tennisoz

What's happening to football?

Player forgets to attend drug test - moving house he says, but photographed shopping at Harvey Nicks most of the day. Takes the test 36 hours later (one could think he would be clean by then if he wasn't before). What would happen if I refused to take a breathalyser? Fellow England players suggest they may go on strike in support (pick another 11 or play the Under 21's don't give in to the spoilt, overpaid lot). (whole thing not handled well by FA admitedly).

Alleged gang rape in London, alleged rape in Leeds, Chelsea players in fracas in nightclub, Asian beaten up in Leeds, Newcastle player fined for fracas outside Cardiff nightclub, former Liverpool (now Leeds) player's obscene gestures to an England team-mate and Everton fans etc, etc, etc, etc.

My (Aussie Rules) football club has a clause in all their players conctracts - they are not allowed to be full time football ie they have to do something else with their time. They are given 3 options - get a part-time job/run a business, enrol in a course or do community work/work in the schools for the club as it is felt this gives them a bit of reality and perspective and no idle time. Breach these conditions, breach of contract, out the door! This is my suggestion for footballers here.

Apparently the average wage of all Premiership players is just in excess of £10,000 per week - we are talking about A$1,274,000 per annum for your average player (anyone in the salary survey on that?) Some players including many of the aforementioned earn up to 10 times this figure just from playing, without endorsements.

Just thought I'd start this thread to get some views. PLEASE don't make potentially libellous statements or mention anyone by name.

And another thing, why does manager of team that play in red get rid of a well known person who appears to be one of the cleanest living and decent of the lot and yet he puts up with the likes of the aforementioned (who has also lost his driving licence twice for drink driving)?? More acceptable in Govan perhaps this type of thing than the lifestyle (or wife) of the other.

The pot is stirred!

TennisOz

bondipom

Names have already been name in another thread

tennisoz

Yeah, I know but we don't want the forum closed down from here on in.

TennisOz

PeteY

The very fact that some players get paid 4 times more in a week what i get in a year is enough to piss me off. Just jealousy really, but still annoying.

They get paid far too much, then when they do somthing bad (a certain ex leeds now magpies player springs to mind), they don't get punished. I reckon the punishment should be VERY severe. These people are kiddies role models.

The game needs more people like owen, or wilkinson for rugby. Good guys.


I love footie (playing or watching, but i dont go in for all this daft "my club" nonsense).....but rugby is farrr better in my opinion.

I really hate it when people say things like "WE won the other day". I was under the impression the team won.....

tennisoz

Agreed! Allegedly MO gambles 'megabucks' though doesn't he - or shouldn't I believe the tabloid headlines?

TennisOz

footie chick

Whatever happens in the weeks to follow, it is clear that things have to change. Some footballers are paid immense amounts of money and believe they are untouchable. Recent events whether true or not show the world that football is on the brink of changing forever.

Football has a huge following and many a six year old week after week idolises a player of a club and wants to grow up to play like his/her hero. But there are a few players out there which are ruining it.

If the England players want to strike, fine get in 11 other players that would love the chance to gain a cap for their country.

There are some fantastic sportsmen in this country that love their sport and also respect and there are others that have no respect.


footie chick

PeteY

Reading that.....i do recall somthing along those lines yes....

markeh

Hi tennisoz,
they are only human, but do get well paid.

Refusing a brethaliser is a different offence to failing it. (That's what all the police do.) and it is not DD.

Managers, they manage as they won't.

Remember it's only a game

Regards
Markeh

PeteY

Would agree with that sentance if it related to the 1960's.

Its a commercial enterprise now.....

I paid £35 to watch Charton play Man U the other week.....my dad remebers when it was £2, and my grandad remembers when it was free.

Badge

I'm with Petey on the whole soccer culture thing. The day they mix the supporters is the day soccer finally grows up.

We need role models like rugby's Wilkinson (the man's discipline is amazing!- anyone else been collecting his kicking series in the Times?)etc, not the Oscar hopefuls on the soccer pitches.

Can't wait to see the end of soccer as a mass TV sport on arrival in Straya. I am aware it is popuar over there.

badge

PeteY

Badgers....that was the word i was looking for. Culture.

I love the game.....but not the culture.


And yes B....fooball is popular in oz. And the thing i like about it expeically, is that its at a stage that britain was in 40 years ago. Its cheap even to see the big (for oz) games, and the fans ar'nt as "dedicated". My brother in law plays football (soccer...whats soccer? ) 3 times a week and loves it.

tennisoz

The point which the player in question and his team mates are missing is that not attending a drug test is regarded in the rules so seriously that it is read as refusing which is taken to mean guilty. Just because you are thick and claim you couldn't remember to take the test is no defence.

As was said by others it is not just a game - BSkyB just sold their 9.9% stake in MUFC to 2 Irish horseowners for £62 million. An interesting aside is that the same gentlemen refused the club manager a share of the £10 million per annum stud fees for a horse that he had a share in. They now don't talk but these gents own 23.2% of the club and rising. Could said manager be out on his ear in the future?

I suppose I should have titled the thread the beautiful game withers!

I not sure what your point is about the breathalyser. As I understand it refusing to take it is treated by courts as failing it (at least in Oz it is). I don't drink incidentally. Love the slogan in Oz - Drink, Drive, Bloody Idiot but I diverge.

TennisOz

r.bartlett

well i'm on the players side..

only a couple of weeks previously another player missed the d.t the player went to trbunial and was fined 3k and told not to miss it again.

he was not 'named and shamed'

the particular player was telephoned and said he could return with in a couple of hours. this wasn't deemed acceptable.
he then completed a sucessful test 36hrs later. then told he would be facing a disp.tribunial. -ie normal proceedure.

after that he was 'named and shamed'


however the FA felt that they needed to raise their credibility and hence went all 'draconian' rather than wait for the normal proceedure of a trial/fine/telling off as previous...

therefore it becomes a clear case of victimisation


i feel the players showed great courage in sticking together (err arn't the papers always going on about teamwork??) and I would have backed them even if they'd refused to go..

this went from a player (union member) doing something wrong -and accepting that a hearing would be necessary and due punnishment accepted,

to the FA (management) treating someone outside the laid down and accepted proceedure in order to make some outside 'point'
which makes it victimisation and unfair treatment.

i would hope that all employees here are intelligent enough to reconise this.

and all employers here will know that there are legal proceedures laid down and to err because you 'feel like it' puts you in breach of contract.

this is about correct proceedures..the fact it was football is irrelevent.(also the fact he is an 'average' player at best and was never worth anywhere near 20m is also irrelevent!!)

cheers

richard

WBB

football in my opinion is doing just fine.


the player in question did not refuse a drugs test he simply forgot, players are not superhuman, im sure we all forget important things from time to time.
he did offer to do the test less than 2 hours later but his offer was declined


this is just a reflection of our society and although regretable these incidents you have picked out are the very worst football related headlines over the last 5 years or so.


i am sure this latest drug test "scandal" will come to nothing, maybe a small fine so the F.A dont get left with egg on their faces and as for the alleged gang rape this was a classic set up and the drunk young football stars took the bait.

and as for the latest leeds star accused of rape - who i am sure we could name here as the name is now well known - who knows?

young_lad

Totally agree richard

I'm suprised at the overwhelming need to condemn the players stance. They think one of their mates and colleagues have been unfairly treated and they took a stand.

I would like to think my mates and colleagues would do the same for me should they think I've been unfairly treated.

The FA on the other hand have acted utterly shabbily.

The FA's action has been inconsistent and hypercritical.