10 footballers behaving badly in history
Football is not only a sport of skill and tactics but also a place to demonstrate sportsmanship, solidarity and mutual respect. However, besides talented and ethical players, there are also many who disappoint fans with their unprofessional behavior. Bad actions on the field, provocative actions, or even violations of regulations, all create a bad image in the eyes of the public. In the article below, Premiumsoccertips.net will review the Top 10 footballers behaving badly – those who have left a bad impression in their careers.
Top 10 footballers behaving badly
1. Frank Worthington (1972)
The 70s were a footballing era like the 60s, a time characterised by chaos and lack of control, but even in that era, Frank Worthington stood out as a special talent. One of his most memorable moments was his near-miss to join Liverpool in 1972, which has become something of an urban legend in the sport. Despite almost completing the move, the deal eventually fell through when he failed a medical.
It was rumoured that Worthington had taken a dose of ecstasy, but in reality, the reason he failed was high blood pressure, a problem that was blamed on his excessive sex life. Bill Shankly, Liverpool’s manager at the time, told him to rest and return for a second medical. However, Worthington went to Majorca, continued his lifestyle and failed his medical again.
2. Peter Shilton (1980)
Shilton was arrested for drink driving after an incident at 5am on a deserted country road. He was in his car with a woman named Tina. Tina’s husband, Colin, arrived at the scene and said that they were both partially dressed, which added to the tension. While things were still going on, Shilton drove away in a hurry to avoid further detection. However, in a panic, he crashed into a lamppost, causing a collision.
After the incident, Shilton admitted that he had “taken a woman out for a meal” at the time. As a result, he was fined £350 and banned from driving for 15 months, a severe punishment for his thoughtless actions. However, the incident did not stop there. After the incident, Shilton faced a lot of criticism from the public, especially the chants from the crowd, constantly calling his name and asking “Shilton, Shilton, where is your wife?”. This created a strong wave of criticism towards him, causing him to suffer shame and embarrassment for a long time after the scandal.
3. Peter Beagrie (1991)
During Everton’s 1991 pre-season tour of Spain, Beagrie had a troublesome adventure after a match against Real Sociedad. After the match, he decided to go out for a night out and when he returned early in the morning, he flagged down a Spanish motorbike driver to ask for a ride back to his hotel. However, upon arriving, Beagrie was unable to wake the night watchman to enter the room, leaving him in a difficult situation.
In a panic and at a loss for what to do, Beagrie took the Spanish motorcyclist’s bicycle, who was now confused, and started riding it up the hotel’s steps. In a drunken and reckless manner, he crashed the bicycle straight through a glass window of the hotel. However, it is worth mentioning that Beagrie damaged the window not of the hotel but of another nearby building, creating a tragic and hilarious situation.
As a result of this action, Beagrie suffered the pain of having to get 50 stitches after being injured. This incident became a famous story in the football world, showing the recklessness and lack of thinking of a famous player.
4. Don Hutchison (1996)
On holiday in Ayia Napa in 1994, Hutchison was caught in a drunken act. He hid his wedding suit behind a Budweiser label, and pictures taken by a passerby quickly appeared in the tabloids. The incident prompted his Liverpool manager, Roy Evans, to say: “If Hutchison shows off his **** again, it’s not right.” Despite Hutchison’s impressive form on the pitch, his off-field actions caused a major scandal.
A year earlier, he had attracted attention when he spotted female students filming a graduation ceremony in a pub. He pulled down his trousers and declared, “Zoom in here!” After the incident in Ayia Napa, Hutchison paid a heavy price, being fined £5,000, dropped from the squad, and placed on the transfer list. He was eventually transferred to West Ham, where he was nicknamed ‘Budweiser’ by his teammates and fans, a reference to this unfortunate incident.
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5. George Best (1970)
In terms of attracting women, George Best even surpassed Frank Worthington. One of the most infamous moments of his career came in 1970, when he was caught having sex with a woman at the team hotel on the afternoon before an FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and Leeds. Best had flirted with the woman on the stairs of the hotel, and the incident was discovered by manager Wilf McGuinness. McGuinness wanted to send him home for his inappropriate behaviour, but it was only the intervention of Sir Matt Busby that allowed Best to play in the match.
Although he was allowed to play, Best suffered a psychological shock. McGuinness recalled: “He had a real nightmare.” In the match, Manchester United drew 0-0, and Best had a chance to win the game for his team, but fell on the ball just in front of the goal, letting the chance slip away. This incident not only affected Best’s performance but also left a strong mark in the memories of those who witnessed it.
6. Alan Shearer (1997)
In 1997, Newcastle players had a holiday in Dublin, where a series of interesting pranks took place, with humorous situations but also tension. One memorable moment was when Phillipe Albert wore a traffic cone on his head, while Gillespie was mischievous by throwing bottle caps at Shearer. At one point, Albert had to intervene, telling Gillespie: “Do that again and I’ll give you a good beating,” as David Batty revealed in his autobiography.
However, the incident did not stop there. Then, as the group headed outside, Batty suddenly saw a pair of legs in the air. He ran outside and saw Gillespie run into a gutter. There was blood everywhere, making the situation worse. It was rumored that Keith swung at Gillespie as they walked towards the back of the pub, and Albert turned around and hit Keith, setting off a dramatic brawl between the two players.
7. Dwight Yorke
Dwight Yorke’s nightlife activities in Manchester have earned him the displeasure of manager Alex Ferguson on more than one occasion. However, the most infamous moment of his life came when a video was leaked of him, then Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, and four girls having drunken sex at Yorke’s luxury home in Sutton Coldfield. The video showed Yorke and Bosnich giving the thumbs up to a hidden camera and dressed in women’s clothing, creating an unsightly image that caused a stir.
Although Yorke later threw the video away with his rubbish, unfortunately a reader of The Sun found it and took it out. The pictures from the video were then widely shared, shocking the nation and creating a media storm that Yorke could not control. The incident damaged his public image and strained his relationship with manager Ferguson.
8. Jody Morris (2001)
Just when it seemed that footballers were starting to learn their manners, Chelsea produced a youngster from a different era. The 22-year-old had done enough bad things in just two months to warrant a place on this list. Along with team-mates Frank Lampard, John Terry and Eidur Gudjohnsen, Morris made headlines after the World Trade Centre attacks, when they got drunk in front of grieving Americans at a Heathrow hotel. This thoughtless act was just one of many incidents in which he was involved.
And just a month later, Morris was involved in a brawl in a nightclub. He continued his poor form, spending the night in jail after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly during a drinking spree at Wimbledon the previous year. In addition, Morris and his friends were reported by the police for fighting in a pub and lying in the street with their shirts off, creating an unacceptable public image.
9. Ally McCoist (2001)
It may come as a surprise to see a second entrant on this list this year, but his recent record of bad behaviour cannot be ignored. Like Jody Morris, McCoist has made headlines for his unacceptable behaviour. After ending his relationship with Patsy Kensit—a relationship that made headlines—he went on to reveal that he had not one, but two mistresses.
The second person in the story was Donna Gilbin, a 28-year-old air hostess who did not know Patsy, and Patsy certainly did not know her. Donna, when interviewed by People, said: “He was a great lover and he melted my heart. But now I know he was a liar and a hypocrite. My world fell apart when this bombshell went off.” The incident caused a huge public outcry, with McCoist being criticised for his deceitful and unethical behaviour.
10. Tommy Tynan (1991)
As the Torquay team tried to bond ahead of the 1991 play-offs, a drinking game was organised to create a light-hearted atmosphere. However, the situation became tense when an argument broke out between captain Wes Saunders and player-coach Russell Musker. When Tynan tried to break up the fight, Saunders punched Tynan, injuring his eye. After the incident, the players went back to their rooms to rest, but the story did not end there.
At 2am, Tynan could not contain his anger and went to Saunders’ room to get revenge. According to chairman Mike Bateson, Tynan picked up the closest thing to hand, a kettle, and used it to hit Wes Saunders. This action not only caused the atmosphere in the team to become more tense, but also marked a strange and somewhat violent event in Torquay’s history.
In Summary
In short, in the world of football, although talent can take a player to the top, attitude and behavior will determine whether they truly become an admired icon. The players in the list of footballers behaving badly above may possess outstanding skills, but their unsportsmanlike actions have disappointed many people. Hopefully, in the future, these examples will become lessons in maintaining qualities and ethics in every match, so that football will always be a sport of beauty and fairness.
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