Respect is a word that seems to have lost all meaning in the modern English game. Most players are ruled by the mighty dollar and anyone old enough to expect any significant amount of loyalty from them is sniggered at. Believe it or not there was a time when players did play for the shirts […]
There’s no “Bale” in “respect”
Respect is a word that seems to have lost all meaning in the modern English game. Most players are ruled by the mighty dollar and anyone old enough to expect any significant amount of loyalty from them is sniggered at. Believe it or not there was a time when players did play for the shirts on their back and the opportunity to play for a great team was enough for most.
Money and the media machine couldn’t turn the head of a star whenever they felt like it. This has sadly been one of the fatalities of the Sky Sports generation though, and Spurs are heading toward feeling it’s sting for the second time in two years as Gareth Bale begins packing his pink duffel and learning the Spanish for “there was contact ref, I swear”.
The Bale saga is one that had been, and should have ended, so differently than the ugly conclusion we are drawing nearer to. As many of us began to gradually accept the fact that the Welshman would be leaving for Spain this summer, the fact that he hadn’t made his desires to jump ship public maintained his position of high regard among Spurs fans. Bale was acting like the professional we knew him to be.
Then Tuesday morning came, Sky had a field day reporting the fact that the player hadn’t turned up for training and one could almost hear the sickly thud of the Welshman’s arrogance chipping away at our respect for him. Wednesday saw a repeat performance, and all of Bale’s good work was lost.
[linequote]The Bale saga is one that had been, and should have ended, so differently than the ugly conclusion we are drawing nearer to.[/linequote]
The way I see it, Bale had played the whole situation perfectly up to now. He hadn’t made a fuss, he didn’t cry to the press of any “gentlemen’s agreement” being broken, didn’t hand in a transfer request and didn’t play for his national side when he was reported as injured.
The fans respected his model behaviour. The idea that we would be playing without last year’s top scorer was difficult to take, but he was going about it in the right way and showing the club the respect it deserved. Not showing up for training against the club’s wishes has now left an all so bitter taste of being mugged off in everyone’s mouth.
Sky Sports reported that while Bale will never return to Tottenham again, he hopes the fans will understand the difficult situation he is in. Here’s what I understand. I understand that Spurs are the team who continued to give Bale chances in the early part of his career despite his run of over 20 games without playing in a winning side. I understand that Spurs are the club who moved Bale from left-back, to left-wing and then in a central forward position so that he could develop his game more, at the expense of other players who had to play out of position as a result.
I understand that Spurs are the club who defended Bale uncompromisingly throughout last season when the rest of the English game was ready to label him a cheat. And I understand that through his actions, Bale has thrown back all the faith, loyalty, support and development that Tottenham Hotspur have given him over the past few years.
What’s more, Bale has insulted the fans. Spurs fans idolised Gareth Bale and compared him to some of the truly great and legendary players that we have had at the club over the years. The truth is, while he may be a more skilful player than some of these heroes, he isn’t fit to lace their boots. Ledley King may have had large gaps in his Spurs career because of his notorious injury problems, but the loyalty to Spurs and hunger on the pitch that he showed explains why he will always be a legend of the club, regardless of anything else.
[linequote]Bale has thrown back all the faith, loyalty, support and development that Tottenham Hotspur have given him over the past few years.[/linequote]
Bale could have gone on to gain similar status. He could have stayed and had a team build around him. He also could have left but done it in the right way, showing the club that made him what he is the respect and gratitude it deserves. Bale has done neither of these things. Instead, he has held out and eventually spat his dummy out because things weren’t going his way, successfully helping to move the transfer further along, not seeming to care about the consequences for those he is leaving behind.
Respect shouldn’t be so much to ask for in the modern game, but players like Gareth Bale epitomise the problem. Dedicating years to developing a player into a star doesn’t seem to be enough to earn their respect or any sort of loyalty in return. That is the ugly duckling that the modern, shiny Sky Sports, mega rich cooperate game doesn’t want us to see. Spurs have replaced Gareth Bale with a handful of great signings that will make us a far better and stronger team. It is football itself that is the biggest loser here.
[author name=”Craig Harrison” website=”www.coysnews.com” tag=”CraigHarrison[/linequote]
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
13 Comments
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29/08/2013 @ 10:55 am
well said !, totally agree
29/08/2013 @ 11:03 am
Oh you internet trolls with your trollish ideas of loyalty and wanting unpredictable football where any team can win things
Listen up trolls, the only clubs allowed to win anything are Barca, Real, Man U, Man C, Bayern and Chelsea. Any top player not at those clubs will be rescued from the trolls by our non-stop tapping up.
29/08/2013 @ 11:16 am
May be in your world sucker. Good write up. Well done.
29/08/2013 @ 11:08 am
Well put. Loyalty has long gone in the game and we’d be naive to expect it, but I think AVB had earned better from the young man than to have to sit and explain his absence at a press conference. Bale owes him one hell of an apology for that.
29/08/2013 @ 11:12 am
Exellent remarks.
Only Ledley King is mentioned, but I have been a supporter since 1943, and when I think back to all the names who helped to make this club great, some for small change like £6. per week I feel so sorry for them and their loyalty. One who comes to mind is Ronnie Burgess, Captain of Spurs and Wales, another, Cliff Jones, in my opinion a better left sided player than Bale. I would like to go on and on, but think it fair to let others have their say.
29/08/2013 @ 11:14 am
never a truer word spoken…
I see a quote yesterday that the reason Bale was leaving was that he was worried he wouldnt get in our starting 11 now… Funny that might be quite true in 6/9 months if the progress AVB is making really does take off…
I like the fact that the club now has a class about it which we never had under twitcher… He still tries to quote the club in any comment he makes – hanging on by a thread – let it go please!!! Tell your Chav loving son to do the same…
Great names come and great names go… The Chimp as I now refer to him had his 2 years, they were exceptional at times especially West Ham away last year he made it no taking that away from him… But the classy Welsh Mummy’s boy has turned out no better than Berbatov or the Weasel that also went a similar way before….
I ask would he get the ovation Glenn Hoddle got at Half Time on Saturday…. I wouldnt want him in the ground ever again unless he was on the opposition… He’s no legend
F*** the Chimp, InAVBweTRUST!!!
29/08/2013 @ 11:19 am
Good luck Gareth and break a leg, literally.
29/08/2013 @ 11:44 am
Gareth Bale,pink petulance in my book,as I’ve said elsewhere there might be a welcome in the hillsides,but you won’t get much of one at the lane.Byeeee..
29/08/2013 @ 12:24 pm
Wow, he misses training for two days and you all turn against him like hounds on a fox?
What about the fact that after every match Bale was the last player off the pitch, clapping to the fans? Are things like that so easily forgotten?
I think that a lot of you don’t have a grasp on the modern game. An industry where players are pulled in all different directions by clubs, media, other players and agents. I have no doubt whatsoever that he was advised not to attend training, either by Madrid or by his agents, and that the purpose for doing so as to make absolutely sure the move went through by driving as big a wedge between THFC and the player’s camp as possible. Footballers aren’t geniuses. They are young, impressionable men who listen to the people who are out to manipulate them. All Bale knows at the moment is that a big move to one of the biggest sides in the world, for more money than he could ever imagine growing up in the Valleys, is on the table. His agent wants a slice of that and he wants the move. He’ll do what he’s told to get it.
All this crap so many of you come out with about loyalty. Please. Take a look at the so called loyal footballers of the modern era. Ryan Giggs? Easy to be loyal with 12 titles under your belt. Gerrard? Easy to be loyal with half a dozen cups and a CL win under your belt. Ledley King? Easy to be loyal when nobody else wants you because of your injury problems. Who else these days? Pretty much nobody. I can tell you now that if Saint Ledley had not had his injury problems and a club like RM came in for him, he would’ve gone too.
Unfortunately football is a major business these days. That is the hard reality of it. It is arguably just as much business now as it is a sport. Do you know who the biggest losers in the football industry are? US. The fans. We are the mugs, living out idealistic dreams seated in yesteryear while we hand over our hard earned cash to a huge monetary sinkhole. It happens to every fan at every club.
I agree with the article that the cause of all this is the modern game, I just have a different take on Bale’s conduct.
29/08/2013 @ 5:53 pm
^^ This…..
It has been said in the last few days that Bale was allowed to say his goodbyes to the team and staff. I can’t blame him for having made the break and moved on. It’s time for all of us to, too.
29/08/2013 @ 3:49 pm
Bale conducted himself with dignity and restraint at the start of this saga. But he has increasingly begun to believe his own hype it seems – trademarking his goal celebration is just one example. Real Madrid got into his head (and his pocket – with an illegal approach via his agent) and the 50/50 chance he was staying became 40/60 (about the time of his mystery injury) then 30/70 (when he failed to show support to his team mates by coming to games – apart from Wales) then 20/80 (when he had a chance to say farewell to the crowd at WHL) then 0/100 when he broke his contract by not turning up for work. Petulant immature disrespectful and ignorant. He happily signed a contract a year ago – it didnt have a get-out clause (if it had, why isnt the PFA involved?) but we all knew that Bale would be targeted for a move. We expected Levy to resist, then try for the best deal if he had to. What we didnt expect was Spurs response in the transfer market – that should have made Bale stay (as the purchases DONT depend on Bale money) but he is chasing the ££££ and this has blinded him to what Spurs and the fans have done for him. We’re not expecting him to stay – what we expect is respect – look at what Lamella has said about the Roma fans, or Soldado about Valencia? Thats a grown-up response, not the peevish sulking of someone who isnt showing the maturity and strength of character he’ll need to be a success in Spain.
29/08/2013 @ 10:11 pm
Football truly is a business and players, the commodities. Gareth Bale, the footballer, has a shelf life. In that time he must make the money to give him and his family the best quality of life possible. He was held out by Spurs during his “injury” as a precaution. He was then asked to report to training as a bargaining ploy. To say that none of our purchases were made with Bale money is a bit naive. (Those stadium plans don’t fund themselves, I’m told.) Did AVB come back out of loyalty or ego? Perhaps some of both. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s best to keep your heart guarded in the world of modern football. COYS.
30/08/2013 @ 11:24 am
me no like chicken badge.