TRIAL AND ERROR ?
Well, it`s Saturday so why not write something about football? On second thoughts, why not write about the latest `news` to come out of the Boleyn Ground, where - in all seriousness, it seems - West Ham manager `Big Sam` Allardyce has offered El Hadji Diouf the chance of a trial with a view to offering him a contract if he can prove himself.
Now, professional football has many characters who are, shall we say, less than savoury. But Diouf is one of the most unsavoury ever to be let loose on a football pitch. In
March 2003, whilst playing for Liverpool, he was involved in an incident when he spat at fans during a televised UEFA Cup quarter-final against Celtic. His club fined him two weeks' wages, UEFA gave him a two-match ban and Diouf was charged with assault.
Whilst he was on loan at Bolton, Diouf was charged by the police for spitting at an 11-year-old Middlesbrough fan during a 1–1 draw in November 2004. Then, on 27 November 2004, Diouf spat in the face of a Portsmouth player. He was fined two weeks' wages by Bolton and was banned for three games by the FA after pleading guilty to a charge of improper conduct. The then Bolton manager, the aforementioned Big Sam Allardyce, later revealed that he had considered sending Diouf to see a sports psychologist.
On 20 September 2009, Diouf was questioned by police after allegations that he had made a racist slur to a ball boy during a match at Everton, telling him to "f*** off, white boy." Diouf defended his actions by saying that the ball-boy had thrown the ball to him "like a bone to a dog" and that Everton fans were racially abusing and throwing bananas at him; police found no evidence of this.
On 8 January 2011, following Blackburn's 1–0 win over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round, Diouf was accused of taunting QPR`s Jamie Mackie whilst the latter lay on the pitch injured with a broken leg.
The charge sheet just goes on an on with the above being just edited highlights. Despite all of which, `Big Sam` seems keen to bring Diouf to West Ham, even though the West Ham fans themselves have been subjected to Diouf`s penchant for spitting at paying customers as well as opponents. Allardyce believes that "as most of the fans have taken to him everywhere he`s been, they`ll love him" (at Upton Park.) "Dioufy is a quality player who West Ham fans will appreciate if they see him. Our relationship (Allardyce`s and Dioufy`s) is born out of respect for each other," he opines.
Whilst he was on loan at Bolton, Diouf was charged by the police for spitting at an 11-year-old Middlesbrough fan during a 1–1 draw in November 2004. Then, on 27 November 2004, Diouf spat in the face of a Portsmouth player. He was fined two weeks' wages by Bolton and was banned for three games by the FA after pleading guilty to a charge of improper conduct. The then Bolton manager, the aforementioned Big Sam Allardyce, later revealed that he had considered sending Diouf to see a sports psychologist.
On 20 September 2009, Diouf was questioned by police after allegations that he had made a racist slur to a ball boy during a match at Everton, telling him to "f*** off, white boy." Diouf defended his actions by saying that the ball-boy had thrown the ball to him "like a bone to a dog" and that Everton fans were racially abusing and throwing bananas at him; police found no evidence of this.
On 8 January 2011, following Blackburn's 1–0 win over Queens Park Rangers in the FA Cup third round, Diouf was accused of taunting QPR`s Jamie Mackie whilst the latter lay on the pitch injured with a broken leg.
The charge sheet just goes on an on with the above being just edited highlights. Despite all of which, `Big Sam` seems keen to bring Diouf to West Ham, even though the West Ham fans themselves have been subjected to Diouf`s penchant for spitting at paying customers as well as opponents. Allardyce believes that "as most of the fans have taken to him everywhere he`s been, they`ll love him" (at Upton Park.) "Dioufy is a quality player who West Ham fans will appreciate if they see him. Our relationship (Allardyce`s and Dioufy`s) is born out of respect for each other," he opines.
Now, I haven`t anything against West Ham as a club - they have a long and proud tradition and have contributed hugely to the footballing landscape of the nation - but something in my water suggests that the combination of Big Sam, his mate Dioufy and the style of play in prospect may not be to the liking of the Boleyn Ground faithful. Diouf may be on trial, but I sense yet another grave error of judgment may be just around the corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment