1.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 13:09:03
Another goof post ED001.

{Ed001's Note - cheers mate, I know you all love goof posts on here.... ;-)


2.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 14:22:29
Should’ve awarded Cardiff 3 points imo, embarrassing from Derby Cowardly.


3.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 15:27:49
I hope psg can afford that fine 😀.


4.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 16:32:14
I think what Juan Mata is doing is fantastic. It should be mandatory for all footballers to donate 1% of their salary to charity. It goes to show that given the option, most footballers are selfish fools who don't follow suit.


5.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 18:39:50
The thing is Max, in the UK if you donate to a registered charity you can claim the tax back so if a player gives 1%: it effectively only costs them 0.6%. I’m pretty appalled so few have got involved.


6.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 20:47:29
Mandatory charity donations? Same thing as tax.

Maybe other footballers donate their time and money to other good causes. Maybe they realise their career is short-lived and anything can happen, so they are waiting to give in a Will or when they retire?

Maybe they realise that a great many charities have numerous executives earning just as much as them for doing sweet FA and only a small percentage only goes to the actual cause?

Maybe some footballers don't want to make a big song and dance of making a donation to charity. Ultimately 1% is a paltry amount, amazed Mata is getting so much good PR when a lot of people donate 10%+ of their income to charity, whilst earning less than 10% of what Mata earns.

I think it's a nice gesture, but there can be many reasons why the take up isn't high. From what I read it's only when the very intelligent Mata went to India recently he realised how poor people live (WTF) - not many footballers as bright as Mata but that's ridiculous! I love hearing Mata speak and think he seems like a lovely guy, but the love-in is a bit much for me to swallow at times and people should certainly not be judged for not joining in with this project.

I'd be amazed if Mata's contribution features in the top 100 footballers donations to good causes - every little helps of course, but let's not get carried away.


7.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 21:27:03
Come one Beast. Atleast Mata is contributing 1 percent. It is the the thought that counts not how much you give. Further more you don't know exactly who gives what to charities.


8.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 21:47:22
Exactly what I said Singh, read my post again mate!


9.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 21:58:56
Harsh Beast, harsh.


10.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 22:44:46
I agree with beast on this one.
Not knocking mata's idea but he is no bob geldof, i know for a fact many footballers give more than 1% and don't seek or want publicity for it.

If i was captain of an epl side i would ask each 1st team squad member to donate 10k into a fund every year which would put about 250k into the pot. let's say that buys 350 season tickets. i'd then hold a raffle for all season ticket holders with 350 winners who get their seasin ticket paid for next year as a thank you to the fans.


11.) 23 Mar 2018
23 Mar 2018 22:41:41
Are you joking AJH?

What have I said that is harsh?

You say you are 'appalled' how few players have got involved with Mata's charity. Seems like a snap judgment based on very little information. I bet footballers receive dozens of requests every week for charitable causes, or other such requests for them to part with their money, some of those may be taken up and we never hear about it.

1% of your wage to charity is a nice gesture, but I bet most people give more than that - so I'm not sure why this is getting so much attention. Even if a footballer doesn't donate it's their prerogative what they do with their money. Foreign Aid is paid by our government which is derived from taxes that footballers pay (a lot more than most people), our government pays into many charities on behalf of it's citizens. Before being 'appalled' maybe don't jump to wild assumptions.

I find it appalling that somebody of Mata's obvious intelligence only recently realised that their is severe poverty in the world. It just shows the bubble that footballers are living in, but I would never be appalled if somebody chooses not to give their money to something - especially not knowing their intimate financial circumstances.

BTW - the average American Citizen gives 2.1% of their income to charity, most of them earn less than Mata.


12.) 24 Mar 2018
24 Mar 2018 10:33:31
Beast, I get that and maybe it’s the cynic in me but you hear stories of footballers buying stupidly expensive stuff because they don’t know what to do with their money. I am sure some do give to charity but I suspect not as many as you think. I’d love to be wrong.


13.) 24 Mar 2018
24 Mar 2018 17:09:50
Hope so mate. In their defence i'm sure everybody likes to treat themselves from time-time. If they earn 50X more than most people then their treats are typically going to seem 50 times more of a waste to most people.

Money isn't everything, they must be bored stiff when not playing. Most men in their 20's earning decent money are having the time of their life (some footballers do but shouldn't of course) . I know I wasted everything I earned during my 20's, i'd imagine most footballers give a lot more in time and energy to charitable causes than your typical bloke in their 20's. I bet there is a lot of depression/ boredom in professional footballers lives despite most of us dreaming of nothing but doing what they do.

Pet hate of mine in the office was when some guy would come around saying they are climbing X mountain and could we donate to their cause, then next week someone is running a marathon in an exotic location, then a sponsored bungee jump or skydive - it would never end and if you took everyone up you'd be broke. Half of them were clearly doing these things to get a free experience and attempting to be viewed as Saints at the same time, (some are legit of course, but I'm a skeptic) . Just imagine how many sob stories footballers must get, and as Ken says many of them will contribute a lot and seek no attention from it.