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Loyalty in football



middletoenail

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2008
3,571
Hong Kong
It annoys me when people say stuff like this. Yes, being a footballer must be an amazing life, but I don't see how anyone can say that they don't work hard to get where they are. Look at how many who have the talent don't make the grade- that says it all.

I enjoy my job, it doesn't make it a hobby.
Don't get yourself annoyed about it, petal.

I'm just saying, if you play elite football as your career choice, then you need a bit of back bone.

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sussex_guy2k2

Well-known member
Jun 6, 2014
3,751
I don't know why people get worked up about loyalty. If any one of us got the opportunity to go and do a better job at a better company for more money, we'd likely take it. And when there are exceptions to this rule, as in football, it's usually for some extenuating circumstances such as a desire not to uproot family or, in the case of someone like Matt Le Tissier, a total lack of ambition.

The clubs, as has been stated, act in a similar way. If they want to improve, they have to buy better players. That means out with the old and in with the new (although not always to positive results).

Loyalty is such an abstract concept and there really are too many variables at play to ever get true loyalty in football.
 


Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
12,947
London
Don't get yourself annoyed about it, petal.

I'm just saying, if you play elite football as your career choice, then you need a bit of back bone.

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Perhaps 'annoyed' was the wrong word. It just makes me laugh when fans talk about footballers not working hard, when they probably work harder than a large percentage of the fans that are criticising.
 


crabface

Well-known member
Mar 24, 2012
1,853
Perhaps 'annoyed' was the wrong word. It just makes me laugh when fans talk about footballers not working hard, when they probably work harder than a large percentage of the fans that are criticising.

Apart from Stockdale who runs off to a lesser team the moment more money is offered.
 


Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,786
West west west Sussex
It isn't the business for loyalty, and I'm fine with that, it's the lack of respect I struggle with.
As you say players go from Messiah to Disloyal Donkey in a heartbeat, that's so tacky.

Thanks to the special way the Albion has always been funded, every fan of every generation has had more than their fair share of players representing 'their' team in a half arsed disinterested fashion.

Those players ought to be shown the door with as much abuse and vitriol as we can muster.
Yet most of the time a player who always steps up and even plays beyond their abilities get treated the same way, unless of course they are retiring.
 
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mejonaNO12 aka riskit

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2003
21,503
England
In my mind, the ONLY time the word "loyalty" can be used is if a born and bred fan plays for his boyhood club and stays there despite the chance to move. Matt Le Tiss and Alan Shearer. Both played for THEIR club and could easily have moved.

That's it.

If they never moved because no one wanted them then that's not loyalty.

If a player joins a club and moves on, that's not being disloyal. It's a job. You move where is best for you.

I find it maddening when people got up in arms about things like Murray moving to Palace. Born in Maryport, played for Barrow, Carlisle, Stockport and then Rochdale. But apparently he's broken the sense of "loyalty" by moving from Brighton to Palace? Madness.
 




Brok

😐
Dec 26, 2011
4,352
In my mind, the ONLY time the word "loyalty" can be used is if a born and bred fan plays for his boyhood club and stays there despite the chance to move. Matt Le Tiss and Alan Shearer. Both played for THEIR club and could easily have moved.

That's it.

I have always wondered what percentage of players actually play for the club they support? Can't be too many.
 




1234andcounting

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2008
1,609
I have only ever expected one thing from Albion managers and players - professionalism, ie taking the job seriously and working as hard as they can, on and off the pitch. I would no more loyalty from them to that I showed to my employers over the years. It is a bonus when players like Bobby Z, Wardy or Calde develop a real affinity for the club. We show no loyalty to players and managers when things are bad- why should we expect any in return from them.
 




Nixonator

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2016
6,733
Shoreham Beach
I have only ever expected one thing from Albion managers and players - professionalism, ie taking the job seriously and working as hard as they can, on and off the pitch. I would no more loyalty from them to that I showed to my employers over the years. It is a bonus when players like Bobby Z, Wardy or Calde develop a real affinity for the club. We show no loyalty to players and managers when things are bad- why should we expect any in return from them.

I seem to remember offering plenty of loyalty and support to both when we were diabolically shit.
 


el punal

Well-known member
The only loyalty in football is from the fans.

I give you, for example's sake, Matt Le Tissier, Bobby Charlton, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and probably many more who were one club players. But you're right, loyalty in football seems to be in very short supply complete with the staggering hypocrisy that now prevails as in Neymar "I've moved to PSG for the football not the money" bollocks.
 






Bwian

Kiss my (_!_)
Jul 14, 2003
15,898
My loyalties lie with whoever respects this club. When that respect goes then so does my respect. Poyet for example lost my respect at the end of 'that season'. Bridcutt is another one-showed a lack of respect to this club. I hated it when Murray went to the scum but that move wasn't down to him.

We can sometimes get a bit precious when players move on but that is usually down to the way they leave. Zamora's move is an example-nobody had a bad word about him going.

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Perkino

Well-known member
Dec 11, 2009
5,987
I'm in the 10% then that think Hemed will provide more for us this season and beyond. Murray undoubtedly better prior to now of course.

I honestly think Hemed is better suited to playing premier league football compared to championship football. I think he is a very clever footballer who will get less mistimed challenges his way from sloppy defenders although being a team towards the bottom of the league he will obviously get far fewer chances
 


NooBHA

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2015
8,584
''Disloyal Donkey''

What a brilliant terminology. I can just see it now. All donkeys on Blackpool Beach - ''Look sister.....No way that little ****er is sitting on my back and that's the final word on it''
 


Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
12,947
London
Apart from Stockdale who runs off to a lesser team the moment more money is offered.

Well yeah he did, but that's a completely different point altogether. He's not working any less hard, he's just moved jobs for more money.
 




doogie004

Well-known member
Oct 12, 2008
6,445
wisborough green
To the club, yes of course. But to players? In the two weeks after the start if this season, rather than stand by our players after a tough start, 90% of new threads on here (as an example) are calling for players to be dropped, sold or benched. Skalak, Bong, Propper, Hemed, Ryan, Murphy, Suttner, Stephens, Towell: All slated on here.

I'm not saying we should blindly support our players,and they shouldn't be above critique, but loyalty is also standing by them in tough times not turning on them when they've barely kicked a ball in anger.

Fact is most of them are just not good enough we have to be ruthless no sentiment allowed it's football no one has died


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JBizzle

Well-known member
Apr 18, 2010
5,833
Seaford
Fact is most of them are just not good enough we have to be ruthless no sentiment allowed it's football no one has died


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Yeah but that's not a fact is it, it's your opinion. It may be that over the course of the season that you're proved right, but there 36 games left and I don't see any point in writing them off after just two.

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