Top Ten: Transfer Betrayals
Jonny Abrams
Posted on: 20 July 2009 - 12:07
Football
Carlos Tevez signing for Manchester City may be seen as a heinous act of betrayal by Manchester United supporters, but the Red Devils’ recent track record of nicking players from rival clubs reveals the transfer to be one great karmic dump over Old Trafford. Sport.co.uk lists ten more Judases (Judi? Judae?)…
1. Denis Law – The legendary Scottish centre-forward also left United for City, although less ill-feeling surrounded the move of a player who was by then at the tail-end of his career. It’s a fallacy that his backheeled goal in the Manchester derby on the last day of the 1973/74 season sent United down – they would have gone down anyway – but still he refused to celebrate the goal, opting instead to bow his head almost apologetically. Tevez would do well to employ such decorum, assuming that he is not a man who is easily-disguisable.
2. Ashley Cole – The odious Mr Tweedy claims almost to have crashed his car when he heard that Arsenal were ‘only’ willing to offer him £55,000-a-week. “I was so incensed,” he ‘wrote’ in his ‘book’. I was trembling with anger. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.” The rest of the journey was not documented, but Sport.co.uk can exclusively reveal that he’d agreed to join Chelsea before he’d even reached his destination. Roman Abramovich called soon after to offer £65,000-a-week, delighting Cole so much that he momentarily lost control of the car and swerved into a tree. “What happened?” asked a policeman. “I careered off the road,” said Cole.
3. Luis Figo – The Portuguese winger moved rather contentiously from Barcelona to Real Madrid - for a fee helpfully-estimated at between £38m and £53m - in 2002. It was a then world record fee, with Real president Florentino Perez expensively assembling the cream of the attacking crop in what came to be known as his ‘Galactico’ strategy. How times change. It is tempting to believe that he’ll spanner it up all over again, but there’s only so much goad a club that’s just signed Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema. Still, a steady and reliable Phil Neville type wouldn’t go amiss…
4. Sol Campbell – The England centre-back ran down his contract at Tottenham and joined bitter north London rivals Arsenal on a free transfer. What a bleedin’ scoundrel, eh? Especially since he’d said in Spurs Monthly that he’d never play for the Gunners. And, if you say something in Spurs Monthly, you must abide by it as one would an oath. Woe betide he who reneges on a pledge published in the hallowed pages of Spurs Monthly. But running down your contract and joining your rivals? That’s just, you know, not on. For shame.
5. Nick Barmby – Everton chairman Bill Kenwright described Barmby as delivering him “the worst six words in the English language – I want to play for Liverpool”. Which is harsh, given that these words are all relatively harmless and inoffensive on an individual basis. There are loads of worse words – many of which can be applied to Barmby, who was the very definition of a footballing turncoat, despite looking like the Haribo kid.
6. Mo Johnston – Johnston, a Roman Catholic, played for Celtic in the mid-80s and looked set to rejoin the Bhoys from Nantes when he appeared at a press conference to declare as much. However, at the last minute, he signed for Graeme Souness’ Rangers instead. Now that was one ballsy stunt. David Blaine, you are not fit to lace this man’s boots, even if you do it while hanging upside down in a box. Or whatever. Some Gers fans went as far as refusing to celebrate Johnson’s goals. Beyond that, Sport.co.uk would rather not touch this one with a ten foot pole, thank you very much.
7. Lee Clark – Having signed from Newcastle, the midfielder started life at Sunderland with a fair bit to do in order to win people over. He did that, proving as he did to be a key figure as the Black Cats stormed to the title in what is now known as the Championship (unless it’s changed again while I’ve been writing this). However, all the good work was undone when he was spotted at that year’s FA Cup Final between Newcastle and Manchester United wearing a t-shirt that read ‘sad Macken bastards’. Well, that’s just careless.
8. Eric Cantona – After helping Leeds United to the 1991/92 title, the Frenchman joined Manchester United for just £1.2m and promptly propelled Leeds’ bitter ‘War of the Roses’ rivals towards a period of unparalleled success. Ah well, eh.
9. Rio Ferdinand – Leeds looked to be building a side that would challenge Manchester United for the top honours but, as they began to teeter over the precipice of their eventual plummet, they were forced to accept Man United’s £30m bid for centre-back Ferdinand as the Red Devils secured another lynchpin from their erstwhile foes from across the Pennines. Still, mustn’t grumble.
10. Alan Smith – Made a £7m move from Leeds idol to bitpart Manchester United player, serving to emphasise the Ridsdale-inflicted discrepancy that emerged between the two clubs. But what about that Tevez, eh? What a Judas turncoat splitter betrayer awful man.