LOONY TOON
JEREMY CROSS TAKES AIM AT ALL THE BIG ISSUES
CONVENTIONAL wisdom suggests football and intelligence do not go hand in hand.
But there have been certain stars who’ve bucked the status quo — and one of those who springs to mind is Frank Lampard.
The England and Chelsea legend has 11 GCSEs, including an A in Latin, has written his own series of books and has an IQ that qualifies him for Mensa.
So it shouldn’t take long, then, for Lampard to work out the answer should Newcastle’s new Saudi Arabian owners decide to offer him the chance to become the next manager at St James’ Park.
According to reports, Lampard is the talk of the Toon and one of the top contenders to replace dead-man-walking Steve Bruce.
Quite why is beyond me, because Super Frank looked anything but after lasting just 18 months at Stamford Bridge before making way for someone who won the Champions League with the same team seven months later.
But nevertheless, this is the moment when Lampard’s brains should prove to be more than useful again.
You don’t have to be a combination of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking to fathom the damage taking the job would do to his reputation.
Trigger from Only Fools and Horses could work this one out.
In normal times, the chance to manage one of the most historic and passionate clubs in English football would be nigh on impossible to turn down.
Normal
But these are far from normal times, because the governors of the game have allowed a dark and dangerous fog to roll in on the Tyne in the shape of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Mohammed bin Salman leads a group of rulers who bring shame on the human race.
For years supporters have wanted rid of Mike Ashley, but sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for, because the Toon faithful now have a new dictator in charge who makes the sports tycoon look like a saint.
The crime sheet belonging to the Saudis on human rights abuse and murder is well documented. It’s long, abhorrent and impossible to comprehend.
What’s almost equally hard to grasp is why someone like Lampard, Brendan Rodgers, Steven Gerrard, or anyone else for that matter, would even consider jumping into bed with a club owner who rules an Arabian kingdom of homophobic fascists and murderers?
The same appl ies to those superstars the Saudis wil l throw their bil lions of blood money at in the coming seasons.
The Saudi takeover of Newcastle is the most despicable act of ‘ sports washing’ to date, but if these last 18 months have rammed home one truth, it’s that morality and football go together like oil and water.
Majority
And while we’re at it, why is it down to English football to come together and take on the Saudis?
While the majority of people who know right from wrong will continue not to like it, those same people will just have to lump it because the richest people in the world have infiltrated the richest league in the world.
The Premier League has now become their playground but shame on those who choose to join in.