Should players be required to sign autographs and stand for photo's?

I don't know what "run of the mill job" you have, but I've never found myself being descended upon by members of the public whilst I'm out trying to have a meal with my family or whilst walking around the shops

 

Small sacrifice.

And I've never found myself with 100k going in my bank account for a month of graft.

Also nice comment with the neg rep you gave me, "get tae ****", so lucky that I don't care about rep or I'd be REALLY pissed off right now.

 

DT and I almost walked into Tim Krul and the gk coach when we were exiting the RVI... I looked up and saw him, went "huh? wow" and walked on, only to find the special walking place beside me absolutely vacant... I turned, and she'd gone running after him. In the end, she couldn't get a pic with him or an autograph (as I had her camera and by the time I got it to her he needed to go (my bad ) and she didn't have a pen). He was nice about it though and apologized, indicating towards his hand (which worried me greatly, seeing as it was before the penultimate game of the season) and his need for medical attention (If he's not ambidextrous it would have been a truly unique autograph!). She was gutted, but she met him ("I get that close every week from the stands you idiot" she moodily insisted (I looked around for the idiot by the way... Not one in sight! Think she was delirious), but I believe she understands my logic now.. or she's forgotten about it)... I think that's by far the cooler fact than having a picture or a signature... I mean, what's a picture good for except facebook, and a signature except Ebay?

Having said that, I do have a picture with Stevie Taylor and signatures from a few of the 2005 Ashes winning team (and a poster I won at Sunderland football academy of Kevin Phillips and signed by him somewhere in the attic)

I guess it's the material possession mindset to want something from a meeting, but in all honesty, just seeing those people and chatting meant so much more than whatever I took away. If anything, "can I have an autograph?" is just a standard line to engage in conversation with a hero. If I chatted to them like I chatted on here I'd probably be arrested

Should it be duty bound? No, not really, and I think conversation with the fans is more important. But if asking for autographs and pictures is the dialogue that transcends the awkward "he's ****ing awesome and cool and sexy... god Shola have my children... Well we can't, but we can adopt now... And have a little gay wedding in that liberal church down the road... and invite all the Not606-ers... I'll make whoever gives me the most rep as a wedding present best man... What school should be sent wor Tash II (cute name, I know) to?" mental explosion, then it's hard to really argue with the format.

Footballers should absolutely be involved in community projects where time allows, though.

 

JPF, since some **** removed my thread, I'll speak to you here.
What's all this about, a post by Amsterdam Roger?

Mate i need your mods help. some mag didn't like it when i answerd him back on our board to his wum, then posted some filth on my visitors messages. he was banned but keeps coming back in different guises putting really gay porn on my visitors page i have reported it but nothings happend, can you block his ip for being a ****.. can you sort him out please.


his aliases are Tash's Dash For Gash
The Judean People's Front


"Really gay porn"?

 

The guy is a moron. I have not had another account with this site, and changed my name once to something about Debuchy, and then back to The JPF.

A few months ago I reached 1000 posts, so I set up a thread asking mags to say one nice thing about Sunderland, and set a link on there page to say something nice back. They didn't read the post and launched a fairly dimwitted tirade, so I merely obliged a couple of them with some retorts after reasoning failed... Then he began posting on my page, I responded by asking him to either read my post, or bugger off. He set up a thread saying I'm hell-spawn...

I blocked him because of this, and kindly said I'd not post on their board to solve the issue... Clearly he's got some sort of mental illness

 

I prefer to give the ****s what they're asking for, if they tell me I'm a **** when I make non wum posts, I just act like a **** properly

The line that really got me in the butterflies was "can you please block his IP for being a ****", dunno why, like that's a valid reason or something

I remember the thread actually, didn't a couple of them apologise to you and yet some simply dug their heels in and continued to call you a ****?

 

Yep, a few even PMed me with an apology, which I regard as fair play At the end of the day, not talking about the football club devalues the forum, not posts you take as Wummish (whether they are or aren't... we have mods for this surely?). I love North East football, they're petty simpletons, and if I ever become famous they aren't getting an autograph!

Anyway, back on topic. Do footballers sign with their real signature? Surely there's a massive scam waiting to happen if they do?

 

I have never thought of this before. they must have alias signatures.

 

Draw a £1,000.00 a week out of BA's account, easy enough to forge his signature and he hasn't missed it yet.

 

comes with the fame terrtiory i guess. so many players stay around and sign things and talk to fans, they expect it.
it should be down to people to respect bounderies and know the difference between a casual conversation in a bar and mobbing someone and pulling their hair!

 

I believe the players have the right to a reasonable amount of privacy to enjoy their life away from "work" but should have patience and courtesy with fans who do ask for autographs and photos. They do deserve to have a life. When in kit heading to or from a game or training though i do believe they should give a reasonable amount of time up to the fans obviously excepting when they have an important appointment to keep when a courteous apology to fans isnt difficult.

 

Another no brainer. Of course they should stop and stand for photographs. Not much of a hardship when you have the life they do. Part and parcel of the job and always has been. Of course you can sympathise if they are having a **** time at home or something, might be the last thing they fancy doing. But they should always remember to be courteous to the fans because good manners cost nowt!

 

Its a tough one, they can't please everyone, sometimes there will be upwards of 200 photos/autographs to sign - not possible, but do as many as possible, spend 5 minutes or so - that's the very least they can be expected to do.

You say they're paid to play football, this is not entirely true. Footballers used to be paid simply to play football, that's why their wages were lower, now however they receive immense wages because of their image rights, their sponsorship and their representation - that means part of that money is paid to them to present themselves well at all times (though some players seem to forget this...Cough...NILE!!!)

I saw Anita coming out of the players lounge before the Atromitos game, he signed about 2 autographs, but smied and waved at everyone - took about 30 seconds at most, but made everyone's night.

As much as he deserves private time, it still is to do with money. He is getting paid vast sums and as such should conduct himself in a specific manner (i.e pleasent and forthcoming towards fans) If he's on 30k a week (not sure what he is on?) it works out at £1.50 for 30 seconds work...Now £1.50 is **** all for them, but considering I'm currently on minimum wage (I would have to work 4 days to earn what he gets in an hour) and plenty of us are struggling to find work, its not a lot to ask.

In short, should they smile, wave, pose for pictures and sign autographs - yes, unless as others have said, they're with family/genuinely don't have time. They might not like it, but that's modern football!