Source: Daily_Mail
Piers Morgan: Football must put a cap on its money madness
I was sitting in the VIP lounge of Palma airport in Mallorca on Thursday when a familiar face came over to say hello. [LNB]It was Howard Wilkinson, formerEngland manager and the last English boss to lead a side to the titlein our top league. He did it with Leeds in 1992, in the then FirstDivision (isn't it extraordinary, and rather telling, that noEnglishman has ever managed a team that have won the Premier League?).[LNB]Howard is now chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, who face their third winding-up order next month over unpaid taxes. [LNB]'What are you doing out here?' I asked him. 'Trying to save my football club,' he admitted.[LNB] Fighting for survival: Howard Wilkinson hopes to save Hillsbrough and Sheffield Wednesday[LNB] He'd been meeting with variousbusinessmen to see if any rescue bid could be mounted before it's toolate. But Howard conceded that he may not succeed, leaving one of thiscountry's great footballing names facing extinction. [LNB]If ever there is a moment to contemplate the parallel universes of the modern British game, then this surely is it.[LNB] More from Piers Morgan On Sport... Piers Morgan: Never treat your fans with maximum contempt, Ronnie25/09/10 Piers Morgan: Fred's a cricketing great and a true man of the people18/09/10 Piers Morgan: What England need now is Mike Bassett with brains...11/09/10 Piers Morgan: England's treatment of Pietersen is a disgrace04/09/10 PIERS MORGAN: It's time for Wenger to show who really is the Special One28/08/10 Piers Morgan: What's wrong with Rooney? He hasn't scored in 18 hours21/08/10 Piers Morgan: Fabio Capello's authority is shot to bits and he must go... NOW14/08/10 Piers Morgan: Manchester United won't make the top four this season07/08/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Wilkinson is one of the good guys ofthe game, a hard-working, well-liked pro with a very capable footballbrain. He stepped in valiantly, and selflessly, twice to hold the fortwith the national side. And now he's desperately working his contactsto try to stop Wednesday, a club he has both played for and managed,going out of business. [LNB]Meanwhile, just down the road atManchester City, an Arab sheik is spending money in a manner so insanethat even Sir Alex Ferguson has been horrified. The same Sir Alex, ofcourse, who was used to blowing vast sums of cash every transfer windowand always being the biggest spender in town.[LNB]I don't blame City for chasing theoil cash in this shameless way, however absurd some of their purchaseshave been (Emmanuel Adebayor is barely worth £3million these days, letalone £25m). God knows they deserve a bit of success after 34 years ofUnited ramming their failures down their throat. [LNB]But my heart breaks for SheffieldWednesday fans. How must it feel to see Manchester City squanderingmore on gold-plated ball-bearings for the team bus than it would taketo propel them back into solvency?[LNB]The divide between rich and poor clubs has always been there in football. But never has the gulf been as massive as it is now. And I just don't think it's right or fair that clubs like Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday get financially obliterated trying to compete in such a crazy, artificial marketplace.[LNB]The only answer, unless you can think of a better one, is surely the introduction of salary and transfer caps. Until they are brought in, more and more British clubs will go bust.[LNB]And with each one that does, the game we all love so much will be further diminished.[LNB] The rising price of Wenger's turkeysArsene Wenger can defend Arsenal's goalkeepers all he likes but everyone knows we've got a couple of clueless turkeys in Almunia and Fabianski. [LNB]I was at the Emirates last Saturday to watch the aptly-named Manuel Almunia deliver a performance so inept that even his namesake in Fawlty Towers would struggle to match it.[LNB]He was praised for saving a penalty but he'd given the damn thing away to start with. Then he fumbled a sitter and later ran out like a headless chicken to concede two more howlers.[LNB]It got so bad that Arsenal fans began cheering sarcastically every time he picked up the ball. Can you ever imagine that happening to Bob Wilson, David Seaman or even Jens Lehmann?[LNB]As for Lukasz Fabianski, we're all supposed to be jumping for joy that he didn't cock it up again on Tuesday night in the Champions League. But one night without dropping a massive clanger does not make him a top goalkeeper. [LNB] Write caption here[LNB]Both Almunia and Fabianski are now creating persistent panic in Arsenal's defence and that will probably cost us any chance of silverware.[LNB]The tragedy of this is that Wenger had finally got a squad I believed could seriously compete. But he has gone and risked it all for the sake of the £4million or £5m it would have cost to lure Mark Schwarzer from Fulham. [LNB]This wouldn't be quite so heinous an oversight if we hadn't just been told that Arsenal made a £56m profit last year.[LNB]When the magnificently brutal Didier Drogba bears down on Almunia or Fabianski at Stamford Bridge today, it will be like King Kong bearing down on a trembling tadpole.[LNB]And no Arsenal fan will watch the inevitably horrific result of this clash and say to themselves: 'Haven't we done well to make £56m and not buy a new goalkeeper!'[LNB] I really tried not to write about Roy Keane again this week. But there's something so irresistibly hypocritical about him as a manager that I feel compelled to return to the man.[LNB]Football fans with long memories may recall that Keane as a player was public enemy No 1 to referees. Barely a Manchester United match passed without his spiteful, snarling, foul-mouthed brute of a face stuffing itself into the terrified visage of some poor trembling official.[LNB]He'd chase them down (Andy D'Urso, in particular) like a rabid Doberman Pinscher, his pack of faithful, unruly hounds hurtling after him. Now Mr Keane is leading a different charge, demanding players and managers show respect to referees. [LNB]Which is all very laudable, were it not for the fact that this is like Gary Neville suddenly ordering us all not to look ugly. [LNB] Peterborough director of football Barry Fry is a polarizing figure, to put it mildly. You either view the loud-mouthed, cursing, slightly barmy Mr Fry as a wonderful character or a blithering idiot. And until this week, I've veered towards the former category.[LNB]But after seeing the disgraceful scenes at his club's match with Notts County, with both teams repeatedly smacking seven bells out of each other, I heard Fry blame the referee, Andy Woolmer, saying: 'He should be charged with inciting a riot instead of charging our clubs. It wasn't the players who were at fault.' [LNB]And I realised that he really is just a blithering idiot.[LNB] Grinding to a halt: Michael Schumacher[LNB]Michael Schumacher's Formula One comeback has been the unmitigated disaster I warned it might be. He's now too old, and too off the pace, to challenge the younger, faster turks.[LNB]Yet there's still this weird nostalgia in the pitlane community keeping him from being fired by Mercedes. [LNB]'If he was a rookie, we surely would ask if he had the capacity to advance,' said his boss, racing technology genius Ross Brawn, 'With Michael, we know that he has.' No, Ross, he doesn't. It's over, gone, kaput.[LNB]What Schumacher really needs now, before he kills someone with another of his desperate, hideously dangerous manoeuvres, is for a proper friend to tell him. Someone he trusts and respects. And who has the power to end it for him while he still has a vestige of dignity.[LNB]That would be YOU, Ross. [LNB] Sometimes, in sport, fewer words carry more weight. [LNB]At a catwalk event thrown by top British designer Ozwald Boateng at London fashion week, I bumped into David Haye, who fights Fr-Audley Harrison in a few weeks.[LNB] 'Beat him,' I begged. 'I will!' he replied. [LNB]'By knockout,' I implored. 'I will!' he replied. [LNB]'Quickly,' I pleaded. 'I will!' he replied. [LNB]'Thank you,' I said. 'My pleasure,' he replied. [LNB]And with that we moved off to our respective seats.[LNB] Have your sayYou said you were certain West Brom would be relegated on January 12. Given that we're sitting sixth in the table and just beat Arsenal at your place, I just wonder whether uncertainty is beginning to creep in.?[LNB]AMANDA WALDEN[LNB]Piers says: 'It is. You Baggies were as terrific as we were horrific. And in light of this stunning performance, I have revised my forecast. You'll be relegated on January 17.' [LNB]Couldn't agree more about Ronnie O'Sullivan. I saw the post-match interview and he had this blas?ttitude that it was easy to complete a 147 and he simply couldn't be bothered because the motivation wasn't there.[LNB]Unbelievably selfish, thoughtless and ignorant. Whatever Ronnie's neuroses are depression, self-loathing or just plain moodiness you don't treat fellow professionals or the fans that made you a wealthy man the way he did. [LNB]SIMON, Kent[LNB]Piers says: 'Sadly true. In snooker's hour of need, the sport's hero was found wanting.'[LNB]You're just jealous of how sexy and talented Ronnie O'Sullivan is. I see your face and want to switch channels, I see his and stay put. [LNB]ANNA, London[LNB]Piers says: 'You haven't seen me play snooker though, have you Anna? I make The Rocket look like an ugly snail.'[LNB]That's utter garbage about Roy Keane. If he was that bad to work for, then why did a large contingent of Sunderland players, including Leadbitter, Edwards, Fulop, Colback, Murphy and Healy all sign for us? [LNB]ITFciain, Ipswich[LNB]Piers says: 'They're sadomasochists. And what the hell kind of name is ITFciain'[LNB]email Piers: piers.morgan@mailonsunday.co.uk [LNB]
