ANOTHER young Newcastle United footballer has landed himself in hot water with the police over his drunken antics.
Jamie McClen's caution for being drunk and disorderly on the Quayside comes a week after Craig Bellamy's caution for assaulting a female student, and a day after manager Bobby Robson banned his players from visiting the Quayside.
It comes in a season in which a few young footballers have dragged the reputation of their clubs and their game through the mire: there was the West Ham Christmas party, the Chelsea insults after September 11 and, of course, the Leeds United trial.
In some ways, we should not be surprised. All generations of young men have got themselves into scrapes, particularly where alcohol is concerned, and especially when they have cash in their pockets.
We should not be surprised because, at the moment, society accepts that these young men should be paid fantastical sums each week for kicking a ball about. It also accepts that these young men should be treated as stars and idols - parents buy young children football shirts with their favourite players' names on the back despite the players' reputations. It also accepts that the players' public displays of petulance and verbal abuse of authority should pass without comment: a volley of swear words at a referee, clearly audible on the terraces and clearly visible on primetime television, is considered part of the game.
It must also be acknowledged that, because of football's high profile, it is impossible for these young men to take a single step out of line without the world watching.
However, Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd - himself once embarrassed by his disreputable behaviour which was caught on videotape - is right not to tolerate such antics. He rightly accepts how it damages the name of the club - a club, incidentally, which is doing unbelievably well on the pitch - and says it will not be tolerated.
He is right, too, to question the rules that maximise the fine a player can receive at two weeks' wages. While a £40,000 fine sounds a frightening amount to an ordinary person, to Bellamy on £20,000-a-week, it is small change.
But Newcastle have backed themselves into an awkward corner. Despite his violent misdemeanours, Bellamy played on Saturday. He had brought the club into disrepute, but was allowed to represent it on the pitch - because he is in the form of his life and crucial to the team.
McClen, though, may be punished by being dropped on Saturday. He's just broken into the team and Newcastle have coincidentally paid £5m for a player in his position. He is expendable.
There cannot be one rule for a good player and another for a not-so-good player.
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