Fans Comment
Kevin Sparke

I don't understand music... I just like the sound
16 December 2005

I was lying in the bath the other day, half way down a bottle of Pinot Noir and listening to some Wagner (as you do) and a thought occurred to me:

“How can a mind so evil and so twisted with hate produce something so beautiful and moving”

For those of you who’ve no interest in classical music, Wagner was Hitler’s favourite composer and his hate-filled anti-Semitic ideology and glorification of all things Aryan fitted in very nicely with the justification for the Nazi 18-30’s grand tour of Europe 1938-45.

I feel guilty for liking Wagner so much… but I can’t help myself. I know I shouldn’t… but I still do.  It’s funny but I feel the same way about Wayne Rooney.

When I watch him with the ball at his feet, bearing down on a defender in full gallop, the hairs on the back of my neck stick up… I’m in the presence of a genius.  For that and that alone, I’ll always be a Wayne Rooney fan. (perhaps ‘fan’ is too strong a word… erm admirer is more accurate).

As an Everton supporter it pains me beyond belief that the most skilful practitioner of the ‘art’ of football our club has produced in living memory is plying his trade elsewhere, when he could have, should have been still playing for us.

However, we are living in the ‘real’ world of capitalist economics without regulation where, for the poor to contend with the rich, they also need to become rich by any means necessary.  Abstract concepts such as loyalty and honour have no place in such a system… and do you know something… they never have.  Castigating Rooney for not being loyal to Everton is like castigating Alex Young for not being loyal to Hearts, Tony Cottee for not being loyal to West Ham, or Peter Reid for not being loyal to Bolton.

Under the Capitalist free-market free-for-all that football is, loyalty to Everton fans from Wayne Rooney did not suit anyone involved in Rooney’s transfer: it did not suit Rooney, it did not suit his agent, it did not suit Everton Football Club.

I’ll ask an abstract question at this point.  If Sir Alex Ferguson was to beat down your door and offer you £100,000 a week to don a Man United Shirt once or twice a week and support them… How many of you would honestly turn this money down?... remember, be honest.

Rooney did what he had to do under the present system, which was to make as much money in as quick a time as possible; he had no choice… he’d become too big for us.  Kenwright had to sell Rooney, there was no way he could keep him (though, he sold him much too cheep in my opinion).  He had a £30 million (plus) asset who could have been worth fuck all as a result of one Gerrard-like tackle next derby game… he had to sell him, because our club is not in a position to risk that kind of write-off of possible funds.

And this sticks in my throat, but Wayne Rooney signing that bit of paper did more for Everton FC than he could have done by playing three full seasons.

I don’t hate Wayne Rooney, I don’t hate Manchester United, I try not to Hate Liverpool FC (honest I do).  I’ll leave hate for other people to poison their minds with; I’ve no room for hate in my life except for one notable exception…

I fucking hate the present system with a passion and until it changes we’ll inevitably lose our prize assets.  Yobo next?.. Cahill?… ad nauseam…

Until the system changes, the poor clubs will always be shat upon by the rich ones who’ll inevitably get the best players on the best deals and us lot — the poor deluded football supporters — will continue to fund these deals with our season tickets, Sky Sports packages, and replica kit purchases, fuelled by abstract values such as loyalty and commitment to a lost cause.

Until the system changes…

…now there’s a thought…

Kevin Sparke

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