You couldn't make it up........

So another week of football is over, but as always it's what happens off the pitch that is always more interesting.

First up at Craven Cottage home of course to Fulham. Now quite a few clubs up and down the country have erected statues to former players or managers who have been instrumental in their success. At Fulham they have honoured Johnny Haynes in this way, so who else would you choose of that same calibre to stand immortalised in all their glory?
Well, Michael Jackson.........obviously! Mohamed Al Fayed - the madder than a sack full of badgers Fulham chairman has decided that he wants to honour his friend by sticking a statue of him up along the banks of the Thames. Not sure if he'll be in full kit and boots and also no news as to whether Bubbles will be part of the in no way odd display!

 We also found out this week that Spurs have signed a new kit deal worth £10 million a season with American Sports Equipment Company Under Armour. What will be different about this kit is that using something called "E39" technology sensors under the shirts will be able to measure heart rate, performance & fitness, this will help the coaching staff during the game to assess the players and is also hoped this information will be used by television companies broadcasting the game.


Presumably there will be a button on Ledley King's shirt so that he can be turned off and then on again to get him going!

The main piece of news this week has been Fabio Capello's decision to give the Captain's armband for the England job back to John Terry. Terry was "sacked" of course because of his alleged off the field bed hopping with a former team mate's ex-girlfriend. Capello has now decided that Terry has served his punishment and with Rio Ferdinand out injured it was time for the Chelsea Captain to once again lead his country. It's not the fact that's he's back that should be the problem and you may not like John Terry the man, but it has been the treatment of Rio Ferdinand in this story, if we're to believe the newspapers then Mr Capello has gone about the whole business the wrong way. Maybe with his England contract running only up until the end of 2012 at the moment there's a feeling of inevitability that the Italian's reign will soon be over.

England XI with previous

David Seaman

Jonathan Woodgate            Tony Adams        Ashley Cole         Rio Ferdinand

                 Steven Gerrard         Kieron Dyer       David Beckham    Paul Merson

Wayne Rooney  Andy Carroll

If we were going to look into the lives of every player ever to pull on a shirt for the Three Lions we would struggle even more than we normally do to pick a starting eleven. The above team of players have all represented their country.

David Seaman - cheated on his first wife with a woman who was to become his second, left the second wife (and kids) with no explanation and shacked up with an ice skater!

Jonathan Woodgate - Convicted of affray and served 100 hours community service (was banned from International selection)

Tony Adams - During his battle with alcoholism was found to be 27 times over the drink drive limit when he crashed his car, was sentenced to four months imprisonment.

Ashley Cole - Numerous stories in newspapers of him cheating on his wife (the idiot!), sending lewd pictures of himself to girls via text, oh and shooting a work experience placement with an air rifle, though he claimed he didn't know that the rifle was loaded.

Rio Ferdinand - One year ban for drink driving. Four bans in total for Speeding. Failed to attend a drugs test and was fined £50,000 and banned from domestic & International football for eight months.
Steven Gerrard - Charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm & affray after a club DJ received a broken tooth & cuts to the forehead. Gerrard was eventually found not guilty.
Kieron Dyer - While on a lads holiday to Aya Napa along fellow young England Internationals who had not made the Euro 2000 squad, he was filmed having sex with a a number of women along with Rio Ferdinand & Frank Lampard.
Paul Merson -  Confessed in 1994 to being an Alcoholic and Cocaine Addict.
David Beckham -  Rumours of affairs with numerous women although married, the most infamous being Rebbecca Loos his one time personal assistant.
Wayne Rooney - Rumours and newspaper articles of Rooney seeing prostitutes have dated back to 2004 and came to a head again in September 2010.
Andy Carroll - Arrested and let off with a caution in 2008, charged with assault after a glass was smashed into a man's face. Allegedly broke former team mate Steven Taylor's jaw in a training ground bust up.

Robin Friday - The Greatest Player You Never Saw

While I was looking into football's "bad boys" I came across the story of Robin Friday, he was the subject of a book titled "The Greatest Player You Never Saw". He played his football for non league Hayes, Reading & Cardiff City. He never played for England and never played in the top flight. He was a highly talented player & goal scorer but he was the ultimate footballing rebel, wouldn't bow down to authority & lived by his own set of rules. When he started out for Hayes, there are stories of him being late for games because he was still in the pub,when he did get round to coming on he staggered around the pitch before scoring the winning goal. His goal for Reading against Tranmere was said to be one of the greatest ever seen. He terrorised guests at the team hotel by running about naked throwing snooker balls and darts around, he also reappeared the next morning still naked with a live swan he'd caught at the hotel's lake! He made a habit of kissing on duty Policemen after scoring and when he moved to Cardiff he was arrested on his first day for ticket evasion on the railway. His last professional game was against Brighton, Mark Lawrenson who would go on to play for Liverpool was marking him that day and Friday was getting more & more wound up by the close attention, he finally snapped and kicked Lawro in the face, upon receiving his inevitable red card he stormed off the pitch, broke into Brighton's dressing room and did a shit in Mark Lawrenson's kit bag. What a way to finish your career!

Bryan Robson - Captain Marvel

We were saddened this week to hear that former England Captain Bryan Robson is battling throat cancer. He undertook an operation to have a tumour removed and the surgeons are confident that the cancer is treatable. Always a fighter on the pitch we're sure that he will beat this too.

Everyone at 442 its a football thing also wish former Stoke City winger Terry Conroy a speedy recovery after undergoing emergency surgery.Conroy played 333 times for Stoke and scored their first goal in the two one League Cup victory over Chelsea in 1972.

They are both in our thoughts.