Traditionalist Gary Pallister slams football social networking sites

GARY PALLISTER has warned that a generation of footballers is being lost to football social networking websites, with devastating consequences for the real-life game.

The former Manchester United centre-half said that many of the club’s current youth team spend “hours on end” alone in their bedrooms using the online function in games like FIFA 10, leaving them tired, withdrawn and unable to communicate effectively on the training ground.

Speaking at the launch of his latest collection of poems, Pallister said: “Sometimes the youngsters at Carrington have more of an affinity to internet players like Park4evaSeoul than to the likes of Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck.

“When I was unhappy with Steve Bruce’s zonal marking, I’d tell him face to face, but these days I’d probably have to email him an online Twitter.”

EA Sports’ FIFA 10 incorporates social networking along with its traditional fast-paced gameplay, allowing users to make friends with strangers, chat with them about the best virtual tactics and even toe-poke users they would like to flirt with.

Self-confessed technophobe Pallister highlighted the dangers of online ‘grooming’, whereby predatory FIFA players encourage others to change their tactics. “I read in the papers that within 14 seconds of going online a young footballer can get brainwashed by these perverts into thinking that they want to play three at the back. That’s just sick.”

Asked what youngsters should be doing in their downtime rather than interacting over the internet, Pallister replied: “When I was starting out at United I’d spend my spare time practising defensive headers and drinking Strongbow and black with Brian McClair.

“I think it’s very sad that today’s young footballers would rather sit alone in front of a computer screen than watch Blockbusters with the youth team squad in the canteen, laughing when contestants ask for a ‘P’ .”

A spokesman for EA Sports said Pallister’s remarks were “way out of whack” and that most FIFA 10 players were healthy, intelligent youngsters who just wanted to have a good time perfecting their 360 degree turns and lobbed pass one-twos.

Published April 29, 2010

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