Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

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Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby ross.mcfc » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:16 am

Hardly anything new but nice to see someone stick up for Bellamy.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... ticle68438


Insufficient use of Google means that I don’t know if this is the first. I hope it is, but with wrath and fury being heaped in large spoonfuls on Craig Bellamy, someone somewhere soon enough was going to try to be a smart arse, turn against the tide and construct an argument that actually Bellamy is deeply misunderstood, that his public profile is plain wrong and that in many ways he is a model footballer.

The time I met Bellamy, he didn’t want to do the interview anyway. My argument was that if he was going to sink nearly £1million of his own money into a project that would, without any remotest doubt, transform the lives of a considerable number of African kids, then it was a) a story that the public would like to know and b) a story that would shed him in good light. As for b), he didn’t give a stuff, didn’t have any interest in public profile, it was as if that was a door he had closed long ago. And he was so cold and frank about that, he seemed genuine. Eventually, he was persuaded that it would be good for his Africa project if he at least publicly acknowledged that it existed, but would he have his picture photographed for the newspaper? No, he wasn’t interested in photographs. That would be bordering dangerously on self-glorification.

A quick précis is in order here. In the summer’s close season of 2007, Bellamy spent two weeks in Sierra Leone. He went there because two mates of his were in the timber business there and advised him that it was a fascinating country. So he took them at their word, arrived unheralded with no fanfare, no media welcome, nothing apart from a large number of footballs and the intention that, whenever he saw a bunch of kids playing football – usually with a rolled-up ball of socks or a taped-up ball of newspaper pages - he would stop, give them a real ball and join them.

He left inspired and certain in the belief that this beautiful country, brought to its knees by a savage civil war, could be helped by football.

And yes, this does all sound too good to be true and one’s instinct is to think: he’ll never see it through. But two years on, he has succeeded in putting in place the first ever structure for youth football in the country. He already has 1600 players, he employs 40 coaches and 40 managers on the payroll and this is just the start.

The next stage is the opening, next year, of the new state-of-the-art football academy outside Freetown, the capital, where the best young footballers will receive an elite football and academic education. The whole project was expected to cost him £650,000, but building projects always over-run the budget – don’t they? – and Bellamy has committed to spending a considerable amount more.

The key here is academic education. Those players in the Craig Bellamy Foundation League know the somewhat peculiar rules: that their teams accrue points in their leagues not only through their football match results, but also by their school attendance records and by participation in community development projects. Early figures, through Unicef, show that while the average secondary school attendance rate in Sierra Leone is 21 per cent, Bellamy’s 1600 footballers average over 80 per cent.

What does this tell us about Bellamy? Here are some answers from Tom Vernon, an Englishman from High Wycombe who booked his cloud in heaven a decade ago when he started his own football academy in Ghana. Vernon’s vision was always education before football, which is why, while he has a number of footballers at the foothills of the Premiership, he has had considerably more win scholarships to American universities. Bellamy saw this model, decided to copy it and brought in Vernon to help deliver it.

Vernon, who is not given to hyperbole, says this of Bellamy: that he is astonishingly professional in his approach, that when he makes his two-week visit every summer, he turns his phone off and dedicates himself entirely to the project “like he is turning up for a business conference” and that when he drives round the country to look at the prospective football talent for the academy, he talks to the players, eats with them and meets their families. And he says that Bellamy is so on top of the project that he insists on meeting every prospective new employee; before the new head coach was appointed, he was flown to England to spend a day in Bellamy’s company.

And no, Bellamy is not the only footballer to have given his name to an academy. African academies are the latest must-have fashion accessories which is why Vernon has been approached by a number of other players who want one for themselves.

Vernon says he often finds that footballers are keen to put their name to an academy believing that this alone will bring funding, yet putting in their own money is a different matter. And when Vernon’s management team convene to consider these players and their proposed enterprises, too often their conclusion is: “No, they’re not like Craig.”

The Bellamy that you learn about through this African project is so far away from the footballer who put his hand in the face of a “fan” on Sunday, it is hard to work out where the two meet. At what stage does the responsible philanthropist turn into the short-fuse now facing a possible three-match ban?

That is one for the psychologists to answer. But while he is certainly guilty of ill deeds under the clouds of red mist, Bellamy is clearly rather different before they suddenly descend.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby david yearsley » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:21 am

Anyone who has any doubts about this lad now , hang your heads in shame ! (joking , but you catch my drift!) Legend status awaits C.B.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Beeks » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:27 am

Great little article...I think on the pitch Bellers seems to like his bad boy tag...but in reality...aside from him obviously being a hard man...I reckon he's a good lad...this just proves that
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Mike J » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:29 am

im delighted this lad pulls on a blue shirt every week. i always thought he was a good player but i admit before he joined i always though the had a massive attitude problem.

love the guy and hope he is around for years to come.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby avoidconfusion » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:30 am

Bellamy is slowly but surely turning out to be my favourite City players.... scary thought that! :)
so now as every enemy circles our city
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby razor400 » Tue Sep 22, 2009 9:38 am

I used to really fucking hate him. Fickle as fuck me, the lad is fucking brilliant.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby blues-clues » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:14 am

Fantastic - what an ambassador!

A footballer everyone can look up to and whilst his behaviour in and around football may sometimes be questionable he actually makes the likes of Joey Barton look like a different species doesn't he?
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Blue2 » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:20 am

Used to think he was an obnoxious little shite who was a decent player. Now .... he's our obnoxious little shite who is a brilliant player ( miles better than I thought he was)
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby avoidconfusion » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:45 am

I like this signature too, we look like a real team now as well

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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Ted Hughes » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:45 am

I've never questioned his ability but really really 100% didn't want him at the club. Once he signed however I've supported him & the fact is that last season as well as this, he's been one of our best players & best goalscorers & so far this season one of the best players in the PL. He's turning into a bit of a favourite with me, I must admit.

Big question mark is about his injury problems but if he plays half a season & contributes like this then he's still a great signing. I believe RSC will also have a similar impact after suffering the same kind of criticisms regarding his ability, which is every bit as great imo as Bellamy's.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Beefymcfc » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:51 am

I told you he'd be Ace! That'll fucking learn ya ;-)
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Mike J » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:56 am

Ted Hughes wrote:I've never questioned his ability but really really 100% didn't want him at the club. Once he signed however I've supported him & the fact is that last season as well as this, he's been one of our best players & best goalscorers & so far this season one of the best players in the PL. He's turning into a bit of a favourite with me, I must admit.

Big question mark is about his injury problems but if he plays half a season & contributes like this then he's still a great signing. I believe RSC will also have a similar impact after suffering the same kind of criticisms regarding his ability, which is every bit as great imo as Bellamy's.

100% agree. i really hope roque makes a few people on here eat humble pie.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Fidel Castro » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:00 am

Mike J wrote:
Ted Hughes wrote:I've never questioned his ability but really really 100% didn't want him at the club. Once he signed however I've supported him & the fact is that last season as well as this, he's been one of our best players & best goalscorers & so far this season one of the best players in the PL. He's turning into a bit of a favourite with me, I must admit.

Big question mark is about his injury problems but if he plays half a season & contributes like this then he's still a great signing. I believe RSC will also have a similar impact after suffering the same kind of criticisms regarding his ability, which is every bit as great imo as Bellamy's.

100% agree. i really hope roque makes a few people on here eat humble pie.


That pie will be mouldy by the time Crocky is fit, wouldn't want to eat that
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Rag_hater » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:16 am

The fact that rich people give money to charity doesn't impress me that much as I feel for the good fortune they have experienced in their own lives its only right that they should repay that in some way.
What really does impress me about Craigs donations is that he goes out to Africa regularly and sees where he want his money to be spent.
The fact he puts his own time into the project I find much more impressive.
Well done Craig.
Hope he keeps that up and manages to make more time for it when he stops playing for us
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Dazzacity » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:38 am

I dont think I ever hated Bellamy but wasnt too impressed to hear he was joining us at City.I always felt that when he stepped out of line it was due to pride and passion gettin the better of him rather than him being an arsehole.He seems like the sort of footballer tht will stop and chat with you without thinkin he is above you in anyway. His performances and effort have totally won me over and he is becoming one of my fav City players. If all our players could put the sort of effort that Craig puts in we would win the league!! Grabbin the 3rd shirt when I go up against West Ham..Bellamy on the back.
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Re: Craig Bellamy is deeply misunderstood - The Times

Postby Blue Since 76 » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:54 am

I remember reading the original article and being suprised that Bellamy was a nice guy. The next I heard about it, he'd been in a fight in a club out there...

He does deserve a pat on the back for it though, especially as he's not really pushed it publicity wise, is funding it himself and is actually going there each year to see how things are going on. I can't afford 2 weeks in a 7 star hotel in Dubai in summer but even I wouldn't fancy spending my summer in Sierra Leone instead, so credit to him for doing that.

You never know, he may get the pay back he deserves, but I suspect he'll get a 3 match ban for slapping someone who shouldn't have been on the field in the first place. Wonder what Wio will get for grabbing him by the throat afterwards? Any advance on it never being mentioned?
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