John Terry vs Wayne Rooney: All Things Being Equal…
Morality will always be one of the hardest topics to debate because each man will always have his own level – so let’s stick to the football.
How do you do that when someone asks you to compare the situations of Wayne Rooney and John Terry? One had an affair with a prostitute while his wife was carrying his child, the other was having it away with a team-mates bird behind his wife’s back – no doubt while she was taking care of the children they already have.
What’s this got to do with football though? I mean, whilst they’re both complete cocks for screwing around, blokes the world over do it and it doesn’t make front page news – but then that’s the point isn’t it – and that’s exactly what it’s got to do with football. Blokes all over the world don’t earn in excess of £100,000 a week and play in the Premier League and yet they’re probably more careful about where they dip their wick than either Rooney or John Terry.
Think about it, it doesn’t take anyone with more than half a brain to suss that if you’re the sort of famous that sees you in the papers and on the TV week-in-week-out, then a kiss and tell story is worth a punt to any old tramp with gravity-challenged knickers. Worse still, if you’ve sold your fame around being dad of the year, a loyal servant and all round team player and then f*** over a team-mate, when the press get hold of it – which is always just a matter of time – you’re in it up to your neck.
So, having established they’ve both been naïve, stupid or just arseholes, is that where any similarity between their stories ends? Because few would feel there’s much similarity between how things have panned out for them both. Whilst Rooney may well feel he’s been rinsed by the red tops, John Terry was hung out to dry in every available column inch. And whilst Capello’s wrath might have seemed pretty clear where the former England captain was concerned, with Rooney, there didn’t appear to be a decision to make. So why the disparity?
Well, for a start, when you look at the men themselves, whilst Rooney’s popularity was on the rise , building him a more favourable image – not only settling down off the pitch but pretty much on it as well, John Terry’s popularity with the press was already on the decline. Whereas the Rooney’s were probably more accustomed to OK magazine photospreads of family day’s out with the buggy, the Terry family had given journalists much meatier stories to cover leading up to the ‘big one’ from the Chelsea captain himself.
So, it’d been a while since JT was held in much regard by the press and probably pre-Mourinho since any of the opposition could stand the sight of our ever-present leader, so slating him when he stepped onto the pitch was almost a national sport in the big away games anyway. Rooney, on the other hand, was becoming a bit of a darling again following Ronaldo’s departure.
Not for us of course, but whether acknowledged outside of United and their supporters in the media, or not, here was a young bloke who was portrayed as loving both his football and his missus since he was a kid. A player who might see the red mist occasionally but only because of his passion and commitment. So for Rooney, his recent antics off the field are likely to be attributed to him being a bit of a soft lad, a lad who genuinely loves his wife and son but got married a bit too young and got caught up in the pressures of it all. John Terry meanwhile, at 29 and without the country’s sympathies, is considered old enough to know better, an arrogant twat on the field and a serial womanizer and all round shady geezer off it.
What about England though, because whilst a fair few United supporters, whilst rightly unhappy about Rooney’s behaviour will of course remain firmly in his corner – you probably don’t get many United supporters watching internationals. Well, as far as Capello was concerned, it was a very unfussy response to the stories about Rooney, with business pretty much as usual. Not so for John Terry, with the ceremonial stripping of his England captaincy for several days in the press before the England boss actually did it.
Mind you, in all fairness to Capello, Rooney didn’t have a captaincy to lose for a start and whilst Terry’s behaviour was deemed unsuitable for him to continue to skipper the side, he did continue to be selected for the first team as well. So no difference there really but what of the reception from the crowd? To be honest, I don’t think there was much fuss about either because like Capello, (if you ignore the Wembley tourists), genuine England supporters couldn’t really care less as long as neither of them develop two left feet by way of retribution for their sins.
No, for me, Rooney has yet to really suffer the consequences of his actions. He hasn’t had to face an opposition crowd in the Premier League since the story broke and if he plays, it’ll be tough on him against Everton – although realistically, it’s probably nothing compared to facing his missus.
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Fair and balanced article.
I for one will not be singing rooneys name again
But the difference for me is that Terry cost the country another decent player. Who have england got if Cole gets injured? You can’t have a leader who you can’t trust. Plus Terry, like Rooney, still played.
and you’re right, we’re yet to see the full extent of Rooney’s punishment.
I think you neglected to mention that as a captain of the national team terry shouldn’t be shagging any of his squad’s exes and especially not when she’s also the mother of that player’s child. Not only does this indicate a man of low moral fibre but more importantly undermines the trust a captain should have. This point seems to escape most chelski fans. I’d be interested to see your opinions if it was one of your mates and the mother of your children if indeed you are the father of those children.
nicely done.
There’s a very good reason they’re professional athletes and not brain surgeons or rocket scientists.
Steve,
You can also look that Rooney hired a prostitute which is a criminal offense, whilst sleeping with a mates ex is perfectly legal.
In fact once separated, divorced or what ever children or not whom your ex chooses to sleep with whether a buddy or not should be none of your business and if it bothers you that much maybe you should of worked harder to keep the relationship going.
What I do not understand is how this effects anything that has to do with football and why as fans we even comment. What both Rooney and Terry have done while stupid only truly effects their wives and children and family (embarrassment) which Terry looks good compared to his father.
As the old saying goes let those who have committed no sin cast the first stone, however we seem to through boulders and pretend to be saints.
What the truth is though is English fans have to get by the colour of the EPL kit and get behind players when they put on the national kit whether they are scousers or not. If we can not do this their will never be another World Cup or Euro Cup. When Gerrard, Rooney or Barry play Chelsea they are a bunch of twits but put on the England shirt and they have my full support.
To bad most fans can not get by their home club to support country and bury those feelings until they face each other on the pitch again
It seems like it was a struggle to describe Perroncel as Bridge’s ex-girlfriend, never his wife, so I should be grateful for that, but far more important is the fact that Bridge tried to get his child support cut on the basis of JT’s supposed bung, yet no-one could find a single penny in the court case.
Which kind of explains why the Mail on Sunday published an apology for the false allegation that she was up the duff. No evidence nor proof existed of that. Much in the same way that no evidence nor proof exists of any affair in the first place. The News of the Screws, even with all their illegal phone-tapping, couldn’t find or quote a single word, no photo exists, no person saw it, no admission from any of those involved either. Just determined and repeated assertion which everyone seemed eager to believe even without a shred of proof. No affair means no cause for Bridge to get upset 6 months after he left the mother of his child. So why did he make himself unavailable for England and why did none of the 6 othyer Man City players who are now his team-mates support him publicly in the way a dutchman, Irish guy (with his own issues regarding the truth when it comes to international duty) and an Argentinian who the Mirror revealed was keeping a mistress in England while his own partner\wife was having a baby in Argentina! You couldn’t make it up!
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/03/07/carlos-tevez-flys-lover-around-world-to-hotel-while-partner-brings-premature-baby-home-115875-22090626/
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/03/14/tevez-s-model-we-are-madly-in-love-115875-22109457/
In contrast, numerous prostitutes have made it plain what young Wayne was up to and Rooney seems to have little problem admitting it, having reportedly said he doesn’t care if Colleen divorces him as she and her family have lived high on the hog off the back of his talent.
Of course, Terry is considered a love-rat while Rooney and Tevez are virtual saints who don’t deserve the bad publicity.
Give me strength.
Totally agree with ahut sir alex!
that kind of mentality is hard to come by ..
the fact is while the fan following can be crazy at the club level .. there needs to be a sense of rationality whne the same players u bash about play for the contry .. everywhere u can see united arsenal pool fans saying drop lampard and terry .. they are past .. but the fact is they still have one of the best games and one of the best passions for playing for the nation!
And even though i hate united and love to see england play at international events .. never till date have i criticized a rooney or a ferdinand .. or a crouch or a gerrard when they have played for england!!
I just think it is best to leave personaal issues out of football .. be it sex .. or anything .. and trust me .. the club DOES become a personal issue when england plays!!
You’ve forgotten to add what Fergie will do to Rooney once he returns to Old Trafford.