Why do footballers always marry attractive women and why do so many high-profile attractive women tend to go for footballers? Discuss.

[UnquietDad]

I mean, part of me says "it's not rocket science", but I don't want to be sexist about it.

Maybe it's more complex than one imagines.

MONEY

not that complex

Money, big haas,get face in 'papers' never have to really work

But some of them already have money.

Cheryl Cole for example.

All men would marry an attractive woman if they could get one.

Ideally they would marry an attractive woman who also had other qualities, but men (as a massiv generalisation) prioritise looks more than women.

Playing football is not a particularly intellectual career so there is no reason to believe that footballers would have deeper insights into what is important in a wife than the average man.

Why do attractive, already-rich women marry footballers?

Maybe because that's who they meet, because of the circles they mix in. It would be hard for Cheryl Cole for example to meet a man who worked as a doctor or a double-glazing salesman or a farmer.

Footballers are not just rich, they should in theory be fit too

It depresses me that "the WAGs" are always the same.

You never get one who is bright and not into fashion and hair extensions etc.

And the media takes it as read that every footballer will have a wife or a girlfriend. (Or both...)

footballers marry pretty girls because they can.
they are rich and fit and can pretty much have the pick of the women. of course t hey are going to chose a beautifull woman.

It is also fashionable atm it really is that shallow.Its like handbags 'I want one of those cos so and so has one!'

I think there is pressure to get into fashion and hair extensions. You would too if you were surrounded by the other WAGs at social functions.

Well, no, I imagine Cheryl Cole does meet men who work, not as double glazing salesmen but as as doctors, dentists, accountants... She wouldn't necessarily not find them attractive, either. She just wouldn't see them as husband material because they don't earn enough.

That's what we're saying then? Women really are that vacuous?... I just wanted to check, but it's a bit depressing.

Is it the same in other countries or is this a British phenomenon? I mean, look at Carla Bruni for example. Would someone like her be married to the British PM?...

Not all women, UQD, some women. Like some men are (e.g footballers).

They are a perfect match for each other!

Vacuous, that is.

Isn't Eric Cantona (a) not at all thick and (b) married to a lawyer or similar professional? Also an ex-Man U or Lpool player is, I know, as a friend of mine went to their wedding. But "Heat" isn't going to put the non-WAGgy WAGs on their cover so our impression of the WAGs is slanted towards the vacuous ones.

But at times of deep cynicism I wonder if there is a sliding scale. How much sex (appeal) you can offer being in direct correlation to how much money you can offer.

I am not a WAG apologist but I have seen articles about the non-typical ones who are in education/normal jobs. You just don't usually hear about them because that's not what the average tabloid/NOW/Closer reader wants to read - they want someone to aspire to or sneer at (is this where I don't own up to reading the above??)

Steve McManaman's wife is a barrister and think she lecturers in law?

Yes isn't it lucky they inflict each other on each other!

Well of course there might be footballers who are married to brainy women without hair extensions who don't like being in the papers and never go to WAG-type events. Because they are too busy being surgeons and saving lives to waste time at football matches . We just don't know about them.

Also, the thing about being rich - rich people are just as keen on marrying rich people as poor people are. They don't think, 'Oh, I've got £4 million, I don't need any more.' They think 'Ooh, someone with £12 million, phwoarr.'

ah, x-post with all the people who actually know something about footballers' brainy wives!

oh and "Shaka" Hislop is nice, upstanding honest man with intelligent albeit gorgeous wife and adorable well-behaved children, I have met them

op reads too many heat type magazines

Steve McManaman is the other chap I was thinking of whose wedding my friend went to.

That's another thing, why do they all have to travel with them and pretend to know jack shit and/or care a damn about football? If your husband works in insurance, I imagine the last thing you want to do is turn up to his insurance conferences hanging off his arm.

Money attracts money, you're right there, kathy. Does it work both ways, I wonder? Or are men less bothered about their wives already being independently wealthy and more bothered if they are good-looking?