Never a dull moment

Publicly criticising Ashley Cole, Nigel Clough and Fabio Capello is more than most chairmen would manage in a year, but for our very own Uncle Ken, it’s all in a days work.

Before our League Cup match with Lincoln City last night, Ken Bates stirred up his usual controversies by criticising the pre and post-match antics of Derby and Nigel Clough, before turning his attention to the England manager’s selection.

On Fabio Capello and Ashley Cole, Bates said;

“Capello comes back refreshed after his month-long holiday to tell us what we all knew.

‘Namely that England were c**p and there will be changes — but he still includes the disgraced “Cashley” Cole who has publicly stated that he hates England (and the English).

‘I suppose Cheryl thinks the same about you, Cashley.’

First off, I have to admit, I can’t stand Ashley Cole. I know I’m not alone either as he’s probably amongst the least popular footballers in the Premier League. If he was excluded from the England squad, I wouldn’t be at all disappointed even though he’s probably the best left-back in World. It’s the arrogance and lack of interest that grates on me – he just doesn’t seem to care, so I fail to see why I should?

As for publicly stating he hates England and the people of this nation, I can’t comment as I have so little interest in him, that this one passed me by. I sense another law-suit coming on though for old Kenneth. Should keep him busy for a few months…

On Derby County’s pre and post-match antics;

“I thought they were childish quite frankly. It always pays to be dignified when you have won. But I didn’t understand this ceremonial march, 500 yards apparently, through the roads. I don’t know what that’s suppose to signify.”

Let’s ignore the hypocrisy of expecting others to be dignified in victory, because quite frankly, it’s laughable coming from Kenneth given some of his previous programme notes reflecting on victories against people he disliked!

What was really interesting about the above comments is that Ken is clearly unaware of why the walk to the stadium was significant. I don’t expect our chairman to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of our club’s history, but Don Revie’s superstitions are the stuff of folklore around these parts – surely he could have asked?

Personally, I was quite impressed by the mind-games Nigel Clough played in pulling that one!

Finally, as child-gate continues, we have his reaction to Nigel Clough;

‘We had a couple of tantrums from the visiting manager… who made much out of his failure to take his little boy on the pitch, apparently confusing the football ground with a playground.’

To not allow a child onto the match 90 minutes before kick-off does seem a bit ridiculous, but if those are the clubs rules, then why should Nigel Clough’s child be an exception? There’s people that pay hundreds of pounds a year to take their children to Elland Road, and I doubt many of them have ever contemplated taking junior on for a run around before kick-off.

Here, you can’t help but agree with Kenneth. In being denied entry to the pitch, Clough has had his ego dented a bit and thrown a strop in retaliation. Expecting to be granted special permission solely because you’re the opposing teams manager is nothing less than arrogance – So him and his father have something in common after all!