Here is akvbcfc’s latest article.

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A Wake-Up Call

Marlon King’s jail sentence has put the behaviour of professional footballers back in the headlines, for all the wrong reasons. Now, I’m not going to go into the details and any information surrounding the offence. King’s behaviour was absolutely abysmal, horrible and horrific; let’s leave it at that. However, this article’s focus will be something that has been partly neglected to date.

Who is to blame?

Yes, King takes 99.999999% of the blame, but maybe some others need to take some of the blame for the current state of affairs. Football players are revered as Gods by faithful followers, but is it right?

The players themselves, have to take some of the blame. Professional players, and top flight stars flaunt their wealth and fame at every opportunity. Marlon King is said to have boasted to the girl involved in the attack, “Don’t you know who I am?!” I’m sorry, but what has Marlon King ever done that is so amazing, that we should instantly respect him? No. Exactly. In the past, many high-profile players have been accused of snobbery. Be it a refusal to sign autographs, or players forgetting where they came from, numerous accusations have been levelled at the modern day player. Too much money. Not enough effort. Too far up themselves to act properly. No manners and no common sense.

However, when players become ‘big-time charlies’, they need to be brought back down to earth. Be it their teammates, their managers or high-up officials at their club. Somebody needs to take the player to once side in order to remind them of their responsibilities to the club, to their teammates, to their fans and to themselves. In the olden-days, it was often the role of the manager to remind players of their responsibilities. Brian Clough took great pleasure in reminding his players that they were nothing without the fans behind them, a message that has been echoed by many managers down the years.

Maybe, there is someone else to blame. Ourselves. The paying public, and the media. For years, we have built up our ‘superstars’. All of a sudden, one man becomes a ‘legend’. We turn reluctant heroes into idols. You could, and I will argue that the ‘beast’ that is the modern-day footballer has been created by the viewing masses. Newspaper and television journalists have constantly ‘upped’ the stakes by labelling players as “the best ever…” or “the next…” This has helped to elevate the role of footballers from normal men to magicians. We have created a persona for the modern-day footballer, so should we really blame anyone else when they get ‘big-headed’? The idea held by (few) footballers that they are above the law comes from us. For instance, the owner of the club where the King incident occurred did not initially report the crime, because it involved a top-flight player. Why should footballers be let off..?

I’ll tell you…They shouldn’t.

Back to the present situation: Marlon King. Should he play again? My gut instinct, says no. Yes, everyone deserves a second chance, but is this guy any role model? Growing up, I’ve had the likes of Michael Owen, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes to look up to. Three players who have kept their noses clean, while going about their business with aplomb. All three have been fantastic pro’s, with the latter two (at least) still performing week-in week-out. You may draw conclusions that there should be a clear line between a player’s personal and private life, but I would beg to differ.

Football isn’t just about the game. Nowadays, we rely on our stars to be good role models for young boys watching the game. Can we consider King to be a good role model? No. Simple as. He may reform, but he will always be known for that once incident.

Hopefully, this incident will prove to be a lesson for some current stars. They aren’t above the law. They have a job to do, on and off the field. It’s time that everyone played their part.

By akvbcfc