A lot has been talked recently about the loyalty of our players, be it the departure of Poyet or the arrival of non UK nationals.
What do we mean by loyalty and why should non UK nationals not have it, assuming that UK nationals do have it?
The OCD defines loyal as " true, faithful to duty, love, or obligation"
Now why should a footballer , or any other employee, show loyalty to their employer, surely what a good employee should do is perform their work to the best of their ability and give a performance that the employer expects for that job and in a way we are loyal in that we are true to our work and faithful to our duty at work, but if we are offered a better job elsewhere it is likely that we will leave the job and so not be loyal but still be loyal to our family by taking the better job.
So how does this equate to a fan's view of the footballers at their club, does kissing the badge when they score a goal show loyalty, if that is the case then goalkeepers are very disloyal. Does leaving a club for another show disloyalty?
I really believe that the only people at a football club who are loyal to the club are the supporters and a few long serving employees, be that behind the scenes or on the field. The rest, no matter what their nationality, are in the most part, loyal to themselves and their family by playing as well as they can, giving 100% to the team but if they are offered better elsewhere they will go, as would most of us.
The new players and the youngsters coming through have mostly been signed up with long contracts, this shows good management as if a player excels and is offered better elsewhere both the player and the club benefit, loyalty doesn't come into it.
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weeks after we had released a number of players and showed them no loyalty
What hacks me off is when you see a premiership player kissing the badge of Man United one season, then Man City the next, when you know all he really cares about is his huge pay packet.
I wouldn't be loyal to any club if another one offered me more money, I would rather be filthy rich... Think of the fast cars and women?
In some instances fidelity can be broken during the existence of a contract and the consequences of this breach could be dismissal or resignation based on a repudiatory breach. Parker downing tools after Chelski came knocking was a repudiatory breach of contract - breach of mutual trust, confidence and fidelity - i.e. he was acting against the interests of his employer. Clearly he had value so the repudiatory breach was not accepted by the club and rather than ending the contact we sold him.
Footballers are a commodity to be traded - and Belgian-Spur's comments highlight that actions can be instigated by both parties.
Some players do exactly what you say of course, but it's the bullshitters that get me.
My earlier post was about faithfulness, not loyalty. Slavery was abolished in 1833.
http://www.wharf.co.uk/2008/03/charlton-legend-brian-kinsey-h.html
my fav cartoon on the subject
But unfortunately only very few people can actually get to that stage.
If you are rubbish and play for Charlton you can leave, and if you are rubbish and don't play for us we don't want you.
It's very simple and all I ask personally. Anything more would be unrealistic.
Sadly, the examples of the one club man like Brian Kinsey are few and far between these days. I think that, at five years, Chris Solly is our current longest serving player, which reflects the modern trend.
Footballers are like most others. I think most give their employer their best but if a better offer comes along, it all changes due to the magnitude of the change.
Of course there is the very rare player who does stick around out of loyalty, but you could probably count them all on one hand.............