The Wise Fool

Last updated : 24 October 2002 By Richard Oldroyd

It represented the culmination of a bad week for the Foxes. On Saturday, Burnley went and took their 100% home record away from them; earlier in the week, Dennis Wise had mugged his former employers by announcing he would be suing the club for loss of earnings after they sacked him for punching a teammate.

Wise has never exactly shone as a beacon of football’s integrity, but this latest act of outrageous arrogance marks a new low for an individual who is – or perhaps was – a very good footballer. At a time when Leicester were already known to be struggling, it is quite possible that it was the threat of legal action, and the costs that will go hand in hand with defending such a threat, that tipped the club over the edge.


We all know the chain of events that led to Wise’s sacking. On a pre-season tour he punched Callum Davidson, and broke his jaw. There was no provocation; there was no justification. The top and bottom of the matter is that he attacked a colleague for no apparent reason, and
Leicester quite rightly terminated his contract. Wise, however, had the gall to claim he was the one who had been wronged.

Gross Misconduct is, in any contract, a sackable offence. There is no conclusive definition of that term, but if you cited punching a workmate as an example to any employment lawyer, it is sure that he would agree with you.

Footballers have, by virtue of the Bosman Ruling amongst others, spent much of the past ten years arguing that their contracts are exactly the same as anyone else in any other job, and that they are entitled to the same benefits, such as freedom of movement, as anyone else – this has culminated in the reform of the transfer system. They cannot have it both ways. If their contracts are no different to anyone else, then they are subject to the same conditions as anyone else. Any other rules, and player power will become complete, and the game will become a mockery.


Leicester
City
and their supporters deserve better. No true football fan wants any other football club to collapse; there is a special relationship between different clubs and their supporters. For 90 minutes we might hate them, in some cases we might hate them away from the heat of the match, but there is an empathy with supporters of other clubs that transcends rivalries. No real football fan would really like to see Blackburn go to the wall, although a bit of a cash flow crisis down the M65 might meet with a bit of amusement. But when a single player can wield such a powerful axe, it should meet with the condemnation of every other club.

Perhaps that is the worst thing about this whole affair. Wise may sue for loss of earnings, but instead of shunning Wise, one club was prepared to give him yet another chance. But then that was Millwall, who don’t have the best of reputations themselves, although a good number of their fans are as decent as anyone else’s. Maybe that is a form of poetic justice. They are welcome to each other.