Good rumour or complete bull plop? | Vital Football

Good rumour or complete bull plop?

OneSirKeefy

OneSirKeefy

Vital Football Hero
Saw someone post on f/b earlier about various rumours around L1.

Among them was that Gills, Bradford and Blackpool are all looking at signing Ashley Cole on a 6 month contract.

So, is this a decent rumour with some merit and possibility? Or is it complete hogwash?

Where is Ashley Cole plying his trade at the moment?
 
He was at LA Galaxy and they chose not to activate a one year extension as he would be contractual entitles to a pay rise if the clause was activated. Due to pay wage rules, the pay rise would put the club above the wage cap. Apparently in discussion with LA Galaxy about a new contract with an expected minor pay cut.
 
The other night I watched that new documentary, Out of their Skin, presented by Ian Wright. It was very good.

Anyway, Ashley Cole featured on it a bit as he was the first black player to play a hundred games for England, and currently is the only black player to have played 100+ games for the national team. He came across as an intelligent and thoughtful bloke and the programme reminded me of just how good a left back he was.

We don't have a decent left back at the moment, I'd absolutely love to have Cole in our team, at least for the rest of the season. Even at his age
I reckon he still be class in our division.

But I kinda think that there is more chance that the earth is flat than Ashley Cole would sign for us. So it is all rather irrelevant.
 
GillsBluenose said:
Well, since the infamous book he has subsequently gone by the name of Cashley.
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And do you think that's fair? Or maybe, as with Raheem Sterling, there is a hint of racism...?

Perhaps not by all who criticise either or both players, but certainly by most. My guess is that the (unfair) criticism originated from the mouths of racists, and is repeated by other racists but also by people who aint racist but are a bit stupid.
 
Buddha said:
And do you think that's fair? Or maybe, as with Raheem Sterling, there is a hint of racism...?

Perhaps not by all who criticise either or both players, but certainly by most. My guess is that the (unfair) criticism originated from the mouths of racists, and is repeated by other racists but also by people who aint racist but are a bit stupid.
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Seriously?! He was offered 55k a week at Arsenal and he was outraged that he wasn't offered 60k. Arsenal fans were rightly pissed off so gave him some grief including the 'Cashley' nickname. How the fuck is that racist and how is it unfair criticism?
 
Can we all just get real? There is no way on earth he would sign for us (unfashionable Gillingham when was the last "name" we attracted - Terry Cochrane?) How could we afford his wages with Scally holding the purse firmly clamped. Be interesting if he went to Macclesfield under Sol Campbell which would add further fuel to the racism scenario.
 
I generally agree with Buddha but I reckon he's putting the cart before the horse here.

Undoubtedly there's a big element of racism to the stick that Sterling gets, and Cole will certainly have suffered from terrible racism simply by dint of being black, but mainly he was disliked for the same reasons as the other players of the "golden" generation: the bling, the WAGS, the big-headedness, poor results for England and so on. It was the same with Terry, Lampard, Gerrard and Beckham.

He may have got it worse than others because of racism, but you can't say that those players' reputation wasn't at least partially justified by the way they behaved. I'd say what he mostly got was ridicule rather than abuse, but then again it's football, so you'll always get some berks who take things too far.
 
Billy_Bleach said:
Seriously?! He was offered 55k a week at Arsenal and he was outraged that he wasn't offered 60k. Arsenal fans were rightly pissed off so gave him some grief including the 'Cashley' nickname. How the fuck is that racist and how is it unfair criticism?
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I think he wrote in his book something like he nearly crashed his car when he received the offer as he was so insulted by it. So would that not suggest he was reading texts while driving? I have to give him the benefit of the doubt as it is possible that someone in the passenger seat was telling him.

He also developed a liking for lap dancers when he was married but so did that other upstanding member of the sporting fraternity, Tiger Woods. At least in Cole's case there were no kids betrayed, just the wife.

Anyway, this article (probably be a racist reporter) charts either his rise or decline, or maybe a bit of both:
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/fo...l-reflection-of-our-greedy-times-6792515.html
 
Alderman Barnes said:
He may have got it worse than others because of racism, but you can't say that those players' reputation wasn't at least partially justified by the way they behaved.
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I think you're basically right but, if a white player had done/said some of those things, it wouldn't have got a mention.
 
GRSGimmer said:
Can we all just get real? There is no way on earth he would sign for us (unfashionable Gillingham when was the last "name" we attracted - Terry Cochrane?) How could we afford his wages with Scally holding the purse firmly clamped. Be interesting if he went to Macclesfield under Sol Campbell which would add further fuel to the racism scenario.
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Konchesky was a veteran ex England International left back although obviously not comparable in ability.
 
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