In recent months, there has been a trend among some footballers to wear a snood during matches. The poor lambs must be feeling the cold on their delicate necks, and are obviously in need of some protection. If the trend continues, who knows where it will end? Central defenders in balaclavas? Midfield generals in cardigans? Strikers in puffa jackets? We’ve become used to seeing players in gloves over the years, but is the snood the neck’s big thing (sorry, couldn’t resist it)?
As usual, this issue produces plenty of comments that begin with the words “in my day….”. Football has more than its fair share of ex-player renta-quotes who are trotted out and asked to give their opinions about how rubbish the modern game is, and how the only protection they had from the cold was a string vest and a mug of Bovril. Their howls of derision every time they see a snood are sometimes so high-pitched that only their dogs can hear them.
The detractors do have a point, however, if only for the fact that a snood simply doesn’t look right on a football pitch. The first time I saw Carlos Tevez wearing one, I thought he was being strangled by an octopus that had been hiding under his shirt. The important thing for the striker, though, is that he was cosy and warm. He’s a great player, so any arguments that a snood would affect his game are unlikely to carry a lot of weight.
The same can be said for Samir Nasri, too. Both he and Tevez are having excellent seasons, and they’re both founder members of the Cosy-Neck Brigade. Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres haven’t had particularly good campaigns so far, and they are usually snood-less. This is hardly scientific proof, of course, but it’s obviously worth a tongue-in-cheek mention.
But whether you love it or loathe it, you can’t deny that the snood is at least being talked about. One day, it may be as famous as David Beckham’s sarong, Roberto Mancini’s scarf and Jermaine Pennant’s electronic tag. You can be sure of one thing, though – no matter how silly you think the snood looks, it will never look as daft as Mario Balotelli’s bizarre chicken hat. Even the bloke from Jamiroquai wouldn’t have been seen dead in that.
Some managers haven’t been slow to let us know what they think of the wearing of snoods. Sir Alex Ferguson is known to be against the idea, which is perhaps not too surprising. The great man once worked in the tough environment of the Glasgow shipyards, where the wearing of a snood may have resulted in the fashion-conscious Tevez-wannabe being thrown into the icy river.
Perhaps predictably, Arsene Wenger has defended the dreaded garment, even claiming that it has health benefits for the wearer. So does a suit of armour, of course, but nobody would suggest it’s okay to wear one on a football pitch. Everton boss David Moyes has reportedly threatened to sack players who wear a snood, which seems a little over the top. What would he do if they wore a Liverpool shirt? Put them in prison?
The bottom line in the debate is, however, that the wearing of a snood is not against the rules of the sport, so if it makes the wearer feel he’s more like Lionel Messi and less like Lionel Blair, where’s the problem? As long as doesn’t mind looking like a bit of a wally, he should be able to play in a snood every week.
Whether you are a fan of the snood or not, perhaps it’s best to just live and let live. Nasri, Marouane Chamakh, Tevez, Yaya Toure and the rest can just get on with the game and wear their fluffy little snoods to their heart’s content. Personally, I think they look pretty silly, but if it helps them play better football, who am I to argue? I have to stop writing now, because my woolly gloves are making it difficult to type, and my snood is tickling my neck.
