If this week’s Wayne Rooney saga has done anything other than earn the Manchester United striker a huge pay rise and, presumably, an even huger grudge from his manager, it’s added yet another hammer blow to the wedge that is being driven relentlessly between players and supporters. The nutshell version of the story is that Rooney allegedly nailed a hooker, not-only-allegedly disgraced himself at the World Cup and allegedly briefed journalists that he wanted to leave United.
His intentions were confirmed, death threats daubed on grotesque corporate icons and a u-turn secured with a reported five-year, £180,000-a-week contract - and a pair of false smiles. But it’s not just the saga itself that’s given football another swift kick to the nuts this week, with its brinkmanship and agent chicanery. It’s not even the obscene money that players earn, amounts that are really brought into sharp relief when an under-performing talent makes transparent demands of one of the biggest clubs in the world. No, there’s something else: the attitude of the players so many of us try to love because that’s just how we’re used to thinking of footballers.
In the immediate aftermath of the announcement that Rooney would be signing a new deal (excuse the Tiny Andrew Collings moment here, but Aside: If you think United and Alex Ferguson have caved without first plotting their long-term retribution, you’re probably mistaken), his United team-mate Rio Ferdinand went on the offensive on Twitter. Here are some highlights:
@McIlroyRory its the real deal bro! All u doubters need 2 sit and have a look at yourselves! A lot a people had strong opinions let’s see their stance now…
(Incidentally, McIlroy’s “Sir Alex is the man. He has to take most of the credit for this surely?” makes him look (a) like the worst kind of football fan and (b) stupid.)
It was never in doubt in my mind tweeps, wazza is Man utd through and through there’s no way I could have seen him playing for another club,defo not a prem club anyway.
What does stan collymore know…he’s talking like what he thinks is the gospel truth. For some1 who “loves the game” soo much NOW where was his love for the game when he was a player playing the game???
You’ll notice that Twitter’s 140-character limit has been flagrantly ignored by Ferdinand, meaning that followers have to click every time they see him tweet (although why anyone would follow him anyway is beyond me), the issue I have with high-profile footballers these days is that they earn so much money that they could at least be dignified and polite on the rare occasions when they deem it worthwhile to interact with the people that fund their excess.
Instead, any criticism is viciously slapped down and the role of the untouchable footballer played with unswerving accuracy. On October 6th, Twitter user @Garionmoore was subjected to the kind of reaction that would likely have earned Ferdinand a bloody good shoeing if he’d had the balls to conduct the encounter face to face:
@Garionmoore READ the text u #EGG…lounge tickets I said…and they don’t have a price. Now pipe down and read b4 u tweet such stupidness !
RT @Garionmoore: @rioferdy5 well if they dont have a price why dont you give them to children from local schools..»»#EGG stop assuming s¤±*!
I tell u what, all da comps I’m doing from now on that #PUNK is deleted from for he’s foolishness! I’m giving away lounge tickets twitfam!
I know I don’t need to crystallise this for you, but I will anyway: what a pr*ck. But both Ferdinand and Rooney are symptom not cause. Footballers really do think they’re above us dirty proles, turning their back on what was for most a very ordinary upbringing to buy chrome-plated Range Rovers and use idiotic terms like ‘twitfam’, the ultimate hallmark of internet dickery. This isn’t just the game we love, it’s the game we support, in every sense of the word, propping it up with our hard-earned cash while the arrogant so-and-sos on the pitch laughingly stick two figurative fingers up at us week after week.
Think about it. The superstar who let himself and the rest of us down, held his club to ransom and has been rewarded - or so it seems at the moment - with a monstrous new contract. The talented youngster who is consistently in trouble with the law and bought the aforementioned twatmobile to celebrate his new contract with Newcastle United. The legend-in-waiting who turned his back on the supporters who afforded him adoration far beyond what he actually warranted.
The Premier League is full of diving, cheating, preening, chest-waxing, smug, hateful tossers with no concept of the real world. And while most of them probably don’t think that’s a problem, they’d do well to remember that the further away they get from the supporters, the more we’ll turn our back on both them and top flight football. I already have, and I won’t be the first or the last.
Credit for the post title to podcast guest Chris White. Angry rant all my own work.
Good piece, Chris.
I’m interested - if you’ve turned your back on Premier League football, where are you investing your (positive) football energy now?
Hi Shane. I love the game and I like seeing it played well, so to a point I remain interested in watching the Premier League. However, I’m no longer a season ticket holder at Aston Villa. I go to all Tooting & Mitcham home games, occasionally watch Godalming Town and watch a lot of Italian football and American soccerballs. For different reasons, natch.
“they’d do well to remember that the further away they get from the supporters, the more we’ll turn our back on both them and top flight football.”
Good article but the above just doesn’t ring true. I know the article focuses on Ferdinand but Rooney has just pissed over every single Manchester United supporter and has given them ample opportunity to finally put their foot down and say no.
But Rooney’s merely underlined how untouchable these superstars are. Pushing the boundaries of just how offensive and dismissing top footballers can be of us ‘proles. Just do what you like Wayne because the MUFC support and staff (and probably England support) will welcome you back with open arms whatever happens.
That is a very good point @tictactic. More than likely wishful thinking on my part.
I disagree about ferdinand he is generally quite positive on twitter and chatty with fans - doing q and a’s and honest about his performance and how it affects him after the game etc.
However, I agree entirely that footballers are overpaid arseholes. I think the issue is that they are so indulged from such an early age, how old do you think Rooney was when his family realised he was the meal ticket, the route out of croxteth - 10, 11, 12 tops? So at what stage do you think they ever told him no or attempted to instill - what might be described as - values in him. They were on the gravy train and he was the driver…his wife and her family hopped on years ago also, it is also this lack of control that fosters the negative on field behaviour in these players too, junior teams are desperate to have the best players play for them, so again which coach / manager is going to tell the nascent talent of a 12 year old rooney (banging in literally 00′s of goals a season) no diving, no talking back to the ref, behave yourself, respect your opponents and teammates etc. none - they are desperate for the success and have heavily recruited the player, so allow him to run the show. Can’t lose him, the team might lose - what would the peer group of other parents and managers think then, of these men who’s self image is so tied up in a junior team?
And the journey to douchebaggery has begun…
Excellent stuff, Chris. I just wish you’d given Robbie Savage - the worst (best?) example of the arrogant, cocooned footballer it is possible to find - a caning while you were at it.
Iain - you’re right, of course. I have seen Ferdinand’s positive Twitter stuff too but the way he talks to some people is unacceptable. If it would get him punched in the street, he shouldn’t say it on Twitter. To do so is to see himself as untouchable.
Chris, Savage was right at the front of my mind throughout. I tried desperately not to mention him because he’s got bugger all to do with the Premier League
Loving the rant Chris. Not sure about some of it though - surely you must be following Rio to know about his comments in the first place?!
Also on the point of Rio and footballers on Twitter, in their defence they do get a lot of morons tweeting insulting, disrespectful tosh at them just because it’s the closest they get to being able to stick the boot into a footballer. Its a two-way street here, and I think you’ve painted fans a bit too heavily with the ‘we’re all innocent angels’ brush.
The general point you’re making is pretty much bang on though, as demonstrated by Rooney this week (who I’ve no doubt will be getting cheered to the rafters by United fans by the time his ankle injury heals. Depressing).
Cheers Jonathan. Word gets around, you know how it is
I do understand that footballers get a lot of crap tweeted at them but it’s tough to have sympathy. They choose to go online and engage with fans and in theory that’s great. But when they’re there I think they need to take the rough with the smooth (or, even better, ignore the rough) because they earn a lot of money and are widely admired. I don’t think footballers are role models but I think it’s important that they respect supporters because, frankly, we bloody well put them there.
And yes, I’ve no doubt Rooney will be cheered. Sickening.
Yeah I can go along with that.
Intrigued to know what this ‘retribution’ you’re talking about could refer to?! Something you know that we don’t? Spill the beans!
Just can’t imagine f*cking with Ferguson and United being a particularly wise move. I know I wouldn’t do it.