Footballing role models

I am often appalled at the antics of that overpaid, cosseted and loose-moralled bunch of people who play professional football but this morning (as the Church celebrates sacrifice in the shape of Perpetua and Felicity) I am cheered by the actions of a couple of them.

For those who don't know, the Scottish football club, Rangers, is in serious financial trouble. The club are trying to cut the players wage bill and whilst some have accepted cuts, others have dug their heels in (or more accurately, their agents have dug their heels in). Two players, Gregg Wylde and Mervan Celik, have come to the fore and offered to take up voluntary-redundancy to help save the club from closure.

Wylde puts it like this:

"I volunteered to walk with no redundancy package today to help the other people in the club who have families, like the kitchen staff. I thought it was important to play my part in saving Rangers. I offered to walk away yesterday and the club told me today that they would accept that offer. At the moment I have nowhere to go and I don't have another club. I don't know what is going to happen next but I thought it was important to play my part in saving Rangers."

Two men who have put their colleagues and club first. Makes a nice change from race rows, drunkenness and adultery doesn't it?

Pax