Has a footballer ever sluffened his parents, hangers on and childhood club and said, "I wouldn't go there for all the tea in China. Can't stand em. I'd rather break my leg"? (Or words to that effect). Reason I ask is football is tribal. My dream was always to play for Barnsley. I was never any good or lucky enough to grace Oakwell with my dazzling forward play. That said, If I had been I wouldn't have left if it wasn't for Spurs. Do real life footballers go through those same tribal emotions or is it indeed all money? What's sparked these chains of thought is seeing Harry Maguire in the stands. He obviously furthered his career and made a lot of money. Likewise seeing Maddison at Coventry the other night.
As a little lad it was your dream to play for Barnsley and like all or most of us on this forum you were never good enough to know what it is like to be good enough not only to do that but also to get a move to a bigger club in a higher league for more money. You have absolutely no idea whether in that position, let’s say a regular in league one for Barnsley, you’d have turned a move down to a championship club on treble the wage. In fact I’d say you don’t come across as an absolute idiot (at least not all the time…!!!), so I dare say you would have gone in that situation. As players all do. It isn’t only about money for any of them I doubt. But it is a job ultimately. A job they will have until they are in their late thirties at best in most cases. If they can do that job for enough money to not need to get more work in retirement, they’d be mad not to. And also pretty selfish if they have wives and kids etc; I’d probably be happier in a different job to the one I have, earning minimum wage. Maybe on less hours too. It wouldn’t pay the mortgage and bills, fill the fridge or put aside for the kids’ futures though. Being a footballer doesn’t remove you from practical and realistic thought. If Sheffield Wednesday offered me a job that fell within my skill set and was superior money and terms to my current role - I’d hold my nose and get on with it. I wouldn’t hesitate.
Great post. I agree to a point but I reckon players and sports people lose their edge once they have families and commitments. You don't set off as a young lad to represent your local club, get rich and have a family. Nor do your hopes and dreams include other people. That said. Great point about never knowing. Whimsical boredom at its finest.
Didn’t David Hirst say he wouldn’t go to Wednesday for a Gold Pig? … Football has changed (for the worst in my opinion). It’s a short career and now it’s just a job for the majority of those privileged to be good enough to play at the higher levels. If anyone says they wouldn’t do the same job they have for multiple times the money elsewhere then they are lying. The days of one-club players are sadly few and far between.
When I was at Man U as a youngster Stephen, I was on a decent whack. Lovely car, gorgeous girlfriends and a house in Alderley Edge. But every day I was on to my agent "Have Barnsley made a move Herbert?" But it never happened. Even when I moved to Real Madrid ...... "Herbert. Barnsley? Owt doing?" But no. I had to take the Pesetas. I then turned my frustration on Real. Barca had always been my 'other' team, so my repulsion at life in the capital, whilst dulling the pain of fading dreams of Oakwell, manifested in poor performances on the pitch. My bank balance soared but my stock plummeted. Earnt a fair bit in the early MLS but returned to Europe, and although there was talk of Danny being interested in me in 98, I went to Italy with first Juve, then both Milan teams (in all honesty cos my villa was near the San Siro and it was handy for the IKEA). Como were promoted, and I was adored there but finally came 'home' to see out my days at Newport. Then Emley. Since retiring with an absofookinglutely enormous bank balance, I like to think I've stayed humble, modest and content posting daily b0llox about my beloved Reds ..... and what might have been. I'm not one to brag about my career so I seldom mention the above and obviously post on here with a fake name, but yeah, you certainly got me searching my soul for an answer; love of Barnsley / love of football / money .... Sorry, what was the question again?
One or two of the lads/ lasses working behind the scenes or who have worked down at Oakwell in recent years werent/aren't necessarily Barnsley supporters, but it never stopped them giving 100% when doing their job and going the extra mile when needed, I'm sure YT can back me up on that one