Pro football.... is it worth it?

JCL666 · Mar 21, 2017

Came across this. It's an interesting read.

https://klifevskarel.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/footballers-living-the-dream/

Along similar lines we have a family friend who's 22 years old. He was in a top academy from the age of eight. By the time he was nineteen he'd had enough and at twenty quit the game and now just plays football for fun.

Nixonator · Mar 21, 2017

They have it alright.

W.C. · Mar 22, 2017

JCL666 said:
Came across this. It's an interesting read.

https://klifevskarel.wordpress.com/2017/03/07/footballers-living-the-dream/

Along similar lines we have a family friend who's 22 years old. He was in a top academy from the age of eight. By the time he was nineteen he'd had enough and at twenty quit the game and now just plays football for fun.

Often wondered if I would truly want to be a footballer, despite what I thought when I was 8. And if my son were to tell me he wanted to be one, would I really want him to live that life?

Fans are constantly heaping abuse on footballers and the way they conduct themselves. I think they should take their share of the blame for the way football is today.

BadFish · Mar 22, 2017

I think we, the consumers have to take some of the blame for the sanitised nature of the game and players. The fact is that scandals like the grelish one mentioned sells copy and provokes discussion. Perhaps it is time that we stood up and said that actually we would like our players to have a bit about them. More genuine personalities world make the game far more interesting, but we all complain about the Bartons and Balotellis so we get what we deserve.

BadFish · Mar 22, 2017

W.C. said:
Often wondered if I would truly want to be a footballer, despite what I thought when I was 8. And if my son were to tell me he wanted to be one, would I really want him to live that life?

Fans are constantly heaping abuse on footballers and the way they conduct themselves. I think they should take their share of the blame for the way football is today.

Yep I agree, we get the sanitised beige boring game we ask for. Sadly I think this is true in many areas of life, we don't even have any interesting rock stars these days.

Megazone · Mar 22, 2017

Speaking from experience. The life of a Professional footballer is actually a lot better than it looks. Once you get playing at Champions league level, you really do start raking in the cash (trust me). If anyone out there is interested in taking up professional football, I'd highly recommend it. Best career choice I ever made.

BadFish · Mar 22, 2017

Megazone said:
Speaking from experience. The life of a Professional footballer is actually a lot better than it looks. Once you get playing at Champions league level, you really do start raking in the cash (trust me). If anyone out there is interested in taking up professional football, I'd highly recommend it. Best career choice I ever made.

Thanks for the advice, I'll let barca know I am available.

Wellesley · Mar 22, 2017

BadFish said:
Yep I agree, we get the sanitised beige boring game we ask for. Sadly I think this is true in many areas of life, we don't even have any interesting rock stars these days.

eh?

El Presidente · Mar 22, 2017

There's a personal trainer down our gym who is ex Manchester United, Sunderland, Hull, Yeovil who has lost all enthusiasm for the game and doesn't even know the results each week.

It's not the bed of roses many paint.

Driver8 · Mar 22, 2017

El Presidente said:
There's a personal trainer down our gym who is ex Manchester United, Sunderland, Hull, Yeovil who has lost all enthusiasm for the game and doesn't even know the results each week.

It's not the bed of roses many paint.

That was a downward spiral.

Steve in Japan · Mar 22, 2017

It's probably just me but I found that article a bit whiney. Must be missing an empathy gene.

The Birdman · Mar 22, 2017

My nephew was and probably one of the best ever young footballers I seen a sweet left foot and could use his right brilliant passer of the ball and scored great goals. Now he's lost interest he's probably one of these players needed to be wanted and managed carfully . My point is we let these youngster slip out through our system who could become very good players don't know the answer.
I understand we are looking at the German system again.
My point is our pro system working.
However I am bias about my nephew.

Boston28 · Mar 22, 2017

Steve in Japan said:
It's probably just me but I found that article a bit whiney. Must be missing an empathy gene.

I got the exact same feeling only got a few paragraphs through before I stopped reading. But being on a bus home after a 10 hour night shift earning not much more then minimum wage probably makes me sympathise less with them.

blue'n'white · Mar 22, 2017

Interesting article.

Berty23 · Mar 22, 2017

I know quite a few players from a team in national league north and many could be professional footballers but were never going to reach the top so decided to make the conscious effort to be part time. They all have decent careers outside football but earn a few hundred a week playing the game they love and avoid that situation of getting to 32 and thinking "now what" that seems sensible to me. You do need an understanding employer because a trip from the midlands to Salford on a Tuesday night means leaving early.

GloryDays · Mar 22, 2017

I think it's the best job in the world. I would have been a CB (the most unassuming of the positions) and rarely scooped any accolades. Probably would have accumulated a few red cards and the wrath of fans that don't understand how defending generally works but equally I also would have avoided the generic Zzz nature of modern strikers and not had to worry about knee slides, scoring 1 in 4 and being branded average. I'd just have to make sure I get a few slide tackles in and score the odd corner (that's how defender are rated isn't it?).

I probably would have chosen to represent England but quickly would have got bored of being capable enough but not lucky enough to dislodge Cahill and Smalling and previous mainstays while watching other heirs to the throne of equal ability skip ahead of me. Probably would have eventually ended my career playing for Portland Timbers and driving a massive truck at the ripe old age of 34.

Sorry..went off on one there. Where was I? That's it...best job in the world I reckon, if you're lucky.

(I actually do think that regardless of the facetious tone).

Monkey Man · Mar 22, 2017

Haven't read the article yet but I've long thought there's a problem with the way kids are processed through the football system, only for the vast majority to be spat out and rejected at the end of it. It's quite a brutal business and I'm sure many kids are left bereft and demoralised, especially those with the pushy parents who have driven them thousands of miles to matches and training, and made financial sacrifices to ensure that little Jordan or Taylor plays for their beloved Chelsea/Man Utd/Insert club name here.

I'm kind of glad my kids turned out to be as bad at football as I am.

scamander · Mar 22, 2017

I’ve often wondered this, folk tend to extrapolate the life of a pro from their experience playing at weekends with your mates and simply adding the lifestyle of the thoroughly unrepresentative 1% at the top end of the game. Yet the reality is few will be in the top 1%, so let’s look at L1 and imagine you are at Peterborough (who are mid table in L1) . According to the Mail the average salary is 69k a year, for the sake of argument let’s use that as a yard stick.

It’s a fair whack, but in reality you won’t be earning that from day 1 as a pro and certainly not towards the end. Still, you’ll hear the “they earn a lot of money” when you do raise the point about the short career. In fact it’s probably worth considering that part to it. Whatever your role is now imagine that you only have 10-15 years max in it. After that you have to start something completely new, probably something you have never done and in an environment you’ve not worked in much. This will absolutely happen. So if you work in an office you’ll be carted out and working in a park somewhere, and you’ll earn a fraction of what you did. People might ride past and look at you as if they knew you from somewhere, occasionally a dad with his kid will come up and say “I saw you against City” or “what was it like to play against Smithaldo” or such. Later that evening you’ll be an anecdote told in a pub which centre on how it was a bit sad that you now work in a park.

Btw – I have nothing against parks, I’d actually quite liked to have worked for City Parks.

Now consider the sort of environment you are working in, you can lose your place because of a new manager who has a favoured player, politics or injury (none of them your fault). Every club has players they look back on as being sound, but average, you are one of those and suddenly a much hyped youngster is about to take your place. Or at least you live with that fear. Everyone is in this environment which means it can’t be a nice place to work in. Once day you have an on loan player from a Prem club arrive and lets everyone know he earns 5x your salary. He’s 19 and his car is worth your house.

Peter Crouch was once asked what he’d be if he wasn’t a pro footballer, he replied “a virgin”, so there is that side. All your mates go out every weekend but you rarely drink and spend your Friday nights at the team hotel.

I’ve not tried to be deliberately negative, but there is a big counter to the streets paved with gold theme which is the default setting. Football is a big brand these days (yes, that hurt me to type the word) so it’s always about success, with little left for the stories of players who simply found it all toxic and decided to leave. It would be good if there is a bit more honesty.

BNthree · Mar 22, 2017

It's definitely not all a bed of roses for them but they've certainly got it a whole lot better than those on zero hour contracts working in Amazon or Sports Direct warehouses for minimum wages.

beorhthelm · Mar 22, 2017

a friend of a friend had their lad in a London club academy. they went through alot of sacrifice, after living in Crowborough and commuting to "school", to get to the next level they moved to a flat in London. at age 16 he didn't get a contract, they moved back to Sussex where i believe he now plays for Lewes.

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Pro football.... is it worth it?

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