Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

FA Bring Disrepute to Game with Jack Wilshere Punishment

By Josh Sippie

facebooktwitterreddit

Jack Wilshere partied with his team mates until six in the morning. In Arsene Wenger’s book, that’s more of a gross misconduct than what the FA is charging Jack Wilshere for.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

We’ve all heard what Jack Wilshere said during the open bus tour of London. But in case you haven’t, I’ll copy it directly from BBC and add a few well placed censors: “We’ve got one question. And one question only. What do we think of Tottenham? Sh*t! What do you think of sh*t? Tottenham! Thank you.”

In all honesty, it’s a rather clever little bit and the thank you at the end really solidifies the manners that Jack Wilshere exudes. But the FA has decided to stomp all over Jack Wilshere’s basic human rights with the following statement: “It is alleged his conduct in making and/or inciting certain comments during the club’s open bus trophy tour was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute.” What makes this even worse is that Arsenal aren’t going to punish the Englishman, but the FA apparently just can’t let that slide.

First, let’s address the issue of Jack Wilshere bringing the game into ‘disrepute.’ No matter how much the FA try to clean up football and make it all about handshakes and high fives, there is always going to be bad blood and there are always going to be fierce rivalries. You take that out of the game and it brings the game into more disrepute than referring to a rival as a term for feces.

But even with the bad blood and the fierce rivalries, you know what else the game will always have? Respect and sportsmanship. Opposing players helping each other up, stretching out cramps, sharing Gatorade – that kind of stuff is seen on a daily basis. That will never go away. The only way it could go away is if the FA continues to put a vice grip on what players can do and say.

More from Arsenal News

It’s like the prohibition days. The more you tell people they can’t do something, the more they’re going to do it. By punishing Jack Wilshere, it’ll only lead to more bad blood between the two sides and before too much longer, we’ve got brawls on the pitch, something rarely seen in this day and age. It’s the snow ball effect.

What Jack Wilshere said may deliver a few cringes, even to some Gooners, but at the end of the day is it worth a fine or a suspension? Not even close. Luis Suarez biting people and John Terry’s racial abuse is worth a suspension, but calling Tottenham sh*t? No way. I do the same thing on a daily basis as well. I hope the FA doesn’t suspend me.

Obviously athletes are held to a “higher level” and it was a “celebratory event” with no real place for “taunts and disrespect” but as long as these guys are football players, they will continue to have rivalries and bad blood.

It’s a part of the game, and the FA would be fools to try to stamp that out.

Next: Summer Profile: The injured Arsenal men

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Home/Arsenal News