True Legends

True Legends

So crickets all over the British & Sub continent tabloids about latest match fixing allegations, Due to a few Pakistani players allegedly taking bribes in a recent match against England in England, the story was broken by English tabloid “News of the World”, the morning before they were due to resume play which they did.

Surely sports governing bodies & club officials have learnt from history, look at 1919 that was a perfect example of match fixing, although I’d back the White Sox for what they did because they weren’t overpaid, and at a time when Pakistan is ravaged by disaster, when people have nothing but hope, heroes are needed.
These cricketers should be ashamed, as well as their agents, middlemen who arrange these deals with bookmakers, these people will have families in devastated parts of the country where they grew up. On the streets of Islamabad and Lahore children & adults play cricket into the dead of night.

“Bloodgate” is back in the British news, the name given to an incident in Rugby Union, where fake blood capsules were used to facilitate a tactical substitution.
And the English Premiership, only 3 weeks old has a week off for Internationals, England play Bulgaria in their first EURO 2012 qualifier, I thought with no soccer & these bad stories circulating. Let’s look at some “Role Models!”

Alan Shearer
I have his Autograph on a ball with most of the 1995 Blackburn Rovers team, my dad won it at a charity auction/raffle, Shearer joined Blackburn in 1992 from Southampton for £3.3Million a lot of money then. He was sold a few years later to his hometown team and childhood club Newcastle United for £15Million which shattered the Transfer record. He won the English Premiership in 1994-95 season.

I remember he was signing autographs near my seat before a game, I grabbed my match day programme and headed towards him at the hoardings, there was a crowd and I let everybody else go before me apart from adults that’s the thing, always kids first, Then the tanoy alarm went off, a sign telling players to head back to the dressing rooms for last minute team talks. I was next, he said I’ll be back in 5 minutes. I stayed there and he came to within 5 yards of where he was before, I thought how good it was that with only 5 minutes to go until you start a match you’re signing autographs. A lot of people had gathered next to me, I didn’t get my autograph that day, I got it the next game, with a smile and a message “To Martyn”, the sad thing is I can’t find it anywhere, But I do have his autograph on that ball.

He has never been subject to tabloid stories of affairs, drugs, motoring offences or other misdemeanours, which is sadly common place in today’s sports.

Blackburn Rovers Home Shirt 1994-95

I hear Joe Mauer has his mother reply to his fan mail, which given he’s an elite baseball star and cover athlete of a current videogame, that’ll be a lot of fan mail. He made it clear that he wanted to stay in Minnesota his hometown state & when I see a Twins game he always seems to have a smile on his face, which is nice to see.

I’ve also been witness to the late Bobby Robson England football manger in world cups 86 & 90, sign things for charity with a smile on his face & very polite.

I was just wondering if you have any stories of generous sports men & women and if you have any role models in sport.

- Martyn H

For info on the bribe story visit: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/
Or for “Bloodgate” visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodgate

Thanks to George, for inviting me to this blog, I hope i'll be able to provide a little news for Europe's sports, although i'm more interested in the MLB!