John Helm: ‘Terrygate’ is over the top

Feb 3 2010 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THEY HAVE still, miraculously, been finding people alive amid the rubble of Haiti, half a million people are apparently sent home from hospital prematurely each year, and our soldiers are being killed every day in Afghanistan.

So what was the major story in England last weekend? John Terry slept with his pal’s former girlfriend – closely followed by Jordan getting married again.

For goodness sake what is this country coming to?

John Terry could have bedded the entire England ladies team, or even Tiger Woods for all I care, I just think we need to better prioritise what is really important in the world.

For all the pontificating as to whether or not the Chelsea stallion should be stripped of the England captaincy, I’ll guarantee he will be going to the World Cup Finals – and Wayne Bridge probably won’t – and unlike cricket where captains do actually have to make decisions, it won’t matter a jot who wears the captain’s armband.

Tossing a coin, and at odds of 10-1of lifting the World Cup trophy, will be all England’s skipper has to do in South Africa.

And for all the moralising and self-righteous indignation Terry’s extra-marital activities have provoked, it will all be forgotten if we do claim the crown.

Our lothario defender will probably be knighted and if Chelsea win the Premier League and Champions League into the bargain, he will have a statue erected in his honour at Wembley as well as Stamford Bridge.

Maybe he will do the decent thing and resign the captaincy, but does he pass it over to the more saintly Frank Lampard, who is currently between relationships, Steven Gerrard who narrowly escaped going to jail for assault last year, Wayne Rooney who professes to have given up prostitutes, or Ashley Cole who was banned from driving last week.

Perhaps we should dispense with the idea of needing a captain on the field, and let Fabio Capello toss the coin.

The Italian is squeaky clean (so far as we know) unlike predecessor Sven Goran Eriksson, who would no doubt admire Terry’s nocturnal activities.

Footballing decisions should be just that. If Terry performs on the field as well as he obviously does off it, his place in the England team should not be affected – and the front pages of national newspapers should concentrate on real issues.