Al-something beat Al-something else 4-3 in the big "Al Clasico" derby. I'm sure the locals loved it. We know that Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud wants to turn the whole Middle East into "The New Europe" with his Saudi Sovereign Investment Fund. This means buying Western sport and culture to whitewash his country's appalling human rights record. The reality is that it will look fuck all like Europe. In Europe, for example, it is perfectly fine to be gay. In Saudi Arabia, it can mean beheading or 500 lashes and along spell behind bars, depending on who you are, who you know, how rich you are and the whims of the Sharia judges.
Into this wonderful culture are walking dozens of European footballers, Jordan Henderson included. The so-called LGBT rights campaigner signed a big deal with one of the AL-somethings to the utter dismay of his erstwhile LGBT buddies. On his new club's social media announcement, the picture of Henderson that they used had been doctored so that his rainbow captain's armband was changed to black and white! On Saturday night before the England game. Jill Scott, ex-England footballer, pundit and notable lesbian said, "I'm a Jordan Henderson fan . . . but I would not be welcome to watch him". That says it all. He has faced a mountain of criticism for what looks very like rank hypocrisy.
Henderson himself said that it may actually be a good thing to have a LGBT campaigner in Saudi Arabia, though he added that he wouldn't do anything that disrespected the religion or culture in his new home country. So, what good will his presence actually do then? He added, "What I’m saying is people know what my values are and the people who know me know what my values are". Presumably if the Saudis don't like his values, he has others.
Henderson himself said that it may actually be a good thing to have a LGBT campaigner in Saudi Arabia, though he added that he wouldn't do anything that disrespected the religion or culture in his new home country. So, what good will his presence actually do then? He added, "What I’m saying is people know what my values are and the people who know me know what my values are". Presumably if the Saudis don't like his values, he has others.
This in a week when ex-Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos signed for boyhood club Sevilla. He was offered €14M a season to play in the Saudi Pro League, but went to Sevilla for €1M a season. Surely, if you have earned tens of millions in your career, it is much better to finish it at a club you love and to give something back. Easy for me to say, I know. Every man has his price, and all that, but I just can't imagine why anybody would want to live in that country or participate in the activities of its sovereign wealth fund.
Ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney, who recently signed for Forest Green Rovers, told journalists last week that he was holidaying in Dubai over the summer and bumped into some ex-Premier League players who were hanging around trying to get a contract from Middle Eastern agents. He said:
Ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney, who recently signed for Forest Green Rovers, told journalists last week that he was holidaying in Dubai over the summer and bumped into some ex-Premier League players who were hanging around trying to get a contract from Middle Eastern agents. He said:
People think we (footballers) are entitled. We are not entitled. I think we have just got so comfortable with the luxuries that are the Prem and now the Championship that it’s like ‘Oh, I am not going to League Two’. Well. Think about when you started. It was your dream. You would have done anything to say football was your job.
I suspect that the Saudi Pro League will go the way of its Chinese equivalent a few years ago, and Western footballers are faced with the reality of living in such fundamentally different countries. Until then, let's hope for more Troy Deeneys and fewer Jordan Hendersons.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
