"you Americans are great athletes, but you'll never be "real" footballers,"

While the racism and anti-Americanism that Max recounts is disturbing on a personal level, I found other statements more disturbing on a professional level.

"This all was hard being only 16 years-old and without an agent or guardian, so I opted to stay in Scotland rather than travelling down to England."

I assume that he's got an agent now, Lord help him. All I know about Max I read on yanks-abroad but what was his situation that he didn't have some sort of representation when he went. Extra-super kudos to him for having the drive to go by himself BUT I wonder if the presence of an agent or other adult would have helped and/or protected him a little bit. If nothing else to check fine print of trial offers and deal w/ management. And maybe avoid things like:

"I then contacted the clubs I had previous contact with, but had trouble getting hold of coaches since many were overseas in training camps or had changed contact numbers or even clubs."

I don't care how mature and responsible a 16yr old is (and actually he sounds like he's ahead of the curve in that dept) how many of you think a team's manager or brass isn't going to (at best) be condescending to him and likely not deal 100% fairly and not give him the run around? Does he know the laws and such that are there to protect him in a country where he didn't grow up? Hell, how many 16-18 yr olds know work rules in the USA that are there to protect them?

 

I understand Wright's point. It does hurt England's national side to have the majority of Premier positions taken by players who will be representing other nations at the EC or WC. Perhaps, in theory, as the CCC is quite a good league in its own right, this could be mitigated by the leaders of the national side freely drawing upon good english talent that is not in the Premier. But that would be making the best out of an inferior situation....
In the end, between Club and Country, when they conflict this severely, I opt for Country.

 

"you Americans are great athletes, but you'll never be 'real' footballers,"


He should have just simply reminded the Scotsman that "real" footballers manage to advance out of the first round at the World Cup from time to time -- something that Scotland has never been able to accomplish.

 

God you're an idiot. WTF do you know about American ghettos? Stay the ******** out of American boards if you got a problem with us troll.

 

Oh dear.

 

I'm sure the likes of Dalglish, Jordan and Law will agree with you, I know I do. And don't get me started on players like George Best, George Weah and Ryan Giggs who weren't even good enough to get to a WC in the first place

 

Probably not so much anti-American as anti-foreigner. Might be a race thing as well. I reckon that working-class teenage Scots are not the most enlightened beings in the world and might react negatively towards someone from outside their social milieu they perceive as trying to steal one of "their" spots.

He definitely should have gotten an agent though (or at least gone to college so that he'd get at least a free education out of his soccer talents).

 

There ya go. That's what I'm talking about! Thanks. I knew you could do it.

 

And I opt for club. I haven't just spent half a grand to watch my country, I've spent it to watch my club. And I'll be damned if the quality of my team is going to be diminished just for the sake of a better team for the Wembley prawn-sandwich bridage to watch, who don't even like football anyway.

 

I have a brigade?

 

I would imagine that you would prefer callin it a "regiment"

 

must be a long commute from your American ghetto to Bolton to catch those games. Or did you mean DCU?

 

I think his not hiring an agent was to leave open the opportunity of playing NCAA soccer if all things failed elsewhere.

 

Straight out of Compton.

 

When, oh when, will someone write the book on how hard it is to be white?

 

And English in an American ghetto trying to support Bolton while not getting shot because the only people that get shot in the ghetto are white Englishman.

 

But no club coach or guardian to help set up training & trials? Again, the kid's got gumption. You could be right particularly at the beginning. I did wonder about the possibility. But, what about this statement:

"to show I just wanted to play, I offered to take the lowest salary in the club, "

Once you take $$, your NCAA eligibility is gone. Playing w/ professionals impacts eligibility, too. I don't know the specific soccer rules* but I know that playing in non-NCAA sanctioned summer basketball leagues, w/ no $ changing hands, will get a players suspended for a # of games.


*and don't want to take the time to actually search for the facts to back up my post...

 

And now for something completely different: Max actually mixed up the qualification spots for the new season. The first 5 teams will qualify for the Regionalliga, while the 6th placed team will enter a play-off.

 

Have you tried going out in the sun with no cream? Or trying to play basketball, or dance, or rap?

 

WTF? Now you expect Max to protect you from the sun? You truly are delusional.

 

Your sarcasm aside which of these players is English? Indeed, you prove my point that almost all of the top players in England are foreign. England is simply not producing English players of top quality!

 

Great idea! I'll write it tonight after I finish hitting a bucket of balls and knocking back a couple very dry martinis at the club (sorry, membership is closed).

 

There's a surprisingly large amount that will offend the NCAA. During my freshman season, one of my teammates took a 2-game suspension for playing in a church league a few days into the designated NCAA season - even though we didn't actually have any games scheduled until more than a week later.