Michael Dawson wants out. Late last night the Spurs defender set fire to his team shirt at White Hart Lane in protest during an impassioned plea for a pay rise to Levy & Co turned into what experts are calling a ‘pyrotechnic palaver’.
Eyewitnesses are claiming that heated negotiations became literally combustible when the player, unable to cope with the Chairman’s hard ball iced tea tactics, lost his head and ignited his squad shirt in the North London Club’s boardroom.
Obviously this is cobblers. Made up. Untrue. But you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s next?’ There are two issues here. The players and the media. I’ll address the last one first.
I refuse to blame the media. Whilst we want the conventional press and us online wallahs to report in a reputable manner and not ‘make things up’ we cannot expect them not to report at all. It doesn’t work like that. Nor can you sit there in a huff acting all hurt that the news reported doesn’t suit you.
So then to the players. Guess what? Here’s where your problem is. The bulk of these guys have nothing to do and all day to do it in. The bulk of them aren’t burdened academically. When their brains aren’t being pounded with choons via Jazzy Beats headphones they are either being tattooed or ordering bottles of Champagne that cost more than a small car.
So faced with a Chairman who runs a tight ship, knows he only has 36,000 seats to sell every other week and only so much in the bank they have to become inventive. Low animal cunning inventive. Jerry distracting Tom inventive and consequently the results are as cartoon like.
‘We had agreement!’ bleated Modders as security fecked him out a side door. No, schmuko. You have a contract.
Now we have the boy Dawson nervously approaching the venerable Bede, bowl in hand wanting more gruel. ‘Please sir, I want … I want m m m more, sir.’ Except the Little Levy doesn’t suddenly morph into Harry Secombe. He simply takes off his glasses, smiles faintly and asks, ‘Why?‘
A source close to the player has told The Sun that Mickey feels undervalued. Well guess what. So do we, son.
Yesterday I wrote that it was always the way that players came and went and it us – the mugs – clunking through the turnstiles, the mugs ordering polyester shirts with a little badge sewn into it, the mugs who leap about like madmen when a goal goes in on the radio … us mugs who stay forever.
So Michael, if this ‘source close to the player’ is fictional tell us. If it is true then join the queue of slouches and also rans who in the final analysis never quite cut it with the people that count.
Us.
Seems both out of character and pretty unlikely bearing in mind he is only about a year into a five year deal.
He’s a lovable guy, wholehearted and brave but not a top class CD. Looking at Spurs, if all players had been fit he would at best have been our third choice behind Ledley and Woodgate. There is a debate to be made about Gallas (only cos he’s old now) and Kaboul (only because he has less experience/time with club) as to who is better. The fact that we have been (supposedly) looking at players like Samba and Cahill suggests that Harry is aware of his limitations (lack of speed/turning ability/launching the ball 2 kilometres in the general direction of Crouch…)
He was at the centre of some of our most woeful defensive displays last year (Young Boys, Milan, Fulham) and isnt a forceful leader like a Terry, Ferdinand, etc), so I cant see City, Chelsea or Manu diving in to turn his head with untold riches.
Not sure why I’ve bothered to write this as its prob complete bollocks. He’s a lovely guy and well worth keeping at the club, but not indispensible.
Wonder if chelski will make a 27m offer for him.If they do and after careful consideration i think we should accept.
What is the matter with them all!you are dead right Iamf1958, Pure Greed. Admit Daws has been a rock at back for a while now, but he is still under contract the same as the Scroat LM. Doesn’t the paper that it is written on mean anything. they should be made to stick to the contractual agreement. or be sued, for breech of it. No loyalty to the club anymore, just Greed.
FAUST
So even hell
Has got its legal code. ‘Tis well.
Then with you gentlemen a fast
And binding contract may be made?
MEPHISTOPHELES
Ay’ and implicitly obey’d.
Whate’er is promised you by us
You to the letter shall enjoy,
Without abatement or alloy.
A theme too grave this to discuss
So hurriedly; when next we meet,
We’ll talk it fully out; but now
I beg, nay earnestly entreat,
This once you’ll let me make my bow.
(Faust-part I)
That Son throw the book at ’em.
Nice darts, sir.
Fantastic piece, just what all of us fans are thinking. Jesus my pay rise (and I was lucky to get one) works out around an extra £40 a month. I can now afford to go see us play once a month, although why I want to see all these prima donna’s is beyond me, but I support the TEAM! Bill Nich thought you should play for spurs for nothing as it was such an honour, He must be turning in his grave. Footballers need a reality check you can all live on 20k a week rather comfortably!
I have many friends who were ‘given’ a 10% wage cut last year. The few benefits they had – removed.
Sitting on the bus yesterday (yes, I’m a man of the people!), a guy was explaining to his friend how they have had their hours increased with no extra pay. He was now working 9am – 8pm.
Footballers, Bankers, Politicians and Pop-Stars have always I guess been removed from reality but it does seem particularly painful at a time like this. Like everyone else has been saying really, you would have thought that Daws was a tad more real than most. Just shows what we know.
The guy that cleans our site toilet told me that the company was taken over and everyone recieved cuts overnight. His amounted to 200 per month. Immediately.
It upsets us most cos (if you deem the Daws story to be based on reality) these are two of the players that we would ultimately hope weren’t the greedy bastards of the group and wanted to play for our club as much as we do… I love Modders, but I loved Berba too.
I won’t boo Luka even if he ends up at second hand fridge, but I’ll never love again. Until next season.