So, it's finally time for the football conspiracy of the week.
This time, I wanted to talk about an issue that has interested me for a while now - the idea of players falsifying their birth-dates to artificially extend their playing careers, sometimes beyond their 40's.
For example, Taribo West, the famous former Derby County and Inter Milan defender. He played for Partizan Belgrade in 2002, (at the supposed age of 28) but the President of the club at the time, Zarko Zecevic, said;
"He joined us saying he was 28. We only later found out he was 40, but he was still playing well so I don’t regret having him on the team." (1)
Of course, West denied the claims, arguing:
“After I left the club, I still played for seven or so more years at the top level. I don’t know how that is possible if I was indeed 40 then as he claimed.” (2)
Another of West's former suitors then got involved - the Croatian team Rijeka. They said that "at the age of of 44, West told club doctors he was only 32" and that;
"It was only after an examination that the doctors raised suspicions with the club because West's knees suggested he was older." (3)
West's argument about continuing to play at the top level does seem pretty flimsy, with his only noteworthy appearances after Partizan being four league games for Plymouth Argyle the year after - which is hardly top-level football.
His ex-Inter Milan boss, Mircea Lucescu also stuck the knife in, discussing West in the 1998-99 season;
“West was not an important player for me.. He was so uncoordinated he’d fall over and we all laughed. When I read the story about his age I couldn't believe it, as 12 years is a lot. How did they manage to not realise earlier?" (4)
Whether or not the allegations are true, there's no denying that West's 'real' age will always be a bit of a conspiracy - but wouldn't it be great if it was true? If players like West are able to continue into their 40's, surely they should be commended for their superhuman feats, instead of being forced to lie about their age.
Of course, clubs are always more likely to go for a younger player, because of things like resale value, insurance and injuries, but where does that leave older players who still feel they have something left to give?
If West could roll back the years at the age of 40, maybe others could do so, but there's no doubt that most would struggle to find a club that would take a punt on such a high-risk move.
It's a shame, as players are now facing more stringent age tests. For example, under 17's may now have to submit to an MRI scan of their wrist in a bid to assess their age, (5) with other bone tests available for older players.
There's no doubt that football is ageist. Once a player reaches their 30's, they tend to be on the downward slope of their career - often one injury away from retirement, so you can see why a player might attempt to change the dates. As you're only in the job for 15-20 years, it makes sense to be a bit liberal with your age, but there's no chance of that when you've been playing for ten years - so it has to be done before you sign your first professional contract.
If West truly was pushing 40 at the time, it shows the supreme athleticism of the man - and part of me really wants to believe it. Either way, he played so well that it didn't matter.
Verdict - Undecided.
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