Should footballer's private lives, remain private?
October 1st 2010 14:47
Link: twitter.com/mattsaltmer
This is a question which has been argued for years, but has cropped up more and more recently, given that footballers seem to now have more to hide about their private lives, than ever before. It is near impossible, to imagine the full extent of what happens behind the scenes, to try and cover the backs of the world’s biggest stars, as I’m sure there are plenty of stories under wraps that may never come out. Super-injunctions have been lifted to let out a lot of stories recently, but I’m sure there are plenty more still in place. But given that footballers are paid to play football, not to have their private lives examined, is it right that their personnel lives are scrutinised so much?
The last year has seen an incredible amount of stories revealed about English footballers, cheating on their wives and girlfriends. I’m not sure to what extent these sorts of stories make the headlines in other countries, but four of England’s top footballers have hit the front pages for the wrong reasons in the last 12 months. First there was Ashley Cole, who after cheating for the second time, lost celebrity wife Cheryl Cole. Then John Terry lost the England captaincy for sleeping with the mother of England team-mate, Wayne Bridge’s, kids.
Very recently, in the last few weeks, Peter Crouch and Wayne Rooney, have both been exposed for sleeping with hookers. These stories are even more likely to make headlines and sell papers, given the high-profile of their ‘WAGS’, Abby Clancy and Colleen Rooney. There is no doubt that from the point of view of the hookers involved, selling their stories was just about making money from the sordid affairs. But these recent revelations, have called into question once again, if the private lives of footballers, should be in the papers, or remain private.
The main reason why I feel solving this argument is important, is not because the stars deserve secrecy, but because they are role models to so many children, not just in England, but around the world. Kids at school every day, dream of growing up to be the next Rooney, or John Terry. While some would argue that these stories would encourage youngsters to be their idols, and be unfaithful, I feel the kids deserve to know the truth. It is unfair to let these footballers be shown as angelic figures, and idolised by so many, whilst covering over the cracks of stories, which mean they are setting anything but a standard to be followed. Being talented at football, does not make any ineligible from mistake, and punishment. If a footballer is a role model to any young person in England, that youngster, and their parents, deserve to know whether or not that footballer is worth their child’s adulation.
This is not too say children shouldn’t idolise footballers. There are plenty of English footballers, past and present, who set a magnificent standard, both on and off the pitch. You will never pick up a newspaper, and see Michael Owen, Paul Scholes or James Milner on the front page. They only time these players appear in the news, is when they are doing their job, and doing it well. Inspirational figures such as these, and past players like Alan Shearer and Gary Linekar, help youngsters by acting as brilliant role models. And they prove, that it is not an excuse to say that pressures of being a professional footballer, make leading a disgraceful private life inevitable.
This ties in with an argument put forward by Kevin Keegan last weekend. He was a pundit at the Bolton v Manchester United match, and put his feelings about the Wayne Rooney scandal forwards. He was quoted as saying the following;
‘You can’t have all the contracts, sell your wedding to magazines and things like this, and suddenly say; ‘That’s the tap I want to turn on but we want to turn the other one off’. You can’t then turn around and say there is too much papparazi’
His point here is one I completely agree with. Footballers who keep themselves to themselves, do their talking on the football pitch, and live a quiet life off it, have every right to their privacy. However, a lot of footballers today live the lives’ of celebrities, rock stars and actors. The amount of money generated by sponsorship by some of the top players, puts their incredible salaries into the shade. Keegan’s point is, that a player like Wayne Rooney, can not make money, and love showing off his family man image, but expect privacy when he makes a mistake like sleeping with a hooker. If Rooney has the right to make money out of his private life, than the papers have a right to report on it, when it goes wrong.
But this raises another question. If players who put their private lives in the media spotlight deserve to have them invaded, then surely players, who keep their private lives just that, private, deserve to have that privacy respected. In the last week, American magazine ‘In Touch’, ran a story about David Beckham, cheating on wife Victoria, by sleeping with a hooker. David Beckham is a worldwide star, but has retired to America in recent years to concentrate on his family life, with his celebrity wife and three kids.
Given that he gives a lot to charity, and makes no money out of selling stories about his private life, surely he not deserve to have this story printed about him, especially given that it has all proved to be lies. Beckham is now suing the magazine, its editor and the woman who made the claims, and has said he will donate all of the money from damages to charity. While I do feel in many cases the media have every right to report on footballers private lives, reporting on a case like Beckham’s, without there being any evidence against him, is wrong.
There has been an obvious effect on David Beckham’s performances on the field since the allegations came to light. There are also no doubts, that all of the above mentioned English footballers, Crouch, Rooney, Terry and Cole, were affected in doing their jobs, by newspaper reports about their personal problems. So then I ask myself, should the papers print the stories, and harm their own countries stars. Especially around the World Cup, I found myself wondering whether we could have won the tournament, had it not been for reports about our top player’s private lives, and let us concentrate on the football. Qualifying was a huge success, and John Terry was leading his side to the World Cup with huge hopes. Then his private life being reported in the papers, saw him lose the captaincy.
Journalists would obviously argue, that if a footballer has cheated on his wife, they have every right to report it. Whilst I don’t dispute that ‘right’, I have to wonder if in the context, the papers were acting in the countries best interests. Do the English public want to know who their top footballers are sleeping with, or keep momentum and unity within the squad? There is of course a simple solution, which in defending himself, a journalist I follow on twitter posted, just don’t cheat! If the footballers acted as the role models they are paid to be, there wouldn’t be anything to report.
So I do feel that overall, the public do have the right to know if footballers who are making money out of their private life, are cheating. No one can demand that the papers print the positive stuff, but skip over the bad stuff. I do feel slightly sorry for footballers, as this sort of invasion on privacy simply does not happen in most other jobs. But the fact is, that this sort of money is not involved in most other jobs! Wayne Rooney earns in a week, what our Prime Minister David Cameron earns in a year, so yes he does have a responsibility to act respectfully, not sleep with hookers. There is no doubt that a major reason for these reckless acts, are simply because a lot of footballers are young lads, with too much money. In a similar way to how young Hollywood stars go off the rails, the lure of illegal and wrong dealings are tempting, when you can buy anything you want.
But young footballers coming into the game should follow the examples set by the likes of Michael Owen and Paul Scholes. More recently, and current England international James Milner, is a fantastic role model. He has never appeared in a paper for anything other than playing football. He doesn’t even drink, and I have no idea what his relationship status is, and simply, I don’t need to know! These are top stars, and still find it within themselves, to act responsibly, and would rather be seen as footballers, than celebrities. So overall, I feel footballers private lives should remain private, if they concentrate on doing their jobs, and setting a good example. But footballer’s who are drawn into the celebrity world, and let down the millions of fans who idolise them, deserve every bit of bad press printed about them.
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