Football; kicking cats and other crimes.

Kurt and Yoan Zouma have been cruel, thoughtless and stupid. As a follower of the Irons it is not the behaviour expected of one of our players, someone who is in the public eye, someone who should be a role model. David Moyes played him on Tuesday, the team have been missing Kurt of late due to injury, however, that was an error on the part of DM. Dagenham and Redbridge, the side Yoan plays for, will now, "take some time to consider our response". There was a strong negative response to KZ by Hammers' fans during the game. Despite being early in his long contract West Ham will now have to offload him and I would predict that he won't play for a UK team again. I expect Dagenham nad Redbridge will do the same.

Mason Greenwood, the Manchester United player, was arrested and accused of rape and sexual assault against his girlfriend. From what has been put into the public domain it would seem that some domestic abuse may have been occurring over a long period. Nike have cancelled their contract. I expect Manchester United will do the same regardless of the outcome of any court case if the club have any suspicion that the accusations are true.

Wayne Rooney, the manager of Derby County, revealed recently that he put longer, metal studs on his boots, "For that game I changed them to big, long metal ones - the maximum length you could have because I wanted to try and hurt someone, try and injure someone. I knew they were going to win that game. You could feel they were a better team at the time so I changed my studs." John Terry, the Chelsea captain at the time, left that game on crutches after a clash with WR.

All these men have something that many desire, they play football professionally, or have done so in the past. Three of them are paid, or have been paid, very handsomely indeed for this privilige. Wayne Rooney has shown himself to be a very promising football manager. Wayne might survive the stupidity of admitting what he did in an interview with Sky News. Equally, he might not. Yoan and Kurt Zouma may be able to obtain transfers to clubs outside the UK. Mason Greenwood's career is over unless (and this seems unlikely) the accusations are shown to be entirely false. 

These would be good outcomes. These people have too much influence over young men, in particular, to get away with these actions without there being serious repercussions.

Football, the beautiful game, is much tainted with hideous fan behaviour. The sphectre of violence and threat haunts the game. Although the running battles through the streets seem a rarer event these days, they still happen. The behaviour at the Euros finals, the disgraceful behaviour by Rangers fans in Glasgow last year, and this last weekend, Hull supporter(s) throwing missles at Everton players, demonstrate what a responsibility the players have. 

Sadio Mane (sorry photographer I don't know who you are to give credit).

 

There are players who are good role models, Sadio Mane springs to mind, as does Marcus Rashford. Unfortunately, there are many who have not and do not meet their responsibilities appropriately.  And in the past the clubs and the football heirarchy have acted ineffectively to rid the game of the macho, aggressive and violent culture that pervades it.

Things need to change.

If you wear the shirt, honour it, be a role model. (With apologies to another unknown photographer).