Is football losing it's respect?

By Jemma Tappenden
August 18 2008

Dismiss the issues of whether football is value for money as a supporter momentarily and ask yourself this? Is football losing its respect? Lets skip back to 1979 for a second...two years before I was actually born, but the first time an English player, Trevor Francis was transfered between English clubs for £1 million. And football has never looked back since.

Today of course, £1 million is barely acceptable for a semi decent Championship player, let alone a Premiership superstar. Frank Lampard's new deal at Chelsea, during the peak of which he will receive wages of £140,000 a week is a sign of the times. A deal at which Frank himself had to admit to some 'compromise'.

How long football can survive like this before the whole thing implodes is questionable in my mind. The Premiership may well be one of the most notorious leagues in the world, but whilst clubs like Luton Town, Bournemouth and Rotherham face huge point deductions for financial irregularities in the very league structure the greedy Premiership sits upon, one is forced to think what implications the collapse of the lower leagues may well put upon England's top flight.

A popular Sunday tabloid yesterday made some stark contrasts between today's Premiership footballers and Team GB at the Beijing Olympics. Frank Lampard's new pay deal means that just one week of his salary could fund two, yes two British Olympic elite athletes for a whole year.

The names of Rebecca Adlington and Ben Ainslie are hot property at present. Now there is respect, in 2008 when Britain can better her best ever Olympic medal winning record. But their names, unlike those of Frank Lampard and pals are unlikely to be on the tip of the tongue for long before we all reminisce in 4 years time at the start of the next Olympics.

Whilst our Olympic stars continue to break real sporting records, our Footballing starts continue to break nothing more than wage barriers, and with no major footballing honours heading our way for 42 years, is it any wonder that respect for football is dwindling?

I shall finish on one final thought. Two names, Ben Collett and Ben Parkinson. Neither of whom I was familiar with until a few days ago.

Ben Collett was a young promising talent at Manchester United before his career was devastatingly cut short by a shock tackle from Middlesbrough's Gary Smith in a reserve game in 2003. Last week, the now 23 year old won compensation of £4.5 million for stress and loss of earnings after Manchester United revealed he would have been offered a three year professional contract in the summer of 2003. Collett now attends university, where I'm sure the recent compensation will ensure he has no trouble paying his fees and student loan as he prepares for a new future.

Ben Parkinson, now just 24 years of age, was a Lance Bombardier in the 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. Just 12 months ago this young man was awarded the sum of £152,150 compensation after losing both of his legs and suffering 37 other life changing injuries when a landmine exploded in Afghanistan in 2006. Unlike Collett, this young man will need medical care for the rest of his life. He will never have a normal life, nor a new future. Yet the man who put his life at risk for his country received a pittance of compensation in comparison.

Whether it is football or the rest of the world that is Topsy turvy is an anyone's conclusion. We can't blame the footballers themselves, they are a product of what the game has made them. Perhaps this is what Marie Antoinette meant when she said 'let them eat cake'. However, it is quite clear to see why in 2008 football is losing so much respect.