole need for transit fares. Statistics have shown that the amount raised by ticket sales only covers the costs of issuing and policing the tickets. Other costs are covered by general city funds. So by getting rid of fares and policing of them, the BART system could be made both safer and more accessible.

 

The issues of the BART police relate into wider issues in American society today. With the continuing economic crisis, homelessness and poverty are on the rise. Public services to help people get out of these situations are having their funding cut just when they are most needed.

In San Francisco, instead of increasing funding for homeless services, the authorities have introduced a law against people sitting or lying down on the street. Of course, criminalising sleeping on the street does nothing to solve the problem and only increases anger of people already frustrated by cutbacks in essential services. This feeds into the anger and distrust of police and authority, who are responding with force and zero tolerance for dissent.

 

What is happening in San Francisco though is only a microcosm of what is happening around the United States. San Francisco is largely quite a wealthy city without the poor ghettos that exist in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. All the conditions are in place and it would be no surprise for events similar to the recent riots in England to happen in these cities.