The Importance of Being Earnest

Morris, a product of the Chelsea Youth system and FA School of Excellence made his debut for Chelsea as a substitute in February 1996, just six weeks after his seventeenth birthday. A local boy, with a natural talent for wonderful passing and great vision, combined with an excellent work ethic, Morris is held in high regard by the Chelsea faithful and considered by many to be the greatest home grown product for many years.

However, Jody's growth within the team has been stifled with the purchase of a host of European internationals and his obvious talent has been forgotten and lost within the media frenzy and negative pandemonium surrounding a number of off-field "incidents". In short, in recent years Morris has been defined by the off-the-pitch controversy rather than his football.

With a career that has been blighted by such negative publicity it may not be unjustified to assume that the young midfielder's contract may not be renewed prior to it's expiry this summer; thus allowing Jody to transfer on a Bosman. Interest from a number of clubs is well known, including Morris' previous master Hoddle who, so it is understood, is keen to rebuild the midfielders career with the respectability that it deserves.

For Jody to leave and build himself as the heart beat of another team's midfield is a situation that must not be allowed to continue any further. The powers at Chelsea must talk to Morris and talk to him now!

To undervalue Jody's ability and his importance to Chelsea, a club that he has loved and admired his entire life, a club that one day he would so much like to captain, would prove to be a serious mistake.

Jody Morris must not be allowed to walk away.

Consider this……

As a kid my life and grass stained trousers dedicated themselves and owed their existence to the passions of park/school football. Nothing else was more important. Unfinished games at school breaks where completed the same evening at the park - games of such importance and rivalry that many were played to their bitter, violent end under the limited light offered by the moon. Regardless of the darkness, the snow, the rain, the interfering granny whose "age demanded respect" and who did not take kindly to being told to get off the f*cking pitch - such games were relentless and to the casual observer, bad tempered affairs.

Such was the importance of these games that as team captain, it was absolutely crucial to have the right blend of players on YOUR team. Prior to each game it was customary for my peer group participants to stand in line and, in turn with the rival team captain, it was my responsibility to make a selection from the group of knobbly kneed scallywags that stood out in front of me.

YOUR team, YOUR selection, was vital in ensuring the team's success.

Many great players stood and waited patiently, confident that there name would be among the first to be chosen, giving themselves greater status and authority both during and after the game. Those unfortunate to be picked last would probably to this day, be bearing the scars of inadequacy.

As a captain you considered your options carefully: good strikers, a good goalkeeper, defenders, the kid with the most sweets/best looking sister etc etc., but many captains made the mistake in overlooking the kids with the greatest ability to pass or commit themselves to the "crunching tackle". Players that many people consider to the team's engine and guts.

One such player, and a name that - in our park - became synonymous with passion, commitment and an astounding natural gift for the 20 yard pass - was the great "Chewie".

It is important to understand the following with regard to "Chewie":

1) Chewie was named as such because such was his passion and commitment for the game that on more than on occasion his commitment and will to win mutated itself into outright rage and complete violence when faced with the prospect of losing and, as with Chewbacca from the great and original Star Wars trilogy, was "prone to pulling people's arm out of their sockets" when he lost.

2) His nickname ingrained itself so much into my subconscious and those of our team mates that his real name has long since been forgotten.

3) Chewie's special educational needs and associated "schooling frustrations" intensified his love and drive for all things football and many ways, in our childish naivety, our love and respect for him grew as we considered "How could someone who couldn't even write his name pick out a pass with such precision and power?"

To have an ability and passion such as his commanded our respect considering the degree of negativity and frustration he faced in most other aspects of his life.

4) Such was the degree of his "difficulties" that Chewie often had problems in keeping up with the current score of the game and on more than one occasion prompted those players around him to refresh his memory. Naturally, such was Chewie's will to win that any score other than that of a winning one was often greeted with the response of "bollocks to that" which in turn, doubled Chewie's efforts and that of his team members (as he barked and screamed his motivating orders).

5) At the time of writing Chewie's injuries have included: a broken collar bone, two broken legs, a fractured ankle and three broken noses. It is important to note at this point that those injuries listed above belong to those of his opponents and not to Chewie himself. Needless to say THE man in question has himself been banned from all forms of organised football (particularly since an incident involving a corner flag, a very dodgy linesman and the said linesman's head).

Are You Jody In Disguise?