A CAPTAIN'S TALE
~PART 4~

Something similar happened after a game for Blackburn against Southampton at the Dell. One youngster apparently left the game early so he could make his way round to the players' exit to wait for me. It is always very crowded in these areas after the games and while I try to sign as many autographs as I can, it is inevitable there are going to be some disappointments. This young boy was one of the unlucky ones on this occasion. The story was later told in a quarter-of-a-page article in a national newspaper, only it was made to sound as if I had deliberately snubbed the lad. I know how upset he must have been because I would have felt the same if I did not get the signature of one of my favourite players after waiting patiently. We are on a hiding to nothing in circumstances like this because some sections of the media are always ready to have a knock at you without hearing both sides of the story.

Everyone who writes to me at St James' Park, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope with their request, will always get an autograph in return, although there are some written requests that are impossible to respond to. I have had lengthy questionnaires sent in that would take two to three hours to complete.

Any spare time I do have, I prefer to devote to charity. I do not talk about this side of my life very much because people tend to accuse you of only being involved in good causes for the self-publicity if you draw too much attention to the work. So I keep it very low profile and try to do a lot of charities. I want to help because I realize I am in a privileged position and feel I ought to give something back to the community.

It is strange that while I have this squeaky clean image off the field there was a time when I was saddled with something of a bad boy reputation on the pitch. i was supposedly getting away with murdermoaning at officials, getting other players booked, winning free-kicks by conning referees. It is true that I do like to voice my opinion on the field but only when I think I'm right.

Football is a game of a high emotions and if you are passionate about it there are bound to be flashpoints. I am certainly not a goody-goody but I am not a player who bends the rules either. It is simply that I want to win so much that I expect every fifty-fifty decision to go my way.

I have never considered myself immune from criticism but I believe things went too far after a Blackburn match against Middlesbrough during which I scored at the end of the ground ocupied by their fans. I did what I have done countless times before. I raised both my arms in celebration to the crowd before turning around and returning to the halfway line. Some Boro supporters interpreted this as incitment to cause trouble and reported my actions to the police. A report was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service but thankfully common sense prevailed and no charges were brought against me.

As a player, you can be verbally abused and sometimes have missiles thrown at you by opposing supporters and they normally get away with it. But if you stand in front of them with your arms in the air after scoring a goal, you are accused of incitement and risk being taken to court. It seems to me that there is something seriously wrong about that.

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY...

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