Celebrity Supporters - the faux fan
- Details
- Created: Saturday, 14 February 2009 22:19
- Written by David Moftakhar
No longer are the terraces a hostile and violent place where women, minorities and the infirm aren’t welcome. For better or worse the game now strives towards a more wholesome image. One that is inclusive, marketable and appeals to a broad and diverse audience.
A bye-product of this is the trend for the rich and famous to occasionally crop up in the stands - and sometimes even on the pitch - in the hope that their newfound affiliation with a football team will endear them to the British public.
More often than not their show of 'support' reeks of the facile.
Michael Jackson – Exeter/Fulham
Clearly not averse to changing his colours, Wacko was first paraded at Craven Cottage at the behest of chairman Mohammad Al Fayed in 1999. In 2001 the King of Pop then turned up at Exeter City’s St James’s Park alongside his spoonbending buddy, Uri Geller, and gave a speech about children with AIDs.
What’s football without a good sing song? Absolutely nothing.
Brazil playing Italy at the Emirates on Tuesday was the best friendly for as long as memory serves. Media-bashing of these midweek matches has become commonplace but games like this bring balance to the argument.