Football Diary
by Patrick O'Connor
IT'S not been a good few days for being a professional footballer.
Yes, I know some of them earn bags of money, drive flashy cars and learn to do hip dances when they score a goal.
But they are supposed to be role models! No, not fashion models but individuals who, because of their public prominence, are expected to show a good example, especially to young, impressionable followers.
First of all we have the shameful episode of Manchester City 'striker' Carlos Tevez. There does seem to be some dispute at the moment because the Tevez camp is claiming confusion over communication between the Argentinian player and the Italian manager of the Manchester club, owned by a rich Arab.
But City have suspended Tevez after he was accused by his manager of refusing to come on as a substitute during their mid-week European defeat.
Whatever happened between the two of them, what is clear is that Tevez did not enter the field to help his side address a 2-0 deficit. And for this he gets paid something in the region of £250,000 a week!
If Tevez is unwilling or unable to play for that amount of money, something is very, very wrong.
Mind you this doesn't seem to bother Irish League club Limavady United who offered to take him on loan for the rest of the season.
They play in the second tier of Northern Irish football and in a statement the club said: “We would be perfectly willing to take Mr Tevez on loan for the remainder of the season or until transfer, thereby permitting him to play football but without the risk of being cup-tied for the Champions League.
“Limavady United play in the championship in Northern Ireland and our manager would be happy to accommodate Mr Tevez within his squad.
“Naturally, our club would not be in a position to discharge Mr Tevez's wages but I am sure you can see the advantages of keeping him match fit prior to any possible sale.”
Cheeky blighters!
According to the Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, players are losing contact with their working class backgrounds because of the rewards they get.
The Premier League club have suspended defender Titus Bramble while police investigate allegations of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug.
Bruce said: “In Titus's case there is an investigation - but I don't think he should be in that position anyway. I don't think you should be in a nightclub on a Tuesday night. I don't think any footballer should be in a nightclub on a Monday night, Tuesday night or Wednesday night - not with a game on a Saturday, especially after the way you have just been beaten on the Monday night.
“In my day, the vast majority of people I played with would have put their head down, gone into the bunker and said, 'Well, I am going to go and train hard and put it right on Saturday'.”
He went on: “Unfortunately, with the rewards they get, they alienate themselves and should show more responsibility.
“They have all got one thing in common - they usually come from the same working-class background, the vast majority anyway, there is the odd exception.
"Usually, most of them will remember the roots from which they are born and bred and have that respect for where they come from and the people who are still there.
“Unfortunately, with the rewards they get, they alienate themselves and should show more responsibility.”
Temper!!!
Alex Lawless, who plays for Conference and former League club Luton Town broke his hand after punching a wall at half-time in their defeat against York.
He will be out of action for a month and has been disciplined by the club although they have not revealed the punishment.
Manager Gary Brabin told BBC Three Counties Radio: “He realises he's let us down and he'll be dealt with accordingly."
And in another Conference match, the Kettering strikers Moses Ashikodi and Jean-Paul Marna were sent-off for fighting each other as they went down 5-3 to Hayes & Yeading.
Footballers hey ...