ROBIN VAN PERSIE looks set to walk out on Arsenal… to cross the street to Premier League rivals Manchester United this afternoon.
He won’t be the first to provoke fans’ ire after a controversial move; here’s some more.
Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press/Press Association Images
Famously, the subject of ‘The Trade’, the greatest ice hockey player discovered he was to be sold by the Edmonton Oilers hours after winning the Stanley Cup in 1988. Canada came to a standstill in protest as Gretzky headed for the bright lights of Los Angeles.
PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Denis Law: The Scotsman – a United legend – scored a typically-cheeky back-heeled goal for City against United on the day the Old Trafford club were relegated from the old First Division in 1974. Law remains one of the most famous players in derby history.
Paul Sancya/AP/Press Association Images
Johnny Damon: One of the beloved rag-tag bunch who brought the Boston Red Sox faithful a famine-ending World Series win in 2004, Damon bunked on to arch-rivals the Yankees the following year. He took out a full page ad in the Boston Globe bidding farewell to the Fenway crowd but they were ready to ‘welcome’ him back soon after.
PA/PA Archive/Press Association Images
Mo Johnston: It’s hard to overplay the effect the arrival of former Celtic striker Johnston at Ibrox had in 1989. The image of Rangers scarves burning outside Ibrox and, the insistence of supporters that they would hand back season tickets because Johnston was a Roman Catholic is a vivid one. He didn’t enjoy a free ride from Celtic supporters either of course. Brave boy.
INPHO/Billy Stickland
Larry Tompkins: A Cork legend having led the Rebels to two All-Ireland wins in ’89 and ’90, the Castlehaven clubman was famously born and reared in Kildare.
Adam Davy/EMPICS Sport
Luis Figo: The Portuguese winger was adored by the socios when he lined out for Barcelona. Amazingly, he was sold to Real Madrid and Figo had to endure torrid nights on returning to the Camp Nou.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
LeBron James: ‘I’m LeBron, baby’ was one of Barack Obama’s catchphrases in the high-pressure presidential campiagn in 2008 while the young Cleveland Cavaliers man summed up coolness, skill and integrity. Then… after the last NBA season the player hosted a one-hour ESPN special ‘The Decision’ in which he informed his hometown side and the rest of the world that he was off to Miami. He won his first championship ring last season.
Fair play
A very decent gesture. Well done.
Great stuff Matt
Thats an outstanding gesture, practical, straight to the players and coaches at the coal face and no way that administrators can waste it (he says hopefully)
@Rochey77: yeah imagine the money went to Delaney instead, he’d have spent it on a ice sculpture of himself
Well done.
On a related note Robbie Keane needs to take note, as a multi millionaire he should step down from his FAI role and stop waiting around for a payout from our bankrupt soccer association which will ultimately mean funds go into his large bank account instead of grass roots football
@stoned.walled: totally agree – can you make any sense of giving him a 5 year assistant manager role when McCarthy was only on a 2.5 year contract ? Keane is holding out for the big payout and from reading media reports he seems to feel he is entitled to it as a “Irish footballing legend “……. he looks to join a list who have taken millions from FAI in termination settlements (MO’N – €4m apparently – Roy Keane €1M apparently. ) Now when FAI ask the Irish government for bailouts this becomes all of our business ….
@Fred Frederickson: Robbie Keane signed the deal he negotiated with the FAI and should be paid up. Robbie is a legend and has given everything in the green Jersey. Have some respect for the man. A deal is a deal. Just because the FAI are bad negotiatiors and incompetent
@padar: he is no longer a legend in my eyes.
Question who needs the money / will benefit more, Robbie Keane to piss away (as it’s buttons to him) or grass roots soccer (ie kids playing)
FairPlay, I’m aware of that course and the work they do with disadvantaged communities. Great gesture by Matt Doherty.
RoyKeane is all piss and wind should have had his Irish Passport taken away after the Saipan incident. I remember the Evening Herald running a front page fundraiser for Robbie Keane father to go and see him play in the U.18 Euro finals, Robbie has pocketed over €10M as his cut from transfers alone, so come on Robbie let’s see what your made of.
Soccer just reflects society – some give to their communities & some have a sense of entitlement & don’t give anything back. The latter usually give out about everything & everybody also
24 laptops, 24 GPS systems and a motion camera for 15k? Can you find out where he shops? Fair play to him.
Good man!