We are appalled by the news about the England cricket team. Not at the players whose boozy antics have been making headlines, but the prissy, pompous reactions to it by the managers and 57 old farts back at the MCC. The demonisation of “Freddie” Flintoff was inevitable of course, old farts never like anybody with a personality.
So Freddie took the lads on a booze - up, big deal. He’s a Northerner, its what we do on a lads night out. Let’s not forget that Freddie is a virtuoso whose performances often win matches.
With this in mind the organisation should ignore outbursts of Jane Austinishness that tabloid sports editors like to indulge in when practitioners of any sport but football behave badly.
Alternatively they could treat us to the same level of moral outrage next time a bunch of Premiership players indulge in one of their favourite party trick, either gang banging some silly, starstruck girl or kicking the shit out of an Asian student who looked at them the wrong way.
Compared to that kind of behaviour, falling of a pedalo while pissed is hardly a capital offence.