Alan Pardew And Football’s Other Repeat Offenders

Alan’s 2013-14 Season Diary continued.

Superhero

Before I get going on the meat of this blog, just a quick nod to another sport and another hero; Nicola Adams, the Olympic Boxing gold medallist. Whilst I was writing the last diary installment a repeat of ITVs documentary about her followed the Champions League highlights on ITV. For anyone struggling against adversity and needing some inspiration, this would be a great tonic.

Winning a gold medal is a brilliant achievement but witnessing the hardships she had to endure, the challenges she overcame and the support of her family and trainer – a great character just like Mickey in the Rocky films has given me a new hero. She is up there with the very best.

Not Such Heroes

I couldn’t resist clicking on a pop up from Fansided at the end of one of our articles inviting you to look at a video about a female Russian speed skater’s wardrobe malfunction. It was very mild stuff – she just loosened the zip on her bodysuit for a bit of freedom. From there though another headline caught my eye “10 players who are actually huge jerks”.

It turned out to be about MLB – that’s Major League baseball in the States (I thought it might be basketball).

"“Just in case you didn’t know, MLB is loaded with jerks. Some guys think they are entitled to acting in such ways because, hey, they make more money than the rest of us. Some guys think they are far better players than they actually are. Lastly, some guys don’t have a reason, they just don’t like playing nice with the rest of the league — might have been a childhood with no toys that just made them angry people”."

The article is by a guy called Connor Muldowney of Rant Sports. You can say that again.

It struck me that could have well been written about a sport and players much closer to home. I wouldn’t dare but when you observe their behaviour it is very tempting. The USA, the home of free speech – or is that guy about to have the pants sued right off him?

In her Sun diary on Tuesday 25 February, Karen Brady touches on Wayne Rooney’s new contract. She says, “If that’s what United are to get for £300,000 a week they really are in trouble…Rooney has never yet shown he is a big occasion player.”

Saturday 1 March:

I received a letter from my consultant to tell me last week’s brain scan shows there is no sign of my tumour returning. As he says, that is great news for me. I don’t know what has put a bigger smile on my face – that or the Arsenal result; Stoke 1 Arsenal 0. What wasn’t funny was the going over Charlie Adam gave their players as highlighted on Match of the Day. Spurs aren’t the only London club he has it in for then.

Alain Depardew.

Last week Newcastle denied rumours he was one match away from the sack. If Mike Ashley does really want shot of him, Pardew has just given him the ideal excuse. He actually nutted a Hull City player who was retrieving the ball for a throw in. He compounded it when sort of apologising in an after match interview, he actually had the cheek to say he was trying to push him away with his head!

Saturday night: Newcastle make an official announcement to say that they have fined him £100,000. That butt would count as assault if done in the street. In fact if someone makes a complaint to the police it still could. He is a repeat offender. I’ll be surprised if the FA doesn’t ban him for the rest of the season at least.

Canny Mourinho takes Chelsea 4 points clear on the back of a second half Schurrle hat-trick. Liverpool leap-frog Arsenal and Man City into second place.

I’m off to the Cardiff game in the morning and to check out our new Members Club with a spring in my step.