h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

FB

What did he do? (I was watching the Alloa/Pars playoff - real fitba)

It might not matter who he is or what he did. Almost any metropolitan area on the planet could nominate some extraordinarily useless, annoying, and/or harmful people, and make similar claims. But here's a test of your claim: if anyone tried to bury John Terry in your town, how many people do you think would protest? Give a number. Someone so evil that you're afraid of his/her dead body would be a pretty big tosspot, wouldn't he?

who the heck is John Terry and is this fuss worth it

Yes, is the simple answer.

He's the captain of a football team in some place called Chelsea. Born December 7, 1980. Google hits suggest that he has a bad ankle, and is prone to grabbing the limelight.

How much is it worth to keep him in England>

Oh, he got stripped to join in the celebrations again

Personally I thought taking the piss out of American tourists stranded at Heathrow the day after 9/11 marked him out as a scumbag and he's done nothing since to change my opinion.

He's a contemptible individual, certainly. CAshley doesn't do himself any favours either though (or anyone else, if he can help it), so that's stiff competition without even looking outside the same team.

He's someone connected with sport? Never heard of him, or anything he has said or done. Keep talking about him, make him into what he is, or not... Don't pay attention to him, let him have the limelight, and then* moan that he's in teh media...

There are two, sadly inseparable facets to John Terry (a footballer who captain's Chelsea and in recent history, England football teams - that's cleared up then).

1. He is undoubtedly, a footballing asset to teams that he plays with. As a defender, he influences the players around him, at least in footballing terms, in a positive way. He is generally reliable and talented. But this isn't enough in the modern game, because:-

2. He has been at the centre of a number of controversies which would appear to expose character flaws which come under the spotlight because of the way the game is covered today. Most notably, he was alleged to have called a fellow professional a 7 letters black 4 letters during a game. A criminal prosecution found him not guilty. A Football Association investigation found him guilty (the burden of proof being different), and was handed a ban. However, showing a lack of backbone, the FA didn't take the view that this should preclude him from being England captain. And nor did his club.

There has been a degree of media coverage of the behaviour of his mother, father and brother, such is the interest of the media in the family.

There are worse human beings out there who just aren't such high profile people.

Would I want him playing in my club side?

No thank you.

PP.

In playing terms, he's a huge liability in big matches. He missed the penalty that would have won the Champions League. The next time his side had another crack at it they only improved (and won the semi-final against Barcelona) after he was sent off. He was banned for the final (which they won). Last night he wisely wasn't selected, and they did well.

He's just a thug hero to a bunch of racist thug supporters.

Haven't seen it but apparently he was even wearing shin pads when he stripped out of his suit. Who the hell wears shin pads under their suit

Superman?

Oh, come on. Since when did Superman need shin pads?


Geggs

>>Who the hell wears shin pads under their suit?<<

Someone who expects/deserves to be kicked a lot?

As contemptible as he is, he's far from the worst person in the English footie: Suarez, El-Hadj Diouff and Joey Barton (who, imho, belongs in a zoo, not a football club). Says a lot about British footie, doesn't it?

Terry didn't play last night because of an ankle injury, not by anyone's choice. I'm pretty sure he would have played if he'd been fit.

Even with a fit ankle, it would take a while for him to swim the Atlantic, so my people won't have to put up with him. Besides, as I have explained, there is no shortage pf objectionable, narcissistic people in my area . For some unfathomable reason, *all* of them stare out at me from tabloids every time I'm in the checkout aisle at a supermarket . There's a certain family of women who are always on every cover of every tabloid and show-biz mag .

I wish I could agree with you Icy, I am no fan of Terry by any means, but ANY player could miss a penalty and most times he would tuck it away. And it is not really fair to associate a team improvement to his absence, the opposition change, game plans change, all sorts of elements change.

His generally combative and positive attitude to the game rubs off on the players around him. I really don't think he has managed to pull the wool over the eyes of manager after manager for all of these years.

But I STILL don't want him at my club.

PP.

is this an exclsuively football thread?

if not I have an contender Farage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22559526

do we have to have him back this side border?

shin pads anyone?

Luckily the SWP organisers arrived at the pub and managed to stop their pals shouting "English Racist Scum" and " off back to England you racist " before the cameras arrived