Cyprus, Graham Rooney and his brother

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

I never much liked Wayne Rooney. He seemed to sum up so much of what was wrong about footballers image off the field. The whole Wayne and Coleen thing like a new Posh and Becks only seemingly without any substance.

 

About 15 years ago, I went on holiday to Cyprus and whilst on a sun lounger by the swimming pool, I was amazed to see what I took to be Wayne and Coleen walking towards me. I had to think quickly as it was during the season so how could he be here? I then figured it must be a professional lookie-likey. He took the lounger next to me and I clicked that it was his brother Graham and , as it turned out, Coleen’s cousin who he was dating.

 

He started a conversation about the hotel but proceeded to gob every 30 seconds or so into a growing pile of spit by the side of his lounger. I asked him to stop as the hotel staff constantly came to clean and nobody should have to clean that. Fair play- he did and apologised. We chatted and he asked me to join him and his mates for drinks at the bar later.

 

I did and later asked him about boxing and he said he had given it up, he said he didnt have to work as “our kid” paid for everything he needed so why should he go and work? “ Um… self respect maybe?” Not my cleverest statement but I really didnt mean it to sound how it did. His friends had to hold him back but I believed for a moment that I was going to be badly hurt- it made Robbored’s “interview” with GJ seem like tea with the vicar. It calmed down but it didnt help my attitude to all things Rooney.

 

Fast forward 15 years and Wayne Rooney came to Derby and by a twist of fate and some financial meltdown found himself Manager of one of the biggest clubs outside of the Prem. He was reportedly being paid £90,000 per week.

 

Next, the club were so in debt that the players  were in danger of not getting paid so Rooney gave part of his salary so that they did- he’s worth over £100 million so not such a sacrifice but he still did it.

 

Then with a double points deduction amounting to 21 points and no chance of buying new players let alone spending big money. In fact once in administration he is forced to sell not buy but he’s kept going where many Managers have not.

 

Despite all the problems he has stuck to the task with a quiet dignity and has clawed his way from bottom of the Championship to a genuine contender to avoid relegation and pull of the greatest escape since .... well....the greatest escape- he’s 8 points off but with form that suggests he can do it. Without the deduction his team would be 11th and have a positive GD. I bet there were many close to him advising him to walk away from the shit show that’s Derby County. But he hasn’t and all the signs are that he’ll see out the season. If Everton do come calling - it will be very hard to refuse.

 

So- my respect for this man has grown and grown and it’s hard not to admire how he’s become a very credible and hardworking manager and a growing force in football without actually playing. Good luck to him.

 

[frenchred]

28 minutes ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

I never much liked Wayne Rooney. He seemed to sum up so much of what was wrong about footballers image off the field. The whole Wayne and Coleen thing like a new Posh and Becks only seemingly without any substance.

 

About 15 years ago, I went on holiday to Cyprus and whilst on a sun lounger by the swimming pool, I was amazed to see what I took to be Wayne and Coleen walking towards me. I had to think quickly as it was during the season so how could he be here? I then figured it must be a professional lookie-likey. He took the lounger next to me and I clicked that it was his brother Graham and , as it turned out, Coleen’s cousin who he was dating.

 

He started a conversation about the hotel but proceeded to gob every 30 seconds or so into a growing pile of spit by the side of his lounger. I asked him to stop as the hotel staff constantly came to clean and nobody should have to clean that. Fair play- he did and apologised. We chatted and he asked me to join him and his mates for drinks at the bar later.

 

I did and later asked him about boxing and he said he had given it up, he said he didnt have to work as “our kid” paid for everything he needed so why should he go and work? “ Um… self respect maybe?” Not my cleverest statement but I really didnt mean it to sound how it did. His friends had to hold him back but I believed for a moment that I was going to be badly hurt- it made Robbored’s “interview” with GJ seem like tea with the vicar. It calmed down but it didnt help my attitude to all things Rooney.

 

Fast forward 15 years and Wayne Rooney came to Derby and by a twist of fate and some financial meltdown found himself Manager of one of the biggest clubs outside of the Prem. He was reportedly being paid £90,000 per week.

 

Next, the club were so in debt that the players  were in danger of not getting paid so Rooney gave part of his salary so that they did- he’s worth over £100 million so not such a sacrifice but he still did it.

 

Then with a double points deduction amounting to 21 points and no chance of buying new players let alone spending big money. In fact once in administration he is forced to sell not buy but he’s kept going where many Managers have not.

 

Despite all the problems he has stuck to the task with a quiet dignity and has clawed his way from bottom of the Championship to a genuine contender to avoid relegation and pull of the greatest escape since .... well....the greatest escape- he’s 8 points off but with form that suggests he can do it. Without the deduction his team would be 11th and have a positive GD. I bet there were many close to him advising him to walk away from the shit show that’s Derby County. But he hasn’t and all the signs are that he’ll see out the season. If Everton do come calling - it will be very hard to refuse.

 

So- my respect for this man has grown and grown and it’s hard not to admire how he’s become a very credible and hardworking manager and a growing force in football without actually playing. Good luck to him.

 

So what's the first bit of the story to do with Wayne? We all meet ********* at some point in our life!

[Pezo]

3 minutes ago, frenchred said:

So what's the first bit of the story to do with Wayne? We all meet ********* at some point in our life!

By definition it's association.

There's very little point in going over the well publicised issues about WR but I though it was interesting to see he funded his brother being a **** as well as himself.

[frenchred]

Just now, Pezo said:

By definition it's association.

There's very little point in going over the well publicised issues about WR but I though it was interesting to see he funded his brother being a **** as well as himself.

Oh right, let's pin that on him as well, if my brother or sister went abroad and acted like he did I certainly wouldn't feel any sense of responsibility

[Leveller]

2 minutes ago, Pezo said:

By definition it's association.

There's very little point in going over the well publicised issues about WR but I though it was interesting to see he funded his brother being a **** as well as himself.

But really, supporting his brother when he doesn’t have to is just another positive.

[Pezo]

47 minutes ago, frenchred said:

Oh right, let's pin that on him as well, if my brother or sister went abroad and acted like he did I certainly wouldn't feel any sense of responsibility

Was it a trick question you asked? You asked what the link was, I gave a reason. FWIW I wouldn't blame WR for his brothers behaviour and funding him is a positive for WR IMHO but it does still reflect on him. If your company send you away and you act like a dick then that does reflect on the company you work for - it's not there fault but does reflect on them.

45 minutes ago, Leveller said:

But really, supporting his brother when he doesn’t have to is just another positive.

It's nice if his brother was unable to work and/or his brother was doing something nice for the world, infact it is just nice of him. The fact that his bother uses it to swan around the world being a scumbag is on his brother.

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

Guys- it's just something that happened about 15 yrs ago and the point I was trying to make was that I think WR has matured into a seemingly decent bloke and a passionate Manager from what seemed to be, imo, not such a decent bloke years ago.

[jambodinho]

I was staying in Cyprus once about 5 years ago. We needed our Rep for something but he was hardly ever about. When we finally tracked him down he told us that Rooney’s brother was getting married at the Olympic Lagoon hotel across the road and that he (the rep) had to spend most his week fussing after all of their party making sure they had everything they needed. Not sure what that adds to the conversation but hey ho.