FA new boy Beck was a Master of the Dark Arts... and likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City still use mind games to give themselves an edge

By Neil Ashton

PUBLISHED: 18:01 EST, 8 October 2013 | UPDATED: 18:01 EST, 8 October 2013


When it came to the Dark Arts, John Beck was in a league of his own.

A quarter of a century ago, he would fill the opposition’s tea with a ton of sugar and his Cambridge team hump the ball long up to John Taylor and Dion Dublin. That’s what teams did back then but he took it to another level.

On Sunday it emerged that this infamous hit-and-hope merchant is working for the FA as a coach educator.

Not everyone's cup of tea: Former Cambridge manager John Beck, holding a mug without tons of sugar in it, was a long-ball merchant and a Master of the Dark Arts

Not everyone's cup of tea: Former Cambridge manager John Beck, holding a mug without tons of sugar in it, was a long-ball merchant and a Master of the Dark Arts

 
   

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Beck has been employed by former West Ham midfielder Geoff Pike, who was employed by the FA’s director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking.

Besides Beck’s primitive long-ball tactics at the Abbey Stadium, some of his motivational techniques included throwing ice water over his players in the minutes before kick-off.

Steve Claridge and company were filmed shrieking in the showers when they were put through this unorthodox ritual on their journey to the FA Cup quarter-final in 1990 against Crystal Palace.

Beck earned notoriety among opposition teams for leaving the grass long in the corners to hold up the ball when they booted it long, which they often did.

The visitors' dressing room was flooded with water just hours before the opposition arrived so that it was damp and depressing for the players when they walked in. It was inconvenient, but it didn’t break the rules.

Nearly 25 years on, the top clubs in the Barclays Premier League still manipulate the rules and the culture to suit to give their team a psychological edge.

At Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium the home team’s substitutes have the luxury of heated seats to keep them warm in the winter.

A few yards away, where the visiting club’s officials are sitting, they are not quite so lucky: City haven’t got round to piping in the heating yet.

Every club is at it, not just City. At the Emirates, the Arsenal dressing room is light and airy.

In the away dressing room a completely different ambience has been created to create uncertainty for opposition teams.

Liverpool play on their anthem – ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – to maximise home advantage and play on their history of five European Cups and 18 league titles. It works.

Last week Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway was beaten before his team even walked out at Anfield when he admitted: ‘It’s worth a 10-0 hammering just to hear that song’. In the end they only lost 3-1, but he got to hear 40,000 Liverpool supporters belt it out before the game.

Iconic: Brendan Rodgers next to the 'This is Anfield' sign, which gives Liverpool an edge at home

Iconic: Brendan Rodgers next to the 'This is Anfield' sign, which gives Liverpool an edge at home

Beaten before the match: Daniel Sturridge celebrates as Liverpool defeat Crystal Palace 3-1

Beaten before the match: Daniel Sturridge celebrates as Liverpool defeat Crystal Palace 3-1

That song gives Liverpool an edge, the first test for the visiting team after they have passed the legendary ‘This is Anfield’ sign on the way down that tight tunnel.

Brendan Rodgers asked for the original sign to be put back up  when he became Liverpool manager. He wanted his players to feel the history of the club and to remind the opposition that Anfield is a special sporting arena.

They help to give teams the edge and make sure the chances of success are loaded in their favour.

Up at Cambridge, Beck was working out the statistical chances of scoring goals long before Opta got going.

A guy called Neil Lanham was employed by Dave Bassett at Wimbledon to provide statistical analysis on the future opponents and to break down the chances of success in certain situations.

When Lanham left Wimbledon following the arrival of Bobby Gould at Plough Lane, Beck employed him at Cambridge United. Sensible move.

At Cambridge, Beck worked with limited resources and played football in mud-baths. Sometimes they turned into bloodbaths.

A warm glow: Manuel Pellegrini sits on the heated seats in the home dug out at the Etihad during Saturday's win over Everton

A warm glow: Manuel Pellegrini sits on the heated seats in the home dug out at the Etihad during Saturday's win over Everton

That’s the way it was for a lot of football clubs back when everyone played 4-4-2, almost without exception.

Despite the suspicion about his role within the FA, there are few coaches better equipped at dealing with the dark arts than Beck.

He knows everything there is to know about the stunts managers can pull and not everybody in the modern game plays by the rules.

For that reason he has something to offer, an added dimension as part of the country’s coaching courses.

There are plenty of development squads in the Premier League playing long-ball football because the demands to win matches are still so high.

Good times: Arsenal's players, fresh out of their light and airy dressing room, celebrate scoring against Napoli

Good times: Arsenal's players, fresh out of their light and airy dressing room, celebrate scoring against Napoli

Two weeks ago at Southampton, who play in the same manner of the first team, their Under 16s played Reading the morning before the senior side played Palace at St Mary’s.

Reading relied on two quick strikers and a quick ball that bypassed their midfield. Southampton’s young players were not accustomed to it.

There is pressure to play in a certain style but not every team is willing to sacrifice results for cosmetic appreciation.

That’s where men such as Beck can be beneficial.

If he’s teaching students to kick it long, there is no place for him in the English game.

But if he can tell coaches how to combat it when they come up against direct football, he deserves a chance.


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He was incredibly successful, took Cambridge United from the 4th division to the brink of the premier league in successive seasons, with 2 great FA cup runs along the way. Nothing wrong at all with the FA employing him, good luck to him.

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John Beck and his clan of cloggers where nasty, cynical cheaters who constantly broke the rules.....

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@TMc589 A quote from Holloway..... ""The fans were singing You'll Never Walk Alone, my dad's favourite song. He is no longer with us. I was very emotional and singing along with them."

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"There is a place for Beck in the modern game" Hahahaha

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Why is Brendan holding a pickaxe? Lol. I apologise of its not one.

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Holloway is the turkey that would vote for Christmas. He really shouldn't be managing at the top level.

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To be saved from a problem, you must admit you have a problem (BUT the FA still think they know their a$$ from their elbow)

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No wonder we're getting nowhere it's an old boys network , the thing is it's not really a shock Just like tennis stuck in a rut of our own making until we cut all ties Sack them all and hire the Belgium FA they seem to be doing something right !!!!

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YNWA was Holloways fathers favourite song. That's why he sang it!!

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Let me break it down - Most people in English football are 2 dimensional and thick hence why England lack creativity in the game, in this country the working class have a huge disadvantage to the middle classes unlike other countries where most masses are reasonably intelligent, in England the working class are thick as planks while the middle and upper classes are very very intelligent and sharp.!!!

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