HARRY REDKNAPP, who recently accepted the role of director of football with Portsmouth, has launched a stinging attack on the foreign contingent in the British game. Redknapp, who signed a number of continental stars, including Paolo di Canio, during his spell as manager of West Ham, has claimed that the legion of foreign stars now plying their trade in The Premiership have ruined team spirit that previously existed.

Despite foreign players lifting English football to rival the leagues of Spain and Italy as the most respected in Europe, Redknapp states they are not interested in taking part in team bonding exercises.

Speaking on a Channel Four documentary, Confessions of a Football Manager, that will be screened in July, Redknapp stated that Sunderland boss Peter Reid is also a major advocate of team bonding exercises.

When asked about the foreign stars in England, Redknapp said: "They don't even drink, most of them, so the sort of team spirit you could get a few years ago has sort of disappeared.

"You do need that team spirit. In the old days you'd have a golf day, or a day at the races, and we'd all go out and have a crack.

"But with the foreign players it's more and more difficult. Most of them don't even bother with the golf, they don't want to go racing."

He praised the methods of Reid, adding: "Reidy was telling me about how he still nurtures team spirit.

"They played at Chelsea, first game of the [1999-2000] season, and got beat, I think it was 4-0.

"On the way back, he stopped the coach at a country pub and said: 'If anyone can walk out of here, you're not playing next Saturday'.

"They all had a drink, they got legless, they told stories, they had a great night. Then they got back on the coach and sang all the way to Sunderland.

"The next week they came out and won, and they had a fantastic season. Team spirit. They did that together and it was his [Reid's] way of doing things."

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley was also interviewed for the programme, and he slammed the greed of players` agents.

"Some agents, and the demands for themselves, are wrong and totally out of context for what they do. But clubs allow them to get away with it," Curbishley stated.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Answers

Maybe it's cause I'm coming from a foreign perspective, but can't say I agree with athletes having to get legless to build team spirit. I'm actually a bit shocked that any coach would encourage athletes to drink that much. Why is it that foreign athletes are considered so much better? Maybe partly because they take care of their bodies and don't destroy them with excessive drinking and bad diet?

There's got to be plenty of other activities. Golf may not be everyone's cup of tea, but why not mix it up with hikes, outward bound type programs, paintball games, etc

Leave the excessive drinking to the supporters. *hic* %-)

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

...... or the occasional chess competition. ;-{)

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001