Cut Terry Some Slack

[Yorkshire Blue]

True, but its about more than the football these days, Football has become far greater than a sport, it has become, for want of a phrase, a many headed beast, and one aspect is its influence on others Whilst footballers are not the guardians of the nations morality, than can sure give it a good old whack in the nuts if they choose to

Personally, I tend to look more towards the church for moral advice than footballers*, much like if I wanted guidance on the merits of 4-4-2 versus 5-3-2 I wouldn't go to a vicar.

I don't like to impose my own personal beliefs on others, but I'd suggest that there is probably something lacking in their lives if people are looking towards footballers (or the News of the World) for moral guidance. That said, the often misquoted Shankly quote about football being his religion but Christianity being his philosophy rings very true with me.



*Although having said that, my (married) Sunday School teacher ran off with a lay preacher.....

 

[BrettieAngell]

Would I really care if it was Terry lifting the World Cup or someone else? Would I ****!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

But that's the whole point of my article. I haven't made it about morality (apart from questioning his decision to hang out the back of the appalling Duvall), I've made it a question of whether or not he helps or hinders the team as captain after this. Personally, I don't think it will help that every player will look at him and think, "You duplicitious ****." You disagree and that's fair enough. We shall agree to differ.

Duvall wasn't about morality, that's about taste (or lack thereof).

I don't think you have to get on with all your colleagues. They need to respect him as a player, not as a man.

However, even though I haven't actually mentioned it in the column, in my eyes the behaviour of someone who sets himself up for profit as a role model is important. Obviously, I'm not going to start buying more hamburgers if John Terry tells me to, but depressingly there will be people out there who will.

It's the media's responsiblity to see through the ********. It was the same with the Tories back in the early 90s. Dressing Spanish actresses up in Chelsea kits wouldn't have been such an issue if they hadn't been telling us all to go 'back to basics' at the time.

I don't have a problem with Capello sacking Terry of the captaincy IF it does seriously adversely effect his ability to be captain on the pitch.

However everyone is assuming that it is an issue. There has been nothing so far to suggest that it will. I'll again point out that Terry captained a third of the England team on Saturday without any ill-effect.

I think that is the difference, to me the morals override the football.

If sacking JT as England skipper makes people think more about the implications of their actions , then its worth the national side going out of the World cup quarter finals in 90 minutes as opposed to the enevitable last 8 exit on Penalties we can aspire to with JT in the team

On that basis would you also advocate dropping Gerrard because he is a diver who cheats to win penalties?

Whatever people think about Terry on a personal level, the fact is that he is England's captain and in the eyes of millions of kids in this country who dream of playing and captaining the England football team is somebody to be looked up to, revered and admired.

I assume therefore that anybody who thinks that he should remain as England's captain condones sh*gging your team mate's missus as acceptable behaviour for such a role-model.

One thing that is beyong doubt though is Terry's altruistic view on sharing. Having won the 'Dad of the year award' he wanted to share it with as many different women as possible...

Bobby Moore was a ****-head who wrote for the Daily Sport but he lifted the World Cup and is supposedly a role model for all England captains now. I don't know whether he cheated on his wife (or does it only count if it is with a mate's missus) but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

As England captain he is in my eyes only a role model for how to behave on the pitch. You'll note that the arm-band isn't tattoo-ed on, but he takes it off when he steps off the pitch.

As the face for whatever products he endorses, yes he probably has wider responsibilities for those, but I couldn't care less about that side of it.

 

[choggy]

Bobby Moore was a ****-head who wrote for the Daily Sport but he lifted the World Cup and is supposedly a role model for all England captains now. I don't know whether he cheated on his wife (or does it only count if it is with a mate's missus) but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

As England captain he is in my eyes only a role model for how to behave on the pitch. You'll note that the arm-band isn't tattoo-ed on, but he takes it off when he steps off the pitch.

As the face for whatever products he endorses, yes he probably has wider responsibilities for those, but I couldn't care less about that side of it.

We don't know a great many things that Bobby or any other captain has done in their personal life but what they do is unimportant provided it's kept private. As a public figure Terry is known as England captain so when the less savoury elements of their lives become public it doesn't just reflect badly on them, it also reflects badly on the role of England captain.

I can't think of any more prestigious honour a footballer can have than to be captain of their country. With such prestege comes certain responsibilities, you may not care what he does in his private life because you're an adult but try explaining to your 7-8 year old lad the chants that the Burnley fans were singing to Terry last weekend.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

We don't know a great many things that Bobby or any other captain has done in their personal life but what they do is unimportant provided it's kept private. As a public figure Terry is known as England captain so when the less savoury elements of their lives become public it doesn't just reflect badly on them, it also reflects badly on the role of England captain.

I can't think of any more prestigious honour a footballer can have than to be captain of their country. With such prestege comes certain responsibilities, you may not care what he does in his private life because you're an adult but try explaining to your 7-8 year old lad the chants that the Burnley fans were singing to Terry last weekend.

So there's nothing wrong with having an affair, the only thing wrong is being caught?

 

[choggy]

So there's nothing wrong with having an affair, the only thing wrong is being caught?

Without wishing to sound too cynical...yes, if you're of the philandering type.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I don't think I've read a single article that questioned Terry's place in the national side... He could be smashing several tarts a night and I'd still have him in the squad if he performed as well.

The only debateable point here is how can you be considered a leader of men if you don't command their respect? As poor an example as Foran/Gower might be, he was castigated from the squad because of his deviant behaviour and there are already rumbles that some of the internationals don't have the time of day for Terry anymore. It's a different scenario for the likes of Lampard and the Coles, they've been at Chelsea with him for years now and, especially Lampard, would be considered as Terry's bestest buddy in football.

As much as it was tacky and turned the Premier League into an over dramatised episode of The Hills, the stunt pulled by Tevez and Ireland yesterday with the "Team Bridge" warm-up shirts showed the players' reaction to this debacle.

Capello will be the judge, jury and the executioner in this as Terry, arrogant as he is, has seemingly refused to relinquish the captaincy.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

One question I've got, is when did the England Captaincy take on this mythical power, making it the next best thing to God. I'm assuming it was when Beckham took over, because I don't ever remember there being any kind of fuss over the captaincy before that.

 

[Napster]

Billy Wright smashed the back doors of all of the Beverley Sisters.

 

[phil_christophers]

One question I've got, is when did the England Captaincy take on this mythical power, making it the next best thing to God. I'm assuming it was when Beckham took over, because I don't ever remember there being any kind of fuss over the captaincy before that.

I seem to remember there being a fuss made by some when convicted felon Tony Adams was handed the captain's arm-band.

Alan Shearer kicking Neil Lennon's head off provoked a lot of tutting as well.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I seem to remember there being a fuss made by some when convicted felon Tony Adams was handed the captain's arm-band.

Alan Shearer kicking Neil Lennon's head off provoked a lot of tutting as well.

...and while almost certainly a set up, Bobby Moore had his collar felt for pinching a bracelet from a Bogota jewellers.

 

[steveo]

Alan Shearer kicking Neil Lennon's head off provoked a lot of tutting as well.

But the FA had secret film proving it never happened

 

[canveyshrimper]

But the FA had secret film proving it never happened

Indeed, Lennon clearly butted Shearer's boot thereby provoking the whole incident. :whistling:

 

[steveo]

Indeed, Lennon clearly butted Shearer's boot thereby provoking the whole incident. :whistling:

Funny how the FA never managed to publish their film. Purely coincidence. I thought that was one of the worst pieces of football violence ever seen.

 

[Beefy]

As much as it was tacky and turned the Premier League into an over dramatised episode of The Hills, the stunt pulled by Tevez and Ireland yesterday with the "Team Bridge" warm-up shirts showed the players' reaction to this debacle.

Tevez is probably still disgusted by Terry doing this to him:

 

[EastStandBlue]

Tevez is probably still disgusted by Terry doing this to him:

Indeed. He's a lovely individual, isn't he...

 

[Crabby Shrimper]

Ok, on the issue over whether journalists should be under scrutiny I'd say generally yes.

We live in a supposed democracy, where we're asked to make decisions based on information received mainly through the media (I know we only vote once every 4 or so years, but public opinion still influences policy) Surely it's in our interest to know about those passing on this information?

In this case, however, it could be argued that we shouldn't be worried about whether the press are also misbehaving, as, apart from being hypocritical, it doesn't alter the actual story. We should be more interested to know whether there's anything in the background of the journalists to suggest an agenda (best mates with a captaincy rival for example)

On the matter of the captaincy, simple solution. We all know we'll build up expectation to a stupid level, before getting knocked out in the quarters and then having to find a scapegoat. So, why not prepare the scapegoat now and make Ashley Cole captain? Then, when we're knocked out, we can all hate him without feeling guilty of being part of the blame culture :)

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

It's a different scenario for the likes of Lampard and the Coles, they've been at Chelsea with him for years now and, especially Lampard, would be considered as Terry's bestest buddy in football.

Wasn't Wayne Bridge one of his closest mates in football?

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Wasn't Wayne Bridge one of his closest mates in football?

Very much past tense now i feel

 

[canveyshrimper]

I wondered how long it would take before the grubby paws of Max Clifford would be out stretched. Apparently Ms Peroncell is upset over the agony Mrs Terry is going through. Shame she didn't think of that before shagging her husband, and now whoring herself in the tabloids.