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Anorak News | His Better Self

His Better Self

by | 10th, April 2006

‘KNOWING that England football hero Wayne Rooney has his brains firmly laced up in his boots we fear the worst when we hear that the young striker has been inducted into the team’s betting school.

A poker face

And our fears are confounded when we read that between September last year and February he ran up gambling debts of £700,000.

But this is no big deal. As former England player Chris Waddle reminds us in the Sun, La Roon earns £100,000 a week (falling to £60,000 in the Star), and his bets are “no different to the average bloke putting £10 on a horse”.

Only there is a difference of around about £699,990. But Waddle says it’s not as if Rooney has dabbled in drink and drugs, as other players have. Waddle thinks that would have been worse.

Perhaps. But surely no one vice is better than another. And while we wonder how we would feel if Rooney had blown his wad on the demon drink or, say, aged prostitutes, the Mirror hears from the mug punter. And news is that Rooney is refusing to settle his debts.

“I OWE ROO NOTHING,” announces the Mirror’s front-page headline, saying that there player won’t pay the money he owes private bookmakers Goldchip.

As an insider tells us: “Wayne feels very annoyed that no one discouraged him from chasing his losses.” So he is not paying. And his lawyers agree.

Which surely leaves our Wayne in line for trouble? Or not. Because the Mirror tells us that gambling debts are not recoverable by law. The Mirror’s “sports betting expert” says that debts to bookies are debts of honour, and there is “precious little” honour among punters.

And virtually none among footballers…’



Posted: 10th, April 2006 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink