Throw the cheque book at them

Hate Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, John Terry and every other highly paid Premier League footballer all you want, but when you take a step back from your opinions ask yourself this, why do you hate these people so much?

Is it jealousy? Is it media generated? Or is it the fact the hard-working football fan needs a scapegoat when bellyaching about the declining state of the modern game. Once upon a time these players were the pride of England and the love of every household across the country, so what has changed?

Oh right yeah, some rich multi-squillionaire has taken over their club and threw a mountain of cash into their bank account for doing the exact same job they were doing well before he arrived. And you hate them because...?

Britain is frankly obsessed with money, no matter what you read, what you listen to or where you look money will no doubt become emblazoned into your mind within a few seconds. Long gone are the days where people discussed what you do or how you do it, the only question surfacing now is how much do you get paid for it. It is no surprise to see footballer's wages getting splashed across newspaper back pages, but how can you possibly begrudge these people for taking as much money as they can from fat cat club owners and big cheese TV bosses.

However no matter how much money footballers get paid, whether it is an astronomical amount or even no amount the perception of them as greedy, arrogant celebrities will not change, at least not in my generation. The success of team GB at the Beijing Olympics seems to have given the media even more ammunition to fuel their absolute undying hatred for the Premier League footballer, especially the English ones.

Yes of course like everyone else I am immensely proud of the achievements in Beijing but the constant need to compare this success with the England football failures is frankly insulting to both the athletes and the footballers. And also the need to discuss both parties salaries I think is irrelevant and unnecessary. If Rebecca Adlington had received £120k in funding instead of her £12k, do you think because she was paid more she wouldn't have been capable of winning two gold medals? It's a ridiculous theory to think that when it comes to people playing sports money and success counteract.

After reading an article in a GB Olympic newspaper pull-out I was shocked to see how many times the English football team was mentioned, despite the fact the majority of players can't even spell Beijing never mind compete there. Once again the media reaffirms its love for the underdog and their predictable nature of building someone up until it goes horribly wrong, which then gives them license to shatter their reputation in one well written piece of journalism.

Without sounding cynical if I had just returned from Beijing with a GB gold medal, I honestly would be waiting for the eventual media backlash. Granted this could be in time but what about if Rebecca Adlington doesn't win gold in 2012? Will the media put their arms around her and say 'better luck next time you did us proud?' Absolutely no chance I'm afraid, especially when she will earn a bucket load from now until then.

When mentioning the Olympic success the article read: 'And, after following our preening, overpaid footballers to countless fruitless World Cups - Gazza's tears way back in 1990 and those predictable penalty misses - this was pure magic. England's sullen soccer stars insult the fans who idolise them by sulking in defeat before buying another Bentley to cheer themselves up.'

If money is the problem then take a look at Michael Phelps; he has just become the most successful Olympian in history with eight gold medals at this summers games. Now I can virtually guarantee that this man will be a multi-millionaire, whether that is through sponsorships, prize money or Olympic funding. And the reason why he still managed to dominate his sport despite all this distraction of money was not because he has the desire and passion to, it's because he has the ability to.

Over the last ten years when has any England footballer or England team made you think that they should be the best on the planet? What reasons would you give when arguing the case for England to rule the football world? The reason why these 'preening, overpaid footballers' never win anything is because they are not capable of winning anything, in short, they are not good enough. And throwing stupid amounts of money at them each week is not going to change this. It is typical English arrogance that allows us to think we have a divine right to become the best team in the world, this then leads to unnecessary pressure on players to produce something that borders on the impossible.

And when it all goes wrong who do we blame? We blame the players because blaming ourselves for expecting something completely unachievable would make us look foolish.

However not everyone holds a bitter regard towards top flight footballers, Jimmy Greaves scored 124 league goals in his four seasons playing for Chelsea, including a club record 41 in the 1960-61 season. He was quoted as saying: 'I recently calculated that in my four years with Chelsea I was paid £4,000, including bonuses. That's about thirty quid a league goal. At the time I was earning twice the national wage. Today's Chelsea player's pocket more in two days than most people get in a year. Good luck to them. I only wish I was playing today.'

I agree with his comments because if you were truly honest with yourself you too would strive for as much money as possible in your profession, it is human nature. Forget loyalty, loyalty in football died as soon as BSkyB and the Premier League came to force, so therefore nothing is stopping these players from looking after number one. People quickly forget that if you are a struggling youth player clubs will not think twice about dropping you like a stone if you don't make the grade, this leaves you in the football wilderness trying to afford a living.

Therefore when a player does develop into an unbelievable talent like Wayne Rooney, why shouldn't he go off to Manchester United and treble his wages? Loyalty only gets you so far in this cut throat world. If you worked at Tesco earning £6.50 per hour, would you think twice about leaving for rivals Asda who would pay you £19.50 per hour? Exactly.

I am like every other football fan, I'm bemoaning the state of the game and wishing football would revert back to how it was but at the same time I think I'm realistic enough to acknowledge that this is the way the world is going and as fans we will have to follow suit. Unfortunately money talks and if you want the best you have to pay the best. But in the same breath we are currently fans of the most watched sporting league in the entire world. The Premier League is also the most lucrative football league on the planet with combined club revenues at around £1.8b, which unless I'm mistaken, is 40% above our nearest competitor which is the Italian Serie A League.

Does nobody think it is quite spectacular that the clubs we have supported as a child compete week in week out in the fourth richest division in the world, closely behind America's MLB, NFL and NBA leagues? I realise people argue that on some weekends there is nothing spectacular about the Premier League but nonetheless who would have thought that twenty years ago England would now be hosting talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov and Fernando Torres. Ever since we entered the 1990s, there was a dream for England to have the greatest football league in the world and topple the dominance of European clubs on the continent. This has now been achieved with consummate ease.

But as with everything it comes at a price. And the price is player's wages.

In January 2007 the Premier League as a company agreed to a new £625m deal for overseas television rights. Chief Executive Richard Scudamore at the time believed the deal would 'really take us onto another level.' He is correct in this judgement. Therefore if live Premier League games are being beamed around 208 countries across the globe, due to the world's love of English football, why shouldn't Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and co be paid top dollar? These players boost viewing figures considerably and without exaggeration they entertain millions of households worldwide, thus earning the Premier League ridiculous amounts of money. So why shouldn't they be rewarded for their commercial value? I don't remember anybody criticising Kate Moss for showing her face across the world and getting millions for it.

I realise my opinions in this article have been very much towards defending the modern day footballer, and the reason why I haven't threw in the expected counter arguments is because I think the majority of the reasons are unjust. For example if Liverpool got beat on a Saturday and Steven Gerrard was spotted buying a Mercedes on a Monday what difference would it make? Yet it would be headline news in most newspapers. The problem would be if he was seen buying it two hours before kick-off. People forget footballers have a life outside of their sporting bubble, what they do with their cash is entirely up to them, they wouldn't judge us for buying any expensive watch, so what gives us the right to judge them?

A defeat at the weekend could be down to a number reasons, bad decisions, bad luck or even bad management. You can't always blame players; it is just too easy and papers over the cracks as to why the Premier League is in an ironic state of decline. The media have started a chain that is proving impossible to break, media hates players, fans hate players, players hate managers, and managers hate media, media then sits back and stirs the pot.

The common whine is that these pre-madonna players don't care enough about the shirt they play in, the tradition of the club who pay their wages and the fans who watch them every week. That to some degree is true and is impossible to argue against. But at the end of the day what can we do as fans? Unfortunately players are no longer answerable to the average supporter; they are answerable to no-one which makes them dangerous. They can behave how ever they like and nobody can do a single thing to stop them, it is the sad state of the game.

But do i blame them for being like this? Honestly? No.

I don't condone the amount of money flung at footballers but at the same time I don't begrudge them it. Football in England has changed dramatically, and us powerless fans have two options, like it, or lump it.

James Henderson
www.a-love-supreme.com

Comments

[Josh Dickson]

I can see you are clearly one of the more intelligent posters - keep it up James Henderson I thoroughly enjoy reading and agreeing with you

[James]

Thanks for your comments Joe.

I think that is the correct term for the Premier League if I am honest. By best league in the world I mean according to revenue, veiwing figures etc. I agree that La Liga is by far the most skillful and technically gifted league but it doesn't seem to attract the same attention as the Premier League. And if I'm honest I don't know why that it, apart from the occasional great game we see, we have to endure dire ones like Bolton v West Brom and Middlesbrough v Stoke.

However England seems to be the best place for anyone to play their football, and like you said, that's because fans like me and you put money into our clubs and continue to show them our interest and wallet.

I personally don't have a problem with any of the money issues, I realise it's part of the game. But to sit there and be stupid enough to think a player actually cares about the people who have come to watch him is a ridiculous thoery. I agree entirely with your comments and hope many more people like yourself are intelligent enough to realise football is now a business not a sport. And we have two choices, like it, or lump it.

At the minute I like it so have no problems at all.

[James]

Good spot Paul. It has been changed.

[Paul]

£6.50 x 3 = £19.50

[Joe Christie]

James. Saying we have the best league in the world is subjective. I as well as many others much prefer in football terms what other leagues (in my case la liga) offer in an aesthetic sense of what I think football should be about. Skill pace, intelligence, good passing, good technique. It is no wonder that the best footballers in the world always gravitate to teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona. The most talented footballers want an environment where they can express their skills. The pin-ball, ping pong 100 miles an hour rush-ball displayed in the premiership might be the best spectacle for some (the tv figures do not lie) but certainly not all, and judging by the skewing of top talent in their prime not by the players either. The UK is utterly obsessed by money, and football. Footballers have always earned more than the average man. Club owners have always earned much more than footballers the difference is people didn't know. I have no problem with the filthy lucre slohing around i football making it's way back in to the hands of the entertainers, people that have are sad haters. The kind of people who bemoan every thing that 'isn't fair' about other people's lives that in their own eyes appears at an advantage to their own status. If you don't like what the can machine is spitting out, stop putting your money into it. "I'm Villa through & through and these players aren't respecting me" Grow up!

[James]

Thanks for everyones comments to the article it is appreciated. The response I have received shows that not every football fan is blown away by media hype, I believe most fans to be realistic and intelligent enough to realise the current situation of the game. Which if we are honest isn't bad at all. We are a country that dominates Europe year after year and has the best players in the world desperate to ply their trade here. It's just a shame we seem to live in an ungrateful society where people want everything but on the cheap. If people like Lampard, Ferdinand and Gerrard came on the cheap then they simply wouldn't be good enough, let's face it, you get what you pay for.

Maybe in a way I don't want the game to change, I support Sunderland and have the pleasure of seeing Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas and other geniuses week in week out. However my friends support Hartlepool and are constantly frustrated with the lack of quality in their leagues, albeit entertaining they are in awe of some of the games I attend simultaneously to theirs on a Saturday afternoon.

We've asked for the best, we've been given the best, the least we could do is appreciate it.

[Bisa Amoo-Gottfried]

Hi James & Oli,
I've been waiting for someone with some sense to say exactly what you've said, and I totally agree with you. I, for one, have never cared about how much money footballers earn, or who they're sleeping with or how many cars they own. All I care about is what they do on the pitch.
It still bemuses me that so many people fall for the media hype around footballers and don't stop to question what they read in the papers (especially tabloids). The media are crafty devils and they realise this, which is why virtually every article I read about footballers will refer in some way to their wealth, to instantly create a divide between footballers and fans.
Unfortunately, we as fans are as much to blame for this as anyone. Why is it that we never read about the vast amount of charity/community work that virtually every professional footballer regularly takes part in, but when they come out of a club at 2am the paparazzi are all over them. It's because they media don't want to dispel the myth they've created that all footballers are a bunch of greedy, selfish so-and-sos (more so than the rest of us) which mkes it much easier to hate them. Last Christmas, Rio Ferdinand was virtually branded as some kind of glorified pimp organising a debauched orgy masquerading as the Man Utd Christmas party. 6 months later, when he is leading contender for the England captaincy, the same people are now making him the poster boy for sporting virtue. The self-serving media hypocrisy is all the more sickening because it's so blatant, yet they continue to get away with it because we let them.
When it comes to loyalty in football, no-one has the moral high ground. Not players, not clubs, managers or the fans and definitely not the chairmen. Everybody is in it for their own ends and loyalty is nothing but the period of time when everyone's interests are flowing in the same direction. The minute that direction changes for anyone then it's goodbye. That's not a criticism, but the simple reality of the situation imo. I'm not so disllusioned with modern football, because i don't actually think it's changed that much. The game itself is still the same. All that seems to have changed is our perception of what's important.

[Matt Smith]

This may be painfully obvious, but the major reason for the money in the English game is our insatiable thirst for football and to be entertained. Its basic supply and demand. We crave the best players in the world to come to these shores and entertain us, then berate them for the money they make because of it.

Of course much of the reason for the polarisation of opinion of the modern footballer is fuelled by the media attempting to get the best story. Why would they do this? In order to further their own career to another more highly regarded publication with better pay perhaps? Would this be seen as disloyal if it was done by a footballer? You bet. But it is a healthy competitive attitude in order to achieve more in one's life.

Hopefully, we are all lead by an ambition to be successful and happy, and will strive to do what we can to achieve this. But due to the huge salaries of today's footballer, fuelled mainly by our own desire to be entertained, they are not viewed this way.

[Oli]

I think there is one thing we can so - set up, join and promote supporter trusts which mean that some day, whether next year or in 20 years, fans will be deciding who owns their club. This does not mean running the club themselves as clubs do need expertise and professionalism, but it does mean an ability to have a say in who the heck does do it. It would mean no more foriegn investors who want to use our clubs as cash cows, and we would see profits going back into the clubs and keeping ticket prices down. Barca, Madrid and Bayern manage it, so far in this country we need to do better. I can only imagine how much money my club, man United, would have if we made our usual £100-120m profit and did not give 90% of it back for interest payments/ share dividends etc. One day the clubs will sell- all owners are temporary, but fans are there to stay and will get their chance, especially when the cash bubble bursts.

[James]

Hi Oli, thanks for your comments. I believe you're absolutely right about the media sensationalism theory. The slighest thing gets blown out of proportion which means most footballers can't even go out of the house without getting critised. And when you compare it to yesteryear and the likes of George Best, modern day footballers are in tip top condition.

Again I agree with you with regards to the almost unhealthy amount of money coming into the game, but is there anything we can do as fans? I think our part in football is becoming smaller by the day. Even though we appear to have a big say about our clubs, I'm getting more and more sceptical about our role in the game. Fair play we still buy the tickets and pay in the games, but do you think foreign fans could soon be overtaking disullusioned english supporters? It's an interesting concept, what do you think?

[Oli]

I agree on the whole. Most footballers DO care, the reason they succeeded in becomming footballers is because the trained hard in every spare hour they had and showed a total devotion to achieving a dream. The moment the workrate drops there is someone there to replace them, so I find it ridiculous when they are called lazy. The modern day game is faster and more exhausting than it used to be, so players need to be fitter and have a better workrate than the players im the 70's and 80's who were not paid as much and who are never criticised no matter how much they drank or unprofessional they were. There are too many footballers who abuse their status- everyone can say 'Barton' at once and of course there are numerous others. But the vast majority do behave and very few Arsenal or Man United players ever even touch a drink. The problem is media sensationism- someone is seen at 3am in a cab during the close season and it is turned into a scandal.

As for salary, I totally resent the amount of money in the game which ultimately all comes from fans, either through ticket prices of TV subscriptions. Abramovich aside, no one else except fans are putting money into the game, they are all taking it out. The huge amounts being generated are going back to investment banks and financial advisors, when United announce big profits the ticket prices don't exactly drop! However, once the money is in the game I'd rather the artists who create the magic moments saw it than the money men. Zola, Henry, Cantona and Ronaldo deserve more reward from the game than Scudamore, Barwick, Glazer or Hicks.