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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to wonder if there are any Premiership footballers who have had pvt education?

47 replies

PrimarkShopperHere · 03/02/2011 10:56

Is there anyone?

Is being a premiership footballer not a top job? Apparently all the top jobs go to privately educated people.

OP posts:
shouldnotbehere · 03/02/2011 10:57

Frank Lampard is privately educated.

laciderfarmer · 03/02/2011 10:58

Frank Lampard

cantspel · 03/02/2011 10:59

frank lampards dad was Frank lampard also a footballer. he could afford to privately educate where i doubt wayne rooney dad could.

Wordsonascreen · 03/02/2011 11:00

Graham le Saux used to read the guardian irrc

I DO hope this helps

redbeetle · 03/02/2011 11:01

Frank Lampard.

Is he really the only one? That says a lot

gordyslovesheep · 03/02/2011 11:05

surely they mean 'top jobs' as in the job with a fair amount of power and influence rather than PAY?

jonicomelately · 03/02/2011 11:06

I'm probably missing the point here but being a footballer is not a top job.

However, fwiw, there is a growing trend in football academies towards their intake of kids being privately educated. This is often because poorer kids don't have the resources to travel to the often out-of-town locations and because private schools often provide better sporting opportunities than their state counterparts.

gordyslovesheep · 03/02/2011 11:07

can't say I noticed that trend locally? If you mean football club apprentice academies - most take kids who are good at football!

Original poster
PrimarkShopperHere · 03/02/2011 11:09

i watched 'Who gets the best jobs' prog on BBC 2 last night.

the programme had a lot of generalisations and it was sad when the kids from Newcastle said they wanted to be like Cheryl Cole.

Do pvt educated children snub football then?

OP posts:
cocoachannel · 03/02/2011 11:10

Surely when said as a disparaging remark, the 'top jobs' going to privately educated people is implicit that they are only in these roles due to the Old Boys' Network, and not their own talents? It's their connections which count.

You can be Alex Ferguson's favourite nephew, and this may get you the odd trial, but unless you are extremely talented you will never be a professional footballer, let alone a Premier League player!

pagwatch · 03/02/2011 11:11

Many private schools don't have football as their main sort. Rugby, hockey, cricket are the main sports at my dcs schools.

Ds1 has just decided to play football for a term but it isn't that popular amongst the boys

Wordsonascreen · 03/02/2011 11:12

I am trying to encourage my ds to play football as theres far more money in it than cricket.

pagwatch · 03/02/2011 11:12

Main sport not sort.

textpest · 03/02/2011 11:13

Didn't Lamps go to the same school as Jodie Marsh and Noel Edmonds?

Victor Moses and Lee Hills both went to Private school but I think it was as part of their contracts with the academy at Crystal Palace. OH recons that some teams activly look at PS for players for their academies as the boys tend to be better educated and more confident, as well as more disciplined. OH also says that a lot of PS don't have much of a football programme and tend towards Rugby so there are more privately educated Rugby players than footballers (Lawrence Dellaglio and Danny Ciprianni being two that spring to mind) although this is changing after a school down south (Wytgiff? Whitgift?) started to take on the CP academy players. There are quite a few there now.

Wordsonascreen · 03/02/2011 11:13

plus cricket goes on for bloody hours

jumpingcastles · 03/02/2011 11:14

My DS aged 7 is at a selective prep school.

His PE teacher noticed his 'talent' at age 3 and has since received massive help from the school. He has recently joined the academy of a Premiership team with their help.

Vallhala · 03/02/2011 11:14

The only one I know of is Lampard.

If only he'd gained the traditional public school accent... he'd be perfect. Wink

cocoachannel · 03/02/2011 11:15

As Pagwatch says lots of the private schools don't have football as a core sport. My DH had to travel right across London, past several comparable schools, to attend one which had football as it's main winter sport not rugby because he and my BIL love football so much and were never into rugby.

Vallhala · 03/02/2011 11:17
pagwatch · 03/02/2011 11:17

Whitgift.

One of dss school friends has just been signed by harlequins and they had four boys in the quins academy.

It is just common sense that children will tend to excel if they are exposed to a sport. Footballers will come from schools that play footballers (and those who join local clubs) and rugby players will come from schools who play rugby (and those who join local clubs).

Not rocket science

cantspel · 03/02/2011 11:17

my son plays county football. Out of his whole team only 2 of the boys are privately educated.

jonicomelately · 03/02/2011 11:21

Yes I mean academies attached to football clubs.

I know that football isn't often played in private schools but that's actually beginning to change because of pressure from children/parents. I also think that it almost doesn't matter what sport it is you play. If core skills (hand to eye etc) are developed kids often end up being good at several different sports at the same time.

I'm not saying every child at an academy is privately educated before I'm inudated with 'my child is at...and is in state education. This is a trend identified by the FA (I think) or at least somebody in the know when it comes to academies.

LadyWellian · 03/02/2011 11:23

Grin pagwatch I quite liked textpest's Wytgiff, though. Looks like one of those uncrackable MN acronyms.

cantspel · 03/02/2011 11:25

I dont think the trend is that more privately educated boys are getting into a prem academy but a club is willing to pay for a childs education if they show exceptional talent.

West ham has the best academy in the country for taking on and developing young local talent.

pagwatch · 03/02/2011 11:26

Grinyes , dodgy acronym. Something to do with a treatment for a urinary tract infection.

Or ye olde English school...