Game more serious than life, death

It was  the late great Bill Shankly who said: “Some people talk about football as if it were life or death itself, but it’s much more serious than that.” An adjunct  in the Caribbean is it is a means of survival, but as all favours, it bears a huge price, not payable sometimes in one’s lifetime. Football is essentially a simple ball game, open to anyone with legs, lungs and a bit of leather or these days, plastic  money as well. But can it still really be called a game?  Or is it little more than a part of the world of business and politics? We only have to ask Clayton Ince, Omandi  Lowe, Anthony  Rougier, Shaka Hislop, Stern John and Jason Scotland to fully understand this. If  you have been employed in the holidays or you are already in a permanent job, you will have noticed the difference between how it seems before you start, and how it actually is a little later. Contracts or letters of employment, if you are lucky to  get one, usually hide more than they tell. Have you ever tried writing an honest account of your job in the form of a letter of contract? If so, you may be more than pleasantly surprised. Here are a few clauses that might appear in a Regional Professional Footballer’s Contract to prevent a strike again.

Allowing for the difference in style, how many do you think appear in an actual contract?
1) The player hereby agrees, to play efficiently according to the instructions of his manager and coach, and not to question the wisdom or knowledge of  the said officials of the club.
2) The player hereby agrees, that after a year if the club wishes to renew the contract for a further period they may do so, but that if the player wants to stay for that period and the club doesn’t want him, he may be shown the door.
3) The player hereby agrees not to live anywhere the club feels might offer him temptation or harm the image of the club.
4) The player hereby agrees to go to bed early, avoid night clubs, spend most of the year in team coaches, trains, airport or hotels and be satisfied with cards, bingo and television as leisure activities.
5) The player hereby agrees to stand by the Technical Director’s judgment when and if the club appoints a new manager, and not to expect to be asked if he approves of the man with whom he will have to work closely for  30 weeks of the year.
6) The player hereby agrees that he will not talk to or take up the pen as a newspaper writer without asking the club if he may do so and if it agrees to the latter then every single word must be approved by the Club.
7) The player hereby agrees to put up with being called “boy”,’ “lad” or “servant” of the club and to always call the manager “the boss” and accept his proper place in the club cheerfully.
8) The player  hereby agrees that if the club wishes to transfer him they will consult almost everyone else before letting him in on the secret.
9) The player hereby agrees that the club has no responsibility to do anything for him once his playing days are over, since there is only room for 1 in 10 to get a job within the game.
10) The player hereby agrees, that if forced onto a legal stage, he will absolve the local Football Association, as well as CONCACAF and FIFA.
11) The player hereby agrees to not speak to certain sections of the media, of course Newsday will be exempted because of its fair reporting standard.
12) The Player hereby agrees to smile at all times, even when forced to work with people dumber than him, or even when injured
13) The player hereby agrees not to expect to be compensated if injured and forced out of the game, and therefore has to live on park benches.
14)  OH !!  By the way, I almost forgot to mention that the player hereby agrees not to expect any transfer fee negotiated for his services to ever be known by him, such as who it went to, how much it was, where it is now, or if any is for him .
15) The Player hereby agrees to just agree.
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