By Michael Lynch
August 4 2004

Football. It's a money thing. The game has undergone a vast array of changes since the days of Brian Clough- and although he was one of those managers who preserved the old way of strict management- he was also partly to blame for the huge transfer fees paid by clubs for a single player today. Gone are the days of Brian Clough. Gone are the days when Nottingham Forest were the cream of the crop of English football. Gone are the days when players would keep their opinions to themselves and their only purpose to serve was on the pitch.

Things have changed. First David Johnson, then Andy Reid. Outbursts. In public. Jepordising the name of our club and putting down our chances. And maybe it's time, for Kinnear to be a bit stricter, take a leaf out of The Almighty Brian's book and have a little more discipline.

In those days, nobody would have dared questioned anything our legendary manager did, as they knew what they would get. It was this 'no nonense' and rather old fashioned approach that saw the Trickies of the last generation quickly rise from Second Division no-hopers, to European Champions.

Still- a lot has changed since those days. Football has become a monopoly. The gap between the 'Premiership' and The 'Championship' is ever-widening and player's agents are out there making sure their clients move clubs as often as possible to ensure that they get a higher income.

Like most things in football, agents were a brilliant idea when it begun. Sounded good, rather like communism- Making sure that player's weren't ripped off by the clubs they were joining. Excellent. On paper. Soon though, it all went pear shaped, an it's now just another thing on that long list of monopolised components of professional football.

Gareth Williams joined Leicester City this summer on a free transfer. Upon his return to The City Ground, there will be numerous chants of "Judas" ringing round the stadium. But: Can you really blame Gaz for leaving? He was guaranteed a higher wage, and a better chance of Premiership football. However much we like to think that 'Fester' won't be going back up, the dodgy way their finances work means they probably will.

So why should Gareth Williams have stayed? What loyalties did he have to The Reds? He signed a contract and stayed for the length of time he said he would. He stated that he wanted to stay at Forest, and even kissed his badge- but you must come to realise that in this day and age, that does not mean a thing. I wouldn't turn down a better paid position at another company just because I was loyal to my current employers. Would you? 

Williams is not my favourite man on the planet at the moment, and I will probably join in the chants when he returns wearing the Blue of the Foxes- but I understand why he did it.

Football. It's a money thing.