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Goal.com Worldview: It's Unfair That Wayne Bridge Should Quit England Because Of John Terry
Goal.com’s worldwide editors have their say on Wayne Bridge’s decision to quit England following John Terry’s affair with the mother of his child.
Feb 26, 2010 7:00:00 AM
Yesterday morning the soap opera starring Wayne Bridge and John Terry aired yet another explosive episode as the Manchester City left back announced that he will not be available for selection by England following the revelations concerning the Chelsea captain’s alleged affair with his former partner.
Bridge’s decision raises a number of questions. For one, is it fair that Bridge should be the player to miss out on the World Cup when he has done nothing wrong? Can there be any sympathy for Terry, who has been crucified by the press since the affair was revealed? How have the English FA behaved during the whole saga? And what effect could this all have on England’s World Cup chances?
These are just some of the issues that Goal.com’s world editors have their say on…
Francois Duchateau (Goal.com Germany)
Everyone makes mistakes, but one thing you cannot do is ignore the code of honor. You don't sleep secretly with the wife of a team mate - there is no discussion on this.
Of course it is unfair that Wayne Bridge has to step down, but this decision shows that he is hurting so he couldn’t carry on.
The FA did nothing wrong. It's a private issue. If the FA intervened, they would have had to make their position clear which could have divided the country.
All this will dramatically affect England’s chances in South Africa. The team spirit is disturbed massively, if it is still there. People will talk and talk about this, the press will write and write. Individuals don't win a World Cup nowadays, but they can make them lose one.
Peter Staunton (Goal.com International)
What people should not forget is that John Terry is a good defender and despite his mauling in the media, is still the best stopper in the England ranks. What he does in his own time is not the concern of anybody else, other than the people immediately affected.
As it stands, Wayne Bridge is one of those readily affected, which is unfortunate for him, but no great loss to England. Pragmatically, England can afford to lose Bridge but not Terry. They have Ashley Cole, who should be fit for the World Cup, plus Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock. Bridge has done everyone a favor by standing aside. He obviously feels that his personal situation renders him incapable of playing in the national team. So long as the England team members can put their personal views aside then it should not affect their chances of a decent tournament run.
The FA have been silent on the matter but there was little else they could do. Would Bill Gates himself come down stairs to fire a computer programmer at Microsoft for engaging in relations with an ex-colleague's ex-partner? A bit of perspective is necessary here.
Capello offered the token criticism with the removal of the armband, presumably to show that no-one is above the law of his dressing room. This should be the end of it. Terry remains, good for the England team; Bridge goes, no small loss. Everything else is for tabloids and celebrity magazines.
Martin Decaux (Goal.com Latin America)
John Terry might be terrible person, or at least a guy who made some terrible mistakes, not an example to follow for sure, but that doesn’t change my opinion on Terry as a footballer. There are thousands of terrible human beings in the world of football.
It is not fair that Bridge has to retire, but this is not a football matter, it’s his private life, and a personal decision. The FA has nothing to do with this. They did the right thing. The only ones who can take actions here are Fabio Capello and the rest of the England squad as a whole.
I don’t think it’s important for England if Terry has the support of the press and public, but it is extremely important for him to have the support of the dressing room, and I see that could be a problem. Capello will not want to let go of his best center back, but if the rest of the English squad do not feel comfortable with Terry, then you have a big problem that will massively affect England's chances in South Africa.
Sergio Chesi - Goal.com Italy
I believe that we have to separate football from private matters. Terry is a great defender and captain, both for Chelsea and England. And this is the most important thing, if we talk about football. His mistake in love affairs cannot become so significant, but I know: as we Italians are crazy about referee scandals, the English people love gossip. This pressure won't be good for Terry's performances.
It is Bridge's choice to retire, an admirable choice. We cannot discuss whether it is right or wrong, we only have to accept his desire. It's sad, yes. But if he doesn't have a good feeling, it's the only way. Likewise, the FA doesn't have responsibility about the private life of the footballers. They can only accept Bridge's choice.
This could be a problem for Fabio Capello, but I trust in his ability as a manager: he will take to the World Cup a well organized and psychologically healthy England.
Ewan Macdonald (Goal.com International)
It is very difficult for us to judge peoples' personal lives based solely on what the tabloid press has to say, but it is all but certain nonetheless that Terry has skeletons in his closet, otherwise he would not have been denied the England captaincy. He is human, and fallible, and entitled to make mistakes. However, the lack of contrition on his part grates with me.
Bridge did not "have to" retire. He chose to do so. It isn't fair in the sense that of the two he misses out, but at the same time they are not the first two teammates to have endured off-pitch drama and they won't be the last. Were his World Cup dream that strong he would have stayed, gritted his teeth, and did the best he could.
The FA were correct in allowing (or, more accurately, forcing) Fabio Capello to make his own decision regarding the squad and captaincy without interference. However, their complete and utter lack of public support for Bridge, a capped player, in the midst of his most difficult hour must color those currently in charge of the organization as supine cowards.
I doubt this will have a huge effect on England. Bridge, while in possession of several caps, was a bit-part player and arguably is behind Leighton Baines, to name just one, in the running to act as understudy to Ashley Cole. The Terry effect as a whole may be very different but the Bridge incident will be forgotten come June.
Alexandre Walraevens (Goal.com France)
John Terry has made some mistakes and he is paying the consequences. I admit that Terry must pay for what he has done but maybe not on the football scene. The English press is very reactive on this kind of story but when you are an international and professional English player, you cannot avoid it.
I understand the point of view of Wayne Bridge. It will be very difficult for him to play with Terry in the same team. He is wrong to declare himself unavailable for England. The person who should have done this is John Terry.
The FA had no other choice but to be quiet. This is private life and the FA cannot take decisions on such matters.
I doubt that this affair will really affect the national team. Ashley Cole should be back for the World Cup and Bridge is only a substitute. Now the presence of Terry could be difficult...for him. If Bridge has friends in the team it could be hard for him but he was the captain before this incident so I doubt that he will be alone in the team. The press will make some noise before the WC but once the competition starts, England will be behind their team.
Andrea Canales (Goal.com USA)
In the USA, it's come out that in 1998, a similar situation happened in that John Harkes, the captain of the American team, slept with the wife of star forward Eric Wynalda. Coach Steve Sampson tried to deal with the situation by dropping Harkes from the World Cup roster, partly because he'd also broken team rules by partying late and was resisting a position change. The affair was only the latest in a list of selfish action that put the team at risk. But dropping Harkes didn't help the USA team play better. It really seems that people like Terry and Harkes simply don't think about the consequences of their actions.
Wayne Bridge has made a choice that is his to make - perhaps sparing himself criticism from vehement England fans if his focus was less than 100 percent on the game. A World Cup should be enjoyed, and if Bridge knew he was going to be miserable the whole time, it's hard to imagine him playing well under those circumstances.
It's likely the FA had this idealized notion that the players could put everything aside and play well together. Don't laugh, because some people have suggested that was Sampson's mistake - he should have taken Harkes and Wynalda both to the World Cup.
Leighton Baines is actually a quite promising left back, especially since Bridge has lost a step. Cole will have a tough time coming back in time for the World Cup. Terry will no doubt have the support of anyone who values his contributions on the field far above anything he does off of it
Sulmaan Ahmad (Goal.com UK)
John Terry's conduct off the pitch has always been bordering on the deplorable. On it, he has had his moments of less than exemplary behavior, but no less so than Roy Keane for example, who was a great captain. Terry has lived and died by his performances for his entire career, but in a country and culture where footballers are the nation's heroes, a little more is expected of him.
Wayne Bridge quitting England and missing the World Cup is not strictly a matter of being fair or unfair because he didn't have to do anything. It is extremely unfortunate that he was put in this position by a supposed friend and team-mate. It is not fair what Terry did to Bridge, but Bridge's decision was his own, because he knew in a sporting environment, his importance to the team was nowhere near that of Terry's, and thus if it came down to one or the other, he would lose his place anyway. He is going out on his terms.
The FA's stance has been to allow Fabio Capello to make all team decisions. Capello stripped Terry of the captaincy because he clearly felt this was not a man who projected the right image to lead any team of which Capello would take charge. Capello neglected to drop Terry from the team altogether because of his standing as a center-back. If Rio Ferdinand was still in peak form and another player was knocking on the door to play alongside him, that would be a different story, but Terry remains England's strongest choice at the back despite his own form now being shaky.
The FA, as English football's governing body, could nevertheless have made a greater effort to recognize the severity of Terry's misconduct. While not illegal, his actions went against one of sport's core values and also compromised the international career of his team-mate. It would have been hard to act the 'right' way regarding an issue as contentious as this, but silence on Terry and apathy towards Bridge seems overly passive.
Bridge doesn't change anything. As a footballer, he is slightly more experienced but no better than many of Ashley Cole's other deputies. The chances of it affecting team morale are slim to none -- by the time we actually reach June, the players will realize that it's a matter of coming together to do the best they can to win the World Cup. Even Bridge's Manchester City team-mates, Gareth Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips, were not among those sporting 'Team Bridge' t-shirts after the scandal initially emerged. Clearly, their country comes before their club team-mate.
Carlo Garganese (Goal.com International)
It’s no secret that John Terry isn’t the pleasantest person in the world but without wishing to crucify him, he deserved to finally be named and shamed. His list of misdemeanors, apparent lack of remorse, and the way he felt he could do what he wanted and never be touched, speaks volumes of Terry the person.
It is just sad that so many others have had to suffer due to his actions. On a sporting level, if England struggle at this summer’s World Cup it will be Terry’s fault. While the UK press are notorious for over-hyping their team, this summer really could have been their best chance of going far since 1966 – the reason being that this is the worst international era for maybe half-a-century.
What Terry has done is, potentially, severely compromise England’s chances through his own selfishness. Putting aside the fact that it is totally unfair that Wayne Bridge should miss out on the World Cup having done nothing wrong, there are serious question marks over how the group will react to Terry.
He may not be captain anymore, but if his team-mates no longer respect him then the group spirit will be damaged. Worst of all is that if anyone believes this subject will go away, they are very wrong. There is no doubt that certain sections of the press have plenty more alleged dirt on Terry that they will continue to dish out over the next few months. None of this is ideal preparation for a World Cup, and furthermore how will the public react?
With Rio Ferdinand always injured, Ashley Cole a doubt for the World Cup, and the goalkeeping position unsolvable, Terry’s presence in a weakening defense is vital. Fabio Capello will have to draw upon all his experience to sort this situation out.
What are your views on this topic? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
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Bridge’s decision raises a number of questions. For one, is it fair that Bridge should be the player to miss out on the World Cup when he has done nothing wrong? Can there be any sympathy for Terry, who has been crucified by the press since the affair was revealed? How have the English FA behaved during the whole saga? And what effect could this all have on England’s World Cup chances?
These are just some of the issues that Goal.com’s world editors have their say on…
Francois Duchateau (Goal.com Germany)
Everyone makes mistakes, but one thing you cannot do is ignore the code of honor. You don't sleep secretly with the wife of a team mate - there is no discussion on this.
Of course it is unfair that Wayne Bridge has to step down, but this decision shows that he is hurting so he couldn’t carry on.
The FA did nothing wrong. It's a private issue. If the FA intervened, they would have had to make their position clear which could have divided the country.
All this will dramatically affect England’s chances in South Africa. The team spirit is disturbed massively, if it is still there. People will talk and talk about this, the press will write and write. Individuals don't win a World Cup nowadays, but they can make them lose one.
Peter Staunton (Goal.com International)
What people should not forget is that John Terry is a good defender and despite his mauling in the media, is still the best stopper in the England ranks. What he does in his own time is not the concern of anybody else, other than the people immediately affected.
As it stands, Wayne Bridge is one of those readily affected, which is unfortunate for him, but no great loss to England. Pragmatically, England can afford to lose Bridge but not Terry. They have Ashley Cole, who should be fit for the World Cup, plus Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock. Bridge has done everyone a favor by standing aside. He obviously feels that his personal situation renders him incapable of playing in the national team. So long as the England team members can put their personal views aside then it should not affect their chances of a decent tournament run.
The FA have been silent on the matter but there was little else they could do. Would Bill Gates himself come down stairs to fire a computer programmer at Microsoft for engaging in relations with an ex-colleague's ex-partner? A bit of perspective is necessary here.
Capello offered the token criticism with the removal of the armband, presumably to show that no-one is above the law of his dressing room. This should be the end of it. Terry remains, good for the England team; Bridge goes, no small loss. Everything else is for tabloids and celebrity magazines.
Martin Decaux (Goal.com Latin America)
John Terry might be terrible person, or at least a guy who made some terrible mistakes, not an example to follow for sure, but that doesn’t change my opinion on Terry as a footballer. There are thousands of terrible human beings in the world of football.
It is not fair that Bridge has to retire, but this is not a football matter, it’s his private life, and a personal decision. The FA has nothing to do with this. They did the right thing. The only ones who can take actions here are Fabio Capello and the rest of the England squad as a whole.
I don’t think it’s important for England if Terry has the support of the press and public, but it is extremely important for him to have the support of the dressing room, and I see that could be a problem. Capello will not want to let go of his best center back, but if the rest of the English squad do not feel comfortable with Terry, then you have a big problem that will massively affect England's chances in South Africa.
Sergio Chesi - Goal.com Italy
I believe that we have to separate football from private matters. Terry is a great defender and captain, both for Chelsea and England. And this is the most important thing, if we talk about football. His mistake in love affairs cannot become so significant, but I know: as we Italians are crazy about referee scandals, the English people love gossip. This pressure won't be good for Terry's performances.
It is Bridge's choice to retire, an admirable choice. We cannot discuss whether it is right or wrong, we only have to accept his desire. It's sad, yes. But if he doesn't have a good feeling, it's the only way. Likewise, the FA doesn't have responsibility about the private life of the footballers. They can only accept Bridge's choice.
This could be a problem for Fabio Capello, but I trust in his ability as a manager: he will take to the World Cup a well organized and psychologically healthy England.
Ewan Macdonald (Goal.com International)
It is very difficult for us to judge peoples' personal lives based solely on what the tabloid press has to say, but it is all but certain nonetheless that Terry has skeletons in his closet, otherwise he would not have been denied the England captaincy. He is human, and fallible, and entitled to make mistakes. However, the lack of contrition on his part grates with me.
Bridge did not "have to" retire. He chose to do so. It isn't fair in the sense that of the two he misses out, but at the same time they are not the first two teammates to have endured off-pitch drama and they won't be the last. Were his World Cup dream that strong he would have stayed, gritted his teeth, and did the best he could.
The FA were correct in allowing (or, more accurately, forcing) Fabio Capello to make his own decision regarding the squad and captaincy without interference. However, their complete and utter lack of public support for Bridge, a capped player, in the midst of his most difficult hour must color those currently in charge of the organization as supine cowards.
I doubt this will have a huge effect on England. Bridge, while in possession of several caps, was a bit-part player and arguably is behind Leighton Baines, to name just one, in the running to act as understudy to Ashley Cole. The Terry effect as a whole may be very different but the Bridge incident will be forgotten come June.
Alexandre Walraevens (Goal.com France)
John Terry has made some mistakes and he is paying the consequences. I admit that Terry must pay for what he has done but maybe not on the football scene. The English press is very reactive on this kind of story but when you are an international and professional English player, you cannot avoid it.
I understand the point of view of Wayne Bridge. It will be very difficult for him to play with Terry in the same team. He is wrong to declare himself unavailable for England. The person who should have done this is John Terry.
The FA had no other choice but to be quiet. This is private life and the FA cannot take decisions on such matters.
I doubt that this affair will really affect the national team. Ashley Cole should be back for the World Cup and Bridge is only a substitute. Now the presence of Terry could be difficult...for him. If Bridge has friends in the team it could be hard for him but he was the captain before this incident so I doubt that he will be alone in the team. The press will make some noise before the WC but once the competition starts, England will be behind their team.
Andrea Canales (Goal.com USA)
In the USA, it's come out that in 1998, a similar situation happened in that John Harkes, the captain of the American team, slept with the wife of star forward Eric Wynalda. Coach Steve Sampson tried to deal with the situation by dropping Harkes from the World Cup roster, partly because he'd also broken team rules by partying late and was resisting a position change. The affair was only the latest in a list of selfish action that put the team at risk. But dropping Harkes didn't help the USA team play better. It really seems that people like Terry and Harkes simply don't think about the consequences of their actions.
Wayne Bridge has made a choice that is his to make - perhaps sparing himself criticism from vehement England fans if his focus was less than 100 percent on the game. A World Cup should be enjoyed, and if Bridge knew he was going to be miserable the whole time, it's hard to imagine him playing well under those circumstances.
It's likely the FA had this idealized notion that the players could put everything aside and play well together. Don't laugh, because some people have suggested that was Sampson's mistake - he should have taken Harkes and Wynalda both to the World Cup.
Leighton Baines is actually a quite promising left back, especially since Bridge has lost a step. Cole will have a tough time coming back in time for the World Cup. Terry will no doubt have the support of anyone who values his contributions on the field far above anything he does off of it
Sulmaan Ahmad (Goal.com UK)
John Terry's conduct off the pitch has always been bordering on the deplorable. On it, he has had his moments of less than exemplary behavior, but no less so than Roy Keane for example, who was a great captain. Terry has lived and died by his performances for his entire career, but in a country and culture where footballers are the nation's heroes, a little more is expected of him.
Wayne Bridge quitting England and missing the World Cup is not strictly a matter of being fair or unfair because he didn't have to do anything. It is extremely unfortunate that he was put in this position by a supposed friend and team-mate. It is not fair what Terry did to Bridge, but Bridge's decision was his own, because he knew in a sporting environment, his importance to the team was nowhere near that of Terry's, and thus if it came down to one or the other, he would lose his place anyway. He is going out on his terms.
The FA's stance has been to allow Fabio Capello to make all team decisions. Capello stripped Terry of the captaincy because he clearly felt this was not a man who projected the right image to lead any team of which Capello would take charge. Capello neglected to drop Terry from the team altogether because of his standing as a center-back. If Rio Ferdinand was still in peak form and another player was knocking on the door to play alongside him, that would be a different story, but Terry remains England's strongest choice at the back despite his own form now being shaky.
The FA, as English football's governing body, could nevertheless have made a greater effort to recognize the severity of Terry's misconduct. While not illegal, his actions went against one of sport's core values and also compromised the international career of his team-mate. It would have been hard to act the 'right' way regarding an issue as contentious as this, but silence on Terry and apathy towards Bridge seems overly passive.
Bridge doesn't change anything. As a footballer, he is slightly more experienced but no better than many of Ashley Cole's other deputies. The chances of it affecting team morale are slim to none -- by the time we actually reach June, the players will realize that it's a matter of coming together to do the best they can to win the World Cup. Even Bridge's Manchester City team-mates, Gareth Barry and Shaun Wright-Phillips, were not among those sporting 'Team Bridge' t-shirts after the scandal initially emerged. Clearly, their country comes before their club team-mate.
Carlo Garganese (Goal.com International)
It’s no secret that John Terry isn’t the pleasantest person in the world but without wishing to crucify him, he deserved to finally be named and shamed. His list of misdemeanors, apparent lack of remorse, and the way he felt he could do what he wanted and never be touched, speaks volumes of Terry the person.
It is just sad that so many others have had to suffer due to his actions. On a sporting level, if England struggle at this summer’s World Cup it will be Terry’s fault. While the UK press are notorious for over-hyping their team, this summer really could have been their best chance of going far since 1966 – the reason being that this is the worst international era for maybe half-a-century.
What Terry has done is, potentially, severely compromise England’s chances through his own selfishness. Putting aside the fact that it is totally unfair that Wayne Bridge should miss out on the World Cup having done nothing wrong, there are serious question marks over how the group will react to Terry.
He may not be captain anymore, but if his team-mates no longer respect him then the group spirit will be damaged. Worst of all is that if anyone believes this subject will go away, they are very wrong. There is no doubt that certain sections of the press have plenty more alleged dirt on Terry that they will continue to dish out over the next few months. None of this is ideal preparation for a World Cup, and furthermore how will the public react?
With Rio Ferdinand always injured, Ashley Cole a doubt for the World Cup, and the goalkeeping position unsolvable, Terry’s presence in a weakening defense is vital. Fabio Capello will have to draw upon all his experience to sort this situation out.
What are your views on this topic? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
For the latest news and updates from Goal.com, follow our Twitter account!
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