Football In The Gutter.

Whatever happened to ‘Steak and Scampi’?

As a youngster, every week I eagerly awaited the latest football magazines. The news, the statistics, the posters, and the interviews and player profiles that informed you that the player in question favoured a meal of steak or scampi, drove a Ford Capri Ghia, had a comfortable, but not over exhuberant home, had a strong fancy for Farah Fawcett, and most footballers back then inexplicably seemingly also had a pet dog.

So what happened? Nowadays, the players are paid much more than ever before, drive £100,000 super-charged motors (No wonder Ashley Cole was caught doing 104mph recently), and more often than not, they have a high maintainance wife or girlfriend, or ‘Wag’, as they have become known hanging off them, and rather than a pre-match steak dinner, they’ll most probably tuck into a bowl of pasta. Their working day is usually finished by lunchtime, and then they are free to return to their pallatial mansion, with it’s gated driveway. They can check out their ‘Wags’ latest purchases, the Jimmy Choo’s and Gucci handbags. Then they have a choice of a dip in the pool, or perhaps pass some time in the games room? Video games, or pool. Followed by a light workout in their gym, finished off with a sauna. It’s a hard life. Not. Honestly, any footballer moaning about anything financially, deserves a slap. No really. I could not believe the Portsmouth players. They seemed worried that their pay was late. (Not for the first time, granted) But I don’t expect any of them to be worrying about having debt collectors knocking on the door, or coming to take their plasma TV away, becasuse they’ve missed payments on it. And there we have it. The distance of the modern game from reality.
Add to all this, the controversies of the alleged infidelity of Beckham, the early alleged nocturnal activities of Rooney, the bar-room brawling of Gerrard, and the latest incidents of the England captain ‘playing away’ with a team-mates girlfriend, and it is all very alarming. And I am sure there are a lot more which are not known about. And then only this morning there are allegations (which have been stirring for a few weeks) of a Premiership manager visiting a ‘massage parlour’. So what on earth is going on? Have the players and people in the game let the money and ‘power’ go to their heads? Have they forgotton that they are in the public domain, and therefore really do need to be a bit careful about their image? (At this point, I can visualize a player, nobody specific, from 50 years ago, sat at his kitchen table, wearing a suit and tie, being poured a cup of tea by his smiling wife, who is wearing a flowery dress)
Let’s be honest, lads have always been lads. But then again, do the players of today have the same respect for themselves and others, as they did way back when? Or are they carried away on the publicity, and saturation TV coverage? I think it all boils down to discipline. I always laugh when I see players arriving for a game, attired in club suits,but wearing either a baseball cap, or earphones for an Ipod. Sometimes both. Could you imagine men such as Busby, Shankly, or Clough putting up with that? I’ve heard a story about Busby chewing a player out for having his tie in his pocket, and can you imagine Shankly or Cloughie? I cringe at the thought. Are todays players a bunch of ‘Champagne Charlie’s’? You have to wonder.
Regarding John Terry. Ok, what he has done was bad. Not the thing to do. But throughout history, it is something that has happened. It is only the fact that he is in the limelight as a top, top, footballer that such a kerfuffle has been made of it. This type of thing has gone on in the game for years. The media, and also public outcry over this has been amazing. And at this time of writing, Fabio Capello has yet to make his decision on the matter. But what do people want? John Terry to give up his captaincy? Or his place in the England team? I think a sensible decision has to be made, in the interests of the England team. My opinion is that John Terry should face the cameras, offer a full apology, stating that he was badly in the wrong, knows he has let so many people down, etc, but that he feels so proud to be England captain, and that nothing would make him prouder than lifting the World Cup in the summer. I don’t think he can do any more than that. What do people want, blood?

If that’s the case, the surely Terry must stay, both in the team, AND as captain. Because when the heat is on in South Africa, you just know that John Terry will SWEAT blood for the cause.

Now, I must go. My steak and scampi is getting cold.