Source: Daily_Mail
MARTIN SAMUEL: Judge Rio on what he does now, not what he did then
So what is it going to be then? Do we continue down this route where every captain of the England football team must have lived a retrospectively blameless life, or are we to allow Fabio Capello to lance the wound of the last days of John Terry's captaincy and move on?[LNB]Do we judge Rio Ferdinand, the first officially appointed black captain of England, by crimes and misdemeanours from another century or do we accept that any man, every man in fact, will have a past and that it will include the odd episode of which he is no longer proud?[LNB] Fit for the task: Rio Ferdinand's past has no bearing on his ability to lead England now[LNB]The choice is ours. We tear ourselves apart or reason that individuals must be allowed the capacity for personal growth.[LNB]'If we are going to make any cause a symbol of the conflict between the sound traditional values of Britain and the new hedonism, then we must be sure the sound traditional values include those of tolerance and equity.'[LNB]William Rees-Mogg wrote those words, published on July 1, 1967, in an editorial in The Times. It followed prison sentences of three and 12 months awarded to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, following a raid by 20 police officers on Richards' home in Redlands, Sussex. Jagger was found guilty of possessing four amphetamine tablets, Richards of allowing drugs to be consumed on his premises.[LNB]The headline on the Times leader, 'Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?' (from Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot, a poem by Alexander Pope) has passed into history. The newspaper argued that the pair received a more severe punishment than would have been given to an anonymous member of the public. It is believed to have contributed to a quick and successful appeal against the sentences.[LNB]And while it is hard to imagine the modern professional footballer being as fragile as any lepidopteran, who would not be rendered defenceless by the weight of moral authority some would apply to Ferdinand, or any future England captain?[LNB]The situation around Terry was exceptional. There were a set of circumstances that could potentially impact on the England team and a climate of negativity that was becoming increasingly unmanageable. Capello took a decision based on his professional instincts, however hopefully it has been interpreted in some quarters.[LNB] More from Martin Samuel... Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0: Deadly Didier Drogba rifles Blues to the summit as John Terry stands tall to wreck Gunners' title bid07/02/10 MARTIN SAMUEL: Never mind morals, sacking of Terry was stand for England05/02/10 MARTIN SAMUEL: Role models? Try using your own moral compass04/02/10 MARTIN SAMUEL: Cool Capello is worth so much more than our berk of a Sports Minister02/02/10 Martin Samuel: Captains lead by example... so John Terry must go now before he's pushed by Fabio Capello31/01/10 MARTIN SAMUEL: It will keep ending in tears while Roger Federer is the daddy31/01/10 MARTIN SAMUEL: Lynn's lasting legacy for the victims of ME28/01/10 MARTIN SAMUEL: Three-goal Tevez left in a daze by home truth 28/01/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Contrary to belief, he did not seek to establish a moral code towhich his players should adhere: he merely reminded them that themoment personal conduct impacted negatively on professional attainmentthey would be called to account.[LNB]Where does that leave Ferdinand? In the clear, as it stands. Theidea that a missed drugs test in 2003, a drink-driving conviction from1997 or a ribald incident from a holiday in Cyprus almost a decade agocould count against him now would leave Capello utterly nonplussed. Thewidely publicised missed test aside he would not even know of theepisodes, nor would he care.[LNB]Capello has emerged from the Terry saga with the reinforced image ofthe disciplinarian, but the fact is he stood by his captain until sucha time when he considered his circumstances were beyond control. Hebacked him through allegations that he was auctioning the Englandcaptaincy to the highest bidder, he backed him through family scandals and through several odd unsavoury incidents that would have been brought to the attention of the Football Association.[LNB]Each time his employers would have been publicly questioned on whether Terry was the right man to captain England and each time Capello's support ensured they said yes. To imagine Ferdinand would be undermined by an indiscretion that took place in Ayia Napa 10 summers ago is absurd. He is captain for what he is, not what he was.[LNB]Carry on like this and Ned Flanders or Champion the Wonder Horse would be considered too morally ambiguous to captain England. Yet surely if the desire is for footballers to be role models - and, considering his background, Ferdinandis in this way perhaps the most significant England captain of all time - they must be allowed to grow into the position. [LNB]What chance does any player have if he is constantly forced to carry the baggage of youth? What chance has he if all mistakes, all indiscretions, every bump in the road and each moment he wished he could play over again, is brandished before him at every opportunity?[LNB]It was reported that Glenn Hoddle, the former England manager, dropped Ferdinand from his squad in 1997 because he was convicted for drink-driving; except that wasn't the motive, not really. Hoddle told friends later that he dropped him because the teenage Ferdinand was too big for his boots and he wanted to bring him down to earth: the driving offence was merely a handy excuse. He probably knew it would play well in public, too. Moral admonishments of footballers always do.[LNB]It is not the same for every sport. On Friday night I turned over to the Under 20 rugby international between England and Wales just in time to see England's No 8 get sent off for deliberately stamping on an opponent's head. Nice.[LNB]I didn't catch his name, so I turned to the Saturday papers for more information: no reports. Still, it doesn't matter. He is only a rugby player and, as such, is not expected to uphold the moral fabric of society. Not like a footballer.[LNB]The golden girl of British athletics is Christine Ohuruogu, who missed three drugs tests. Not that you have heard much of that since the Beijing Olympics. [LNB]Ferdinand missed a single drugs test, too, six-and-a-half years ago as you will no doubt grow sick of being reminded now he is England captain. Yet, if he has not transgressed since, if he has learned and moved on, surely there comes a time to allow him to escape the past, the way we would any professional who has messed up.[LNB]The alternative is to continue breaking butterflies on wheels, the spectacle of which will tell more of us than it ever will of them.[LNB] When FIFA help counts for nothingFIFA, as we know, are big friends of Africa. They are as tight as anything with the management of many five-star hotels in World Cup cities, not to mention those who organise first-class cabins and lounges on behalf of South African airlines, plus the limousine drivers who will ensure FIFA president Sepp Blatter and his entourage enjoy the smoothest passage possible from the door of their £1,000-a-night accommodation to the canopy over the VIP entrance at the match.[LNB]Sepp Blatter: Charlatan[LNB]It is those other Africans, the abandoned, lost, homeless ones, that FIFA balk at patronising. The ones looked after by Culture Foot Solidaire. Founded byJean-Claude Mbvoumin, a former Cameroon international, the charity supports young Africans left on the street when their dream of a football career in Europe turns sour.[LNB]Sometimes these boys are the prey of unscrupulous con men who traffic players in exchange for money with the promise of a trial that never materialises; other victims are simply rejected by a club without funds for the passage home.[LNB]Culture Foot Solidaire is based in Paris because the problem is greatest in French football (for all its holier-than-thou sermonising about the English game) and until recently was supported, in part, by FIFA.[LNB]In June, Mbvoumin said his organisation was monitoring 987 boys but estimated that the total in need of assistance could be seven times that. On its website, Blatter's photograph and endorsement is prominent.[LNB]For how much longer remains to be seen because, in August, FIFA reneged on a pledge to support Culture Foot Solidaire's education programme, claiming budgetary restraints, before abandoning it entirely in December. The last FIFA financial report, published in December, 2008, puts its financial reserves at £625million.[LNB]'Unfortunately, African footballers are sometimes betrayed by those who present themselves as their benefactors,' said the odious charlatan Blatter when he met Mbvoumin last year.[LNB]How very true.[LNB] AND WHILE WE'RE AT IT...Danny Cipriani has been told he will not play for England if he goes through with a move to Melbourne Rebels in the expanded Super 15 league. Big deal. He wasn't an England player anyway. He wasn't even operating as fly-half for England Saxons yesterday . Better to leave, rebuild his career out of the spotlight and come back as the player we thought he was.[LNB] Tricky Gervais...Gervais Martel, president of Lens (right), says the transfer of Aruna Dindane to Portsmouth was permanent, not a loan, and that his club is owed money. Then again, he said he had a watertight contract with Gael Kakuta before the Court of Arbitration for Sport got a look at it, so Balram Chainrai, the new owner, should perhaps hold fire before writing any cheques.[LNB] Transfer fax or fiction?Sunderland had all month to sign Benjani (right) on loan, so why the deal was completed only 23 hours after the transfer window closed is a mystery.[LNB]The explanation that the club had a fax machine issue at its training complex is almost comical. What happened to nipping down the road to the local newsagents?[LNB]These scrambles happen too often for comfort. Last year, there was confusion over Andrey Arshavin's transfer to Arsenal; before that Jermain Defoe's move to Portsmouth was a mess.[LNB]At least the role of the Premier League in waving it all through is straightforward. They are facilitators, not administrators; they are there to make sure it works, no matter how much it whiffs. And the reason the other clubs do not complain is that they want the rules bent in their direction when necessary, too.[LNB] It's your call now, WayneFabio Capello will not offer Wayne Bridge the chance to give histhoughts on John Terry's relationship with his ex-girlfriend, VanessaPerroncel. Quite right, too: Capello is team coach, not teamcounsellor. The only way forward from here is to pick Bridge for thematch with Egypt next month and leave it to him.[LNB]If he turns up, it must be presumed he is prepared to separate hisprofessional feelings from his personal ones and the matter is closed;if he does not, he has made his decision and Capello will respect itand plan for life without him. He is nobody's friend and does not needto take sides on this.[LNB] For a genius, Arsene Wenger does say some daft things. 'If you win aLeague Cup, can you honestly say you have won a trophy?' he asked thisweek. Well, yes, of course you can. And as winning is a habit, you canusually say you have won some other trophies, too.[LNB]In the five years since Arsenal were last triumphant in any competition, for instance, Manchester United have won two League Cups, plus three League titles and the European Cup. Chelsea have won a League Cup, the League title and the FA Cup, twice. Even Tottenham followed their 2008 League Cup win by returning to Wembley the following season, albeit unsuccessfully. [LNB]Wenger (above right) is in no position to mock. If his players had more experience of winning these meaningless competitions they might not have been knocked off course so comprehensively at crucial times in this campaign.[LNB] Contact Martin at: m.samuel@dailymail.co.uk [LNB] Explore more:People:Rio Ferdinand, Martin Samuel, Danny Cipriani, Christine Ohuruogu, Andrey Arshavin, Sepp Blatter, Keith Richards, Glenn Hoddle, Fabio Capello, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Bridge, John Terry, Mick JaggerPlaces:Paris, Wales, Cameroon, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Egypt, Africa, EuropeOrganisations:Football Association
