Why footballers like Nathan Eccleston should be allowed to tweet whatever idiotic rubbish they want

By Ian Winwood

Published 08:00 16/09/11

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Another week, another player makes the headlines from something he wrote on Twitter.

Nathan Eccleston is not a name familiar to many fans outside of the coastal north-west of England, but this week the Liverpool striker caused a stink by tweeting his opinion that the attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as the Pentagon and the doomed United flight 93, were not the work of terrorists .

Given that this week began on the 11th of September, and that this was the 10th anniversary of the US spectaculars, his timing could have been better.

As could his grammar.

‘I ain’t gonna say attack,’ wrote the player, ‘don’t let the media make you believe that was terrorist that did it.’

Eccleston signed off his tweet with the acronym Otis, which is said to stand for Only The Illuminati Succeed.

The Illuminati is believed by some – David Icke, for one – to be a secret society that governs the whole world. During the busy Christmas period, Santa Claus often helps them out.

Needless to say, Liverpool have launched an investigation into their player’s public opinions, an investigation that will probably not end well for their employee.

Clearly Nathan Eccleston’s views are those of an idiot.

Across the Atlantic, a different kind of footballer this week attracted trouble to his door in fewer than 140 characters.

Pittsburgh Steelers player Rashard Mendenhall drew criticism from his employers by questioning whether or not a plane could demolish a skyscraper in the ‘tidy’ fashion seen a decade ago. He also expressed distaste at those who celebrate the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

By comparison to his English counterpart, Mendenhall’s comments seemed quite measured, but only because they could hardly have been less so.

So what should be done about professional sportspeople who spew their opinions into the world via social media?

In my opinion, nothing should be done.

When it comes to football, the only thing that should really matter regarding a player is how he (or she) performs on the field.

And while it certainly helps if this person is considerate, thoughtful, charitable and wise, really, it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter because every fan would sooner have a scumbag who can play appear in the team they support than a saint who cannot.

Clubs and the FA will of course make noise about these players bringing the game into disrepute, possibly because they see that as being their job.

Certain quarters of our national game see a world where players earn more in a week than the Prime Minister does in a year, where clubs are sold to tyrants and alleged criminals, and where the average level of debt is such that even Greece is offering to help out with the loan repayments.

Yeah, imagine bringing a slur on that family’s name.

If a footballer hits their partner, I care.

If they run someone over in their car, I care.

If they incite racial hatred, I care.

But if they’re merely exercising their right to free speech, then I don’t care what they say.

Tweet and be damned, and let us, the readers, decide whether or not they have caused offence.

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