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.
[calameo code=0003901719d82038831a9 lang=en page=126 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,013 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 27
- »
the ole padded shirt
Living Wage
It’s in the news again. I cannot understand why Celtic do not pay this to all employees. £7.35 per hour FFS. Scandalous!
Not interested in the constant stream of political posts on here – but when it comes to hacking……………
IMO Greig, Shearer and Caldow – all of them should have done time!
:-)
ger57
13:18 on
24 June, 2014
Our board do many things right, hoever, they also make some major baws ups.
The fact that Celtic decided to leave the meetings which were taking place with the Living Wage Commision and then refuse to support it at this year’s AGM is a blight on our history and traditions in my opinion.
Wright’s comments are absurd on so many levels. What if the player in question doesn’t agree with UK military occupation of other countries anyway?
I’m sure if they were to make a phonecall to the relatives to tell them “I don’t want to take a week away to sit on the bench in a meaningless friendly as I’d rather spend the time with my young family” they’d be told “fair enough” in any case.
I don’t think Wright’s comments are malicious. Rather, I think he has the mental age of a young teenager at best. His punditry performance next to Martin O’Neill and Canavaro in his third(?) language is embarrassingly poor.
On the Ian Wright views, I don’t agree with them at all they are wrong-headed, reactionary and ill advised and will only bring issues for Wright rather than any reluctant English footballers.
For perspective though, It is worth considering Wright’s background and upbringing. As child he was constantly let down and abandoned by an absent father. His mother and maternally relatives brought him up and his father would occasionally come back into his life only to desert and disappoint the boy…time and time again.
This treatment by what should have been his role model shaped, and indeed mis-shaped Wright’s childhood and early adult life. he constantly sought a father figure and his search for structure and authority led, I think, to a an over developed orthordoxy on patriotism and his sense of belonging.
Attached is a small clip of a longer documentary call “Nothing to Something” in which Wright’s background and development is explored. This clip shows how he was affected by a teacher who practically helped him in school and also in shaping his relationships to others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqA__UnMAFA
Its worth trying to source the whole programme.
I am not excusing his comments, I think they are deeply wrong and without context.
However, I remember thinking, on viewing the full documentary, how blessed I was to have two loving parents who brought balance an unconditional love to my early years, despite my behaviour not always being deserving of such an environment.
Football is important to us all but other things are more fundamental and I would be hopeful that Ian Wright, who overcame much more than most, and everyone else remembers that before long.
Parkheadcumsalford
13:07 on 24 June, 2014
Sorry all for being flippant there. Was unaware of the hacking verdicts. 1 question: how did she get off?
======================
Animal porn by the looks of her…
Shocking news that the Hoops are seriously considering corner-comer-upper Craig Gordon.
What next? A keeper who has made saves against us? The horror, the horror…
BSR – Daily record has Zaluska for the off, last year of his contract and he wants to play. Maccabi Haifa are interested, apparently.
Still, if Gordon is on a pay-as-you-play deal it sort of suggests he expects to play if fit. So whither goest thou, Frazer?
Sandman…. whit ? That’s it…. get the pitchforks, burning brands and “board out” placards looked out… we’re no taking this any more…. we’re marching to Hampden.. next time it’s shut !!!! (hahahaha)
My only suprise at the hacking verdict is anyone being found guilty.
Feared that with their connections they would all have walked.
I was written for The Sun after all
HT
From earlier
Yes I think your mind is going :)))
You are under the illusion that you are in for some rest in the next few weeks, when we have been assured that will not be the case :))))))
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
13:35 on
24 June, 2014
I was written for The Sun after all
——————-
Awwwww were ye, that’s nice ya wee soul :-)
ger57
bonuses to pay ..bonuses
Ht
It…tosser
Leftie
I’ve been assured I’ll be permitted an hour’s free time.
Each week :-)
PF
x :-)
‘That guys not Wright’
Back to work.
RUNAR KRISTINSSON has ordered his KR Reykjavik players to ENJOY their Euro crunch ties against Celtic.
The coach admitted he is relishing the opportunity for his team to have “fun” against Ronny Deila’s men.
He said: “Of course, this is a great game for KR and it does not matter that it is a hugely difficult task.
“It will be an adventure for everyone to meet Celtic and put a spanner in this historic and great team. But it will be extremely difficult.
“People do not like to make expensive and difficult journeys in Europe, but we would, of course, preferred to get an easier opponent.
“The most positive thing about this is probably the short journey.
“Now we’ll have to have a very good look at them. They will come with a new coach and it will be important to see if he is going to change the way Celtic play football.
“I think it will be fun for the boys. The Champions League has been problematic for Icelandic teams over the years and it has been difficult to advance.
“Seeing as we have got such a strong opponent, we must above all enjoy ourselves, but need to make sure to step up a gear to achieve the best possible results.
“That would be nice, but I think people have to realise that it could be difficult.
“We’ll need to put in a lot of effort and try our best.”
SonsOfErin
Didn’t know that, but Lucasz has been too long an understudy and I’m not surprised.
We also have Ronny Deila saying no signings before the qualifiers, so if there are suitors for Fraser Forster, his sale is surely after we’ve attempted to qualify.
But nothing would surprise me with the mavericks who gamble our club’s straight shot at the CL.
***LUNCHTIME QUIZ***
So no winners on the last few Lunchtime Quizes has prompted Celtic’s equivalent of William G Stewart to review the standards.
Surely an absolute easy one today:
Before embarking on the original and only untainted 9-in-a-row, in what league position did Celtic finish the 1964/65 season?
***The rules of the game are always the same.
No search engines please, you’re only cheating yourself***
Read ’em and weep
IGC- 5th.
Just heard Cameron’s “apology” on 5Live. Couldn’t bring himself to say that Coulson had lied to him or that he hadn’t told the truth, only that the information he provided “turned out not to be the case.”
Coulson, lover of Brooks and confidante and friend of Cameron, guilty. He simply must have forgot to mention it to either of them.
For LB
Craig Gordon is a Jambo..Ergo..Craig Gordon is a bad person…..IMHO.hh
8th
hail hail
Did british sercurity not vet Coulson?
Cameron unaware of how Coulson gathered info?
Brooks???
“Speak your mind, but ride a fast horse”
Pedro Lawell
Craig Gordon: For all we go on about being charitable, we don’t half know how to carry a grudge.
Auldheid- it helps us keep in touch with our inner [K]elt.
Never forget, never forgive.
So Coulson duped David Cameron but now carries the can?
Is Coulson related to Craig Whyte?
The next time England get humped and Wright refuses to comment then Lineker should tell him to go and phone all those license-payers who are paying his wages.
DBBIA,
Thanks for the reply. I was being a wee bit rhetorical, as I thought evidence that found Coulson guilty was every bit as strong against her and her husband. In fact, was he not caught red-handed trying to dispose of evidence??? Justice takes some strange turnings sometimes…..Hmmmmm.
Auldheid
Couldn’t agree more. A week or so ago myself and Doc sat and listened to Bertie Auld talking about rival players – some of the Rangers guys at the time and also Billy Bremner. He said that some of them where nice enough OFF the park but on it they were ENEMIES – people trying to TAKE HIS BONUS OFF HIM. Bertie said he couldn’t have that so he did what he had to do. If Craig Gordon decided to go up for a corner against Celtic when playing for Hearts so what?
winning captains
14:02 on
24 June, 2014
Do you not realise that should he ever be in goals for us and his beloved The Rangers need us to lose, he will literally throw the ball into his own net.
Weeminger,
I remember him doing that against us. ;)
One of the best days out at the footy I’ve had.
Dontbrattbakkinanger.
The ability to hold on to grudges never fails to amuse me. I’m not sure if it’s Kelt or Celt where it is quite observable.
In his book The Long Glasgow Kiss The author Craig Russell begins by saying something like this.
Three things the Glaswegian mind has difficulty grasping. Salad. Dentistry. Forgiveness.
It made me smile on all three but I do marvel at the ability of Celtic supporters to keep past affronts alive and ill.