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Featured Sport News

Football fall-outs

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 21/03/2009

Teamwork is the name of the game in football. All the successful sides have it and the lack of silverware in Craig Bellamy's trophy cabinet shows it must be true.

The volatile Welshman has fallen out with a host of characters including Graeme Souness, John Arne Riise and Robinho, and they're only the ones that have made the newspapers.

Bellamy is a serial offender and it has to be said most of the volatile bust-ups involve players who are usually associated with controversy and uproar. Here are just a few examples.

David Batty v Graeme Le Saux

Le Saux's 1995 bout of fisticuffs with his Blackburn team-mate came during Rovers' ill-fated Champions League campaign. Just four minutes into a game against Spartak Moscow they became involved in a heated exchange after a Le Saux pass had gone astray. A few punches were thrown before both men went for each other's throat. Blackburn crashed out of Europe and have never been near the Champions League since.

John Hartson v Eyal Berkovic

Israel international Berkovic was a quiet, cultured footballer who became involved in an infamous altercation with the far from quiet and cultured John Hartson while at West Ham. The burly Welshman felled Berkovic with a crushing challenge during training that the delicate play-maker unsurprisingly took exception to. Hartson responded with a sickening boot into Berkovic's head, the incident was captured on camera and the nomadic Hartson was fined.

Kieron Dyer v Lee Bowyer

Newcastle United have employed most of football's bad boys in the last decade with the nadir coming in 2005 when two of the worst offenders clashed during a game against Aston Villa. Their on-pitch, off-the-ball brawl was ended by Villa captain Gareth Barry who had to play the role of peacemaker. Referee Barry Knight sent both miscreants off to put an end to the nonsense.

Derek Hales and Mike Flanagan

Thirty years ago the two Charlton players were involved in probably the most intense mid-match contretemps. They were one of the 1970s most celebrated strike partnerships but hated the sight of each other and were sent-off for brawling during an FA Cup third round tie against Maidstone at The Valley. Flanagan played a ball through to Hales who was ruled offside and was furious as he had wanted the ball played a lot earlier. They started fighting and were sent off by referee Brian Martin.

Steve McManaman and Bruce Grobbelaar

The Liverpool keeper lost his cool when McManaman hit a weak clearance that gifted Everton the lead in the Merseyside derby. A shouting match ensured with Grobbelaar eventually resorting to grab his team-mate by the throat and pushed him away.

Ricardo Fuller and Andy Griffin

The Jamaica international made the cardinal error of falling out with his captain during this season's 2-1 defeat at West Ham. Fuller blamed Griffin, who was patently carrying an injury, for a Hammers goal and made his feelings known. It all ended predictably - a big fine and long suspension.

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