In recent weeks a number of out players have been profiled in the national media with interviews. The one common factor that has struck me is how they have all struggled in their childhood/youth. A recent Times interview with Andre Gray has changed my opinion of him. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...6?shareToken=ec291fdd76e2fbe77eeaec89e06b569e Growing up in a rough part of Wolverhampton (and, no, not all parts are rough) clearly affected his youthful judgement but he seems to have got over that. Jose Holebas has not had it easy and neither has Roberto Pereyra. Added to them is TD, of course. I haven't time to check on the other players but there seems to be a theme of facing adversity and appreciating what they have now through hard work and dedication. That seems to be showing on the pitch this season with an amazing work ethic. Are we developing into a team of working class heroes?
I don't think that many professional footballers come from priviliged backgrounds. Look at the social backgrounds of any top football team and compare it to that of rugby and a completely different picture emerges.
I realise that. The point that I was trying to make is that most of them, these days, live in a cocooned environment from being very young. If they are good they get paid a lot of money at an early age. Most, whilst not coming from privileged backgrounds, haven't struggled in their late teens.
Interesting article about Steve Sidwell in the paper. He has retired - but has a role at brighton. It's not just the money but that whilst they are the precious assets of their employer, EVERYTHING is done for them. All sorts of normal things (e.g. getting an MOT) medical prescriptions and so on - so that when they retire, the reality is a complete shock. They have been completely isolated from it. Football has ALWAYS been the working class' escape route. The difference now is that before it was to escape drudgery, and they weren't isolated from their roots particularly, and possibly earn a bit more, now it is transformed to 'rock star' earnings, which frankly , none of us would be remotely prepared for (excepting SH, possibly). I think though the environment that many of the footballers are escaping is more disturbing than heretofore.
Interesting thought about a team of working class heros. Back in the 50s say, players would travel on the bus or train to the games, and probably only earning 10/- a week more than the average would be one of the working class. None of the lavish business class seats and restaurants inside the ground, it was still a game that you could enjoy as the entry prices catered for the masses. Today it's far more difficult to have that connection between players and fans when earnings for an average PL player can twice as much for one weeks work as the fan earns in a year. The bike to go to training has been replaced by top of the range cars way beyond the affordable runaround of many fans. GT brought a rule into the club that before you signed it would be agreed that you would connect with the fans in a variety of ways. That rule has stuck and since been copied by others. Players can be on pitch heros, but when they are part of a club that wants to reach out in some of the ways that Watford have developed, it must help to know that the player you admire for his skill also is aware of the world outside the football bubble.
We are only really talking about the elite here NZ. For every thousand professional players only a couple will ever play in the Premiership or international football. The majority will either not make it, or will end up carving out a living at a lower level. Most middle, or upper middle class, fathers would try to discourage their sons from making the decision to drop everything and try to live from football alone - better study law, or accountancy or something else. The fact that ethnic minorities are over represented in football tells us something about the background. I would guess that around 85% of people living in France are of French ethnic background - yet how high is that ratio in their national football team ? The World Cup was practically won by Africa. The ratio of players from 'ethnic' backgrounds is also higher than normal in the Belgian and Swiss national teams. I'm not sure if this really is a sign of successfull integration - as has been said Mesut Ozul is German when he scores for the national team, but has, somehow, become Turkish again having fallen out of favour.
I think fans have understood and accepted that players wages, since the Sky silly money has been involved, have no relation to the average fan's income. In some ways there are many more opportunities for fans to mix with the players, the pre season fete, curry nights, quiz nights, end of season awards etc. All of the EPL, and many of the Championship players will be millionaires unless they manage to misuse their inflated gains. If you remember, Chalobah's form dipped alarmingly when his salary went up from apprentice money to £30k a week while still a teenager. He had several poor loan periods with a few clubs and only straightened himself out whilst on loan in Italy. I think many clubs have now copied the 'Watford Way' and do a lot for their local community.
There still are many clubs in England where the players are earning little more than the fans Frenchie. It's just that the Premiership and the Championship have opened up a massive gap on the rest. The average player in Division 2 earns between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds weekly and if you drop down into the National League, where most clubs are now full professional, it drops further. At Wrexham they earn between 600 and 800 pounds per week, despite being fully professional. If you calculate that the average retirement age for a footballer is 35 -( lower for strikers, and higher for goalkeepers) then a player who never gets above that level - and there are many of those, is going to need a second profession. At Taunton the players are semi professional and earn appearance money only - 200 pounds per match, and that is at level 7 of the English football pyramid (Southern League Premier). Two more promotions and they would have to be fully professional - so the question is - could they afford it ? My worry is not necessarily the enormous payments at the top, but rather the huge differences within the game.
I much prefer now watching world class players live than locals hoofing it. I can still remember some awful games at the Vic in the lower leagues, dreadful football. Johnny Williams or De Bryne?
Will Hughes went to private school, so he doesn’t really fit the “living through adversity” vibe. Mind you, he did have to grow up in Derby, so perhaps you have a point after all
Before the EPL was set up the pensions for footballs was very good it was a 1/20 for each year they played upto age 35 so if you had a player at Wrexham for 15 years (or that level) at 700 per week 35k per year ) then his pension that payed out at 35 would be 26k per year
