Cricket vs Football
In the week where the England team won the all important ashes test match series and England Lost to Northern Ireland, I was most struck by the attitude of the players where there was a marked contrast. As a past Captain of England Cricket, I noted Tony Greigs comment that attitude and temperament was all important.
During the Football match with N.Ireland we saw some outrageous behaviour from England Star Wayne Rooney and understand from reports that at half time there was almost a fight in the dressing room between Rooney and the England Captain David Beckham. On the pitch their motivation seemed lacking, the attitude to blatant fouls blase and the swearing that one can plainly see even when lip reading is a terrible example along with the general bad behaviour , not just for the young, but for all those watching.
These millionaires of sport whose money has come from ordinary peoples wallets as they pay at the turn styles or for pay TV like SkyTV should have more respect, and a better attitude toward their audience.
Contrast this with the wild but controlled antics of someone like Kevin Petersen who on the last day rode hos luck to score 158 runs and his first test 100 (century) when he was bowled out and walked from the pitch, one of his main antagonists and from the opposing side, Shane Warne shook his hand in congratulation. We may mock this kind of attitude privately because we cannot see Wayne Rooney congratulating the opposing side for a good shot or a great goal, it just wouldn’t be the football we know and love…or would it.
Look at the team spirit in the England Cricket dressing room, the characters like Petersen and Flintoff and the leadership skills displayed by Michael Vaughn. The only time I have seen this in football is in the Chelsea attitude of last season. To get this its not all about being lovey dovey with each other and gentlemen on the pitch it is also about harsh discipline…look at Mourinho’s (Chelsea Manager) attitude to those that stepped out of line commenting to the newspapers at the start of the season.
To win at sport, is not just about skill, ability, practise and training, it is also about discipline, attitude and temperament, our cricket team in England seem to have it all whilst the Football players only have the latter and it shows in the results.
As a rider to this, my opinion is that the vast amounts of money available to Football (soccer) players in the UK is obscene, and the understanding and management of this alone could help in other areas… but what can be done?
