Soccer Magazine
Loyalty – A One SidedAffair.
The undying loyalty of footballing fans has always been abeautiful sight; masses of red sweaty faces chanting for their team and insultingthe opposition. Those slightly crazier fans with painted faces and hair theirclubs’ colours, who rearrange their life around the weekly two-hour-slot whentheir team play – this a dying loyalty that only sports fans know. Anunquestionable vow we make to one team: to follow them regardless, to believe invictory when the score line reports defeat, and believe the impossible possiblewhen facing a superior team. Obstinate belief: we’re the best, and we’ll sing eternallyabout it. Before, after, all the way through the match – we sing and standtogether, united. What’s happening outside the match is, essentially,irrelevant. In the stadium, on the sofa, in the pub – that’s what’s happening. Sowhy don’t the footballers, those we idolise, the ones that smile at us fromposters on the wall – feel the same?
Players become accustomed to the idea of theirself-importance, which gives birth to audacity; advertising for bigger clubs tosign them when they’re playing for another. Villa captain Petrov claimed “I’dswap with any Liverpool player because I’m a Liverpool fan.” Whilst it’s loyal tocontinue supporting the clubs footballers did as a child, it’s ultimatelydisrespectful to your current club and fans, who don’t deserve to be abandoned.
Footballers are enticed by lucrative endorsement deals andridiculous salaries. And the club that signed them initially – that believed inthem and presented an opportunity? Well, that was just a platform. They come,steal our respect, bask in our admiration, and move on. Leaving us wounded,bereft of our idol -wondering why our precious club wasn’t good enough forthem.
The new generation of footballers are models and amateuractors – they’re on TV adverts as much as they’re on the pitch. Prima donnaswho crave the spotlight from any direction - the disloyal ones.
In a billion dollar industry it’s unsurprising they onlystick around until the next highest bidder. It’s nothing short of a travestythat we may lose one-club-wonders: those who play for clubs they genuinely support,like the golden generation Gerard, Scholes and Giggs. Approaching retirement,they’ll take their loyalty with them. No more welsh wonder tearing down thewings, no ginger ninja entertaining the crowd with his inability to tackle, andno scouse hero, whose free kicks still magically curl into the net.
Giggs’ devotion to United has been remarkably rewarded; he revelsin the adoration of thousands and is the most decorated footballer in Englishhistory – is this title not worth the loyalty?
This is a world where men are allowed to cry when we lose acup final, to hug another man in celebration, and not care when players slapeach other on the bum after the game. But what they do mind, what is unforgivable,is a disloyal, straying footballer chasing fame and fortune, rather than theball. But, this is now the world of football.
