|
|
LOYALTY, A GAME FOR ALL THE MUGS 13-1-06
Loyalty, like truth, is an extremely rare commodity in the modern world of over-hyped professional sport. The football business is certainly no angel in this regard and is at the forefront of not giving a flying fuck about loyalty and all it's constants and history making values.
In truth, playing the devil's advocate for a moment, the megalomaniacs of the industry probably don't care too much about loyalty as it gets in the way of it's reason for being, i.e. money, money, money and the making of it in the squillions.
The industry of monetary generation is alive and well and prospering in the upper echelons of the game in every top league in Europe and a smattering in Asia and South America. Perpetuated, in no small part by the financial merry-go-round of the transfer system, a system FIFA tried to control to some degree by creating the transfer window concept. It's certainly made players more loyal, for six months anyway.
This is illustrated by the great Ozo-Italian cricket fan, Christian Vieri, who I've just read, is now off to Monaco from AC Milan, a club he only signed for in the close season from cross town rivals Internationale. He's been through the doors of more clubs than Gazza on a bender in Whitley Bay.
In the modern short contract, post Bosman era, players are rarely loyal to one club for more than a season or two, in Vieri's case, a week or two. That epoch making world famous court ruling, duly named after it's instigator Jean-Marc Bosman, was the result of a lawsuit by the little known journeyman professional from Belgium.
He played inauspiciously in the colours of RFC Liege, during season 1989-90 Jean-Marc Bosman wanted a new contract with the club because his was running out, the one on offer from a financially struggling Liege was reportedly 75% less than his old wages. Any dork with half a brain cell would've refused and so Bosman wanted to move and play in the colours of a French team, five miles or so across the border at USL Dunkerque.
He duly worked out a deal with Dunkerque then the acrimony began with Liege demanding a fee of over half a million squid, which for a player of Bosman's status was plainly ridiculous. Dunkerque bailed as expected leaving Bosman in the lurch so with no real alternative bravely took on his employer through the quagmire of the Belgian legal system. A system which baulked at making a landmark decision pushing the shit uphill until it ended up with the Brussels sprouts. Who, like they do with everything, sat on it for a while and side-footed it to Luxembourg, namely the European Court of Justice.
By now it was over five long argument riddled years later and the 1995 when the ECJ ruled in Bosmans favour and thus along came that oft used colloquial term: A Bosman, nee music to a players lugs, 'freedom of contract'.
Apparently, the ancient and wrinkly old transfer system contravened the 1957 treaty of Rome (Great year that one as ErimusRed was born, about time we had a plaque in Ayresome Street or maybe a bronze effigy), a landmark economic agreement that allowed for free movement of labourers around Europe. This ensured there were enough tacky booted peasants to squash the grapes and pick the apples of greater Europe, plus to provide buxom wenches for clandestine sex for the landed gentry.
The power brokers were mightily pissed off at Bosman who was offered a reputed US$1million greenbacks to drop the case and go away by un-named European football mafia figures. Impassioned pleas from Fifa and all fourty-nine Uefa football federations failed to sway the judgement. A profound change occurred that day and the power shifted from the clubs to the players (or should that be agents?) and the face of the game forever altered overnight.
It was a quantum shift and the minnows of the footballing fraternity have definitely suffered most as the Bosman system strips them of bargaining power by taking any long-term contractual control from their grasp. Thus, their financial boost of regular remuneration in transfer fees from the big end of town usually grabbing the young cream of the lower leagues has all but dried up. Put simply, a player moves on under Bosman after completing his short-term contract and gets a healthy wedge or bung for their troubles, as does the agent. Allegedly, or is that reputedly?
Of course, a wee bit of tapping up, lunch with another club's manager by mistake, a party introduction via your agent will not do the process any harm either. But now the player is king and his financial lot was revolutionised by the results from the fallout from the Bosman ruling and the subsequent spiral to total freedom and short-term contracts.
We live in an age in which loyalty is an extremely rare commodity in the Premier league footballer with his dictatorial agent at his shoulder and their greedy demands both financially and in terms of clauses in the contract.
"Look, if your mob (what's your name again?) look like getting relegated, my client (what's your fucking name Son?) will require an immediate transfer, and if the hand rolled pasta isn't on the menu every day he's allowed to leave training at 10am to go to the bookies OK?"
So, loyalty went out of the window with the Bosman ruling to be rarely seen again. But there are the odd notable exceptions at the higher level like the Manchester United trio of Giggs, Neville and Scholes, all one club wonders. Although, I muse, would they have hung around so long if they had been at our monkey loving mates at Hartlepools United?
Bosman himself made shag all out of the settlement he received in 1999, ended up divorced and, at approaching 42, lives from the interest gained from benefit matches that have been played for him. He feels that the game still owes him as it was he who pioneered a better life for his fellow professionals.
Bollocks son! Footballers have always had a bloody great life in comparison to the rest of us loyal one club proletariats and by winning that court case you've just ensured that they have more money for the little pleasures of life like two dozen red Ferrari's and colour-coded stone mansions on the Algarve.
It's nothing new really, as George Eastham and Johnny Haynes with their brylcreemed quiffs, did a similar thing for the footballers cause in the early sixties by challenging the right of clubs to retain and own the individual. This eventually resulted in the abolition of the maximum wage of three shillings and tuppence hapenny and a large bag of horseshite every week for the roses.
Loyalty, as we've discussed is actually a misnomer in our game. Boro have had some loyal servants over the years, non more loyal than the midfield dynamo Robbie Mustoe, a veritable metronome of reliability week in week out and a fans favourite to boot.
A player who will shortly become a former favourite Mark Schwarzer has in his time been very loyal to MFC but why did he see fit to ask for a transfer after recently signing a new deal? He now looks certain to leave us after nine years of excellent and very loyal service. It's all very mysterious and many questions remain unanswered.
As it's World Cup year and the Skippies are going to the party maybe the big Aussie feels he needs to keep his place and be in Guus Hiddink's eye, especially as at the age of 33 Germany will more than likely be his one and only finals competition.
His replacement Brad Jones, could also score a jersey in that squad as he is the future. Maybe big Mark feels threatened? Maybe he thinks McLaren is a total pillock?
Whatever, I think it's a bit rich to be booing the guy, witness the reserves thrashing of Blunderland also-rans 4-1 the other night. Skippy was roundly booed and whistled by the crowd every time he touched the ball and, in my book, does not deserve it after he has been a loyal servant to the football club through thick and thin for nine years. Just think and remember that miraculous save he made against Robbie Fowler's penalty during the last minute of last season to get us into the Uefa Cup again before you heckle the guy.
It's true to say that loyalty can have it's down side, witness how loyal players can become invisible wallpaper as the latest big money poster-boy struts his trumpeted stuff after disloyally dumping his old club for pastures greenback. Week in week out, the loyal performer turns in his usual reliable performance. Witness Gareth Southgate and in my book the Gate has been a better footballer than far more vaunted luminaries for years and should have a spare bedroom full of three lions memorabilia.
So an obscure ordinary Belgian footballer wrought a massive change in the game, a change that is basically about one thing- money and the greed it engenders.
But you're not fooled by the hype and overblown salaries or posturing pompous agents because all of you are the opposite to all that greed. Loyal to the core, turning up week in week out on the terraces in all weather and some so loyal, like our Harry Callaghan, spending your hard earned spondos to visit the EPL's stadia in support of our beloved Boro, through highs and lows AND you would still be there if we dropped lower down the leagues.
You people are the true Loyalists, the life blood and constant in this great game. People can come and go from our Beloved Boro but you and I will always be there and no amount of filthy lucre will get us to change our allegiance and denounce our team. 100% diehards, red till dead.
Loyal, proud and defiant.
Come On The Boro!
Enough Said.
ErimusRed
BACK TO ERIMUSRED INDEX
|
|
|
|
