Kissing in the wind
Seeing Joey Barton bashing his chest like a neatly-shaved ape on Tuesday night made me aware of one thing that's getting me really riled about footie players these days.
All this badge-kissing is pretty hard to swallow, isn't it, from a bunch of well-moneyed no-marks who show as much loyalty to the cause as a tabloid-hogging-celebrity-one-night-stand bimbo.
If you're John Terry or Paul Scholes or Jamie Carragher or Ian Ashbee then maybe you've got a point. Trouble is, if you're a confirmed one-club man, you don't need to convince the fans - or yourself - that you're a faithful standard-bearer for your team.
It's only them players who are a bit confused who seem to need to confirm their allegiance to whoever the hell is watching. Rooney at Everton was a case in point.
That 'Once a Blue Always a Blue' t-shirt will live with him forever, and frankly he could kiss the feet of Sir Bobby Charlton in an 'I Love Bestie' top whilst singing 'United, United!' and he'd still be a Toffee trying to escape his heritage.
Barton grabbed the ball for the spot-kick against the Baggies even though he's not the registered penalty-taker. They'll tell you it shows courage. I say it shows that he's so desperate to prove he's for real this time that he's willing to put his feelings above team orders. Funny how no-one seemed to want to wrestle the ball away from him too, eh?
The trouble with these badge-kissing travesties is that you know in your heart of hearts you're looking at a jumped-up little mercenary, especially if the bloke doing it only arrived in town a few weeks back.
Even so, it's easy to fall for it. You desperately want someone to want your club to do well as much as you do, so one goal is often enough to convince you that they share the same dream. And footie fans, whether they like it or not, are involved in a pretty torrid (or if you're a Liverpool fan, Torres) love affair.
It can turn sensible, emotionless blokes into heaps of girlish gibbering jelly at the drop of a cross. Some exotic whipper-snapper can turn up from nowhere, curl in a couple of masterful free-kicks and blow you a few kisses and you think you're in a relationship.
Take Boro for example. That Fabrizio Ravanelli was a strumpet, really. That Woody Woodgate never stuck around long, even though we rescued him from Spain. I hope the lad Wheater doesn't walk away and never phone us again.
There are players lighting up the League this season - Zaki, Geovanni - but whether either of 'em survives a transfer window must be seriously doubtful. We're so lovesick and sorry these days that fans'll often just say that they're grateful to have their man for even half a season.
You might think the boo-boys at Harry Redknapp's freedom of the city knees-up earlier in the week were a bit out of order. Personally I think 'Arry's got a bit of front going along to that any road when he's just dumped them for someone else.
Of course sometimes players don't get what they want, even if they sometimes act like they are bigger than the organisation. Cristiano Ronaldo's currently wearing the longest face in the Premier League since Van Nistelrooy went to the Bernabeu, and all 'cos the lad wasn't allowed to sidle out of Man U off the back of a series of insinuations in the press and the express wishes of his Mum.
Mind you, loyalty works both ways and Fergie's latest anti-Real rant, where he claimed that Heinze went to Madrid first as some kind of bait for Ronaldo, is downright potty. Only a woman with the figure of Scarlett Johanssen and the stamina of Paula Radcliffe could make me up-stumps in that way.
Next thing we know Fergie'll be claiming that the Real president has been in secret talks with the sunshine as part of some wicked ploy to lure the gelled tumbler to the balmier south.
The badge-kissing, then, is just a pretence of loyalty. And we fans still value it above everything else. One of the reasons we're so pleased for Hull, apart from it being even as surprising as the Major-Currie revelation, is that there are players who have been at the same club since the darkest days of a decade ago.
The reason the Champs League final was so epic was 'cos the man who missed the penalty to win it was the bloke who, when Chelsea have been up against it in the past, would always be the first to put his hand up (and quite often that hand would stop a certain penalty and the ref wouldn't give it).
The fact that Anelka missed the decisive one is no sort of story at all, 'cos that misery has been to more clubs than Kerry Katona.
So here's my plea to footballers up and down the country. No badge-kissing unless you've been there two years minimum and you've just signed an extensive contract (without some elaborate fannying about by your agent to screw as much cash out of the club you so loyally support). Otherwise you're no better than a drunken snog at a sixth-form disco.
I'm Derek Robson. People call me Robbo. Legend has it I was raised in the furnace and smog of Teesside. Some might say I took the hard road. I like to tell folk I had trials for Middlesbrough, for Hartlepool and for burglary (not guilty). I've always loved sport. My job is to say it as I see it - whether it's in the bar of the Blue Bell or on this blog. You won't find me calling a spade a soil-redistribution implement.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~37~RS~)
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Wow, a serious 'gripe' blog from Robbo this time round....
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But so very true!
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OMG!right on brother..robbo sure sounds pissed.agree with u on dis 1 tho..mercenaries out to prove otherwise...but mind you some of them actually mean it..
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this was the weakest pile of drivel ive seen from you robbo, whats the matter get some bad news this week ?
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I completely agree. I remember a certain Gareth Williams. On jhis final game for Nottingham Forest he kissed the badge and then upped sticks for East Midlands rivals Leicester City!
Now, as a Leicester fan, I think he was a great signing but this example just shows the (lack of) loyalty (some) players have to their clubs these days.
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WOW, robbo slagging of an ex Boro player?
thought that he only did it to Newcastle. Oh wait, he played for them too...
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Fair comments (especially about Barton) but I think Rooney will be at United for the rest of his career; and his commitment on the pitch earns him the right to express his loyalty. Also, he qualifies as being allowed to kiss his badge according to your last paragraph, doesn't he??
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Sol campbell comes to mind too, kissing the arsenal badge after declaring a lifelong affinity to tottenham. PLAIN WRONG!!!!
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If you really want to talk about gesture that is hard to swallow, it is the sign of the cross that so many players make when they enter or leave the field. It is as ridiculous as it is meaningless.
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The worst for me was Sol 'Judas' Campbell who having been bought through the Spurs academy, been given the chance and ultimately become Spurs captain after his defection decided to kiss the Arsenal badge after they won the title at White Hart Lane. He didn't care about Arsenal, he was just making a statement to the Spurs fans who had respected and trusted him. His 'love' for Arsenal then only lasted long enough for him to get of his contract for his dream move to Villareal. Then promptly signed for Pompey.
Completely agree that whether you love a club or are just a mercenary you don't have to prove it to the fans as they know who is there for their love of the club and who is there for a quick buck.
Anyone got a Chelsea badge for Ashley Cole to kiss?.......
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i wouldn't put rooney in the list of 'jumped-up little mercenary',he's hardly likely to jump ship at the sign of extra money and he's likely to remain at man utd for a few years yet.
plus also ian ashbee isnt a one club man,he's ex-scumbridge
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I remember Reyes kissing his Arsenal badge in a game in the 2004/05 season, just weeks after being infamously duped into admitting he wanted to leave for Real Madrid in a radio show. In this case, I believe his badge kissing was to almost reassure the Arsenal faithful he was staying put, but probably just to get them off his back for a while.
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Hi Robbo
I think maybe your expectations are a bit to high, In some respects if a player was playing for my time I would want to know that while they are playing for my team they are 100% committed and pissing ones team badge is a good way to indicate that. I wouldn't necessarily expect that they maintain that same loyalty for the rest of their playing career, if they move to another team they they need to show the team that they move to that same loyalty.
I must admit in Rooneys case I thought it was inapropriate as it could and was interpreted as an insult to the team and fans he left than a sign of loyalty tothe current team he was playing for, and I think Fergusson did the right thing by taking him off.
The Man U - Real thing for me is like to powerful stags in rutting season both making sure that there power within the herd of mayor football teams is not being undermined.
Maybe you can think of it this way too, a fan will support a player as long as he plays for his team, not like fans remain loyal to players who move off to another team is it, well there are exceptions but it isn't normal. Just as there are exceptions with players too.
And personally I think it's pretty easy for Terry, Carragher and Scholes to remain loyal to a team when it's one of the top four in the premier league, it's got to be harder for a player, who plays for a lesser team when they have ambition. Usually the only ones who do, do so because they figure out that they have no chance of getting into one of the top four teams.
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Not saying Ashbee is a one-club man, just that he's been there from very dark times for the club and earned his right to be embraced by the fans. Maybe Rooney will stick with it at Man U. Hope he does. As for Sol, well yes I'm sure it galls you Spurs blokes, it would me, but that small section that were coughing up the sort of vile bile at Pompey that even Wossie and Brand would consider way off limits haven't exactly put the fans in a good light have they?
Ee, I am grumpy this week, you're right. Must be the tax return I just posted.
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A complete load of rubbish as always! I am sorry but they are free to do what they please.
Just because you don't agree with it there is no need to write 10 paragraphs on the subject. A one liner with the words "I dislike badge kissing" will pretty much hammer your opinion home to the readers.
And I am sorry but your point is invalid when it comes to Wayne Rooney. Rooney gives 210% for United and England every time he walks out on the pitch.
Barton on the other hand is just showing appreciation for the fans and the Newcastle staff sticking by him.
But seriously this is not worth a blog!
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Gareth Williams ran nearly a 100yards to celebrate in front of the Forest fans, gleefully kissing his badge. Brought up through the academy then sped off down the road a few weeks later for a few extra quid.
Best one for us though (Forest), Kris Commons the local boy playing for his boyhood team, signing for D*rby!! And all for a few quid extra.
People might say any supporter would do the same (move for a few extra quid) but would you sign for your most hated rivals?? No Chance!
Robbo's right. Kiss that badge when it actually means something!!
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Totally agree with Robbo on this one!
In the modern game there are too many of these 'Mercenaries' floating about from one club to another, pledging allegance to each one as if they were fulfilling a boyhood dream...please!
May I suggest one way which shows true allegance to a club...take a pay cut from their vastly over-inflated wages and then we'll see who truely wants to be there for the pride of playing for the team!
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"the gelled tumbler". Ha ha, nice one Robbo, that put a smile on my face.
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Suggest Brentznet (comment number 13) starts to use his spell check.....
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Still can't believe the BBC are paying somone simply to moan.
Do they not realise there is enough pessimism in the world without giving this guy the credit of caling him a journalist.
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I agree with some of the points you make but why do you have to try and be funny? Only 14 year olds and Mark Lawrenson would laugh at this. Why can't you have a face either- I hate your little cartoon man
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You have also forgot to mention Thierry Henry who used to slap his badge or kiss it every time he scored. Now look where he is, all this loyalty and all that. Rumour had it that he wanted to go to MUFC but that was only because they won the champions league, lets face it, he went to Barcelona because they won it against Arsenal. Something tells me you are an Arsenal fan.
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Kris Commons is no surprise though, he walked out on Stoke, the club that brought him through!
And i think no player should be allowed to kiss the badge untill he has been at the club for a minimum of 7 years - ideally including youth team days.
But i also think all managers should wear suits on the touchline.
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Robihno did it when he scored for the first time against Chelsea. He pointed to his badge, and i was like 'YER WATEVA MATE.'
It was only a few days ago he thought he had gone to Man U, so I agree with this blog completely. Robinho was so desperate to come over to Engalnd he would of joined my local pub team.
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I think Robbo made the point about Rooney because of his 'once a blue, always a blue t-shirt' - seems strange that he's now kissing the united badge! Seems like his loyalty has gone amiss somewhere.... Hmmm. But i'm ready for you all to shoot me down - I have had the audacity to shoot down our prodigal son that is Wayne Rooney after all. How dare I?!
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So by your own qualification of people who ARE allowed to kiss the badge....Rooney is more than entitled since he's been there over 4 years and is on a long contract.
A bit of anti Manchester United double standards there.
Never mind, have a pop at Ronaldo for how he looks and you'll feel better........oh, you already have.
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Most badge kissing is clearly pretentious nonsense.
Perhaps not letting players have a badge on their shirt until they have completed 2 years at a club might fix it?
Perhaps those who leave clubs within 2 years of kissing a badge should pay a 'disloyalty fine' to their old supporters club?
Or we can just accept that most modern players genuinely are mercenaries who learn to play to the cameras.
How many working fans are happy in their current job but would not be tempted by a rival offering to double their wages?
Try supporting a club with precious few opportunities to kiss anything and see how much you complain.
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giveusbackourpoints - you should be writing these blogs. Absolute truth in what you say
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It's not anti-United bias - it's the fact that Rooney is a disrespectful numpty!
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Well I'm glad to see that Scarlett Johansson is now the benchmark for feminine beauty rather than that Kelly Brook. (Albeit I think he spelt her surname wrong!)
Anyway, these relationships, Robbo calls them, are two way so we're just as guilty. Perhaps we should boo if they kiss the badge and we don't think they have the right!
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I think unlike that idiot Barton who is just clinging on for dear life, Wayne means it. When he left Everton he left knowing that he needed to move on for the sake of his career and that there was no better place than Old Trafford. But he also left knowing his roots were at Everton. Hence the infamous T-Shirt. Like a lobster-skinned ex-pat wearing his England shirt on a beach in Spain, Wayne knew where his heart was.
But that heart was spat back at him by the bitter and twisted fans at Goodison. Abused in his hometown and taunted with fat jokes from the crowd who once adored him, how could he still love the club that hate him so unjustly? United paid Everton £27 million for Rooney and they took that money with both hands. Why this poisonous reaction from the terraces?
As return visits to Everton got increasingly unpleasant for the kid (and lets remember he was just a teenager) he was continually embraced by Old Trafford. Wayne became a fans favourite at United and an essential part of the team. Even as the England fans who once saw him as the saviour of their nation fell in and out of love with him, he was always adored at Old Trafford. Despite all this one could easily misinterpreted Rooney's weekend badge-kissing as an angry retort to the bullying Everton fans. But when interviewed in calmer moments Rooney has always stated his love for United and his desire to stay at Old Trafford. As they sang on Wednesday night 'Once a Blue, always a Red'.
You can't make the same case for Barton who clearly just wanted to antagonise the Sunderland fans.
Also worth mentioning that Paul Scholes takes his kids to Oldham and that John Terry was a kid who dreamt of playing for Manchester United. Things change.
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Seems that some of the badge-kissing, like Rooney at Everton on Saturday, is less about loyalty for his current club and more a message to the home fans. "I don't like you anymore, and here's how I'll prove it."
It's unoriginal, unnecessarily provocative, and largely meaningless. Typical of the modern footballer, I suppose.
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"K is for the kissing of the badge
how ridiculous that looks 6 months later when they're at another club"
from The Referee's Alphabet by Half Man Half Biscuit
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Quality article Robbo I could'nt agree more, maybe we should have a Home Town 11 Premier League and Rooney would have to go back and play for Everton.
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Don't know why Man Utd fans are getting defensive over Rooney. He's perfectly entitled to kiss his badge if he wants. Its only a bit of cloth sewn to another bit of cloth.
He used to do the same at Everton as well.
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Rooney's an idiot I don't understand how he can do that to the club he grew up to love and then play for and Adeybayor kisses the badge everytime he scores to try and convince the Arsenal fans he's loyal but he doesn't fool me.
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# 15 says 'And I am sorry but your point is invalid when it comes to Wayne Rooney. Rooney gives 210% for United and England every time he walks out on the pitch.'
What an utterly ludicrous statement to make! How did you measure that? Are you sure it wasnt 209 0r 211? Simple fact mate, it is impossible for anyone to give anything greater than 100%
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Robbo you contradict yourself so much...
You say...
"It's ok for Jamie Carragher to do it."
He was meant to be an Evertonian so something is totally wrong there. Probably the biast kopite in you, no true loyal supporter would kiss their rivals badge no matter how long they have played for them.
Also you say...
"No badge-kissing unless you've been there two years minimum."
Rooney has been at United for four years now, yet you rant on about him doing it.
How much did you just get paid to write this rubbish? do you kiss the bbc badge on your way home?
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@Genghisridesagain
You're dealing with football fans here pal. If you're looking for a Maths masterclass, you've come to the wrong place.
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Well said and about time this nonsense was brought to everyones attention.
I notice all the comments against this blog have a reference to Man Utd in their names.
In the case of Baloony..sorry Rooney I think he is just far too immature sometimes, that gesture infront of the team who he will eventually come grovelling back to watch after his career finishes proves this point.
If these gestures are infront of the opposing teams supporters inciting them, then I think a yellow should be branded.
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25. At 3:20pm on 30 Oct 2008, Ronson1984 wrote:
I think Robbo made the point about Rooney because of his 'once a blue, always a blue t-shirt' - seems strange that he's now kissing the united badge! Seems like his loyalty has gone amiss somewhere.... Hmmm. But i'm ready for you all to shoot me down - I have had the audacity to shoot down our prodigal son that is Wayne Rooney after all. How dare I?!
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No, you make a very fair point mate. I'm sure in Rooney's ideal world Everton would have been bought by the Sultan of Brunei, he would have stayed there and they would have won the Champions League.
I'm sure when he wore the t-shirt he thought he would be at Everton forever (he was just a teenager don't forget)
Rooney is the hungriest player I've ever seen, in reality he had to move to a bigger club to fulfill his ambitions. I do respect players (like Matt Le Tissier for example) who stick with a smaller club; but with Rooney's drive and ambition he could have achieved a lot more in the game.
Also, I'm sure Rooney still supports Everton purely as a fan, just as Lineker would have always supported Leicester no matter where he was playing. He was just simply too good to stay at Everton; and since his move has shown a great passion for success at United. I hope I'm not proved wrong but I'd be amazed if Rooney doesn't finish his career at United
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TBH, I do not see what all the fuss is about. Every player has their own celebration. I love seeing Rooney and Bentley tap their badges against their old teams. It is great. I do not care if they have not always supported the team they play for or if they are a 'one man club.' The atmosphere of the match changed when Rooney did that, it was great to watch. Rooney is Mr. Who ever he plays for. He always gives 110% and I think somebody like Rooney hurts when he looses or his team plays poorly. I think, that as football fans, we should enjoy these celebrations, rather than just looking at every opportunity to criticise them.
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Don't forget Barton got a 'loyalty payment' of £300,000 when he left City because he didn't initiate the transfer. And City refused to pay it so Newcastle ended up paying it to get him to move clubs. So he's loyal...(!)
Barton kissed his badge in response to Sunderland fans pelting him with missiles. I'd prefer he kissed his badge than gave the fans a 'Glasgow kiss'. Rooney was stupid, it was his old club who nurtured him and made him what he is. It was rude to kiss his current club's badge after all Everton did for him.
As for Barton taking the penalty, I don't care - he scored and that's all that counts for me! TBH I think he's more likely to score from the spot than Martins who has his off days in front of goal.
I can see your point, but it's no more silly than doing a little jig in the corner or the back-flips of Lua-Lua, Martins, etc.
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KillKurtzkidz
"Abused in his hometown and taunted with fat jokes from the crowd who once adored him"
I remember watching Everton play Man Utd at Goodison the season before his Judas act and listening to the Utd fat singing "you fat B******d"...All of them at a high volume.
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In response to King_Eric_Cantona's comment...
"Rooney is the hungriest player I've ever seen"...
It shows! I also know some hungry players...
-Neville Southall
-Ronaldo (not the Portuguese ponce)
-Matt Le Tissier
I could go on...
Maybe Rooney was not kissing the badge, but trying to eat it?!?
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The badge kissing may annoy you, Robbo, but not necessarliy everyone. Personnaly I really don't care.
As for Rooney, you're completely wrong. His antics at Everton were nothing to do with trying to convince Man U fans of his loyalty - I think that's pretty evident. Rooney was abused for the duration of the game, and what he was doing was giving an 'up-yours' to (some of) the Everton fans who aren't out of the trees long enough to realise that we have a thing called civilisation. When you're born in a particular place, the local 'tribe' can't punish you when you chose to move on. That should annoy you more than badge kissing. Get over it, and wise up.
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blueamsterdam - Of course they did, they had no loyalty to him. Everton should not turn on there own because they've gone on to bigger things and made millions out of it. Even West Ham fans showed respect to Carlos Tevez!
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7. At 3:46pm on 30 Oct 2008, KillKurtzKids wrote:
Even West Ham fans showed respect to Carlos Tevez!
Is he not from Argentina?
Did they make him what he is now?
Did he wear a t-shirt claiming his loyalty for west ham?
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KillKurtzKidz.
West Ham fans HATE Frank Lampard and Paul Ince still...to be totally honest I don't know exactly how they feel about Tevez.
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i can't believe for a moment rooney still supports everton as a 'fan'. i hate to sound like a pessimist but i think it's time to face the fact that the only loyalty in the game these days, rests only with the fans. and i don't know about any of you but i don't earn anywhere near what these badge kissers are getting.
i might go and see if any of them will lend me a tener...
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As I said, I think Rooney's shirt said everything about where his heart would be.
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Fanstastic Robbo. Hence why my favourite player at United is Giggs.
I wish I could write with such freedom and gusto on 606, but some liberal moderator keeps taking my comments off.
I hope this one makes it, coz it's all tongue in cheek and meant for a laugh.
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How can anyone talk about hungry players and not mention the great Mickey Quinn.
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45. At 3:46pm on 30 Oct 2008, ShrimpoLFC wrote:
In response to King_Eric_Cantona's comment...
"Rooney is the hungriest player I've ever seen"...
It shows! I also know some hungry players...
-Neville Southall
-Ronaldo (not the Portuguese ponce)
-Matt Le Tissier
I could go on...
Maybe Rooney was not kissing the badge, but trying to eat it?!?
________________________________
Fair play mate, I knew that comment was coming as soon as I wrote it! Why do you think he takes his shirt off every week, to try and prove he isn't actually fat at all. It'll never work though, he'll always look like Shrek but he's class and we don't care!
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#31
This is a very good point you have touched on. It would be interesting to get different fans views on why they boo players when they return to a previous club. I cant understand why fans would boo a player who has left in order to further their career or a squad player who leaves for first team football. It seems every player to transfers clubs gets booed on their return! (excluding Tevez who got a great reception back at upton park)
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I've got to agree, i lost all faith after believing all that drivel coming out of Alan smith's mouth, only to see him wonder off to...that team.
Harry, a disgruntled leeds fan
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Brentznet,
I disagree with your comment on 'Terry, Carragher and Scholes to remain loyal to a team when it's one of the top four in the premier league, it's got to be harder for a player, who plays for a lesser team when they have ambition. Usually the only ones who do, do so because they figure out that they have no chance of getting into one of the top four teams.'
Ledley King has played at tottenham his whole career, and whilst under no illusions that spurs are underachievers, and not fantastically amazing as many would have you believe, the years that they have struggled he has never upped sticks and gone. I do not think that is because he is not good enough to get into a top four club, regardless of his injuries (of which have only really come to the fore in the last couple of years as a major problem) he has shown commitment to Spurs regardless of their position in the league. I would have said the same of Robbie Keane, as he seemed to love the club and claimed he could easily finish his career there, most people would have taken his word at it and not called him a mercenary because he never left no matter how bad we were doing, hence why his decision to leave was probably the biggest shock of the summer. That said it shouldn't be that hard to love a club so much that even when the big boys come calling it is possible to turn them down. Look at Totti, he has stayed at Roma his entire career through the highs and lows.
On a general note badge kissing is something to find up the opposition as much as it is to say how much a player loves the club they are at. I would be more critical of Robbie Keane kissing his Liverpool badge in front of Spurs fans, then I would any other group of fans. He says Liverpool was his boyhood club and he left to follow a dream. He wouldn't disrespect the club that he said he loved, by kissing his badge in front of us.
As much as Berbatov is pilloried by Spurs fans now, I doubt even with all the stick that he will no doubt get, would not kiss the United badge. When he scored against Leverkusen in the Uefa cup a couple of years ago, he didn't even celebrate his goals. I imagine he would do the same at the Lane, regardless of the fact that he is a sulky git. Those that kiss the badge at every team they go to should be labelled mercenaries, but not all players do that. Some just get on with the job. Rooney was stupid to do it, and I think should be vilified for it. Barton, well I am not quite sure why he did it, maybe it was to thank newcastle for the support, and after the barraking he got from the Sunderland fans. Who knows.
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totally agree with you robbo.
how about introducing a system similar to country cricket (the county Cap system)
senior players/players who have been loyal to a club for a number of years get to wear the full badge on their shirts, players who have just signed and give diddly squat about the club dont get to wear the badge.
earning the badge could also come with financial bonuses/incentives etc.
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Football fans boo returning players, because all lot of fans are pretty stupid.
They cannot see any further then the football club, and think that any player leaving is not showing loyalty - even if he is going to earn more money.
Also football fans can shout and swear throughout 90minutes, abuse the ref, the opposition players or managers, and if one fan says or does something back, then they are the first to complain about it.
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Reminds me of a certain carlos cuellar.
One week he pledged to finish his career at Ibrox, a couple of weeks later he was on the bench for Aston Villa!
I dont know if it was his choice for him to go but it does show one thing: players might tell you theyre happy where they are, but if something even slightly beter comes up they'll be out of there. Loyalties count for nothing, its a buisness now
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King_Eric_cantona I'm not saying Rooney can't go to United but I am agreeing with Robbo that he shouldn;t be giving it the big one and kissing his badge towards the everton fans because its disrespectful and he's not a 'true red' is he? Why kiss his badge when everyone knows that he's meant to be a blues fan through and through? And what about the rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool as two cities? Forgot all about that too... He is free to do what he wants, I just think he should perhaps be a bit more sensible in his reactions.
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Most of you Man Utd supporters are missing the point with Rooney. Yes he is committed to united, but only because of the money they pay him and the fact he can get more medals there than Everton. Not having a dig at united players, it is the same with most players in the top 4. You are all saying that you consider him loyal because he has served time with you and he has commtted his future too. Ask yourselves then, why did he need to kiss his badge the other day?
I think what Robbo was saying is there is no need to kiss the badge. Carra would have every right to go round kissing the Liverpool badge, but he chooses not to (admittedly he doesn't often get to celebrate scoring). His years of service show his loyalty.
Rooney wasn't trying to show the MU supports his loyalty, he was stirring up trouble with the Everton fans and players.
Just get on with playing the game of football and stop the other games.
If Reira had kissed the Liverpool badge the other week when playing against his former club Manchester City, I would have thought him pathetic and insincere. As it is, he played a good game and most Liverpool supporters respect that. Even if he moves on, as long as they give good service while they are there, that is all that matters.
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snelly1986, what are you on about when you say
"Earning the badge could also come with financial bonuses/incentives..."
Yes good idea! Lets give them more of the loyal supporters money so that they stay there a few more years to earn the bonus...and then leave anyway!
For me Rooney, (Ashley) Cole, Barton, etc are the personification of all that is wrong with the modern day footballer! A bunch of over payed, over hyped bunch of thugs who know that while they are on the pitch, they are untouchable (Unless your playing at Sunderland, where the crowd can do what they want, lol).
There is no doubt in my mind that Rooneys badge kissing/eating, whatever it was, was an attempt to rile the fans of a club that gave him the very opportunity to be where he is today! Without Everton playing him (most merorably in the game against Arsenal), then Man United would not have come slithering in and poached a bright young star from a team who nurtured him from a young age.
But now he has joined the ranks of the other pre-madonna's and it shows in his general attitude on the pitch!
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Nice blog, but I think Harry Redknapp deserved more than a short sentence.
I'm not a Pompy fan, but the fans have always been from another planet (Thierry Henry appreciation was incredible), and deserved more from the man who said "This is my last job in football", before joining their arch rivals, then coming back and again saying "this is my club and this is definately my last job in football".
I love Harry interviews, I really think he is a great manager. But to just lie and make your character look weak is just wrong. Sorry Harry, as much as you claim to be working class and be salt of the earth, you chose money over being a legend somewhere and thats whats wrong with football right now.
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61. At 4:06pm on 30 Oct 2008, Ronson1984 wrote:
King_Eric_cantona I'm not saying Rooney can't go to United but I am agreeing with Robbo that he shouldn;t be giving it the big one and kissing his badge towards the everton fans because its disrespectful and he's not a 'true red' is he? Why kiss his badge when everyone knows that he's meant to be a blues fan through and through? And what about the rivalry between Manchester and Liverpool as two cities? Forgot all about that too... He is free to do what he wants, I just think he should perhaps be a bit more sensible in his reactions.
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I know what you're saying mate, I just think Rooney was responding to what he feels is an unjust level of hatred from Everton fans. A move to a bigger club was on the cards from the age of 16 for Rooney, but yeah it's because he went to Man U I suppose that made it worse for the Everton fans to accept. There are 2 sides to every argument though and I would probably hate him too if I was an Everton fan.
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Footballers use their imagination quota up on the pitch, so they don't have much left over when it comes to celebrations, bless them.
They just follow where others have led ..
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What really annoyed me about Rooneys actions is the fact that if it was not for Evertons help and faith when he was younger chances are he wouldnt be where he is today.
Obviously he has natural ability, but Everton helped nurture that along and then gave him his chance as a 17 year old in the premiership.
To be honest Ive never liked the bloke but hes now gone even further down in my mind.
Footballers in general really should realise how privileged they are in their jobs and that without us fans they would be no-ones. Just a bit of common sense shown once in a while would be good.
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At 3:46pm on 30 Oct 2008, ShrimpoLFC wrote:
In response to King_Eric_Cantona's comment...
"Rooney is the hungriest player I've ever seen"...
It shows! I also know some hungry players...
-Neville Southall
-Ronaldo (not the Portuguese ponce)
-Matt Le Tissier
I could go on...
Maybe Rooney was not kissing the badge, but trying to eat it?!?
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Absolute classic Shrimpo.
Gave me a good laugh,cheers mate
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King_Eric_Cantona
I know what you're saying mate, I just think Rooney was responding to what he feels is an unjust level of hatred from Everton fans. A move to a bigger club was on the cards from the age of 16 for Rooney, but yeah it's because he went to Man U I suppose that made it worse for the Everton fans to accept. There are 2 sides to every argument though and I would probably hate him too if I was an Everton fan.
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But had he stayed at Everton perhaps he could have helped make them a 'bigger' club.
By the way, Harry Redknapp and loyalty. :-)
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45. At 3:46pm on 30 Oct 2008, ShrimpoLFC wrote:
In response to King_Eric_Cantona's comment...
"Rooney is the hungriest player I've ever seen"...
It shows! I also know some hungry players...
-Neville Southall
-Ronaldo (not the Portuguese ponce)
-Matt Le Tissier
I could go on...
Maybe Rooney was not kissing the badge, but trying to eat it?!?
...............................................................
Absolute classic Shrimpo.
Gave me a good laugh,cheers mate
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At 3:46pm on 30 Oct 2008, ShrimpoLFC wrote:
In response to King_Eric_Cantona's comment...
"Rooney is the hungriest player I've ever seen"...
It shows! I also know some hungry players...
-Neville Southall
-Ronaldo (not the Portuguese ponce)
-Matt Le Tissier
I could go on...
Maybe Rooney was not kissing the badge, but trying to eat it?!?
...............................................................
Absolute classic Shrimpo.
Gave me a good laugh,cheers mate
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post 63, you miss my point completely.
what i was saying that in this concept the wages would be structured as such that the "capped" players would be getting pated more than "uncapped" players, therefore rewarding those that show loyal service.
earning your badge would require a significant period with the club while being a prominent member of the squad.
also, if you dont have the badge on your shirt then you cant kiss it
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#67
Your talking about Evertons 'help and faith nurturing Rooney through to where he is today' as though they are the only club to have developed a young talent!
Dont forget they recevied £27 million for their troubles!
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Going off on a tangent here but people who give their all used to be 'hundred percenters'. Why is this figure constantly going up? It used to be 100, then people said 101, 110 was in fashion for quite a while but now, now i'm hearing all sorts of ridiculous figures: 150%, 210% and even 1 million percent!
If you're giving your maximum level of effort then you're giving 100%. There's no such thing as 110%, 200% etc.
If you thinks someone's playing at a 110% of their capacity then their maximum capacity has been incorrectly gauged in the first place.
I find the above almost as annoying as Jamie Redknapps misuse of the word literally.
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i have a question...when ex players go back to their former ground to play against their former team are booed relentlessly by the home crowd is fair and understood to be an ok gesture...why is kissing the current teams batch while playing your former team isnt?
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i mean while playing against your former team
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The point is that Rooney only kisses the badge at Goodison. This is nothing more than a 2 fingerd salute to Evertonions. If he did it every match and then buggerd off to another club at the drop of a hat then you could slag him off for it.
However its players who like Gareth Barry spend all summer trying to move away from a club only to end up stuck where they are for the next season, then promptly declare a love for their team that abuse should be aimed at. Players like Adebayore who stall on a contract and wait for more money, then shows his love of Arsenal by badge kissing, this is what the blog is about.
Funny how the players mentioned (Scholes, Terry, Carragher), who could easy get away with basge kissing are never seen doing it. They dont need to prove anything to the fans as their loyalty has no need to be questioned.
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post 74, yes you can.
if you were already giving %100, then either increased in ability/physical capacity,you then would be able to give more than you could previously.
if this increase is more than double what you were giving previously then you have increased your efforts by over %100
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top quality Robbo, though a couple of points
1, it's easy to stay at the big clubs as they pay the most. If Chelsea were just a middling team do you think Terry would still be there? I'd like to think he would, but I think ca$h from the big teams plays a big part in their loyalty.
2, stamina of Paula Radcliffe?? I think you'd get to pronouncing the 2nd callable of Paula, hang on the exclamation, and have to excuse yourself with... 'that’s why its called the human race!'
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This has been going on for years and years. Now you decide to kick off cos it's Rooney?
I guess it's OK when Lampard does it
Toilet "journalism"
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Only a woman with the figure of Scarlett Johanssen and the stamina of Paula Radcliffe could make me up-stumps in that way.
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:) genius robbo. my perfect woman i think!
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In relation to all this badge kissing...I have an idea.
Perhaps team badges could be put on the crotches of the shorts instead of on the breast of the shirt.
Im sure that would put players off kissing the badge (unless your Sol Campbell...im joking), or Ronaldo who seems to be able to blow his own trumpet!
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yea im sure liverpool wont mind having their badge in their shorts crotches...team full of di#* heads anyways
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Great blog Robbo.
@13, not sure pissing on your clubs badge is all that great a way to show loyalty ;) Not normally one to point out typos, but that one totally changes the meaning and made me laugh so thought i'd share it with people.
Sadly you seem to have a aquired a few "fans" yourself who seem to look forward to your blog updates just so they have something to have a go at for a while.
Newsflash: I don't think Robbo's blog is or is meant to be serious journalism. Its a bit of light hearted banter, which brightens up the working week a bit. Of course Robbo gets things wrong or exagerates them, we all do that when having discussions (rants) with our mates down the pub, that just happens to be the style this blog is written in. If you don't like it, fine but stop posting on the damn thing so we can read the comments of other people who have something relevant to say.
I reckon your blog was spot on this week, those who don't in my opinion have missed the point you were driving at. Its not the mercenary nature of players your having a go at, in any career people try to do as well for themselves as they can, and fair play, who doesn't. Its the pretend loyalty they try and accompany it with.
"I love the club, its definitely not a stepping stone to more pay and personal glory and achievement, i'll be here till the day I retire, so how I kiss the badge, that is or until the day a bigger club comes in for me, in which case you can stick your badge, i'm off."
And yes, well done, Robbo does contradict himself slightly with the Rooney thing, however the thing is Rooney is an exception. The once a blue always a blue T-Shirt WILL stay with him forever, no matter how much he tries to pretend he is pure bred Manc, he isn't. The lack of loyalty there is not to do with his recent arrival but to do with his two opposing claims. Its a bit like bigamy, or as this involves money a bit like cheating on your partner with money changing hands between you and your new flavour of the month. Oh wait, that was Rooney too, though perhaps flavour of the hour was more appropriate term.
There, thats my rant over.
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Very witty response...your mum must be proud!
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wasnt trying to humour ... i was serious abt the di&* head part :)
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I couldn't even be bothered to read to the bottom of this pile of...
Football's soul is being eroded with the physical side of the game slowly being ruled out and if you take out the passion from football, then we all may as well get ourselves playstations.
From what i read i understand that Robbo doesn't care much for fake loyalty but surely he has to understand that a footballers life is as short as my attention span...and ultimately they have to look out for themselves.
Do you not think its a bit of a romantic flight of fancy to think all players are talented or fortunate enough to play for the clubs they support?
Anyway, even those players like Rooney who have played for 'there' club, will get moved on i they don't, or i the money is right.
Really its a club vs player senario but matters are compounded by the more mercinary players out there. All said, the game of football is nothing more, to some players, than a job. Yet to most of us its an all consuming pass times.
Matt..
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Kissing badges, genuflecting, kissing the turf and so on are all pantomime. An iffeminate dance to the music of the stands and the hoardes within. All empty insincere and meaningless gestures.
Leave it to the play acting Continentals from whence this distateful practice came.
I for one can see whose hearts adorn their sleeves and those whose hearts are permanently cloaked in the coldness of gold.
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Ronaldo is a "gelled tumbler". :-) Nice.
I think it's unfair to put Rooney in the badgekissers club. First of all, I hate manu (spit) so I'm not defending him becasue I'm a fan. But you have to look at the situation.
Rooney didn't kiss his badge to his own fans. He did this at the Everton fans as a response to the jeering he was getting. He wanted to answer them back, and why not? It's just a bit of banter - nothing unpleasant.
So with limited resources so kissed his badge and held up his index finger. Presumably his message to Everton fans was "I love manu and we're number 1."
So don't bracket him with Joey Barton who I don't even want to talk about.
BTW why don't players kiss shirt sponsers? Myabe they'd get some freebies in the post.... :-)
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Nice one robbo, we at derby dont have players at our club much longer than a couple of years so no badge kissing allowed then.....
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@74 el_nino_81:
I agree with you 300%!
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You're talking out of your northern backside Robbo, utter unproductive drivel that should be confined to a montly newsletter from ITV.
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Robbo is only saying what the rest of us are thinking, fair play mate!
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Pfft, no chance! Nothing wrong with badge kissing, it's a celebration - goes along with all the other ridiculous things we have to put up with - remember Bernardo Corradi's celebration when he got the corner flag and got someone to 'knight' him at Man City? That's the stuff we should crack down on!
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If you really want to talk about gesture that is hard to swallow, it is the sign of the cross that so many players make when they enter or leave the field. It is as ridiculous as it is meaningless.
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Yes because you know what their religious beliefs are dont you? Idiot.
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Who really cares about the Bagdge kissing ??? As long as players give 100% and earn the cash they get from their contract then thats ok with me
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Wow John Terry must be super quick if he can stop penalties with his hands, without the referee even noticing as well! Honestly, how you can be hired to be a journalist on the subject of football will always be a mystery.
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I find the dancing more cringeworthy tbh ... perhaps more players should do the pointing to their name on their shirt celebration, lest we forget it when they move on at the next transfer window. That or some 'jazz hands'.
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When Ade kissed the badge in his first home match this season, he was soundly booed. Fans don't forget the 'on loan' players, who pledge their allegiance when their prospective next money step, back off and are no longer interested. Any others you might think of????
See Hublot the Swiss watch makers are just sponsoring manu. [Check BBC] They are creating a special 'Red Devil' watch with a 45 min timer ! Shows how much they know about football. Should have a home and away setting, ranging from 85 to 97 minutes, satellite linked to the strength of Ol' Blue Nose's tantrums !!!
One comment from last night's debacle. Where were the 'senior' players with all the wealth of experience [Gallas/Silvestre], when they should have been ensuring they marshalled the 'youngsters' in closing out the match and the shutting down players - not to mention actually watching for Lennon! Are they a 'plant' by their last teams??????
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Oh this is poor, can I have my licence fee back? Better yet drop this plonker and buy another server for 606 so it doesn't die on match days.
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I think all this moaning about how Everton nurtured and brought through Rooney is completely wrong. Rooney was a business investment, either to help Everton win silverware (haha) and earn money or to be sold on as an asset and again make a profit, not for some noble cause.
It always seems that there is an element in football support that instead of focusing on their own team, they seem to focus on hating everyone else. People should be able to appreciate football for football's sake and not take a player transferring as a personal insult.
Getting a bit off topic, so: Rooney's badge gnawing showed poor judgement on his part, but can you imagine how you would feel, being a local lad with a team you have supported all your life and when you make a move to further your career you are turned upon and disgustingly abused. The sad thing is that the majority of Everton fans probably wish him all the best, but its the minority that bring this situation on for the rest.
Agree with the rest though, that badge kissing should only be done by true servants of a club and not by people who are unproven in their loyalty.
I wonder how many badges Anelka has kissed in his career? the rat faced frog.
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Kissing badges, kissing their ring finger, signs of the cross are nothing to do with passion in football. Nor are the dim-witted extravagant celebrations after goal scoring. They're just signs of copycat footballers with no imagination, and a diversion from the fact that most of them have no real passion for either the game or their teams. I don't think there is any passion in football any more - and I'm not talking about abusing the referee or getting angry or upset. There's only passion for money.
Passion for the game exists in players' loyalty to club, colleagues and fans, irrespective of the monopoly money pay. Same goes for the loyalty of the clubs to their players and fans.
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btw robbo, it's spelt johansson, not the way u spelt it lol!
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so what we suggesting? a yellow card every time a player kisses his shirt? or maybe for the media just to slate them in the paper?
rooney, campbell and just about every player in the world wants to win things, if a player behaves half-arsed or claims he wants to join another club then they shouldn't be kissing badges. rooney is showing loyalty to a team which payed 30 million for him, that pays his wages, that looks out for him, so him kissing the badge shows us as fans he appreciates it and shows the united management and board he appreciates it.
as for joey barton, he needs to do alot more then kiss a shirt, but atleast he's making the effort to change and maybe he was just showing his appreciation to newcastle for looking after him.
robbo this article is just having a niggle at things that really don't matter
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Modern footballers have no honour, cash is their only incentive, how dare they make vacuous gestures of loyalty when we all know they don't mean it, blah blah blah.
Heard it all before but whatever, am I the only football fan in the country who doesn't expect any loyalty from players and managers? I don't really mind it when a player moves on, even if it's unexpected, likewise with a manager although I obviously respect and appreciate loyalty to a club.
I wasn't that bothered when Berbatov left (although we all knew that was coming), I was surprised, but not angry, about Keane leaving, I thought Ramos getting fired was a shame but expected and if I was a Pompey fan I would not care about Redknapp leaving. Yes, Tottenham are my club but I don't expect players and managers to be as committed to them as myself, playing or managing Tottenham is their job. Unless they have a special loyalty to the club they will treat it as a job, doing their best while they are there in the hopes of better opportunities coming along. In football, as with Redknapp, these opportunities can be more sudden and fleeting than in other work environments and so occasionally unexpected and sudden departures of players and coaches does happen, I don't take it as a personal snub when it occurs.
The one-or-two-second long act of kissing the badge signifies nothing except that at the moment the player does it they want to express their pride, at that time, for playing for the club, it doesn't neccessarily indicate a life-long commitment to the cause. I feel too much is made of the lack of the loyalty in the modern game, our clubs are special to the fans but it is not unreasonable of players and coaches at them to treat it like a regular job.
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How about scrapping Premiership players' wages and replacing with a performance and loyalty remuneration ? Loyalty being anybody who gets past the January sales.
Waiting 10 years for a testimonial may be relevant to players out of the top tier but not to the overpaid prima donnas.
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I must have missed the bit where the clubs are so loyal to the players, trading them to get someone bigger, selling them to make some cash or even taking them on as little kids then dumping them when they aren't big enough fast enough or skillful enough. And fans loyalty is even more fickle, one week the best manager/player ever, a few weeks/hours later rubbish has to go, they may be loyal to the 'club' but that doesn't mean they be loyal to any person associated with it.
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Firstly, who's to say what the "once a blue always a blue" shirt meant? it could just mean that he was letting them know that if he ever moved to a bigger club he would always have a love for everton after they gave him his name, but people just see it as "oh he said once a blue always a blue meaning he was going to stay at everton forever" which is absoloute nonsense. and as for the ronaldo comment, his mum was actually telling him to stay at OT not leave for real. and the reason for him being so "moody" as you are so eager to point out, is not because he didn't leave, but maybe because he still isn't fully fit? he's a winner, he wants to have that golden touch back ASAP which is why he keeps getting frustrated with his below-par performances since his return from injury.
Also, john terry isn't chelsea's hero. he is totally over rated. Carvalho is the true hero for chelsea he is the one who has the real skill in defence.
So, Robbo, players can only kiss the badge after two years of being at the club? so how comes you said rooney doesn't have justification? he belongs at united, he will be with us untill he decides to hang up his boots!
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Robbo as the paid bufoon of 606 you are vaguely amusing but you are way off the mark in lumping Rooney with Barton.
Rooney has his heritage but has moved on to , lets face it, a much bigger club.
I think from reading your rather small minded comments that you would prefer Domingo to keep singing in his local church since moving to La Scala betrays his roots?
This is a puerile argument and not very well thought out.
You should do a Russell Brand, resign and give people with an open mind a chance.
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To the Man Utd fans and one or two others :
1 Rooney is/was not wished the best from most Everton fans. I am yet to meet one!
2 It's not the fact that once his profile went up he wanted to jump ship, it's the way he went about it. Publicly blaming David Moyes for his departure (court case settled out of court in favour of Mayes against Rooney).
3 Everton these days have the moniker 'The Peoples Club'. This is because the clubs vast majority of fans are born into supporting the club, not glory hunters from the four corners. Everton boasts more local support (from within a radius of the ground) than any other premiership club and foolishly thought of Rooney..t-shirt etc.. as one of their own who might have at least given a bit back (a couple of years) to the club who made him and gave him his chance.
If you can't understand this then you don't know what it's like to be born into a club.
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tell you what lets just ban passion , love of the club your at, and the players right to show that passion. honestly every blog you read these days wants to sanatise the game a bit more. in the rooney case he was reacting to the hatefilled crowd when he kissed the badge, its part of the banter of the game!! they give him stick he does it back its human nature for gods sake.
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Rooney will always be a scoucer, a blue playing in the red of man u, never a Manc no matter how hard he tries. You cannot change where you are from or the club you supported as a kid. I bet his blue familiy are so proud when he kisses that red badge. The funny thing is there's really no need to do it as he's a fine footballer and he left the toffee's for maga-money at man u.
Barton another wayward scoucer who just wants to be loved he'd kiss anything to wipe that extensive slate of his clean. I remember his flirting with liverpool while he was a City. City who'd brought him through there ranks and forgiven a few of his sins. He'd have been down the M62 fast as his sports car could take him ...
Enough! have a good weekend and stop the bagde kissing..
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if robbo wants to start a debate of any purpose why pick on the tired one on the feckless lack of loyalty ANYONE - club or player - shows in this business/money dominated game? because he or manu have been models of it themselves - i think not. its a wholly duplicitous self serving industry where young deluded boys believe they are legends for doing their job while the clubs chase the prostitute-players via their pimps the agents for what they can get. it wont and cant be changed by asking who should suck their badge after putting the ball away.
the only debate to be had in football because it could be changed is when does the game put and end to the hopelessly pathetic agonised tumbling of the cheats on every team - at least robbo can claim a reasonable level of probity in this aspect of the game. the solution does not lie with pillorying the referee by the way.
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Rooney wasn't kissing his badge. He was wiping his mouth. Must have had a piece of toffee stuck in his teeth!
As for Barton - He was invisible except for the penalty yet they announced him man-of-the-match when Duff had run his socks off the whole game. I wouldn't be surprised if he was being coached to soft-soap those Geordies. I like to think they're a bit too savvy to fall for that one...
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Well you didn't see a true agent of the game like Winston Bogarde ever getting into this badge-kissing business... ;)
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Perhaps the badges taste of something hence all the tongue action? Clearly Everton badges are toffee, albeit rarely kissed. A few others:
Cheslea - london cabbie
Man U - prawn sandwich
Newcastle - coal
Hull - fish
Arsenal - bleedin obvious
Tottenham - chicken soup
Leeds - old money
Liverpool - Honey of course
Any other suggestions?
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There is nothing wrong with kissing your club badge to wind the fans up, yet again, another one of Robbo's POINTLESS blogs.
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I think badge kissing shouldn't be removed from the game.
It's a sign of passion. Kids all across the country playing football kiss their badges. Its just a part of football. There is no need to make a big incident out of it. At the end of the day it doesn't cause harm to anybody!
Its the same principle with taking off the shirt after scoring a goal. What is wrong with that? After scoring a goal, your emotions are sky high.
You should be allowed to celebrate with the crowd to. Too often I see stewards rushing to stop players do this.
Essentially by removing badge kissing, shirt celebrations, and celebrating with the crowd, we are removing the passion part of football, specifically english football. Next as Phil Neville said on Saturday (even though I am a fan of ronaldo) if we take tackling out of the game we are taking away a bit of the soul of english football.
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Look I know they trailed this by saying I think badge-kissing should be outlawed but I'm not against it entirely - just when it's used as a sop to your own (new) fans or when it's effectively a v-sign to them that used to appreciate your talents.
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I disagree with most of what you've wrote... Not trying to have a go or anything but the way I see the Barton was him showing he's commited to the club because they stood by him when everyone else wanted to give up. (I am NOT a fan of Barton btw, I can't stand him and think he should still be locked up personally). And the Rooney kissing the badge... you wrote:
"So here's my plea to footballers up and down the country. No badge-kissing unless you've been there two years minimum and you've just signed an extensive contract (without some elaborate fannying about by your agent to screw as much cash out of the club you so loyally support)."
Well Rooney has been with United for 4 years and the chances are he will be with us for alot longer if not the rest of his career so I don't really see your point... Plus Carragher and Gerrard were both Evertonians too anyway so why should it be ok for them to kiss their badge but not for Rooney?
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Good points Pandy187. I don't see how this becomes an issue when a united player does it. The kissing of the badge is supposed to show layalty and genuine love for the club. Man Utd have given Rooney the chance to show his ability to the world. He has since won about every honour you can win in the domestic game. Where as the Everton fans continue to critisize him even though he made the club alot of money. Players like Rooney who leave a club on good terms to better their career and make some money for the club they supported as a child should be applauded. Unlike half the young prospects you see being snapped up by Chelsea's millions these days.
Also why do the BBC feel they don't have to critisize Steven Gerrard in any way. Is it so they don't upset Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen? Steven Gerrard is one of the biggest divers in the league yet this has never been mentioned on Match of The Day and he has been kissing his badge for years but when Chelsea came calling a couple of years ago he wanted out. If it wasn't for them winning the champions league he probably wouldn't be at Liverpool because he realized at that point he had no excuse to leave other than money and i'm sure money was his biggest motivation.
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What's all this against Rooney, Robbo. You have pretty good blogs but talking about Rooney like that was out of order. Leave it out, Rooney is loyal and has love for his club. He has worked wonders for us and I don't think he will ever leave United for lure of money elsewhere.
He's not a "mercenary" he's a united player through and through
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As always Robbo is absolutely boring.... He tries to be funny with his little jibes but he continues to make himself look like a herbert with no sense of humour. If anyone knows him personally (i feel for you) but please buy him a new joke book for Christmas.
Absolutely nothing wrong with Rooney kissing his badge like he did... Rooney is a young kid you have to remember... he has taken a lot of stick from a lot of fans/critics in his short career. All he was doing was proving that he's now a red... what's the big deal?
Joey Barton has gone through a lot (which he has brought on himself) and he just wanted to show the fans/manager that he's commited to the cause and commited to the club after they have stuck by him... again I don't see a problem with it...
Robbo you have got nothing to talk about so you have to try and make something out of nothing... FAIL!
I enjoy reading all the articles on this site apart from the ones that you write.
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I stopped reading half the way through. >_>
Honestly, if you join a new team you may want, just a little bit, for the fans to like you. Maybe scoring a few or playing well in the first games might just help that cause a tiny bit.
Plus kissing the badge has just become a celebration now. If you kiss a badge it's like smiling every time you see the BBC win an award at something. You do work there. If the football team goes down the gutter, so do you.
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Getting soft Robbo?
You sparked a proper debate this time - very few snail-brains slagging each other off. You even made it to post # 100 before someone mentioned the licence fee (now, those 'points-of-view' posters really pi$$ me off).
But as I mentioned yesterday (#46), you're still wrong this time. Using Rooney as an example (and this goes for most professional footballers), no matter how much ther're paid, they should not have to put up with the foul mouthed, theatening abuse from opposition fans. These are the same type of people who can no longer wage running battles in the streets against opposition fans, so what do they do? Take it inside the stadium and call it banter, and use it as an opportunity to teach their kids how to do it also. If the footballer reacts the way he probably wants to, he'll end up in deep poo a la Eric Cantona. So what's left? Give them the metaphoric finger by kissing the badge of your current club - I'm sure that's a BIG wind-up.
There are many examples of this, but to use a recent one: ask Sol Campbell...
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Couldn't agree more there Robbo. Though it seems to me there is so much badge kissing nowadays that the significance of the act has been diluted and shouldn't be taken as such an afront anymore. The thought that kissing a badge is enough to prompt and investigation for inciting violence amongst supporters is laughable as well.
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my God....the world is falling apart out there and 123 sane people find the time to get wound up about a bit of a moan about hypocrisy in the modern game.
As for those who think Robbo has no sense of humour ( eg 129).....'gelled tumbler' is just the bees knees as a description of the boy Ronnie.
The only loyalty I want to see is 90 minutes of bloody hard work week in week out, and the game played with spirit and imagination.
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I meant post 125 not 129...getting ahead of myself
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Perhaps clubs should get a bit more creative with the placement of the badge? On the back of the shorts would sort out the men from the boys eh?
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i don't think it's a major issue because you helping the team you love and thats it and if the opposing teams fans don't like it who cares, i think the rooney incident on saturday wasn't bad because he wiped his mouth he didn't kiss the united badge so i think he's been clever there but it certainly set the everton fans off wow!! (well in rooney)
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i also think that badgesshould stay were they are because the kit would look like someone drunk had done the bagde and footie teams don't want that so i think kissing the bagde should be allowed but if it gets to out of hand we should ban it. I think the only time and place you can kiss a badge is when you score and your in front of your own fans
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It's ok saying Barton was just showing loyalty to the club that stood by him; but what choice did Newcastle have really?
They'd have seriously struggled to sell him and I'm sure they can't really AFFORD to sack him at the moment. If he shuts his mouth, behaves himself and plays well for 5 full seasons then he's forgiven. Simple as.
He might even step up a level and really succeed.... if he puts all his energy into playing football and nothing else.
Let's see what happens...
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And don't forget the baby rocking and thumb sucking gestures either Robbo. I know you picked up on this some time ago, but it's time to stick the boot in again especially with the arch thumb-sucking numpty himself, Robinho, now plying his trade on these shores. Thumb suckers and badge kissers OUT!
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alan smith is another prime example, he kissed the badge and said he never to join man yoo, only to say they were the only club he'd leave leeds to join, even with bids from everton and apparently juventus
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I think the folk who think that the Rooney incident was a harmless gesture need to think again.
That small but very offensive gesture could have caused a riot at the stadium that day.
This is why it is being called into issue.
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Spot on robbo, this is an issue that really has irratated me for a while.
Alan Smith is the prime example and although I cringed when I saw him kiss the man utd, I felt sick to my stomach when I saw him taint the newcastle badge...
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#127
What post did you read? Where did I mention I didn't enjoy Robbo's blog and that I didn't find it funny?
This comments on this blog frequently degenerate into slagging matches between supporters of different clubs, usually completely unrelated to the content of the blog. And there's always someone on their soap box proclaiming that 'my licence fee shouldn't be used to support blah blah blah...'. If you read my comment again you'll see that my first point was a bit tongue-in cheek, if you know what that means.
Robbo states that he's 'not afraid to ruffle a few feathers', and that's what he's done here. Sorry for not joining your love-in, but I happen to disagree with one specific point made - isn't that the point of this?
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Everyone seems to have missed that facts that Carragher was an Everton fan, Scholes is an Oldham fan and Terry supported Manchester United.
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To be fair - If they paid me a 6 figure sum every week i'd kiss more than just their badges!
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As long as the England player's start showing more emotion and passion by kissing the 3 lions on their shirts and recognizing its the badge on the shirt thats more important than their name on the back I am all for this display for international sides!
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this is the worst blog on the bbc what a waste of space this blog is, this upsets more than brand and ross leaving some drunken answer phone messages if Robbo has a blog can I have one?
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I do agree, the badge-kissing is a farce, but I don't agree that players can't feel a real loyalty for their team in a short amount of time. Carlos Tevez two seasons ago had no real reason to feel any affinity towards West Ham - he essentially knew he'd done enough to be shopped away somewhere bigger and better (after all, Javier had already gone to Liverpool). When he scored his first goal for us (against Spurs, no less) he stripped off and ran into the crowd.
The reaction of Hammers' fans last season when they came to Upton Park shows that they know Tevez put his heart and soul into West Ham for the short time he was there.
Thankfully, he never kissed his flippin' badge.
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Im with robbo on this one.
Wayne Rooney is nothing but a dirty scumbag. Iam a Liverpool fan and obviously dont care if Everton lose their best players. But kissing that badge was disrespect to evryone from Liverpool including his family members who still support the toffees. I could go on about the fat scruff all day but its friday and i dont want to get myself wound up
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To be honest Robbo, if that woman had the body of Scarlett Johanssen she'd only need the stamina of Dot Cotton!
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that chemical smog has got to you robbo.
who (in all honesty) really gives a flying who is playing for their team as long as the team is winning, and likewise gives a similar flying as to their "shows of allegiance" or otherwise??
football fans are of a mob mentaility when we're in a footy ground and will cheer whomever on the pitch is doing a good job for us.
at beat we'll get behind our teams and share some amusing banter with the opposition fans / players.
at worst you just have to look at the shoeless chavs who inhabit the staduim of sh*te.
so really, loyalty makes no difference. they can kiss whatever they like, we know fine well it's all a game. ah yeah, it's called footie innit.
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Dear Robbo,
Just a few quick points:
- Very funny blog. Some excellent and original lines. Those people complaining should realise that you are just trying to be funny and wind us up a bit - aren't you?
- Regardless, I have always thought that kissing the badge is the sort of childish gesture overpaid and underIQ'd sportsmen will do. The other thing I hate to see is grown men kissing each other - get a room!
- Someone made a good point about the crossing of the chest - what about the T-Shirts under the jersey telling everyone that the scorer 'Belongs to Jesus'? Bad news for the owners of the club who paid millions for him.
- As for the ongoing debate about the value and meaning of 100% that blogger Genghisridesagain brought up to my delight (Because my brother is called Genghis and I have been complaining for 99% of my life about this one topic) the situation is simple. 100% just means ALL. Therefore it is not possible to give more than ALL your effort or energy or commitment. We all know that someone is only trying to say that they gave all they could by using the expression 110% but it is not possible to do this.
- I really love to watch Man. U. play and I really believe they are one of the top 5 clubs in the world. However, they also seem to have the supporters with the thinnest skin. Just because they are so big does not mean the club and players are above criticism. Why not do a Fergie and just ignore the comments you do not like? Boycott the beeb the way he does. You are big enough to ignore any comments but you always seem to raise to the bait. Still, always good for a laugh.
- Finally, if this is the reaction you get when you write a 'rubbish' blog (My commas as I am still laughing both at your words and many of the contributors) then I hope to read a 'good' blog by yourself in the future.
The world is full of critics - ignore them. You have hit a nerve and brought up a subject that whilst trivial in it's own way is also symbolic of the lifestyle we live nowadays where style is much more important than substance.
Gratefully yours, Joe.
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legendary blog, robbo-spot on!
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Bit off topic this one, but seeing as Rooney is coming up so much I might as well bring it up.
After the alleged JT 'spitting' incident in the CL final, there were numerous comments from united supporters about how much of a scumbag he is.
Could said supporters please now condemn Wayne Rooney after being cautioned by police for spitting at someone and acknowledge that he is a pathetic, obnoxious, stupid, fat, thuggish excuse for a human being, akin to something you would scrape off the bottom of your shoe?
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Strange how a lot of this badge kissing goes on after the players - Campbell, Rooney, Barton - have been abused by over 30,000 people. Perhaps there is a link? Possibly, even, a critical mass of people required to prompt a player to kiss his badge?
Personally, I think they should carry their contracts round with them, or at least the page with the numbers on. When abused, the can kiss (or hug) that.
Whilst I am in no hurry to defend any Premiership player, it must be very difficult for a player not to react to the abuse they get, especially as no player is usually hired for his intellectual or emotional attributes.
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Great blog yet again - and spot on too.
We are approaching the season now where the namby pamby players start to wear their knitted mittens and gloves; (it will probably start at Arsenal again and fan out from there). So why not get their mums to embroider their team badge on the back? It will be a lot easier to kiss the backs of their hands rather than risk a chill by raising their shirts! Unless, of course, they have a profound message stitched on their undergarment too.
We have to understand that most footballers, but certainly not all of them, are rather simple souls. All they want from life is adoration, eighty grand a week and a free pass to behave like a complete and utter prat. .
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Spot on Robbo, your last 3 articles have been as consistently good as the Boro performances.
You get it wrong with Joe Bartons badge kissing though, he actually drained the badge into pure alcohol the night before and needs a bit of a refreshment after each energy soaking action.
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#57 "LeighOxford"
"I would be more critical of Robbie Keane kissing his Liverpool badge in front of Spurs fans, then I would any other group of fans. He says Liverpool was his boyhood club and he left to follow a dream. He wouldn't disrespect the club that he said he loved, by kissing his badge in front of us."
If Keane scores against his old club Spurs, I really can't see him rubbing the Spurs' fans noses in it. When he scored a hat-trick for Spurs against his old club Wolves, he didn't celebrate at all out of respect for the Wolves fans. For me that showed his class and maturity as a man.
#105 "Uninventivename"
Totally agree. If you're a football fan with at least half a brain please read #105. It's exactly how it really is - get over it!
#113 "div3andback"
"the only debate to be had in football because it could be changed is when does the game put and end to the hopelessly pathetic agonised tumbling of the cheats on every team - at least robbo can claim a reasonable level of probity in this aspect of the game. the solution does not lie with pillorying the referee by the way."
Again - couldn't agree more. I'm so sick of hearing nearly all the Premiership managers moaning about referees decisions "costing them the game". It's a hard enough to referee at a kid's training session, how on earth are you supposed to always get it right when you've got 22 professional cheats trying to deceive you? If, as a manager, you can put your hand on your heart and say you don't have any players who ever try to deceive the ref, then perhaps you have earnt the right to blame the ref and no-one else! If you lose, take it on the chin like a grown up - go on, just try it for one match and see how good self respect feels!
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Guys running around a football pitch... we use to worry and comment about them hugging and kissing each other. Then we worried about the girls and wives they kissed and how much said partners spent shopping. now we're on about them kissing their badges?!
Surely it's what they do with their feet that matters.
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True. It was a bit cringeworthy when Sidwell grabbed the badge after scoring late on against Wigan. It was his first premier league appearance for us; this is the guy who's career was resurrected at Reading, always seemed to have the grump with the fans (remember the ginger day or something silly like that?) and left at the first opportunity to warm the bench at Chelsea and to pick up £50 grand a week. I'm sure he will be a good addition to our squad, and he is certainly a decent player. But he's only been here five minutes and he's already raising his badge. There's no need for it. And if Barry did it, there'd be a riot up in the holte. The fans appreciate it much more when players respond to the crowd (Friedel give us a wave!) or stay around for a minute or two at the final whistle. Cut this kissing of the badge out- it's only for mercenaries who know they are never going to be there long enough to win over the fans.
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Badge Kissing is transparently hypocritical. To be truly sincere - get your badge tattooed on your chest and let your team mates kiss it – now that’s commitment!
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He was never gonna make it as big with the toffees and thats no disrespect. So what better way for an Everton fan to stick it up the pool than to come to United to help us overhaul their title count!
He can kiss our badge as long as he wants, he's a credit to United and he's a credit to Everton for bringing him through.
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Lets be reasonable though, chances are these players don't even think about what they are doing and just do the first thing that comes to their heads when they celebrate.
and even if that is what they want to do why does it actually matter.
admittedly someone like anelka it may seem extremely transparent but rooney/ashley cole etc have every right to show fans loyalty just because they have changed clubs doesnt make them disloyal to anyone ashley cole was unhappy at arsenal and gallas went to arsenal as well so surely that is the same thing, they both play at their utmost best 9/10 times for their respective clubs so does that not show loyalty to their new clubs?
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I know we are talking about players...but what about Harry Redknapp?
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The orginal post - so very very true
The footballers nowadays don't give a stuff about their club or supporters - they just want the money off 'who ever'
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also, why is everyone having a go at robbo for voicing his opinion?
its a blog?
thats generally what a blog is.
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Hiya all
firstly I want to say to the guy who said I should use a spell checker, all the words I used were in the dictionary, I just type really fast and want to get it done, it's not like my full-time job is answering to blogs is it.
Maybe you could piss a team badge though , it would have to have a white background and a yellow emblem and you would have to do it in the middle of winter.
I tell you what does wind me up with these blogs though , is all the pathetic mudslinging between fans of football teams.
I waste so much time having to read through comments that seem more appropriate for a childrens playground and yes my dad is better than your dad nerdy nerdy ner ner.
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You want loyalty? Go get a dog!
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Fair point when relative to some players. But 2 years is not even long enough to symbolise a passionate love for a club!!! Come on. Gerrard yes, no doubt. Terry yes, no doubt, Giggs, no question. But some one such as Adebayor? There are very few loyal players who actually mean what they represent to the media and there is no doubt of that.
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The United fans who now claim Shrek as one of their own are the same United fans who sing "In your Liverpool Slums" when Everton play at the Theatre of Hatred! Never mind eh Wazza! Now you've taken your thirty pieces of silver and kissed the Manc badge you can join in with the chorus. So much for loyalty in the modern game...
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35. At 3:28pm on 30 Oct 2008, Rafa's Magic Box Beard wrote:
Don't know why Man Utd fans are getting defensive over Rooney. He's perfectly entitled to kiss his badge if he wants. Its only a bit of cloth sewn to another bit of cloth.
He used to do the same at Everton as well.
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Don't mind that he kissed the badge but to say its only a piece of cloth disgusts me slightly.
Are you a baseball fan???
The badge is a symbol of everything the club means its a flag. Would you say that the flag of st George is "just a piece of cloth"???
it is a symbol of our nation. And the badge is a symbol of the club. Now rooney's alliegence lies with United I think that he may well be entitled to kiss the badge though I'm slightly dubious. I would never kiss one other than the liverpool badge period. If I played for another club I would just not kiss a badge but thats just me. I know where my loyalties are.
A badge is not a piece of cloth.
phew rant over.
bit excessive maybe....but true
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Wayne Rooney should hang his head in shame.
He has basically betrayed his heritage , not just Everton FC but the city of Liverpool and all his family and old friends and school friends.
His family surely can't walk the streets of Liverpool proud of the way he behaves towards all their friends who attend the games against Utd.
Rooney treated Everton and David Moyes with no repect whatsoever and I think has his career planned out already. One or two more seasons at OT then on to The Bernabau or San Siro.
This is a very focused young man...focused on himself, Man Utd fans please do not be fooled by these meaningless acts because one day soon he will leave you....same goes for Ronaldo.
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What nonsense!
Rooney's loyality to United is unquestionable.
Barton was showing his appreciation to Newcastle as a club who he wants to repay with good performances. Furthermore, no matter what his bad points, Barton always gives 110%.
However, it is easy for players at big clubs to stay there.
You mentioned John Terry. Just before Chelsea was bought by Abramovich. When they was having financial difficulties. He was on the verge of signing for Manchester United. So where was his lotality you might ask. But that would be nonsense. Fans should be happy with players who give there everything for the club as it goes both ways. Clubs sell players when it suits them. They release players after years of service when they can no longer produce. Just take a look at Gavin's blog.
We need to start laying of players. The vast majority are not merceneries. Some of them are mismanaged and mis-advised. But most do care. Thats why they spent all of their childhood playing and dreaming of football.
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One more thing. Lay off Harry Rednapp. Most of you live in a dream world. If you lot in your office, factory or whatever job you do were offered a better one, you would take it. But for some reason you think footballers and managers have to be different.
If you had supported Bolton all your life and you was their manager or player, but was offered the chance to play or manage Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea etc you would take it. You would want to prove that you are the best in your professional field, no doubt about it. If you think differently then you are an absolute idiot. I am a Man U supporter and have been all my life. But if I was in professional football I would manage or play for Liverpool, no doubt about it. I would rather play for United, but as long as I was at that club I would give everything and would want that club to be the best in the world.
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wow this article is so bad i thought i was on ESPN.
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All these posts lambasting players for changing clubs ... have none of their authors changed jobs, sought a promotion, been headhunted? We don't usually talk about 'disloyalty' and 'mercenaries' when someone leaves their job and moves to another company, so why should it be any different in football? Boiled down to the very essence, isn't a footballer a worker earning a (stellar) salary like everyone else? A club doesn't 'own' a player, just like the companies we work for don't 'own' us. Even if a player has been through a club's youth academy, he's still ultimately just a salaried worker like everyone else and has the right to seek a better job, like everyone else. I know that football is deeper and more emotional than regular 'work' but we shouldn't forget that for footballers, that's still what it is: work. We should demand professionalism, not loyalty - because that's what is demanded of us.
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That is quite simply a brilliant piece of writing!
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that was the worst blog i have ever read from Robbo. you sound like a grumpy old man. you clearly haven t played the game before if you think its wrong to kiss the badge every once in a while.... dreadful
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38. At 3:32pm on 30 Oct 2008, Bluenose wrote:
How much did you just get paid to write this rubbish? do you kiss the bbc badge on your way home?
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Hahaha.. good one.
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wes 1986
i wouldn't put rooney in the list of 'jumped-up little mercenary',he's hardly likely to jump ship at the sign of extra money and he's likely to remain at man utd for a few years yet.
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Erm, well, he did it at Everton, didn't he?
And as for SAF's rant against Madrid. Not exactly doing a favour to ManU's image. This came after Madrid's president said that he wouldn't be persuing Ronaldo further and that ManU were a friend of Madrid.
And calling Madrid a Franco club when it's the Madrid fans who own the club and get the right to elect the president and ManU are totally owned and controled by a foreign businessman.
Maybe Calderon is right this time. Onset of senility for ol' Blue Nose.
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No problems at all with players kissing the badge it shows that at that moment they are 100% commited to the cause. How can they possibly know if one day they will leave, and the chances are if they are playing for a team beneath their own standard then they probally will leave one-day. I'm Spurs and I want every player in the shirt playing for the cause (although this rarely happens) and if kissing the badge is there way of showing it then no problems
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"no better than a drunken snog at a sixth-form disco. "
you have to realise that most footballers haven't a clue what a six-form disco is ... they don't stay in school that long!
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Fom the moment Rooney steps inside Goodison he gets dogs abuse and its been that way for the last four years.
You can't call him kissing the Man Utd badge as betrayal because the original act of betrayal happened in 2004 when he left Everton.
The Everton fans have never got over it. You can't blame the player for giving as good as he is getting.
And the fact is- he left to win trophies and push his career along. He could have stayed at a midtable team and seen his career drift. He's won the Premiership and Champions League when he could have been fighting for a UEFA Cup place.
If he'd stayed Everton wouldn't even have had the £30m they got from United for him and invested in other players. Also, when he played for Everton they were a worse team than they are now, so anyone who imagines he could have taken them to glory singlehandedly is dreaming!
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This blog has basically ended up with Man Utd fans defending a player... like a lawyer defending a man with a knife in his hands covered in blood standing over a body saying "I'm glad I did it, you deserved it" and the rest of the football fans who see things a bit clearly
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This has to be the biggest amount of bull ever contrived? Why would you bother writing this? You surely don't believe in what you are saying. I guess you just have to get paid for blogging something. And FYI - Torres has been a devoted Pool supporter all his life. But that's besides the point - what's wrong with showing your allegiance to the club you pay for by kissing the badge? What an idiot...
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Loyalty always comes at a price ... now if some of the permiership clubs were to make some of their star players take part in strictly come dancing, or something not so appealing as part of their contract - perhaps "We'll donate all your wages for a year to charity and you'll play for nowt" ..we'd see who were the loyal players out there..
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Re: comment 179, the fact that you compare Rooney's 'betrayal' to murder is completely over the top. We're talking about a player switching football teams. It's the same with Campbell and the abuse Spurs fans give him. For me, people need to get a grip. Yes, we're all passionate about our clubs. But I think people need to get over transfers that happened years ago.
If you're offered a better deal and a chance for more success and achievement in your career, then most ambitious people go for it. Comparing a football transfer to murder is just not right, particularly when you look at recent events going on in our society.
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182 comments written so far as I write this, although as I continue to write it becomes 182 and a tenth, ninth, eighth, etc...
Anyhow, there are worse things in life than a player kissing his badge. I don't think I've ever read such an angry blog by Robbo before; surely this is unjustified. Player scores goal. Player celebrates by kissing the badge of the team he plays for to acknowledge that he has scored that particular goal for that particular team's fans, and for the manager and players of the team denoted by the badge. It is not an oath of undying loyalty to the club, or in Robinho's case, even an assertion that he knows which club it is. In the player's head, he is happy to have scored the goal and wants to share that happiness with the fans who are cheering him on. In two months' time he may play for a different club and kiss a different badge. So what?
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Imagine growing up in the North-East of England on the banks of River Tyne, an England and Newcastle fan.
Then 20 odd years later your scoring against you 2 childhood teams and kissing the badges of Scotland and s*nderland.
Step forward the worst badge kisser of all time...Don Hutchinson.
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Re comment 182:
I was trying to inject a bit of humour to the comments, did you think I was seriously comparing kissing a badge to murder??
Come on.
You obviously 'support' a team to which this type of scenario does not occur..am I right?
Whichever team you support I hope it's your local team.
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wot is wrong with players kissing there badges, yeah it is a desperate way to try to win the fans over but football is very fickle and so are the percentage of fans, how many tottenham fans called for jols head last season then started begging for him to come back this season, how many fans say on here one week they want there manager sacked then they win two games and there the best thing to ever happen to the club, i think fans are the people that need to sort there acts out as most of them are a joke that change there opinions from one day to the next,
Rooney is a passionate player being provoked by a load of fans that used to call hiim a legend when he was sixteen so he was bound to react, he is still only young himself, grow up he aint russell brans, lol
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wot is wrong with players kissing there badges, yeah it is a desperate way to try to win the fans over but football is very fickle and so are the percentage of fans, how many tottenham fans called for jols head last season then started begging for him to come back this season, how many fans say on here one week they want there manager sacked then they win two games and there the best thing to ever happen to the club, i think fans are the people that need to sort there acts out as most of them are a joke that change there opinions from one day to the next,
Rooney is a passionate player being provoked by a load of fans that used to call hiim a legend when he was sixteen so he was bound to react, he is still only young himself, grow up he aint russell brand, lol
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And footie fans, whether they like it or not, are involved in a pretty torrid (or if you're a Liverpool fan, Torres) love affair.
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Poor
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Robbo's writing skills sound just like the trash that's published in a weekly gossip mag. If you're going to write about what is actually quite an interesting topic, put forward a good argument.
As King_Eric_Cantona pointed out, your argument sort of fails with your last paragraph. Rooney didn't sign for United last season!
Why is it that a player can't feel passion for a new club? I mean, that's what players are there for in the first place. Their job is to play football; which involves working as a team and playing your best individual football. Naturally they're going to feel some sort of pride when they score or opposition fans have a go at them.
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I totally agree with tom thinney, rooney has been a united player for a long time now, he one the prem and champ league last season with united so its not surprising he feels loyal after they paid so much to sign him
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re comment 190, i meant i agree with tom-thrilley
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This is the worst blog i've heard from robbo.
Barton could well have been showing his commitment to newcastle, even do there the only club that would play him. With Ronney he was at Everton at 19 he was never gonna end his career there when hes considered a wonderkid. Players may try and make commitments but there just like you and i. If you had the opportunity of 30,000 k a year more than you have at the moment 9/10 your gonna take it. It's greedy but to be honest i would take it as well. The kiss of the badge is to show there enjoyment of playing for the club. However after a while that enjoyment will go and as you notice they will move like berbatov did. All good things come to an end. Or in some cases bad.
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Rooney has the IQ of a 6 yr old.... as do most of the other badge kissing toss3rs
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Spot on article. There's no loyalty in football nowadays - there are exceptions though.
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Agreed. thats exactly what the premier league is today - a sixth-form disco
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I wholeheartedly agree with this article. It is about time that some of these so called "loyal" football players got a grip on reality. The only people who really have a devine right to kiss the badge is the supporters who actually pay for the privilege of watching their own team. I wonder if you put money or a badge in front of these footballers, which one would they kiss then? Joey Barton would soon move to a bigger team (such as Everton) if he was given the chance.
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