Chelsea v QPR Liverpool v United Chelsea v United City v Spurs United v Spurs These are all the games home and away where handshakes/non-handshakes will become the focal point of everything due to incidents between individual players. This is not about saving face for Terry, it's about saving face for the game. If you have any common sense you'll scrape this ridiculous rule putting players in awkward circumstances before the game
I'm all for the 'meaningless' handshakes. They are symbolic. They represent sporting fair play, honest combat. Why does anyone shake hands anyway? We greet new people this way an open hand, 'look I'm not holding any weapon' you are saying to each other. It is an ancient custom to show earnest good faith. Not to shake a hand is an admission for intended violence. Of course this is all lost on most people as now days almost everything people do is thoughtless, ignorant and selfish. I bet you could go up to almost any one and ask them the meaning behind shaking hands or saluting and they couldn't tell you or say something half arsed. It is another damning indictment of our society. The FA insist on handshakes because someone there knows what they represent and brain dead footballers don't, they just think it is tradition. If there is real enmity then of course you won't shake hands, to do so would make one a hypocrite, unless of course by shaking a hand you are committed to a temporary truce so you can attain a common aim. Football is big business, but it is also sport and it should be played fiercely but fairly. There will be real dislike amongst players, but in football they are team players and team goals should subsume personal ones. I believe the handshakes should continue and be enforced. Players are paid to compete against whoever, we all find ourselves working with people we don't like or even hate. We have a choice to put up with the situation or leave that job. Putting up with the situation could mean avoiding that person. This isn't an option in football. So a footballer's choice should be to get on with work and abide by the rules of the sport or don't play or even quit being a footballer because you can't hack it. I can imagine a mangers reaction to a player asking to be excused because he doesn't like another player.
The only scenario I can imagine where one player really can not shake another players hand, where the circumstances involve real raw emotion and physical violence is almost certain, then maybe a player should be allowed to miss that game. They should be able to say why, not take a wage that week, and take responsibility for any fall out amongst their team mates and own fans for their decision.
Handshakes are not exclusive to football! Boxers, Tennis players,Jockeys et al are all well known for this kindly sporting gesture! 99.9% of all professional footballers are happy to do the same! I agree that it is something that has to come from the heart, but the Ferdie business has , as usual, been created by the press in order to sell more papers! If they had left the business in the out tray, no one would be any the wiser, and Ferdy/JT spat would have been something between them and them alone and not for prime time TV!
For their games against City, the problem is between Nasri and Gallas. Although, not sure what the potential problem between United and Spurs players shaking hands before the game is about.
Ah, that makes more sense. I was thinking DL was referring to Parker and Balotelli which seemed a bit tenuous. Funny how Gooners at the time thought Nasri's petulance was brilliant before they realised it was no show of loyalty. If Nasri does it again he'll be a total fool, at least the other non-handshakes were about serious incidences. No idea about United either. Gomes and Nani maybe?
Maybe, he is on about RVP and Ade. But, they shook hands when we gave Spurs a thumping at Emirates last season, so I see no reason as to why it could be different this time.
I think before the United v Spurs game handshakes should be replaced with kissing because I feel its right that Spurs are treated to some foreplay before they are ceremoniously laid down and ****ed.
I think Park would of shook hands with Terry in the middle on Saturday if it had not been for handshake fiasco beforehand It is making more headlines than the game itself which is crazy
