Birmingham City Football Club owner Yeung leaves a court in Hong Kong.
Birmingham City Football Club owner Yeung leaves a court in Hong Kong.
The man who is making all the noise is Sol Campbell. Having reached the age of 39 he is now past his use-by date – he retired 2 years ago – but few players can maintain their careers beyond the age of about 35 at the very top echelons of the game, which is where Campbell spent all his, playing for the national team at age 21, and no fewer than five of the top clubs in the country: Arsenal, Newcastle United, Notts County, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur.
While it is true that footballers have to be extremely fit, and their sport requires not only training and dedication but discipline, for those contracted to the most prestigious clubs, the financial and other rewards are exceptional. Many of them earn more than top doctors and lawyers, and however talented they are, kicking around a ball for 90 minutes is not really comparable with removing an appendix or litigating in the High Court.
In spite of his impressive record, financial rewards and plaudits, Campbell has unfulfilled ambitions, one in particular, and according to him, the reason, the only reason, he did not fulfill it is the colour of his skin. Shame. Here he is, spilling out his heart to the BBC – and drumming up sales for his authorised biography. It is notable that he does not list modesty as one of his many virtues. Thankfully, not everyone takes this sort of self-adulation seriously; Ian Wright had some sensible comments to make on Campbell’s claims.
Unlike Campbell, some players take out their grievances on the pitch, but when a manager wades in and headbutts an opposing player, something must be done. Newcastle United manager Alan Pardue dished it out to a Hull City player. Had he committed an assault like that in the street, he would have been fined a few hundred pounds, but football clubs are made of stronger stuff, and Newcastle United have fined him £100,000! In addition to that, there is to be an FA investigation, which may make a further dent in Pardue’s wallet. Whatever problems Alan Pardue has are dwarfed by those currently being experienced by Carson Yeung, and they are not likely to go away anytime soon. The Chinese businessman who lived in the UK as a boy is a passionate football fan, and is Chairman of Birmingham City F.C. However, three years ago he was arrested on money-laundering charges, and has today been convicted by a Hong Kong. He could face up to 14 years behind bars. Whether or not he receives such a heavy sentence, he is unlikely to watch his team play live for a long time.
[The above article was first published March 3, 2014.]
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