No surprise as his name was being bandied about on the internet for days and indeed had made the front cover of Scotland's Sunday Herald.
But in the longer context of the issue, it is a surprise. As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, I wanted to say a few words on release of his name, to show my dismay at what is an unexpected turn of events.
This is my sorry explanation...
"The Ultimate Football Professional - Ryan Giggs"
These were my own words - the words that I used in a blog post written here back in October to contrast against what I saw as the shameful attitude of Wayne Rooney towards his employees Manchester United.
I wanted to demonstrate that Rooney could well take a leaf out of Giggs' book in how to be a model professional.
I must guote the piece in full...
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"Ryan Giggs has played his entire career for one club - the same Manchester United as Wayne Rooney. An unprecedented near 850 appearances over 20 years. He was won more league titles than any other in the history of the game, two European Cups and countless other domestic trophies.
"Yet, off the pitch, he has been an exemplar of good behaviour. Now married with a young family, you'll only see him on the back pages for his exploits on the pitch, not on the front pages of the tabloids for his exploits in a club or in someone's bed.
"For any aspiring young footballer, for dedication and commitment on the pitch and for a level-headedness off it, they need look no further than Ryan Giggs".
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Well, what can I say?! I'm absolutely stunned and flabergasted that I was proven to be wholly incorrect.
Innocent until proven guilty of course but in this case, it would seem that where there's smoke, there's fire. I have no reason to disbelieve Imogen Thomas when she states that she and Giggs had had a 7 month affair and stories here of his previous indiscretions adds to the liklihood that she's telling the truth. Also, the way in which he has tried to smother the affair with the superinjunction and with his crass and incredulous attack on Twitter users leaves a lot to be desired. It is a PR disaster on his part but more importantly, it is a moral tragedy and one which I had not expected. I find it deeply saddening that he could apparently do such a thing to his wife and the mother of his children.
Giggs is a world class player and I hope that he can help lead Manchester United to another European Cup triumph against Barcelona this weekend. I still regard him in the higher most echelon of footballing playing talent that this country has ever witnessed. Nothing will change that. But he has badly tarnished what was otherwise, a brilliant reputation as a footballer and as a role model through these actions.
It makes me wince when I re-read what I confidently wrote of him back in October.
Through his actions, he has in my opinion, blackened the image that was projected to young and aspiring football players as a model to follow. This is possibly the greatest tragedy of all.
How could I have been so wrong?
You are not the only person to be proven wrong, so don't worry.
ReplyDeleteI saw John Hemming make his speech and the MP who I noticed tut tutting the most, was Simon Hughes.
I believe John Hemming should win Parliamentarian of the Year Award, if an award is there to be voted on by the public. It seems even our MP's can be out of touch and that includes Simon Hughes.
The law is an ass and this needs resolving as the High Court upheld the injunction to prevent the naming of Ryan Giggs.
We may be in a democracy, but this farce is proving that we are not perfect and I am happy to break the law as our forefathers did, hundreds of years ago. Thankfully, I don't have to take up arms, but have the tools such as Twitter at my disposal. I don't make a habit of it, but the superinjunction issue is really p*ssing me off, big time and common sense has to be brought in to ensure the law is respected, once again.
Everyone has to have equal access to the law. The superinjunction issue just shows its there for the rich to cover up their affairs, which is not available to Barry the Brickie. I'm not interested in the tittle tattle of who is shagging who. I didn't care that Charlie Sheen was sharing a bed with 2 women. Thats his concern. NOT mine.
Ryan Giggs was one of 2 footballers who I had on a pedestal for their football and how they lived a family life, away from the press. The other is Michael Owen. I hope Michael Owen is not doing a "Giggsy", otherwise my respect for everyone will go into a nosedive.
I share your thoughts and comment, Mark.
Ryan Giggs' future is now severely tarnished, Mark, and I bet even his wife is now having second thoughts on whether she was right to forgive him. Is he worth it?
... why are you focusing on a football player's affair? It's his private life, let him live it how he wants.
ReplyDeleteWhat's of far more importance is the use of a superinjunction, something you mentioned but have otherwise ignored. These things have the potential to be a real pain and yet everyone's bothered about something that should be in a cheap, tacky magazine and not national news.
Hillarious, really hillarious!!
ReplyDeleteMakes me mad that such a fuss is made about something 90% of modern society do, and would do regarding the super injunction!! Who cares, she's just another trollop putting herself about the football world in the hope of being noticed, and sadly giggsy fell for it. He doesnt deserve the absolute bull he's getting now and people should really look at themselves in the mirror!
As regards to looking in the mirror, this brings me on to my biggest gripe in all this! That end-bell mp who brought it up! Have any of you old boys club members bothered to reaserch your clever little hitler?? If you do i think you'll unearth a string of affairs and even a child out of wedlock mothered by the said mp's secetary!!! Really upstanding, and what a great man for........Oh.........Being a right ruddy hypocrite!!!
Ryan Giggs made a mistake, as do we all, lets get off our moral "High Horses" before we find ourselves being knocked off by something similar hey!
@ Anonymous.... Last paragraph "Ryan Gigs made a mistake". It takes 2 to tango, but he made that mistake for 7 months, not a quick drunken fumble that people usually make and regret.
ReplyDeleteHe was presumably almost living a double life while his wife was unaware of his other life.
He wanted the superinjunction to stop his wife and everyone else, finding out.
If thats a mistake, wow!
None of what's emerged about Giggs should take away from what he's achieved professionally, though. He should be remembered for what he's achieved on the field. He is a human being, subject to the same temptations and frailties as the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI have a very low opinion of rich (and it usually is) men using the law against less powerful (and it usually is) women. I'll judge him for that, certainly. As he's never played for Inverness Caley Thistle, I really don't care about his career but I don't think you should diminish your professional opinion of him.
Read Eady's judgements. It appears that the affair, if it occurred at all, was spread over three meetings late last year - not seven months. And there is also a strong suggestion (made by Eady, not Giggs) that Thomas was trying to blackmail Giggs for a sum of £100,000. In those circumstances it's hardly surprising the man sought to take out an injunction. What he might have put his family through is only a fraction of what the media will if full details of the affair get out. That's not to excuse adultery, but then adultery isn't a crime - blackmail, on the other hand, is.
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