Special Feature: Football’s best off-the-field U-turn “moments” – Part 4
Seldom has football incited religious riots and bigotry. However, a few times it has done so. Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtics have been closely associated with the events that have followed. Both the clubs represent different sects of Christianity as
Rangers pride themselves on support from Protestants whereas Celtic welcomes the hospitality they receive from the Catholics.
A city divided, Glasgow is usually caught in between this religious tussle, so when in 1989 Mo Johnston was one of the biggest names in club football, Celtic and Rangers were both interested in his services. Johnston had earned his fame through his performances
for Watford and Celtic, earlier on in his career before securing a move to Ligue 1 team, Nantes in France.
Despite having a successful time in France, Johnston wanted to move back to the British Isles. Upon hearing such news, Celtic and Rangers entered into a race to sign the forward. It was one of the most bizarre yet truly outrageous transfer sagas of all time.
Celtic came first in the race as Johnston donned their green and white hopped shirt.
He wore the Celtic shirt and made a public appearance before the Celtic fans as well but instead of keeping to his word. Johnston made a change of mind as he opted to join Rangers instead. His decision to join the Blue half of Glasgow was met with outrage
as riots took place, shops were burned, fans fought with each other. More importantly, Rangers’ faithful were disappointed and angry as well that their club had assigned a Catholic Christian.
It was a massive mess in Scotland as the administration at Rangers hardly welcomed Johnston with open arms. It still remains open to debate that whether Johnston did it all on purpose or he was genuinely interested in joining Glasgow Rangers. What isn’t
up for debate is the fact that Rangers went onto win nine titles in a row with Johnston in their front line. Johnston’s career choice had its repercussions but recently news surfaced that almost shook the very foundations of club football.
Yes, the Wayne Rooney was definitely big enough to knock back even the giants of English football, Manchester United. It all started with Sir Alex Ferguson’s admission that his beloved English striker, Wayne Rooney wanted to leave the club in August after
the centre forward had stalled contract negotiations with Manchester United. Rooney himself came out only twenty four hours later and admitted that he met with David Gill and didn’t get any assurances that he was seeking regarding the future of the squad,
thus he had refused to sign a new contract at Old Trafford.
Everyone in club football thought that Rooney would be up for sale in the winter transfer window of January, 2011 but Sir Alex and Manchester United harried all of their resources and employed all of their expertise to convince the young Englishman to change
his mind. Only three days after admitting his intent to leave United, Rooney and Manchester United announced that the striker had signed a new five year contract with the Red Devils.
It all remains open to interpretations that whether it was Rooney who played a master hand and got a wage rise in his new contract? Or whether it was Manchester United who convinced Rooney to stay? What has been most appalling in the Rooney story is the
fact that the player himself was hardly in a bargaining position due to his own personal problems. Even after taking into account his tremendous ability as a footballer, it was definitely a new low or some would say a new high for Wayne to pressurize the Manchester
United hierarchy into offering him a new and improved deal.
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