Arrested and Charged: Footballers in Trouble

Southampton FC strikers Bradley Wright-Phillips and David McGoldrick allegedly attacked one of their own team’s fans.  Given an unexpected free night after one of their matches was cancelled, the two footballers hit the pubs and clubs of Watford where the incident allegedly took place.

England Under-21 striker Leroy Lita was questioned by police after being arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm following an incident in which he allegedly headbutted a man while on a night out.

Chelsea player Ashley Cole received a fixed penalty fine for being drunk and disorderly after becoming involved in an argument with a photographer outside a bar in London and subsequently swearing at police officers at the scene.

These are just three examples of an all too common story – football stars going over the top on a night out and disgracing themselves and their clubs.

But is that the whole story?

Sadly, the scene of drunken young men and women staggering drunkenly out of clubs and pubs, arguing, fighting and eventually being arrested is one that is repeated across the country with depressing frequency.  Perhaps footballers are merely following the trend.

The massive wealth of some of them coupled with intense media scrutiny can only add to the problem.  Newspapers were delighted to disclose that Ashley Cole and his team mates had racked up a £1000 bar and restaurant bill during their night out – the suggestion seems to be that not only are they thugs, but even worse, they are rich, money-squandering thugs! 

For his own part, Cole claimed that the incident had been provoked by over-enthusiastic photographers, and said that his repeated appeals to nearby police officers for assistance had fallen on deaf ears, prompting his outburst.  He apologised for his behaviour, but that wasn’t enough to prevent newspaper editorials the following day calling him a disgrace to football.  It didn’t help that while this was happening, his wife, Cheryl, was away climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.

‘Premiership Footballer Arrested’ makes a great headline.  Editors must rub their hands together with glee at the thought of the articles, editorials and opinion pieces they will get out of such a story.  Of course, if the football player is then released without charge, newspapers are much quieter.  How many times do we read about ‘alleged’ offences without ever being given the follow up story on whether the player was actually found guilty?

Image via Wikipedia

In 2005, Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo was arrested on suspicion of rape and held in custody for questioning before being released on bail.  Two other men were arrested as well, but as they weren’t professional footballers, their names and faces weren’t plastered across the front pages of every newspaper in the country.  A few weeks later, the case against Ronaldo was dropped – there just wasn’t any evidence.  Two years later, another young Manchester United player was arrested in similar circumstances, and again, the case was dropped – he wasn’t even charged.  No wonder football players get nervous when they see the paparazzi coming towards them.

In view of all this, should we really be surprised when footballers hit the headlines?  Shouldn’t they be able to go out and enjoy themselves occasionally like millions of others do without any repercussions?  And if some aggressive newspaper photographer gets into their face, can’t we excuse them for lashing out verbally?  Or even perhaps physically?  With the problem of drunken behaviour becoming almost a national obsession, is it fair to expect footballers to achieve a level of sober behaviour that so many other young people apparently can’t manage?

The answer has to be yes, however hard and unfair it seems.  Like it or not, football stars are role models, and they have a responsibility to their teams, their sport and their fans.  How can a professional footballer justify risking his fitness with late-night drinking binges when his team is chasing trophies?  Ashley Cole gets paid in excess of £80,000 each week – money that most fans could only dream of making in a year.  If his game is below par because of his off-the-job behaviour, then his club and his fans are being cheated.  Photographers are no doubt aggressively intrusive, but had Ashley Cole gone straight home after the charity event he had attended earlier that night, he would never have met that photographer outside the bar, and trouble would have been avoided.

A professional football career is a short one.  For just a few years, these players are being asked to stay in at night, watch TV and avoid trouble instead of repeatedly hitting the town to be photographed wearing flashy suits and gold jewellery.  It’s not too much to ask is it?

By the same author: Fans who love their team too much – bizarre behaviour from the world’s craziest fans.