My friend and fellow blogger, (Often Partisan), almajir who’s articles often guest here, wrote this one on Gardner and the possibility of him leaving. It got me thinking about loyalty in football in a more general way.
Almajir cites Alan Smith and him saying he wouldn’t play for Leeds and of course Gardner went through the badge kissing stuff – read his article it’s good – and obviously his comments are absolutely valid. However I can’t help thinking that this loyalty thing IS distorted. Let me explain.
I’ve followed the Blues since the season that Freddie Goodwin got us promoted, so for a while now. Unless I consult books – I have absolutely no idea how many players have been at the club. During their time some were 110% committed some not at all. So there is an issue about loyalty there straight away. Clearly some came to the club, (as with all other clubs around the country), just for the pay cheque. The blue, red, green, white etc shirt meant nothing to them.
Others fought and gave their every last effort for the cause. Their loyaty was unquestioned. An example from recent history, Roger Johnson in the cup final despite his leg hanging off, fought every challenge as if he had just started the game. He laid his body on the line for the cause, blue through and through.
Even owners and managers have been fully committed, (obviously excluding Eck), but Dario Gradi, Dave Whelan, Cloughie at Forest etc. It’s a wonderful image. Unfortunately it isn’t a true image. Why do we get so upset when one of our own such as Craig Gardner indicates he will leave, why do we think he is letting us down?
The reason is, we view loyalty through fans eyes. WE are the only constant at football clubs. As I said I have followed the Blues since the mid 70’s. In that time have I considered supporting another club? No, never. Although I did watch Argyle for a period of time when I couldn’t get up to Brum – but they never replaced the Blues.
Once that decision is made for a club, as a fan, usually in most cases – that’s it. You get hooked and you are stuck with them through thick and thin, (or in our case through thin and thin!) Players and boards don’t have that same perspective usually. I know that there are exceptions, but as a general rule they don’t.
As fans we howl in disbelief when a player, manager or whoever – moves to our rivals. This last week has been incredible for both Blues and Villa fans. But is it really that big a deal?
Players play from 18ish until they are 30ish. Forget the money aspect, their playing career is over in their early 30’s usually. Is it not that surprising that if a new opportunity comes along for them that would mean they can play for a bit longer or to get one more pay deal, (oh go on then – I’ll remember the money aspect then), that they go for it? I don’t think so. Does that mean I shouldn’t care if they move to a rival club, don’t be stupid – of course I should,or can, because I’m a fan. And THAT’S my point.
Players come to clubs essentially as a job, they play for the club and usually want to do well for a club, but unless they followed the club as a fan – they can’t be loyal to a club in the same way. As fans we will be here next year, even IF we get relegated again – don’t have a go at me, it’s true. Players, boards, staff come and go – but we remain.
So what am I saying? Is it OK to players and staff to just push off when they feel like it? No I’m not saying that!
What I’m saying is that is the loyalty measurement that we as fans use IS different to players and staff most of the time, so our expectancy of them is from the perspective that we will never leave the club. There will never be that sort of loyalty among players on the whole I’m afraid. The money men have put that behind us forever, (yes I know – I mentioned money again!)
Normally I’d agree with you, Kev.
However, one thing Craig Gardner has constantly played on since he signed for us is that he’s one of us; a bluenose – and one who has come in from the dark side where he had to hide his allegiances. We saw the pitcures of him at John Frain’s Testimonial in a blues kit; we heard how he had an exec box and that he was at Cardiff to see us promoted.
I heard the Tom Ross interview, and he didn’t mention being a fan once. All he had to say was something along the lines of “Yes, Tom, I’m a Bluenose, and it’d break my heart to leave but I might have to for the sake of my career – I’ll stay as long as the club want me but if they say I have to go then I’ll look at what’s on offer” – or something similar.
If you play the “I was on the terraces” card early on, you have to expect it to bite you on the arse when you want out cos the team got relegated
I agree with aljamir re Gardner. This article should be called “There’s no ‘F’ in Loyalty” 🙂 I think contracts are pretty fluid these days. Big clubs can buy loyalty (Man U took Wayne Rooney’s loyalty off Everton). Struggling clubs can give loyalty away (Releasing Kevin Phillips for example). Players can feign loyalty (Gardner at Villa) and Managers can act seemingly without loyalty at all (can’t think of a recent example) and Boards can sell loyalty (Gold and Sullivan) but as Kev said, the only true loyalty is between fans and their CLUB (More than the sum of all players, board and any manager) KRO
I agree that we shouldn’t expect the same loyalty from players because it’s their job at the end of the day. But when Gardner repeatedly states that he a fan and loves the club, and then comes out with comments like in his interview, the fans have every right to be annoyed with him, and question his actions. I think he’s a disgrace if he moves for more money.
Gardner should of kept his mouth shut when he first came instead of banging on about how much BCFC meant to him. Then we might not be so pissed at him for his comments to Tom Dross the other night.
Totally agree with Sam and Darren. Actually all the points made are good ones.
i too agree with Sam and Darren. If as he has said so often, Gardner is a true Bluenose, he should be staying. If the money means more to him than loyalty to the Blues, well fine- nothing unusual there – but he should never have come out with all that crap about being a dyed in the wool Bluenose – it demeans those of us who are (including the likes of me in the bottom of the southern hemisphere) and if the $$ means that much to him, as far as i am concerned he can **** off, on condition he never again pretends that he is a true Blue – ‘COS HE AINT!!!
I sort of agree with the article but I think it misses the historical perspective. There was a time when most players at clubs were local lads, they weren’t paid a fortune and did it as much for pride as anything else. As the game moved on more players came who had no local connection and it became more of a job than a local pride issue, then of course real money entered the game. Given these change in circumstances is it a surprise that they go where is best for their career. Gardner may be a bluenose but he is also a bloke doing a job and whilst it may be a happy coincidence that he happens to be playing for the club he supports, I am sure it is not the chief reason he chose to come here.
If your company’s biggest rival offered you a better job with more money are you telling me you wouldn’t take it. Even if they had stuck by you in the past? Most people would and few would think anything of it, except when it comes to football. In most work places few people are really loyal to the company (especially a big one) but more to their immediate colleagues who they may not wish to let down but few would let that damage their career prospects in the long run.
It is only the tribal element of football that makes it such an anathema for people to leave clubs they profess to support. Fans tend to pick a club at an early age and stick with it but its not their job its their hobby. If it combined with our jobs in whatever capacity I suspect lots of people would be able to support one club and work for another without feeling that they were somehow betraying the club they support. Loyalty in football basically died a the point it stopped being a hobby for locals with nominal pay and became a real career for people from any location with huge fortunes to be made.
BBN – I think you’re right in 99% of the cases but in this one, Gardner’s happily being leading supporters along the ‘garden path’ of ‘I’m finally where I belong, I’m Blue through and through’ etc. If he acted more like it was great he was at Blues at this stage of his career, and stopped milking his boyhood fanaticism, we’d understand a whole lot more. Even if he’d already fulfilled a contract at Blues, so it was a logical time to move on. Also suggesting he had to think about his family when he earns more money in a month than most families in Birmingham earn in a year is shocking. I think I sympathise with the man wanting to work in the Premiership but I wish he’d publicly said he wanted to stay. He could then have blamed the Board for accepting an offer, which is surely the only way he’d get to leave anyway…