I regularly see comment (mostly vitriol) on various football boards directed at the "mercenaries/journeymen who "plague" our beautiful game. They constantly get hammered for not giving a sh*t about the club that they play for however I think this topic needs a little examination. For instance, just to be clear, what is a mercenary…? The original use of the word was in respect of a professional soldier hired for service in a foreign army and over the years, this has become broadened to cover other trades and also has been bastardised to mean anyone “motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain”. In football, since the abolition of the maximum wage (£20 per week) in 1961, any player is free to sign for a club of their choice HOWEVER the very concept of playing for a team which is not their home town club or the one that they supported since they were a nipper brands them as EXACTLY this i.e. a mercenary AS, THIS IS THEIR JOB OF WORK. On top of this, if they play for a number of clubs in their career, they are branded with the additional and intentionally derogatory tag "journeymen" – a double whammy. Now let’s relate this to the real world. What these guys are actually doing is seeking gainful employment, usually with employers who want their services in the first place and consider them worthy of the deal that they are offered. I just wonder what the average number of jobs those of us reading this board have had in say, 20 years of employment. Enough to be described as a journeyman perhaps….? I find it ridiculous that these insults are bandied about like confetti however the one player who fits the description to the “n”th degree in the form of Jon Stead has received nothing but praise and thanks for his good work in his time here (which I would add I agree with). In the meantime our very own Cole Skuse, a one club man up to now, becomes a mercenary and also receives (mostly) thanks from all for his service. To be clear, I EXPECT professional pride and a minimum standard of performance from anyone wearing the red shirt but commitment to Bristol City and kissing the badge as if we are their boyhood club is not an element I require. I just expect them to do their job to the best of their ability which is how it should be…..
I understand your points very well Prem and agree with most. And with eight jobs in forty-five years at work, I suppose I was a journeyman member of the flexible packaging industry. Mercenary only in the sense that I worked hard to earn my salary and was never criticised for lack of effort in all that time. However, it is pointless referring back to what words meant at some historical point a long time ago because the meaning of all words in any language is constantly changing. My Chambers published in 2008, already out of date ?, defines "Mercenary" as follows: Adjective: Hired for money. Motivated by the hope of reward. Too strongly influenced by the desire of gain. Noun: A person who is hired. A soldier hired into foreign service. Thus, while some posters will possibly not understand the subtle difference between adjectives and nouns in language construction, most who use the term in relation to professional footballers are probably intending that the adjective meaning is the one they are implying. Would you not agree, Prem, that at Bristol City over the last few years, there have been too many of our players / employees, call them what you will, who have fitted the adjective definition perfectly. They have performed without passion and visible commitment to the cause, while being paid the sort of annual salary that would take the average British worker at least ten years and probably nearer twenty five years to accrue. I consider that we are justified in referring to some of Bristol City's recent past and present players as "Mercenary Footballers". (The noun is preceded by the adjective)
If you really want to see footballing mercenaries the place to look is the premiership. Although I have to agree all too many players at the Gate and the Memorial in recent years have shown no interest in either club beyond the wage packet, but that is not unique to Bristol any number of clubs could say that about players on their clubs books, to me it is no coincidence that the clubs with the longest successful runs seem to have more players who have commitment to the club than don't.
PS I don't just mean successful as winning trophies clubs like Crewe do very well on low gates because they get players young who want to play for Crewe as they gave them their start and when they are sold on the money keeps the club solvent til the next batch of players are ready to spread their wings.
Just got to say that whilst outward appearances may have suggested this in the last season or so, I cannot imagine ANY footballer arriving at a new club without any ambition at all. Circumstances may dictate that those hopes are dashed for a myriad of reasons but I do not believe that a new signing turns up at a club without the hope that he can impress his new employers and become a fans favourite.....
Before he came to Ashton Gate I thought Jon Stead was a "journeyman pro" - however his work-rate/commitment/personality while he was with us would be a role model for any young professional
Was similar to my feelings about Stead was worried he'd be another 'I was in the premiership so bow down to me type', but as I have said before did I get that one wrong, his teamwork, passion and commitment to the cause was an example that others could and should have followed.
Dead right - if the others played like him we would have been ok - I think quite a few of the others were mentally weak - maybe relegation and a clear-out was what was needed
Again I cannot disagree with your comments. It's therefore pretty clear, that marale has been going downhill at City during the time since the Hull City Play-Off at an alarming rate. Using the simile of someone sinking into severe depression, I can only hope that the bottom has been reached at our Club and that there will be some initial signs of a return to normality, whatever that is, during the coming season. But I certainly don't expect us to pull up too many trees as getting out of the black hole, as I know from very personal experience, may take longer than we would wish for.
