Is Ashley Cole indicative of all that's wrong with our society?

[The Large One]

society moves on and with that the human brain and all that goes on in the world, theres no point wishing we could be stuck in the clean & nice 1950s as we have to adapt to the ever changing world. 50 years from now the game of football will again be very different as it is today and there will be another Live Internet Commentator asking the same question, pointless...deal with it and move with it!

Don't agree.

Only the top echelons of football have changed - into a farcical circus full of over-paid brats whose lives are subject to media scrutiny and then foisted upon us as though we are supposed to care. These players, being in the spotlight in this way, are only ever as loyal as their next pay cheque.

Below the top division, not much has changed in the past 50 years. Of course, tactics and fitness regimes change, and the rules are tweaked here and there, but it's still basically the same game.

So if you're going to behave like a muppet on the football field, and find it's acceptable just because others do it, then the answer to Harty's question is 'yes, he is indicative. Worse - he appears to promote it...'

 

[eastie]

Did i read that Frank Lampard went to a restaurant last week, in Esher, and parked in the Disabled Bay and just paid the £60 fine, rather than park a few more yards away from the place?

Should have clamped the car and lost the key

 

[The Large One]

Personally I dont see why they should have to act & behave (on and off the pitch) like a perfect Role Model, they wanted to play football (as we all do) but do they have to do what society tells them to do and be a Role Model? They worked hard in their youth to progress their game not live the life that others think they should live, every human is different so why do they need to be forced into being the same....does'nt sit right in my book.

That would be fine - if no-one watched them play.

But people do, and some people - kids especially - idolise them. Seeing as it's a form of entertainment they have chosen to take part in, and a lifestyle they have chosen to aspire to, then therefore with the glory and fame should come responsibility.

What does Ashley Cole behaving like an arsehole have to do with football? A bit, but not everything. Granted, he has chosen to play the game with passion, commitment and skill - but he has also chosen to bring in things which ought to have nothing to do with football - rudeness, arrogance, irresponsibility, disrespect. All, under anyone's terms, would be considerd negative traits.

So who gave him the right to bring those traits into the game?

 

[Braders]

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt of the way he conducted himself over his transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea, but he makes solemn marriage vows to his wife, then, regardless of the fact that she is a stunner, cheats on her with what can best be described as a number of 'scrubbers'.
But his conduct at the Spurs game, ie the tackle and then his behaviour towards the ref afterwards, must have been a dagger in the heart to every youth football manager/coach in the country.
Allright he's allegedly apologised, but if he's 'one of our top English players' what kind of a role model is that to our youngsters?

but to make it worse , he's ex-P*l*ce string the fucker up!

 

[barney]

i think the worst thing about it is the fact that as soon as it happened, 3 players confronted the ref like they wanted a fight. who else other than ashley f***ing cole, john terry (many peoples choice for ENGLAND CAPTAIN), and that useless cocky twat frank lampard. the ref was backing away further and further as if he was intimidated by them. in my eyes they should have all got sent off. why the referee should feel intimidated after giving a correct decision for a foul is sickening. especially by these people representing our country and being shown on telly to millions week in week out. cole should have been sent off for the tackle in the first place.

when will chelsea learn? how many times do they need a petty fine before the FA realise that fining chelsea won't have any effect on their conduct?! points deduction is the only option alongside banning the players involved..

and as i see it, the referee should grow some bollocks and not back away from the players and say get out my face or you're off

 

[Uncle C]

It would be interesting to trace back and find out how we ended up in a situation where referees at rugby get treated with gentlemanly respect while football referees are considered fair game for bullying and intimidation by players.

It doesn't take a lot of tracing to realise that rugby is predominantly fed by the high school and university systems.

OTOH football is fed from the streets and secondary moderns.

 

[El Presidente]

I think we are lucky at the Albion, rumour has it that Guy Butters once shared his beans from a KFC family bucket with a TRAMP, although on closer inspection it turned out to be Warren Aspinall.

As for Ashley Cole, you have to feel for him as he is the most wronged person in the UK

"Ash! Are you listening?” said a virtually hyperventilating Jonathan. “I’m here in the office and David Dein is saying they aren’t going to give you £60k a week. They’ve agreed £55k and this is their best and final offer. Are you happy with that?”

When I heard Jonathan (Barnett) repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road. “He is taking the piss, Jonathan!” I yelled down the phone. I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger."

 

[Harty]

I think we are lucky at the Albion, rumour has it that Guy Butters once shared his beans from a KFC family bucket with a TRAMP, although on closer inspection it turned out to be Warren Aspinall.

As for Ashley Cole, you have to feel for him as he is the most wronged person in the UK

"Ash! Are you listening?” said a virtually hyperventilating Jonathan. “I’m here in the office and David Dein is saying they aren’t going to give you £60k a week. They’ve agreed £55k and this is their best and final offer. Are you happy with that?”

When I heard Jonathan (Barnett) repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road. “He is taking the piss, Jonathan!” I yelled down the phone. I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger."

Agreed, that 5k a week would have made all the difference.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

To be honest I do think Marc has a point. The times they are a changing and the abuse refs get throughout the game - including from people who are too old to be heavily influenced by what the 'stars' do - is terrible.

That said the refs at a lower level are not helped by the vague laws of the game which invited arguments because a lot of people simply don't understand them.

But you don't get such arguements on a rugby pitch at any level and the rules are considerably more complex than football.
Q - How come mini, junior, colt and adult rugby players don't behave like this?

 

[Gully]

That might be true, rugby was traditionally considered a game played by gentlemen behaving like thugs and football the opposite way round, it is now a little harder to make that distinction in football. I would agree with the comment about only the captain in football being able to approach the ref, I am not saying that there should be a protective zone around the man in black and anyone who transgresses it suffers the consequences, but the sight of 4 or 5 players harranguing him(her) should not be allowed.

I was heartened by the comment made by Fabio Capello about his England team showing greater restraint and respect for the referee, maybe if he were to instruct the team that only the captain approach the ref it would set a good example to the rest of football...if you can start at the top, by setting a good example, then hopefully that behaviour might filter downwards.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

The bloke was insulted by Arsenal by only offering him £ 60000 a week so that was probably still on his mind. I mean to be offered £ 60000 a week, what a cheek. For kicking a ball around once a week and a 20 hour " working " week. I mean Nurses putting in 60 hours a week saving lives are paid £ 20000 a year so his £ 60000 a week is a disgrace isn't it. i mean his value to mankind is so much more isn't it.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

Did i read that Frank Lampard went to a restaurant last week, in Esher, and parked in the Disabled Bay and just paid the £60 fine, rather than park a few more yards away from the place?

Sadly many of these guys are too dumb to cope with the money and fame thet have.

It was John Terry

 

[Gully]

Couldn't agree more, most of us dream of earning £60k in a year, in fact the majority survive on a half or even a quarter of that amount...the only problem we have is that generally people are willing to accept whatever salary is offered, or hold out for more...not necessarily an amount representative of their true worth!

Oh, and here is a link to a Beeb article relating to what Capello said:

BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Capello set to demand discipline

 

[Ernest]

It was John Terry

Yes and that is why he should never again be England captain, the England football captain should be a pillar of society and someone the young lads playing school football should look up to and aspire to be like.

 

[The Oldman]

I've never been to a pro Rugby match. Do the crowd abuse the ref as we do at Football?

 

[Stevie Boy]

i have just seen the incident on SSN, there was more intent in that challenge than what was in Martin Taylors, it was a red card tackle, now will we hear that useless **** blatter demanding he gets banned, i dont think so, also he nearly swevered off the road whane he was offered 55k, shame he didnt and crash into a tree, i would dream of earning 55k a year, but i dont, it makes me laugh when peopel say, what are players supposed to do when they retire from the game, well i have news for them, get into the REAL WORLD and get a proper job and work a 40 hour week.

 

[sten_super]

I've never been to a pro Rugby match. Do the crowd abuse the ref as we do at Football?

Not the games I've been to.

Football should be referred like rugby; if a player commits an offence, the referee talks to the player concerned and the captain of the offending team. That way the captain is seen as being responsible for the discipline of his team, and is fully aware of what is happening. If players misbehave, it is then up to the captain to sort them out.

This season Chelsea have probably been the worse, but both Man Utd (and to a lesser degree) Arsenal have a history of doing this kind of thing, so I think it's important not just to highlight one club.

As for those saying that Ashley Cole and his ilk have no responsibility to wider society, I'm sorry but that is bollocks. He is paid £100k a week, and that money comes straight from the fans (be they Sky-watching or game attending), he is putting himself up there to be judged, and I'm sure that these players realise the impact that their behaviour has on those that watch.

 

[Stat Brother]

Firstly his behaviour towards his wife, bears only a minimal connection to his footballing antics (just to say an arse on the pitch an arse off it).
I'm not a gutter press bloke so I, like in all fairness everyone else, don't know the full story.

But, Cole's behaviour v Spurs was the 5-live phone debate, for over an hour, this morning.
How can that be so, how on Good Friday, can the BBC have nothing better to talk about than 1 footballer.
The media have created this monster and until the media walk away, a la German TV refusing to cover Le Tour, due to doping, it will never improve.

I can't watch rugby without wishing football could be like that.
I love the ref talking to the players, from the Scot/ Italy game:-
Ref:- "I can only call it how I see it, if I've missed something then I'm sorry". Fantastic, but my instant thought was 'god it that happened in football, the poor bloke would get lynched'.

I feel history will judge now and the next 5-10 years as the low point in football.

 

[NMH]

Not Ashley Cole.

The people who don't teach him lessons are to blame. If they don't act to curb such behaviour, then they are saying Cole's 'okay' to do as he pleases.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'd have no problem if Wilkin's decided to have a playing contract with all footballers connected to the Albion and going public with it.

Along the lines of:-
No diving, no swearing, no back chat, no bloody apealling when you have obviously kick the ball out, and so on, and on.
Sure we might lose the odd game, but who knows with just concentrating on football we might even win some.