Wow....I was convinced he'd go abroad...

http://www.ananova.com/sport/story/sm_343137.html

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Answers

Arsenal Player...

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I gather he was a bit chicken shit, he wanted free flights back to London every other weekened to play for Barça. I for one am quite chuffed he's signing for them. Campbell never once looked comfortable against us as a 6-0 and a 7-1 etc, testify.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I thought Arsenal were misery payers ?

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Love to see the reaction he gets in the next North London game :-)

I think he bottled the foreign challeng 'cos they'd spot him for being the one paced donkey he is. He's Dabizas with a deeper tan.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Will Vieira stay? and did he sign at the prospect of linking up with Jeffers. AND why don't we take Kanu off them? please

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Spurs fans reaction to this should be entertaining.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I'm really not sure whether Campbell is good or bad.

As a free transfer he really is a snip even if he demands say £3m a year for 5 years.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I think this proves my suspicion that he's a grade 1 dickhead. It's like a slap in the face for the fans and club that basically set him up.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I doubt Arsenal will break their pay structure for him....he's likely to get a MASSIVE signing on fee though...10mill+ would be my guess...

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

God yes, this is dead cheap.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Good news, as this means we can sign Helder. Arsenal have their centre half, now lets get ours!!! Am

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I don't think someone who's increased his income TEN FOLD can be classed as a dickhead.

If someone offered me that kind of money to support the maKems, I'd do it.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

We know you would Rik...that's why you try to buy all those domain names in the hope that you can force someone who wants them into parting with loads of cash....

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

It is like Alan Shearer going to play for the Makems and Figo goin g to play Real Madrid - shocking. I hope the world finally realises how over-rated he is.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

but who would be the dickhead?

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

It's always Ray Parlour

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Hallo all orf da Geordie fans, I been on invite to here from the Riks who I get a very good price domanating name from. Only £4,000 FOR THE 2 YEARS. iT IS GOOD YES.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

RiK

I would never ever ever play for the jordys.... If you wanted to pay me £100k per week then there would be someone out there who would pay £80k per week....

a bad point badly made IMHO.....

Campbell may not be a "dickhead" but he is a chump and shows that he is just another footballer who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.....

if i was a spurs fan i'd be absolutely furious.... he has really rubbed their noses in it and if he was truly grateful to spurs and they were his club he would never have done it...

the guy is a grade A tosser....

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Roly, If someone said to you. I'll pay you £200k per season to sit in St James' park with a black and white shirt and watch NUFC. would you honestly decline?

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

on the basis that my agent could get £210k per season to sit at smogmonster central.... yes....

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

How many of us, if offered vastly increased wages by our employers principle, and more succesful, rivals wouldn't jump at the chance?

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

I think that football raises passions more than most occupations. The financial security is tempting, but it's not as if he was on the breadline to start with, is it.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Personally I reckon the man is a disgrace to the game and the fans who have loved him and supported him at the club which gave him the fame he now has. Can you imagine Pedro, Shearer or Gazza leaving NUFC to join the Mackems on a Bosman free?

He had his choice of several clubs in Europe, I'm sure that cash-wise he won't have taken the best he could get and basically it appears that he simply can't be arsed (or spurred?) to leave his London home. Pathetic. If he is assassinated by an irate Spurs fan in the coming weeks I won't approve but I'll understand. The way he has kicked the teeth in of the fans who've paid his fabulous wages in the past few years is one of the most disgusting things I have seen in football in recent seasons.

-- Anonymous, July 03, 2001

Figo to Madrid was bad, though Figo had demonstrated before that he was a silly bugger, hence him being banned by the Italian FA.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

I'd heard that Figo had very little say in the matter....Real had met the asking price and Barca were willing to sell....

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

he got the mother of all receptions for it

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Batistuta also got an atrocious reception returning to Fiorentina in Roma colours - a game played on a Monday afternoon to avoid worse violence. This after he had shown exemplary loyalty to his former club, staying with them even when relegated. 'Loyalty' is a noble virtue, but fans only ever really demand it of players they admire. The average work-a-day pro earning his crust in the lower divisions knows he'll get little 'loyalty' if he can't cut the mustard or gets crocked. Their greedy colleagues in the top-flight demanding excessive salaries, and switching clubs to those able to meet them, may be an unedifying spectacle but I can hardly blame them. Time for a salary-cap maybe?

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Well, Campbell didnt choose Arsenal for the money. He went there because he thinks Arsenal can win things and because hes closer till Sven-Goran Eriksson when the WC coming up. Im sure he could have gotten better paid at Inter or Barca.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Heard a comment this morning that maybe Campbell was impressed by the loyalty Hoddly showed to Southampton and just decided to copy it

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

hypocrites then, soton?

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Haha now that's funny Mac :))

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

"If he is assassinated by an irate Spurs fan in the coming weeks I won't approve but I'll understand...."

Jonno, you disappoint me for not totally dissociating yourself from such obscene thinking.
I believe Campbell received numerous threats of violence against himself and his family for even considering signing for Arsenal - that can't possibly be right, and should not be casually condoned.

Do you really think many Toon stars wouldn't don the 'barbers pole' shirt if they were offered enough money? What about Clarky, and slightly differently, Hutchinson?

Howay man, this is a ferkin game. You or I might not dream of doing it, but these guys are no longer the romantic 'Roy of The Rovers' figures you still believe in - a good percentage of them are mercenary toe-rags who would don tits and high heels for a few grand!

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Clark and Hutchison are completely different... I would also argue that Moncur, Shackleton, (Jeff) Clarke, Venison, Bracewell, etc, are also different.... the latter names all said that it was a profession (read shackleton's book) and that loyalties play no part.... even in the Venison and Bracewell era the money in the game was no where near like it is today... Clark was/is a buffoon he should have:

1) kept his gob shut 2) failing 1) - never come to Sunderland 3) kept his gob shut 4) have stoped supporting you JORDYS in such a high profile way 5) kept his gob shut 6) never had worn that t-shirt 7) kept his gob shut

Clark is a buffoon..... simple as that.... when he joined us he was on the verge of an england breakthrough when he attended Le Tournoi in 1997 as a squad member under Hoddle... he could have gone anywhere (especially in Div 1 !!!) than Sunderland but he compromised everything he proclaimed that he stood for and then conveniently forgot what he stood for....

None of that applies to any of the other professionals I have mentioned..... Now so far as Campbell is concerned there are many many similarities to Clark (at a much greater level)....

watch out for the "Gooners are tw*ts" t-shirt incident in a year or twos time.....

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Clark was told he had no future at St James - he loves the North East and wanted to stay local. The fact that he was a star player for the makems despite being passionate about his true colours says a lot about his professionalism. However, if I was a makem (shudder) I would also be angry at the t-shirt incident...but given his family were getting abuse at the SoS for being Geordies tends to even it up.

Hutchison has always been a twat. His sister is supposed to be right dorty mind ;-)

Campbell was wanted by Spurs, but his own ambitions or ego or greed (delete as appropriate) resulted in signing for a team that any berk could see would lead to controversy. Players' decisions are not held in a vacuum.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

The story re Clark's family getting abuse at the SOL is bollox absolute bollox...... fostered by clark and his agent and has gained a life of its own....

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

roly, how can you say that so confidently? abuse doesn't have to come from 22,674 to hurt.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

funny thing about Cambo (as we are allowed to call him being here in sydney) is that he really could have improved his game by going to Barca or where ever, better shot at a WC spot with Sven's gang. But oh no he wants to go stay in London 'cos he'll have to eat all that foreign rubbish otherwise. Might have to speak a foreign language, and training methods will be wierd........watch out Mr Wenger and Mr Eriksson....eedjit

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

g'day Roger the lodger!(as you were always known...how is Robin these days?do you know?) fair point Campbell is a ninny.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

well the same argument can be put to you... how do you know his family did?????

1) how could his family be identified... 2) did they have name tags on??? 3) were they wearing black and white scarves??????? 4) was it the whole stadium abusing them or just those nearest who could see the name tags???? my son and i sit quite close to that area and we never saw any abuse at any of any of the palyers families... coz you dont know who they are individually... 5) if so given the intolerant nature of the stewards at the sol why werent these people ejected and their st's taken away from them???

you really have to think the accusation through before you make it...

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

They were the ones that weren't dragging their knuckles? :-)

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

ooh ooh ohh do the funky gibbon...

does this mean that Pre-Reid we should refer to it as the "BS" era for "Before Simian"??? and after as "AS" as in "after simian"...

when I was at SJP last year for FTM2 the antics at the end after Shhheeera missed the penalty were hilarious.... better than anything seen at London Zoo....

I've a strong feelig that FTM3 will occur soon....

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Swifty, Doin' alright pal, haven't heard/seen hide nore hair of Chedgy for donkeys.

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Last thing i knew he was hanging around herb patches.

I heard a great new name for Campbell " ARSE-SOL " cracking!

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2001

Clarky, I would not approve, indeed I would detest any such action. However, I said I would understand it happening and I understand that he has already received death threats and been hung in effigy. These are not things I would do myself or recommend or approve of. Indeed I wholeheartedly condemn such actions. However, I understand them, as ways of badly wronged people expressing their fury.

WHAT YOU DON'T SEEM ABLE TO GRASP CLARKY IS THAT SOME PEOPLE CAN'T CONTROL THEIR ANGER AS WELL AS THE LIKES OF YOU OR I. WANNA MAKE SOMETHING OF IT? OUTSIDE NOW!

:-)

Seriously, I think Sol has behaved with appalling insensitivity to those who have paid his inflated wages so far. It is bad enough, a player worth what? £20-25m walking away free on a Bosman, but to then go and join the arch enemy is too much. Comparisons to Lee Clark are not appropriate. We did get £2m compensation and very few of us were annoyed with Lee who had given his best for the Toon but was unable to get the first team experience he wanted with us. By going to an inferior ;-) club he had more chance to play and most of us wished him well.

You know, if Phillips was to join us in similar circs, I think I'd more likely feel sorry for the Mackems than want to gloat about it. I think a number of players should have a good deal more respect for the people who are their ultimate employers - the fans.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2001

Well down here the Saints fans are laughing their heads off at Spurs fans complaining of disloyalty. Look no further than Spurs' boss!

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2001

For goodness sake lets have a reality check. It is his JOB he owes Spurs nothing, Dyer owes us nothing. They are employed by the clubs. If the player wants to go anywhere at the end of his contract and can get the deal he wants good luck to him.

How many of you have accepted a new job or a promotion away from your mates because of better money or conditions?

Save the villification for the Anelkas and the van Hooidonks.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2001

Couldn't disagree more Gus.

It is his JOB he owes Spurs nothing,

I didn't say he owes Spurs anything. I feel he has a duty to the FANS who have idolised him. He has behaved with a crass insensitivity to those people. Those players who feel they owe fans nothing don't deserve to be in the game. They are employed by the clubs.

Only in the legal sense. Those who pay the wages are the fans.

Campbell had many options open to him. He chose the one that would most hurt the fans of his previous club. I sincerely hope he scores an own goal at White Hart Lane and the resulting delirium crushes his confidence for half a season.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2001

By Spurs I meant the fans.

I do not think any player owes anything other than playing their best each game and giving 100%.

Bollox (as someone said on another thread excuse my French) :o) do the fans pay his wages. Both clubs are PLCs are they not? Perhaps it is SKY who have paid for him or EUFA as they play in Europe.

I do not think he chose the Arse to give the Spurs fans the hump.

It is still the same as leaving BT for Orange. Do the former workmates at BT hang effigies etc.

It is his job, from what I have seen, he has conducted himself properly throughout the process. I hope he plays brilliantly in 36 games next season.

-- Anonymous, July 05, 2001