Anecdotes like this are almost unfathomable nowadays. We’re a lot more used to players arriving via monstrous Rolls Royce vehicles or sleek little sports cars. For away days, they’re transported straight in and straight out of the grounds by luxurious coaches filled with the amenities that rival first-class on an aeroplane.
Is it a crime to have a bit more comfort and space than the public bus? Of course not. But, it’s one of the small details that show the total transformation of football in the last century from the working man’s game to the billion-pound machine that it is today.
In their earliest days, most football clubs were established in predominantly working-class areas. Sunderland was formed by a schoolmaster in 1879, then Newcastle East End merged with Newcastle West End to form what we now know as Newcastle United in 1892.
Rugby had the Lawrences and the Jeremys, but football had Bobbys and Jackies.
Football became an method for young people to gain social mobility through a steady income. For older generations, it became something to enjoy after their gruelling working weeks, particularly for miners and shipyard workers. Sports like rugby had the Lawrences and the Jeremys, but football had Bobbys and Jackies.
This cultural atmosphere lasted well into the 20th century, until commercialisation started to sink its teeth into its latest commodity. The major turning point occurred in 1992, with the introduction of the Premier League.
Spearheaded by Rupert Murdoch and Lord Alan Sugar, this brand new league was designed to showcase the top teams in English football. It was to be broadcasted on Murdoch’s new satellite television network, Sky Sports, and was open to lucrative sponsorship deals.
From that point, football morphed into what we know it as today. Staggeringly large transfer fees, eye-watering weekly wages, and advertisers decorating the grounds like they’re Times Square.
Having grown up in the Premier League era, this seems like the standard for many Millennial and Generation Z fans, but one has to wonder when is it too much? Here on Tyneside, Newcastle United became wrapped up in a media frenzy, as their star striker Alexander Isak forced a transfer move to Liverpool. The final fee was £125m, breaking the British transfer record.
The whole situation caused a great deal of anguish for Newcastle, especially for the fans who felt betrayed by such a beloved player. It opened up debates on club loyalty, players’ peak years and whether all that money was worth the bridges burnt to get it.
We live in a time where social media has brought everybody into each others’ pockets. We can follow our favourite footballers on Instagram and see what they get up to during their time off. This unfiltered access creates the impression that we’re closer to these players than ever before. And yet, they will never sit next to us on the bus.