Corky Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 I've heard this phrase regularly over the past few years. However, could it apply throughout time? I'm fairly young, so this is aimed a lot at the more seasoned members of the forum (although all opinions more than welcome), but was there a much larger degree of loyalty from players (and managers) in the 60's, 70's and 80's? Obviously the scale is much greater today, but surely players moved around for more money and a better lifestyle back in the day? I'm sure there were more one-club men but was there still a short stay at clubs for players? I know the news channels were far fewer in number, but were transfer requests commonplace? I'm not defending the modern player, who often comes up with inconsistent and lame excuses for wanting to move clubs, I was just wondering how different, or not maybe the case, loyalty to clubs is compared to now.
purpleronnie Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 I always thought it was a little strange when people praise players like giggs saying he's always been loyal, sure, its very easy to be loyal playing for the biggest club in the world, winning tonnes of trophies and getting paid a fortune.
Dan Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 I always thought it was a little strange when people praise players like giggs saying he's always been loyal, sure, its very easy to be loyal playing for the biggest club in the world, winning tonnes of trophies and getting paid a fortune. Some people definitely over-state loyalty. Someone like Totti is genuinely loyal.
Ford Super Sunday Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 You have to remember that for some players football is literally a job. Wasn't it Assou-Ekotto who said as such. He doesn't really like football outside of playing for Spurs and he goes for the pay packet. If a footballer has that attitude and the talent to back it up then of course there's going to be no loyalty. Footballers should be more honest: "Why did I leave? Well my career will only last till my mid-thirties in all likelihood, I might have my leg snapped into nine pieces in the next game and I'd like to earn as much money as I can with about 50-60 years of my life left to live after I retire. So that extra £15k a week looks quite attractive to me." You can call Falcao every name under the sun but he's going to earn £10m per year in a tax haven with some of the highest standards of living and luxury we can only dream of. I'd certainly do it if given the opportunity. Genuine attachment is what's needed for any loyalty, and that's very rare these days (i.e Totti cited earlier)
Dan Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Steve Harper Not good enough for Newcastle, he'd be a mug to leave.
Guest kristianity77 Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 There aren't too many players these days Id consider Loyal at all. Like others have said, players like Giggs, Scholes etc are plying their trade earning millions a year and winning trophies. Had these players had a different stroke of luck earlier in their careers and ended up playing at a middle of the road premiership side, they would have moved on once a bigger club had come in. Loyal to me in footballing terms means players like Le Tissier, Gerrard, Steve Harper, Tony Adams, Ledley King etc
Fox92 Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 He is my favourite footballer, and I use him a lot as an example, but Steven Gerrard defines loyalty for me... All he wanted to ever do was play for Liverpool, just the once. He's achieved much more than that now though, becoming their captain and being voted one if their greatest ever players. It could have been so easy for him to leave Liverpool. Of course, that nearly happening in 2005 and then again in 2006 when he handed in a transfer request (said that he thought Liverpool wanted/needed the money more than him) and every big club in Europe wanted him. Mourinho made several bids for him, Ferguson was always an admirer and wanted him to replace Keane and there was interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona. Although he hasn't won that much, he has achieved a fair amount. The only thing he hasn't got is the Premier League, yeah he gets mocked for that, but if I was him I wouldn't care considering he won the European Cup (scored in the final) and dominated the 2006 FA Cup final which is known as the 'Gerrard final'.
Webbo Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 You have to remember that in the 70s and 80s there was no freedom of contract so it was much harder to move clubs. Then came a change in the rules that meant that home teams didn't have to share their gate receipts so that the difference in incomes became larger allowing some clubs to pay much higher wages than others. It's not that players are more greedy now than then, just a change in circumstances.
Babylon Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Those considered loyal are so because they generally have never actually received a better offer.
glenny_fox Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Conrad Logan... Now there is a loyal player!!! He could be playing for Man utd or even Barcelona, but no.. he wants to be supporting his team mates from the bench giving moral encouragement. I think we all had the same idea about our Conrad.
Leicesterpool Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Gabby at Villa, but of course he's a supporter. A few years ago Arsenal we're looking at him and he said wasn't interested in going. Gareth Bale at Spurs I suppose, Real Madrid have been breathing down his neck for ages but he still hasn't requested a transfer.
The Horse's Mouth Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Some people definitely over-state loyalty. Someone like Totti is genuinely loyal. To bad he's a cvnt
Webbo Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Gabby at Villa, but of course he's a supporter. A few years ago Arsenal we're looking at him and he said wasn't interested in going. Gareth Bale at Spurs I suppose, Real Madrid have been breathing down his neck for ages but he still hasn't requested a transfer. Where was his loyalty to Southampton?
ScouseFox Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Del Piero, surely. He stayed with Juve when they were demoted despite having just played a big part in winning the World Cup for his nation. He could probably have gone to any team in Europe in the '06 summer but stated the Juventus fans deserved himself and other big names to stay and play in the second tier.
Guest MattP Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Angelo Di Livio - Stayed at Fiorentina despite being wanted by Juve after Fiorentina were relegated to Division 4 for fiddling. Kiko - Ath Madrid told him to leave as they couldn't afford his wages when he they got relegated, he responded by offering to play for free.
Leicesterpool Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Where was his loyalty to Southampton? He didn't request a transfer i think, besides southampton were desperate for money at that time.
HEGGSY Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Maldini. Played all 25 years of his professional career at Milan until he retired at 41.
Guest MattP Posted 10 July 2013 Posted 10 July 2013 Maldini. Played all 25 years of his professional career at Milan until he retired at 41. And still got abused by the fans on his last game
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