“There’s no loyalty in football anymore”

[Phube]

I keep hearing the phrase a lot recently “There’s no loyalty in football anymore!”

 

I’d just like someone, preferably one of the no loyalty anymore brigade (and it always a brigade!), to tell me when this mythical time was when all footballers and managers were loyal to a fault? And never left to go to a better club or for more money?

To my knowledge good managers and players have always left clubs to go to better/bigger clubs. 
And vice-versa bad players and managers have been sacked or bombed out.

 

[davieG]

1 minute ago, Phube said:

I keep hearing the phrase a lot recently “There’s no loyalty in football anymore!”

 

I’d just like someone, preferably one of the no loyalty anymore brigade (and it always a brigade!), to tell me when this mythical time was when all footballers and managers were loyal to a fault? And never left to go to a better club or for more money?

To my knowledge good managers and players have always left clubs to go to better/bigger clubs. 
And vice-versa bad players and managers have been sacked or bombed out.

 

Of course but it's much more prevalent now with freedom of contracts etc. Players used to stick with one club a lot more and often it was there local club.

[Foxdiamond]

Yes. Look at the likes of Johnny Haynes

[Fear Of The Fox]

There was certainly more loyalty back in the 80s and 90s. Back then a lot of managers and players stayed until retirement in their clubs. Players were more passionate about their teams, this is a fact and everybody in their late 40s and 50s now can list dozens of players that stayed loyal to their club.

Now Vardy as a player and Simeone as a manager are the exceptions. 

[mozartfox]

Ward has been loyal to this Club. He has never requested a move.

[Vacamion]

 

It was better in the old days.

 

Brian Little, Marc McGhee, Martin O'Neill and Gary Megson all show that the concept of managers leaving LCFC for suppisedly greener pastures elsewhere is entirely new and NEVER  EVER happened in the past, no Sir-ee.

[JimJams]

"...A man is only as loyal as his options..."

[Arkie Bennett]

I recall Mark McGhee saying something like loyalty was only for fans.

[Phube]

17 minutes ago, Fear Of The Fox said:

There was certainly more loyalty back in the 80s and 90s. Back then a lot of managers and players stayed until retirement in their clubs. Players were more passionate about their teams, this is a fact and everybody in their late 40s and 50s now can list dozens of players that stayed loyal to their club.

Now Vardy as a player and Simeone as a manager are the exceptions. 

Vardy, the player who left Halifax and Fleetwood Town after just one season at each? Simeone who’s managed 6 clubs prior to Athletico? 
 

Strange type of loyalty? 

[Fox92]

I can accept managers leaving but he has left after one year. This is after we took a chance and gambled on him. First chance of going and he's off. Kick in the teeth. 

[PAULCFC]

3 minutes ago, Phube said:

Vardy, the player who left Halifax and Fleetwood Town after just one season at each? Simeone who’s managed 6 clubs prior to Athletico? 
 

Strange type of loyalty? 

All relative to the time though..... the only people who have been "loyal" in my time off the top of my head were Lyall(whu manager) Gerrard (LFC),Perryman(THFC) Le tiss(southampton).....i'm sure their is loads more,but seemed more common before the big money came into the game.

[Nolucklcfc]

Our ground would only be 10% full if they phased out our seniors 

[murphy]

2 minutes ago, PAULCFC said:

All relative to the time though..... the only people who have been "loyal" in my time off the top of my head were Lyall(whu manager) Gerrard (LFC),Perryman(THFC) Le tiss(southampton).....i'm sure their is loads more,but seemed more common before the big money came into the game.

Shearer turning down Fergie's Man Utd to play for his boyhood team.

 

Bet he regrets it now mind.

[Phube]

2 minutes ago, murphy said:

Shearer turning down Fergie's Man Utd to play for his boyhood team.

 

Bet he regrets it now mind.

Not loyal to Southampton or Blackburn though? 

[Weller Wing]

4 minutes ago, PAULCFC said:

All relative to the time though..... the only people who have been "loyal" in my time off the top of my head were Lyall(whu manager) Gerrard (LFC),Perryman(THFC) Le tiss(southampton).....i'm sure their is loads more,but seemed more common before the big money came into the game.

Didn't Gerrard's move to Chelsea fail at the last minute due to death threats and abuse to his friends and family from some of the best supporters in world football?

 

Could be wrong though🤔

[AyewJoking]

1 minute ago, Weller Wing said:

Didn't Gerrard's move to Chelsea fail at the last minute due to death threats and abuse to his friends and family from some of the best supporters in world football?

 

Could be wrong though🤔

or liverpool bettered what his agent said Chelsea were going to give him..............

 

when there wasnt as much money being passed around it was easier to be loyal. 

 

Grealish is a good example, star man at his boyhood club even stayed with them in the championship but threw that away (and his playing career) for the money at Man city. cant say i blame him either.

Edited 28 May 2024 by Royston.

[Plastik Man]

43 minutes ago, Fear Of The Fox said:

There was certainly more loyalty back in the 80s and 90s. Back then a lot of managers and players stayed until retirement in their clubs. Players were more passionate about their teams, this is a fact and everybody in their late 40s and 50s now can list dozens of players that stayed loyal to their club.

Now Vardy as a player and Simeone as a manager are the exceptions. 

I wonder, wages back then, even for the top players, were not life changing. 

 

So if you were settled in an area with a young family, and were offered similar terms for a few more years, would you be so keen to move on every couple of years, with all the relocation etc that involves? 🤔

[Foxdiamond]

1 minute ago, Plastik Man said:

I wonder, wages back then, even for the top players, were not life changing. 

 

So if you were settled in an area with a young family, and were offered similar terms for a few more years, would you be so keen to move on every couple of years, with all the relocation etc that involves? 🤔

I mentioned Johnny Haynes. When the maximum wage was abolished he became the first £100 a week player and stayed with Fulham despite not winning anything.  In the 60s and 70s think of long serving players like Graham Cross and John Sjoberg for Leicester 

[JimJams]

 So he stuck with them despite not winning anything.... after making him the first £100 a week player.

 

Yeah, absolutely reeks of loyalty that.

[Foxdiamond]

1 minute ago, JimJams said:

 So he stuck with them despite not winning anything.... after making him the first £100 a week player.

 

Yeah, absolutely reeks of loyalty that.

Bear in mind wages were kept artificially low. As a highly regarded player and England skipper he could have gone elsewhere but stayed with Fulham even though other clubs could have paid the new higher wages

[LinekersLugs]

Hold my beer …. I give you Mr Loyal 

[shailen]

Loyalty works both ways. Players can be loyal and be shipped off if they have one bad season and likewise they could leave when their stock is high and maximise their careers and personal wealth/profile. No one is owed anything. 

 

Players like Vardy are the exception in the modern game but he was very well paid to stay here in all fairness. 

[Phube]

13 minutes ago, JimJams said:

 So he stuck with them despite not winning anything.... after making him the first £100 a week player.

 

Yeah, absolutely reeks of loyalty that.

And let’s not forget the fact that the average worker got about £10 per week in 1961. So not astronomical today’s wages but certainly a very, very good wage.

[Aus Fox]

Loyalty surely works both ways? This was a month or so ago.

We can’t expect loyalty form a manager and/or players if as soon as anything negative happens we hound them on social media and want them out. 

[Aus Fox]

1 hour ago, Fear Of The Fox said:

There was certainly more loyalty back in the 80s and 90s. Back then a lot of managers and players stayed until retirement in their clubs. Players were more passionate about their teams, this is a fact and everybody in their late 40s and 50s now can list dozens of players that stayed loyal to their club.

Now Vardy as a player and Simeone as a manager are the exceptions. 

I think there’s some rose tinted glasses here, go back through our managers in the 90s and point out the loyal one…