Football has been tribal and jingoistic for over a century. Where it succeed in penetrating beyond the scope of a mere sport, it is inherently primitive. This can be a healthy way for people to remain in contact with all that is important in life but it’s often not.
Writing in today’s Sun, former Celtic player (good grief) , Ian ‘Wrighty’ Wright said: “The next young player who says he does not want to play for England should be ordered to ring the parents of a soldier who has died serving his country in Afghanistan and tell them his reasons”.
To invoke the memory of those who have sacrificed their lives in order to rebuke reluctant footballers is beyond primitive, it is debased and ugly. Bereaved parents would surely be sickened at attempts to equate their sacrifice with a football game. Football and our media have lost their way. Wright should be ashamed, but he won’t be, it’s nonsense like this which newspapers pay for. His media value will have increased.
Harry Redknapp’s ill-made comments about Spurs players not wanting to travel for England games are also a nonsense. There’s not a top-flgiht manager in the game who’s yet to experience players reluctant to fly to Tbilisi, or some other distant destination, for a friendly instead of resting at home with his family. If you are a top pro, these games hold little excitement or value and come at a fitness cost, to pretend otherwise is being duplicitous.
Players with imposing club demands can see these games far enough. Those involved in European football often have two games per week for months, depleting resources and adding strains to muscles. A flight to the back of beyond before a thankless task of a game is simply not an attractive offer. Most players go, but let’s be honest, almost all will choose times to back out occasionally.
England are hurting after an awful World Cup but it will be counter-productive to hand the stage over to jingoistic lunatics. And ‘Wrighty’, if anyone asks you to pull the Paradise Windfall one day, don’t feel obliged to pitch up.
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
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clunks
22:52 on
24 June, 2014
Lawell hang your head
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Did he give away the penalty?
Congrats Sammi. Worked your socks off. BRAVE PENALTY. Good luck to you
Macjay
Weiss.
Which is Slovak for wee pr1ck. :)
Top player sammy but PL thinks better, oh yes after scouring the planet for new players we arent signing any before the qualifiers short changed imo.
Oh and I bet the Greeks in play at 1-1, got 6/1…
Thank you Sammi…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Anyone know how the ticket situation will work out for our CL qualifier at Murrayfield. If it’s on our season book are they going to issue a paper ticket and you take your chances where your sitting? Our a good old fashion free for all, sit where you like?
Yes Sammi, gives me 10 points to add to my 7 from the Columbia game. Onwards and upwards:
Dr Mengele says Aye.
So so happy for Sammi.
Aphrodite happy among the Greek fans!
HH!!
I noticed on the opening credits, with the teams line ups, that Sammy was a Celtic player. :-)
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
hamiltontim
22:57 on 24 June, 2014
As it will with me, especially when I bet them when 1-1 at 6/1.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Good night all
Sammi you deserve that big mhan.
Well done, Sami! Played a great game, kept onside and led the line very well.
Greece hit woodwork 3 times and well deserved to go through.
Great penalty, Sami. Delighted for you!
Superb 2nd half….much better than the earlier ill-tempered dross!
HH
Geordie Munro
22:57 on
24 June, 2014
Macjay
Weiss.
Which is Slovak for wee pr1ck. :)
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HEE HEE .Cracker.
Aff tae work now with a big smile on my face.
Celt for life.
First game defo on the book.
Paper ticket will be sent out as usual I guess.
Coast Rica v Greece in the next round
Sami and the greeks in the quarters??
Celt for Life, not seen anything official yet.
Weefra,
I’m guessing his contract runs till 1st of July or somert.
Night Night Timland.
Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.
Well done Sammi!
and well done Danny Murphy in recounting Sammi penalty at the Bigot Dome in the GLASGOW derby
HH
Please Ronny, go get the big Greek back.
Well done big Sammi, good luck against Costa Rica
Evening all
Oh yes. Sammy is a complete hero . Love the World Cup but tonight I was dancing round my front room. Mon The Greeks!
Jimbo67 praying to Oscar Knox and for Thomas Worth
macjay1 for neil lennon
23:01 on 24 June, 2014
Geordie Munro
22:57 on
24 June, 2014
Macjay
Weiss.
Which is Slovak for wee pr1ck. :)
———————————————————————————————————–
HEE HEE .Cracker.
Aff tae work now with a big smile on my face.
———
I’ll bet your colleagues will be surprised :-)
Doc,
I haven’t read anything but I did glance at a pic of Ronny holding a sign saying first game on book in one of the rags today.
Paul67 et al
Well done big Sammy! Still a Celtic player too me thinks.
For another six days!
Pity Neil lennon left Brazil at the weekend
Geordie Munro
How will they decide who sits where, will we be beside mates who have season tickets though not necessarily in the same row at CP, but in same section. I can see this being a whinge fest if not done properly
Danny murphy mentions sammi scoring pen in glasgow derby.
Good man.
Wish sammi had scored the one in 2011 tho.
Suarez and Neymar are cut from the same cloth, Neymar got booked for deliberately elbowing an opponent yet nowhere do we here the call for FIFA to ban him. He has dived all over the place in his three games so far yet no one wants him sin die, WHY?
Is Sammi the only one who could take a penalty for us ?
Who remembers the one he missed, I believe cost us the league
Hey, but let’s resign for £1m a year, to play 10 games.
Well done big Sammi, and thanks for all you done for the hoops
Let’s move on though
Hail Hail
Well done Samaras. A goal and an assist in to help Greece qualify for thw WC finals in a 2.1 win. Playing against a team with Yaya and Kolo Toure , Drogba, Gervinho? Second too scorer in France, Tiote and Bony. I hope we all …including the Peter Lawwell worshippers wish him well.
HH
Geordie, sorry, it is on the ST, just don’t know the details yet.
Should have made my answer clearer, don’t know the details yet.
WC quarter finals
CowieBhoy, no single penalty miss cost anyone a league. 38 games.
Celt for life,
Not sure how that will work tbh.
I’m sure it’ll be a whingefest regardless. ;)
eddieinkirkmichael
——
Suarez has committed GBH 3 times now, you do what he did off the pitch and your are doing time.
Cantona got convicted and banned for 6 months.
Suarez could eat an apple through a letterbox.
My young bro just off phone half-cut singing.
Sammi just won him a couple of hundred quid both teams to score any Greece & Colombia to win,
No2 daughters graduation in the morning ,so life is good for now :)))
Bankiebhoy
Thank you for the wee KTF earlier it was noted Sir.