Football won't find its morality at the bottom of the bottle
In ‘To Hull and Back,’ arguably the jewel in the crown of the much-loved sitcom ‘Only Fools and Horses’ exquisitely written by the late John Sullivan, ‘Boycie’ – a crooked second-hand car salesman played by John Challis – sniffs the chance to make a few quid by smuggling diamonds from Holland. However, he and Del Trotter, with whom he is in cahoots, are denied at the last by the Old Bill. Jim Broadbent’s character Chief Inspector Slater is the real brains behind the operation, allowing petty criminals to take the risks while he makes a profit. Fearing jail, Boycie and Del are offered a simple alternative; “Why don’t we pretend that this never happened?” Brushing the whole saga under the carpet and forgetting about it is football’s forte. Dutchman Phillip Cocu, manager of Derby County Football Club since July this year, also recently had some precious cargo being transported. Namely his club captain and Republic of Ireland international, Richard Keogh. Regrettably, despite b...