Anthony Brown: Footballers will never be Saints

There's been no shortage of overblown controversy for the moral-high-ground merchants to get uppity about of late, with Wayne Rooney's use of the F-word down a TV camera coming hot on the heels of the Old Firm handbags at Parkhead last month.

I'm not here to bore you with any more analysis about either 'controversy', but there's one line which has been trotted out in the wake of both affairs which really gets under my skin. The one from the I've Never Made A Mistake In My Life Brigade claiming footballers have a responsibility to behave because they are 'role models'.Utter nonsense. Yes, in an ideal world, it would be nice if every footballer could behave in an exemplary manner both on and off the field. But the simple fact is that footballers - no matter how handsomely paid they may be - are just like any other human being in any walk of life in the respect that they have faults and weaknesses which can undermine them at times - with some more likely to make bad decisions than others. With this in mind, it is complete folly to urge youngsters to follow the examples set by footballers when we know some of them - not all, it must be stressed - are prone to indulging in acts of stupidity. The high-pressure environment in which they work merely heightens the prospect of misdemeanours.

I was listening to Will Carling, the former rugby player, on the radio last week and he raised an interesting point when he said no aspiring young sportsperson grows up dreaming of being a 'role model' - they dream simply of being great at their chosen sport. Last time I checked footballers weren't asked to take a Perfect Human Being test before signing a deal. As a kid, Wayne Rooney was a brilliant footballer in a working-class area of Liverpool who was thrust into the spotlight as a result of his unique talent. He didn't choose to be cast as a role model. When he was offered his first lucrative contract, he couldn't exactly turn around and say, 'Ah, there's a chance I might visit a knocking shop and I might use the odd swear word, so I'm not the best person to teach kids the difference between right and wrong. I'll just stick to playing amateur football thanks very much'.

History tells us that when we take group of young men from all different backgrounds, there will be some who won't behave in a perfect manner. Throwing stupid amounts of money at them won't suddenly iron out any flaws in their character.

Now I know our society is in a mess these days, but is it not more likely that footballers who make mistakes are a reflection of society rather than the other way round? While hearing Rooney swearing last weekend must have been an awkward moment for parents with young children, I can't imagine it's suddenly sparked an increase in foul-mouthed language among kids over the past week or so.

Likewise, when I was growing up in the late 80s and early 90s marvelling at the skills of Gazza or Maradona, I didn't then feel inclined to hit the drink or fire some cocaine up my noise so I could be like them. I also rated Big Dunc as a targetman, but it didn't make me want to go around headbutting people. As far as I know there's been no evidence of young Mario Balotelli fans citing allergy to grass as a reason for bailing out of PE.

Can we not have some faith in our youngsters to decipher what is right and wrong regardless of how a footballer behaves?

Stupidity in the line of fire

Brilliant story emerged last week about a Sunderland fan suing their club after being knocked out by a stray shot from former striker Djibril Cisse while watching training. This brought to mind a moment some 13 years ago when a perfectly-executed rasper from Jim Hamilton caught me square on the nose during the warm-up at Tannadice.

If I could have sued there and then I probably would, but I'll settle for the interviews Hammy's given me in recent years as compensation. You'd think former Hibs player Jimmy Boco would be in line for a decent payout if he had thought of taking legal action against Jorg Albertz and Stephane Adam after both players floored the poor African with a couple of piledrivers back in the 1997/98 season. Back to the original story and you have to say this unfortunate Mackem must have suffered long-term damage to their senses if they think they have a chance of winning this legal battle. Surely it's a no-brainer that wilfully standing in the line of fire is a risky business.

Hats off to . .

... Dejan Stankovic on that wonder goal in midweek. It seems like we see excellent strikes every week these days, but the Inter Milan man's perfectly-cushioned volley from the halfway line really was one of the most incredible goals I've ever seen. Imagine the delight if you were fortunate enough to experience executing a goal like that in front of 90,000 fans in the Champions League.

Not a fan of . .

... the ongoing Rangers takeover saga. I know it has to be reported and it is a significant event for the Ibrox club, but for anyone non-Teddy Bears it has to be considered one of the most boring affairs in a Scottish football season which has been jam-packed full of tedious news stories. Someone wake me up when Craig Whyte finally seals the deal so I can start enjoying watching the sports news and reading the back pages again. Actually, allow me an additional couple of weeks to hibernate after that so I miss the inevitable 'Coisty handed summer war chest' headlines if and when it's all tied up.