Manchester Utd, the best employer of them all?

As a life long Liverpool fan, I think I was as surprised as anyone to read about the enormous counter-offer that has been placed at Wayne Rooney’s door. I, on a personal level think that Wayne’s attitude to his employer has been nothing short of diabolical but I am at a loss as to how this utter lack of respect and responsibility has gone unanswered.

Lets get some elements straight; Manchester United is a business, recent reports confirm that Manchester United’s turnover topped £285,000,000. The business has employees as any business does of which a small number are paid to play football. Lets not forget the Marketing, Sales, and Finance Directors that occupy the buildings or offices around Old Trafford that make it all happen. From the licence agreements, to sponsorship and even corporate deals it’s all there.

Anyone business owner or employee will know that your employees are your assets, they are the people that assist the business in making money, however, they also know that no employee should commit an act that would knowingly bring their employer into disrepute, or indeed to commit an act of gross misconduct.

Mr. Rooney’s actions over the past six months have indeed done that, form his prostitute liaisons through to publically slamming his employer, he has done more damage to his employer and indeed their sponsors than any good he has achieved whilst employed by Manchester United.

So, the question is ‘how did football become completely removed from the employer and employee relationship model?’

At the same time as perusing the news paper I also watched the qualifying session from South Korea. Wayne Rooney is indeed one of the UK’s top sports stars, but then so is Lewis Hamilton, and of course Jenson Button. In the latter two we have two professional, responsible young men who represent not only their team but every person that has assisted them to get to the dizzy heights of Formula One World Champion.Of course, there are cynics that dislike the modern advertising and corporate lead F1, but it is a sport in the same way that Manchester United is a business. Both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are employees, they are paid not only to win F1 races, but to act as ambassadors for their companies values, beliefs and to promote the brands that associate themselves with the stars.

So, two very wealthy sports, three very wealthy young men, and a mere 209 miles between the base in Manchester to HQ in Woking but a world apart.

No employee would be forgiven for committing the same sins that Wayne has partaken in this week. Not only has be brought his employer, his sponsors but he has also brought his industry down. People who know nothing of football and are not interested in the Saturday routine have an opinion, they now believe that football has overstepped the mark.

Isn’t it funny how his actions in almost any other industry would lead to the delivery of your P45 and an escort from the premises, but in football it rewards you with an £8million a year pay rise.

I just hope that the owners of the football teams begin to see that they are businesses and therefore the players are the employees, they are not bigger than the employment law (contracts aside), they should be treated as employees and not investments because it sets an amazing precedent; a precedent that an employee is greater than their employer and that is something that just isn’t the case. It is the employer than negotiates the contract that pays your wages, puts in the infrastructure and support that you need to succeed.

I just hope Mr. Rooney remembers that.