If the English Tabloids Want England to Win the World Cup, Then Why Don’t They Leave England Players Alone?

February 15th, 2010 | by: Daryl |

tabloid_feverlogo According to the latest Sunday Supplement (for American readers, it’s like a footballing version “Meet the Press”) England internationals were all over the Sunday paper front pages. For the record, being on the front page of a Sunday paper is a bad bad thing. It usually involves a sex scandal or some other unsavoury behaviour.

We know why John Terry and Ashley Cole. But does anyone else find it a mighty coincidence that a story about Rio Ferdinand appeared just a week or so after he was made the new England captain? A mighty mighty coincidence?

I say story. The newspaper piece was actually about a potential story. Apparently there’s a 22 year old Israeli model out there named Tslil Sela, who might have a story about a fling with Rio Ferdinand to sell to the tabloids. Might have. And the English tabs chose to publish it.

I’m taking this as conclusive proof that – as I suggested when one of the earlier John Terry stories broke – the English tabloids are out to get the England team. Not that they necessarily want the England team to lose. More that they know.

They know that in a World Cup year, the England national football team is even bigger news than usual. So stories about members of the England team sell even more copies than usual, and you can double that for stories about the England captain.

And so the English tabloids can’t resist a good England captain scandal story. Even where there isn’t one there. In the case of John Terry’s affair, I can see why that’s news. Ashley Cole sending out naked pictures of himself? His own fault. But an unconfirmed story about the incoming England captain possibly having an affair? No, there’s no need to publish that.

The English papers will have a field day if England win the World Cup. They’ll sell a boatload and will be at the front of the patriotic cheerleading. But more then four months before the tournament kicks off, we can already say that they’ve done more harm than good to England’s World Cup 2010 campaign.

England Football Team World Cup Blog RSS Feed

Juan

The English tabloids have never, nor will ever care about England playing in the World Cup. They will do whatever they can to sell as many copies the next day as possible. Tabloids will not hold out on 4 months of gossip just for a possible payoff if England win. If trashing every English player from today until June will give them enormous amounts of money, then that is exactly what they’ll do.
Lumberjack Bob

I usually cheer for England in the World Cup, but not this year. I have nothing against the players. I did’nt even know England was in the WorldCup until a few days ago after surfing the Web (in Canada Soccer vary rarely makes the news). My newly formed distain for all things British has come courtesy of your British Press and its coverage of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Unlike the American Press who have been very gracious in their Olympic coverage hosted by a Nation they are obviously quite fond of, the British Press have not missed an opportunity put a negative or condesending spin on anything that it covers, with Canada usually being on the receiving end of their rant. Whenever I read an article in a British paper I want to go and wash my body with soap.

Daryl, for your sake and for the sake of the players will be have England in my heart during the World Cup. But as far as the British press is concerned, I cannot imagine how they can see their way across the street with their noses pointed so high in the air.
Tom

Not sure what that has to do with anything, LB. The British press are well known for being poisonous. We should pity the English team for their misfortune of having to deal with them rather than condemning them for being from the same country.

By the way, do you have any examples? Haven’t seen anything criticising Canada here in the Australian press. Would be interesting to see the English perspective.
Lumberjack Bob

Hi Tom. LB here. Australia is a great country with an incredible sporting tradition. Most of the negative articles have come from the Times of london. Actually, they’ve been quite brutal. We all just want to have a good time and the British Press keep on pissing all over us. I think there’s something wrong with the water.

I admit I may have been a bit off topic. I’ll try steer in the right direction. The English lads are every day Joes so they deserve support from the Press. We love our Hockey players and the Press does love at least love them – until they actually begin to lose them the gloves come off. But in advance of any tournament its a love affair. Sorry the British Soccer lads don’t have the same courtesy. Over and out.
Alastair

The cure is stop reading English press. We know that all they care about is printing sensationalist stories to sell their rags. Most of it is not true and anything that is even slightly true is biased.
Don’t judge the average British person by the British newspapers.
http://www.westchesterspinecare.com chiropractors westchester

It is said that courtesy costs nothing but brings a lot. One can easily win the heart of others by being courteous.