New Signings > European Champions League CSR Team
UPDATE:
Seems like my fun and speedily thrown together post during the UEFA Champions League Final has caused a bit of a stir, and rightly too. A few eagle eyed CSR friends noticed the deliberate mistake and passed the test. Honest.
Yes, the team lacked a little gender diversity and was all men! My original selection criteria was very loose and based on CSR reputation and any football connections (and my awareness of). Like any good team Captain I’ve had an imaginary word with the Manager and suggested a couple of new signings both on and off the pitch. I only hope we can afford the fees and will be actively looking for a new sponsorship deal with Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream (any ideas who’s been scouted?) to help with the fees.
I’ve included the new signings below, assuming the money is available. I’ve also had imaginary calls to those who’ve been dropped to make way for the new players, with one dummy spat out (now playing in the reserves) and one player off to be a TV pundit.
I’m also starting to scout the USA for the next team, after all we’re going to need somebody to play against! Let me know who I should pick?
I couldn’t resist picking a European Champions League CSR squad today following inspiration from @aandreup’s Tweet and of course tonight’s big game.
@SedexTom CSR manager is the Midfielder: links deffense (risk) & attack (business units). Fans are your most important stakeholder:customers—
Alberto Andreu (@aandreup) May 27, 2011
A great point simply stated.
It made me smile and sent me back a few years to my time in football. So, sat in front of Barcelona V Man Utd in tonight’s European Champions League final I decided to pick my own CSR European team.
With a few years behind me as manager of an England squad I’d like to think I could put a decent team together. Whilst I’ve tried my very best to focus on European based professionals I’ve included one or two quality overseas players befitting of a European final – they may of had distant European ancestry / passports somewhere to qualify 
Team Sheet:
- Fabian Pattberg
- Daniel Cade
- Brendan May
John Craig- Elaine Cohen- Julien Goy
- Frederic Page
- David Connor
Henk Campher– Solitaire Townsend- James Farrar
- Toby Webb
- Juan Villamayor
- Chris Milton
- John Kim
- Diana Verde Nieto
Manager: Alberto Andreu Pinillos
New signing: Assistant Manager – Lucy Marcus
How the team was selected:
Fabian Pattberg (Germany) – Goalkeeper – @FabianPattberg
You need a tall guy in goal and Fabian is also definitely a safe pair of hands with great distribution via www.theenvironmentsite.org
Daniel Cade (Switzerland) – Right Back – via @Responsiball
A great all round knowledge of CSR and sport – check out www.responsiball.org and must be fit enough as allegedly known to do triathlons.
Brendan May (England) – Central Defence – @bmay
With a strong NGO background Brendan had to be a defender, and as a Liverpool fan was destined to make it into the team.
Jim Craig (England) – Central Defence – @jimcraiguk
The second of the Liverpool FC fan pairing in the heart of the defence. Ex- Sun Microsystems now running his own CSR business (www.greengauges.eu), a dependable stopper.
New signing: Elaine Cohen (England via Israel) – Central Defence – @elainecohen
The queen of CSR reporting is an obvious improvement to our defensive line-up. Elaine’s scrutiny doesn’t allow anything to get past her. Her hometown of Manchester should have been an obvious reason too!
Julien Goy (Switzerland) – Left Back – @juliengoy
I’m guessing but I can imagine Julien as a pacey wing back (I’ve seen his running times on Endomondo). He was also recently spotted on a UEFA coaching video.
David Connor (England) – Central Midfield & Captain – @davidcoethica
The ‘Duracell Bunny of CSR’ according to Jim Craig (above) and a similar energy on the pitch. Give somebody a coaching badge and they starting organising everything on the pitch – that’s me My distribution has also improved since joining @3BLMedia
Juan Villamayor (Spain) – Right Midfield – @juanvillamayor
We had to have at least one Spaniard in the team and is based in Barcelona (according to Twitter). With a look of Xabi Alonso about his online photos that’s more than enough to get in the team.
Henk Campher (USA) – Central Midfield – @AngryAfrican
You can’t have a successful team without a communicator (SVP at Edelman) in the middle of the pitch, and another avid Liverpool FC fan.
New signing: Solitaire Townsend (England) – Central Midfield – @GreenSolitaire
A like-for-like replacement in the middle of the park. A talented home-grown midfield green communicator to orchestrate proceedings.
Frederic Page (France) – Left Midfield – @carbonimpact
He may be French but another Barcelona based CSR star had to make the starting eleven. Hope he’s left footed.
Toby Webb (England) – Attack – @tobiaswebb76
Definitely not afraid of saying what needs to be said and had to be in attack. A great recent post on Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) forced him into contention.
James Farrar (Ireland) – Attack – @jamesfarrar
A CSR great who like Toby isn’t known for being shy about those who could do better. An intelligent striker using SAP’s energy efficiency software to enable him to keep up with the younger upstarts.
Alberto Andreu Pinillos (Spain) – Manager – @aandreup
The shrewd statesman of the squad and the reason for the post. The Manager role feels perfect for him.
New signing: Lucy Marcus (England) – Assistant Manager – @LucyMarcus
We needed a foil for our male dominated structure and we’re glad to welcome Lucy into the football boardroom to improve our strategic thinking.
Chris Milton – (England) – @britesprite
A passionate CSR / sustainability writer – not sure football is even his game!
John Kim – (USA) – @worldcupCSR
Herman Miller’s A Better World / CSR Marketing Manager and knowledgeable football / CSR blogger
New signing: Diana Verde Nieto (England) – @dianaverdenieto
A great leader and all-rounder able to change the team’s performance when playing.
Love it
But would have liked to see a few females 
! There, I said it!
Susan McPherson
May 29, 2011 at 2:41 am
Me too. I did think about trying to find footballing connections to female CSR stars.
The closest I could think of was Elaine Cohen hailing from Manchester – think I might need to add her in!
No place in any team is guaranteed! Inclusion is based on recent performances.
I can feel a monthly global team idea forming
Always keen to make team changes if anybody can make suggestions?
Who can you think of Susan?
davidcoethica
May 29, 2011 at 11:45 am
That’s a challenge if ever I heard one!
How about Jill Poet @ORB_UK?
And Lucy Marcus @lucymarcus?
And Sarah Cary @SarahCary?
And Elaine Cohen @elainecohen?
Rebecca
Rebecca Lovelace
May 30, 2011 at 10:10 am
Excellent idea David. Thanks for including me as well. Not sure that I would have picked me for goalie!
Fabian
May 29, 2011 at 5:36 am
Looks great! I have to admit: my left foot will need some practice…So Fabian, make sure you keep an eye on our left wing, there could be trouble over there!
Julien
May 29, 2011 at 2:00 pm
I think we’ll need some practice games to finalise positions on the field. It’s not easy to tell people’s footballing strengths from a Twitter bio
Maybe a game against a USA CSR team? Could be another team to be selected! A CSR World Cup perhaps?
davidcoethica
May 29, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Hilarious. David in fine form after the Champions Legaue Final — I’m assuming that his preferred team won.
I wonder how we’d actually get on in a real match. We definitely could play the Americans and they could certainly field a team. But what about Asia, Africa … who are the players there? I don’t know either and that in itself says a lot………….
Thanks for including me…..
James Farrar
May 29, 2011 at 2:34 pm
I, like Susan, was looking for a little diversity. but hey, I applaude your innovative approach.
Company2Keep Inc.
May 29, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Loving the fact that I got the nod at right back over a certain G. Neville; especially considering his recent foray into the world of sustainability in sport
How about the upcoming Mondialli Antirazzisti tournament as a venue to put your tactical nous to test, David? http://bit.ly/jPowOC
Daniel Cade
May 29, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Hey great team! Congrats David by the idea
We will have to do ours in Julio, after the America Cup
Regards!
Fernando Legrand @rseonline
May 29, 2011 at 10:51 pm
well David, Confucius says “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” Obviously you are neither lost nor in danger, as you smartly listened and learned from your stakeholders, and adapted your strategy accordingly. Of course, having us gals on the team will catapult the CSR Team to the top of the league in no time, – the power of diversity always triumphs. Anyway, glad to be part of such an illustrious team … when do we play Man U?
elaine
elaine cohen
May 30, 2011 at 3:12 pm
It’s all about the best team – quality shines through!
Not sure about Man Utd – they’ll probably be licking their wounds for some time after Saturday’s performance.
davidcoethica
May 30, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Remember, we have everything to play for. There are no easy games in CSR. We’re still early doors this season but if we all give it 110% we’ll be too good to go down. ‘El Futbol Es Asi‘
Solitaire Townsend
May 30, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Was that an audition for Match of the Day?
Gary Lineker needs to watch out!
davidcoethica
May 30, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Does this mean us Canucks need to put together the hockey team of CSR?! I’d better get on the phone with Chris Jarvis…
Celesa Horvath
May 30, 2011 at 4:56 pm
I think you are lacking CSR and sustainability in the developing world (Africa) (Entrepreneurship) , athletic talent, and corporate gov. in the form of youth/gender (diversity).
I hate to say it but if you don’t have Umair Haque on your team, you are lost. =)
Beth Goldman
May 30, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Hi Beth
Umair is a brilliant suggestions but competition for places is strong and we need to see how those selected play in their first game.
We’re a European team not African but think we’re not too bad on athletic talent (marathoners, triathlete, coaches etc).
Admittedly we could do with more youth coming through the system and I’m working in a a youth CSR & football academy next!
David
davidcoethica
May 30, 2011 at 9:14 pm
I got dropped! I feel like a Chelsea player. But an excellent replacement! Can I make the US squad though?
Henk Campher
June 2, 2011 at 5:07 am
Hi Henk
It was a tough decision, that’s why I’m paid the big money (not) to make these big changes
If you keep up the hard work and quality perforances you may well end up in an interesting looking USA XI – watch this space!
David
davidcoethica
June 6, 2011 at 2:20 pm