By Guest Writer Megan Taylor.
France’s World Cup hopes were laced with controversy this week as four of their players are alleged to complicit to an under-age sex scandal with adolescent prostitutes. But this isn’t the first time that sex scandals have hit world famous footballers. It’s arguable that the biggest controversies appear to have struck the English football team, with Chelsea and Manchester United players featuring heavily. Here are the top 5 sex scandals to hit English football over the last ten years:
No.1 – John Terry (Chelsea)
Earlier this year, Chelsea star Terry was caught playing away with underwear model Vanessa Perroncel, close friend of his wife, Toni Poole, and former partner of ex teammate, Wayne Bridge. This infidelity cost Terry his captaincy of the England team and the respect of a lot of fans and fellow footballers. It was also revealed that the Chelsea man had got the underwear model pregnant within months of their affair, and then arranged for her to get an abortion. His choice to use a super-injunction in the hope of preventing scrutiny of his actions intensified the selfish situation. Yet Terry’s wife, Toni, has agreed to give him “one more chance” in the hopes of salvaging their marriage for their children. However, if he strays again then it is believed Toni will restrict his access to his children. According to a friend, Mrs Terry decided to accept her husband’s version of events, believing that the affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the ex-partner of his former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge, was nothing but a ‘silly fling’.
No.2 – David Beckham (ex-Manchester United)
David and Victoria Beckham were considered a golden couple by the British public; they were a couple in love with each other and their family and could do no wrong. This was until Rebecca Loos, a sports PR, was hired in 2003 to look after the Beckham’s as they transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid. In 2004, Rebecca Loos claimed to have had an intimate affair with David Beckham. After allegedly sleeping together for the first time, Rebecca Loos said she and Beckham would text each other as much as 30 times a day. It was then reported that Loos and Beckham had slept together fewer than six times, with the former rendering England’s Golden Boy as equally proficient in the bedroom, as on the pitch. After the allegations, which David vehemently denied, another woman, Sarah Marbeck, came forward and said she too had an affair with Beckham, starting in July 2001 while he was still a Manchester United player after meeting in Singapore. Victoria stood by her husband throughout the media storm that ensued and David was seemingly absolved from any blame.
No.3 – Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
After cheating on wife Cheryl Cole for the first time in 2008 with hairdresser Aimee Walton, Chelsea full-back Ashley then faced many more allegations. Reservations about Mr. Cole’s infidelity persistently surfaced in the media. In the aftermath of Cole’s first indiscretion, Brooke Healy, a glamour model, claimed she had also slept with him, just five months after he wed Cheryl. The glamour model announced she’d been paid £6000 in cash to remain silent and was told to sign a legal document stating she did not sleep with the star. Over the next two years, another five women admitted to having some form of relationship with the Chelsea footballer, ranging from allegations of raunchy ‘sexting’ or sleeping with the England International. Cheryl called a day on their marriage in February, and it’s thought that Ashley is still trying to get back together with his wife, saying his “life is over” now they’re apart.
No.4 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
At the age of 18, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney admitted to visiting prostitutes, saying he was “young and very stupid”. As the story progressed, it was suggested that one of the prostitutes Rooney had visited was in fact was a grandmother of 52. His girlfriend at the time, and now wife, Coleen McLoughlin, was then only 16 and claimed the events took place before their relationship became intimate, stating, “at that time in our relationship [when the story came out] I’d never even slept with Wayne”. Even though Coleen said she was, “so upset, my head was all over the place,” regarding the events, the couple stayed together and have been married since 2008 and now have a baby boy called Kai.
No.5 – Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
Ferdinand’s five year affair with air hostess Lauren Alcorn began in December 2000, and continued as Ferdinand began dating his now wife, Rebecca Ellison. Alcorn said she was pregnant with the Manchester United stars baby, but had a termination, something which she told Ellison over a phone message about Rio’s “double life”. After receiving the message, both Ellison and Ferdinand changed their numbers, apparently ignoring Lauren’s claims. The air hostess was devastated when her affair with Ferdinand concluded but Alcorn is alleged to have continued to pursue the romance with a barrage of texts and calls. This promiscuous debacle came to a head in 2006 the pair met up at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester. Friends of Rio contend that it was purely for him to “sort out his tangled love life once and for all.
Another slur made against Ferdinand involved his Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s daughter-in-law, Nadine. The rumours that occurred in 2005 stated that Ferdinand had been having a fling with Nadine Ferguson, wife of Fergie’s son Darren. Nadine admitted that Rio was a friend but strongly denied having an affair with him. She said, “It’s absolute rubbish. I have never been unfaithful to my husband.”
The rumours didn’t stop there though; Rio has allegedly cheated with page 3 girl Holly McGuire and Australian model Coralie Robinson. The latest scandal to rock Camp Ferdinand was an allegation made by 22-year-old Tslil Sela, an Israeli model. She claimed that she too had bedded Ferdinand, whilst the centre back was on his stag weekend in Tel Aviv last June. Sela told friends that she was with Ferdinand whilst Rebecca Ellison was at home in Britain with their baby son and two-year-old boy just two weeks before their wedding.
The above stories represent a mere cross section of the scandals caused as a result of the infidelities of professional footballers, causing the public’s perceptions of players and the football industry as a whole to change. Where once footballers were the pinnacle of wonderment and appreciation, some are now considered to be careless and selfish in their actions off the pitch. Are these actions just accepted as the status quo and taken as an unfortunate consequence of combining fame and fortune from such a young age? Does a nation’s thirst for a World Cup victory vindicate such conduct and override the basic tenants of the sanctity of marriage and respecting women?
Whilst a definitive answer remains elusive, it is nevertheless clear that such incidents have a far reaching and detrimental impact upon the football industry as a whole, invariably resulting in disenchantment amongst those who idolise the football stars of today.
How do you think footballers sex scandals are affecting the image of English football? Please leave your comments below….
