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Featured Sport News

Football's bad boys

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 20/04/2009

Disgraced Rangers duo Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor returned to training this week following the drinking session and two-fingered gestures which led to their lifetime ban from representing the Scotland national team.

But unsavoury as their actions may have been, football is no stranger to bad boys as this line-up of villains testifies.

Eric Cantona

The enfant terrible of French football was a more calm presence during his time with Manchester United. However, it didn't stop him from launching a kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan after being sent off in 1995 and earning a four-month ban. Before 'mellowing' with United, his career was blighted by fall-outs, walk-outs and disciplinary problems for both club and country.

Joey Barton

The Newcastle United midfielder has missed most of the season after being imprisoned for six months on charges of common assault and affray. Liverpudlian Barton was also given a four-month suspended sentence after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo during a training ground dispute.

Paul Gascoigne

The likeable Geordie's indiscretions include belching down a TV microphone, inciting Celtic fans as a Rangers player by playing of an imaginary flute, accusations of assault and constant battles with alcoholism and mental illness. Then there was his criminal music career with Lindisfarne.

Craig Bellamy

Eight clubs in nine years suggests Bellamy is a prickly personality who has trouble putting down roots. At Newcastle he was sold after accusing manager Graeme Souness of lying and allegedly sending abusive text messages to club legend Alan Shearer. Then there was his reported golf club attack on team-mate John Arne Riise which led to a hasty departure from Liverpool.

Diego Maradona

There is a fine line between genius and madness and Maradona spent plenty of time on both sides of the divide. Arguably the greatest player in the history of the game scored an infamous World Cup goal against England with his hand, was banned for taking a cocktail of drugs, fell foul of the authorities over tax evasion in Italy and took pot shots at journalists with an air rifle.

Duncan Ferguson

Big Dunc served time for head-butting an opponent while playing in Scotland with Rangers. Off the field he was equally as fearsome as he twice thwarted burglaries at his home during his spell with Everton. Each time he let the would-be thieves know they had broken into the wrong house after dishing out some rough justice of his own.

Vinnie Jones

It takes a certain type of football to forge a Hollywood career playing the likes of Bullet Tooth Tony and Smasher O'Driscoll. The self-styled hardman of the Wimbledon side on the 1990s holds the record for the fastest every yellow card - three seconds - and famously took no prisoners on the pitch. Off it he has been involved in scrapes with neighbours, journalists, fellow airline passengers and recently a bar-room brawl in America.

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