THE hero in a Red shirt weaved his way into the opposition penalty area and unleashed a rocket of a shot.
Cue the net rippling and an extravagant celebration.
Britt Assombalonga had just scored the goal that kept Forest in the Championship. Ok, not a game-changer in most people’s worlds but to a long-suffering fan it meant plenty to me….
Tomorrow I’ll be watching Assombalonga again. This time he’ll be playing for Middlesbrough doing his very best to break Forest hearts after his transfer in the summer.
So has his loyalty changed? Was he once besotted with Forest, but woke up one night and realised he really belonged to Boro?
Nothing of the sort. His loyalty has remained exactly the same.
For his loyality is not to a football club or his undoubted talent – but to money.
I don’t write this to have a go at footballers, even though the amount of money in the sport is beyond ridiculous.
For almost all of us, to a greater or lesser extent, are the same.
As a friend closer to what happened said: “What would you do? They were guaranteeing to make him a millionaire overnight. His career doesn’t come into it….”
If we had been in this young man’s shoes, we would almost certainly have come to the same conclusion.
Should another employer promise to triple your wages tomorrow and make you potentially secure for life, would you need a second invitation?
Wouldn’t that outweigh any liking or loyalty you have to your current company?
Here’s another example from the world of sport.
The latest cricket series between England and the West Indies started yesterday.
Once this would have been one of the most eagerly awaited sporting contests of the year.
But all they are talking about right now is the colour of the ball.
The reason is that an already below par touring side are without five of their best players because they are in dispute with the West Indian cricket authorities.
Why do you think that is? It’s because they can make more money NOT representing their country at the highest level.
In short, money wrecks many, many things. Certainly a ‘love of money’ does.
There was a showbiz story in the news this week about one-time Big Breakfast hosts Johnny Vaughan and Denise van Outen.
They were a tremendous double act. The duo had great chemistry and brought the light entertainment programme to life.
Only now has Denise explained why they broke up and the programme deteriorated so rapidly.
Surprise, surprise it was all about money. Johnny was negotiating his own pay deal, looking presumably to be paid more than Denise. How sad!
There are, of course, far more important examples of how money destroys lives.
Football and TV is light entertainment but there is a genuine ‘life and death’ out there in the real world.
Some people live in a choice of castles whilst others huddle in a doorway to a shopping centre not knowing whether they can keep warm enough to survive the winter.
Some insist on taking seven-figure bonuses when those at the bottom of their organisation are on the minimum wage and need a second job to avoid being thrown out of their homes.
Even after years and years of charitable fund raising millions throughout the world live in abject poverty.
It truly doesn’t have to be like this.
Our whole money system – not just the sums paid to footballers and bankers – is a total farce.
It’s based on plucking figures out of thin air and our assumption that means ‘money’ has value.
Money is used by the one per cent to control the remaining 99 in this world.
The elite keep it to themselves and dedicate their lives to making more and more. And they know that we will largely fall into the same spell ourselves. When we have money, we will do everything we can to keep it rather than help those in still greater need.
One day this will all change.
There will be no money – we will instead barter and exchange.
That will reduce poverty at a stroke and remove the drive towards war as well.
It can and will happen when the rulers of this world are brought to their knees in shame and repentance.
Until then, money will chip away at our souls. Those whom we believe to be loyal will continue to betray us. The poor will continue to go to food banks. People, like us, will continue to break our backs to work because the alternative is the streets……
Money divides and conquers, just as was always intended!