Anorak

Anorak News | Flippin’ Rooney

Flippin’ Rooney

by | 22nd, June 2004

‘TRADITIONALLY, England football fans like to celebrate by throwing plastic chairs and glass bottles at riot police laid on by their hosts for the occasion.

Don’t try this at home, kids

Greeks smash plates, the Irish get smashed, we smash up whatever bar we happen to find ourselves in – it is one of cultural idiosyncrasies that make life so interesting.

But all that changed last Thursday when a certain Wayne Rooney celebrated his second goal against Switzerland with a cartwheel.

Now, you can hardly move in Mumbai for Indians cartwheeling down the streets; downtown Dallas is awash with Texans ‘doing a Rooney’; and Lusaka has literally flipped in its excitement.

However, the Rooney flip comes at a cost – and safety campaigners are warning that fans could find themselves cartwheeling all the way to hospital.

‘People could really hurt themselves if they are not as fit as they used to be,’ a statement by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said.

‘The Rooney cartwheel could cause injury if not done correctly.’

However, Peter Tatlow, the Daily Telegraph’s gymnastics correspondent, points out that even Boy Wonder himself doesn’t get a perfect 10 for his performance.

‘His legs were straight, although the snap-down was poor,’ he observes. ‘I can’t see that it’s dangerous.’

However, Mr Tatlow has never tried doing it down Kuala Lumpur high street with a couple of hundred thousand other people…’



Posted: 22nd, June 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink