Money is exactly the reason someone should be expected to go beyond the norm. I get average pay. I'm not expected to work from home, travel abroad, or put in more than 37 hours a week. It says so in my employment contract. My director gets silly money. If he receives a phone call at 3am asking him to travel to Timbuktu, he goes, no questions asked. If he said "waaaaaagh! My girlfriend is giving birth. I can't go", someone else would be director next month. He can't have the joys of large wages, without the responsibility that goes with it. Why? Why censor other people's chance to comment? There's been no name calling that can't be ignored. No one is forced to click through to this thread. This thread will be dead in it's own good time. Probably after this comment.
I see no reason to close it if people still want to discuss it. It's not exactly football related anymore but it's not doing any harm.
TMT, you are fully entitled to your opinion as to the importance of marriage, but what I don't get is why you think it would be more acceptable if it were his wife in labour and not his girlfriend? At the end of the day it's HIS baby and events like this are up there with the most important in a man's life, whether you do anything during the birth or not isn't the point, you're supposed to be there for your partner and witness your child come into the world. It's up to the bloke himself whether he wants to do that or not but whichever choice he makes should be respected
Have you not noticed the recent history between us and Chelsea the past few months? 1) They demolished us in a Semi Final 5-1. 2) They technically took our place in the CL in extremely harsh circumstances which many of them gloated about. 3) We now have their former manager in charge who, even if he didn't want to admit it, would've loved to have got one over them on the weekend to shut them up. 4) They're a London rival. To me, that definitely makes it our biggest game of the season. And no, the circumstances would've been different if it were against Reading either, I still would've been disappointed had he not played for the same reason. An injury is understandable and a bereavement doesn't even need an excuse, I just feel the birth of a child, as special as I'm sure it is (one day I may find out myself... Only if the rubber bursts though! ), is just slightly underneath the threshold for a professional footballer playing in the Premier League to warrant missing a game for. I never said we "own" him, I merely stated we contribute to his ridiculously high wages to play football for the club we love, therefore, it would be nice of him to do so. This isn't a 9-5 job where you pick up your monthly wage, get 21 days holiday and work for on average, 40+ years. Football is a profession in which the top stars earn millions and millions of pounds a year and technically would only need to work a few years (if that for some!) to be able to retire and live a glorious life and have 20 kids for all I care. With that sort of lifestyle, I feel certain sacrifices do need to be made. I'm sure your boss would allow you to leave, but do you get paid £80k a week to play football and have thousands of people that pay £35-£55 on a weekend to go and watch you try and entertain them or pay shed loads a month to acquire a licence to watch you from the comfort of their homes? (I very much doubt it) It's all well and good to try and say that football is only his job and he's only human, yes I agree with that to an extent but football for more than many of us is a way of life. I won't speak on behalf of others although I'm sure many would agree but I pretty much live for football and in particular Spurs. My excitement on weekends comes from watching Spurs, I have a THFC tattoo on my forearm, my Grandad was on the books of Spurs prior to WW2 and my Auntie played for Spurs Ladies, Spurs to me really is what I live my life around and so when I see players opting out to play for a reason, that I know is touchy but I still feel is not enough to miss a game for, it disappoints me. And for the record, those that have said I (or some of us) are mad at Bale, that's complete bulltsh*t. I love Bale and what he's done for the club, he's a fantastic player but fact is, I've expressed a little disappointment at his decision to not play Saturday. There have been so many other aspects this season where I have been "mad" at, Walker's and Gallas' form for a start, the selection of two DM's in our first 3 games really riled me and I'm still not truly convinced by AVB (I'm sure everyone noticed how p*ssed off at his appointment I was ) BUT he's certainly starting to sway my judgement of him .
Drogs,Cockney,I've already said all I have to say,as others have said I see both viewpoints but I agree with Sexy.
Being at the birth of your child is a hundred times more important than a game of football,whoever the opponents are,Players already make sacrifices,away at weekends and christmas holiday time,away at tournaments,missing birthdays etc.he was right to miss the Game.
I do hope mother and baby are well. Occam's razor says they are. As I said before, I went to work the day after mine was born. I took a couple of days off when they returned from hospital. What's his excuse this time? Parental leave? He needs to man-up.
they have named her amber violet Bale,i seem to have heard those initials somewhere before,can't think where though
Does anyone know what they've actually chosen to call her? I assume a week off doesn't buy our manager naming rights!
Are you serious? Leaving aside the name Alba, which suggests he's either a big fan of Jessica or he named his kid after the country he scored against the other day, did he not realise that he was calling her AVB? I've heard of sucking up to the boss before, but naming your firstborn after the manager takes some beating! If this is true, then he's going to get absolutely slaughtered for it.
