Not Named, But Shamed

‘EVEN Matthew Wright would be hard pressed to blurt out by accident the names of the eight footballers at the centre of the gang rape allegations.

Scene of the alleged crime

But it is surely only a matter of time until the country’s worst kept secret since the naming of John Leslie is out in the open.

Until then, we are being drip fed little nuggets of information by a Press that is mindful that footballers can afford very expensive lawyers.

For instance, the Sun this morning leads with the ‘news’ that the footballer at the centre of the investigation plays for Chelsea.

‘He was the one a 17-year-old says she agreed to have sex with – before seven stars from another Premiership club entered the hotel room,’ it says.

For most people, that is as shocking as the revelation that the sky is blue or that Vanessa Feltz is in fact part-whale.

But still this absurd charade continues, at least until tomorrow when fans will no doubt do what the papers cannot and chant the names of the players involved.

The Star says that songs have already been prepared and are being passed around in football chatrooms, although some identify the wrong players.

And that is causing a headache for TV bosses who are apparently considering special measures, such as time delays, to ensure the audience at home do not hear the chants.

As for the club for which seven of the eight players play, it is not known whether the accused will be picked or not.

What is known is that the whole incident has caused a massive rift in the club with one senior player, described by the Star as ‘one of the biggest names in the England game’, having to be restrained from physically attacking one of the players concerned.

And there were even fears for the manager’s health after he learned about the allegations.

‘He just sat there with his head bowed, shaking his head repeatedly,’ a source tells the Star. ‘He was almost in tears.”

Posted: 3rd, October 2003 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink