I haven't always hated football - quite the contrary. I have always supported and followed Manchester United and had a season ticket at Old Trafford for many years. The reason I've now turned against the sport is the truly obscene amounts of money that are being paid to certain players. I've been uneasy about this for some time and have had misgivings about adding to the problem by coughing up my few pounds for my match ticket, Sky Sports and Setanta subscriptions and walking around like a flesh and blood billboard promoting some PLC or other (Sharp, AIG etc) who think that club shirt sponsorship is cheap advertising. Sky and Setanta have done a lot to modernise the Premiership and no-one can doubt that their coverage is significantly better than in the old First Division days but the amounts of money involved (proportionately little of which goes to the lower leagues) is inadvertently spoiling the game.

The last straw was the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer to Real Madrid for £80million. He is apparently going to end up with wages climbing to £500,000 per week at the end of his contract with Madrid. I would never dispute that Ronaldo is a very talented player but the idea of someone being paid HALF A MILLION QUID A WEEK!!! for kicking a ball around simply beggars belief especially when, at half time, the TV besieges me with adverts begging me to pledge "just two pounds a month" to stop child cruelty or famine in Africa or save the Whales/Polar Bears/Forests/Planet etc. The amount of inequality in the World between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' is a reflection of how far (or in fact, how little) our civilization has advanced and I am deeply troubled (and rather angry too) by the way in which some of these 'celebrity' sportsmen are paid.

Ronaldo's new team Real Madrid are essentially a 'National' team playing at club level. They are funded by the Spanish Government and, as I pay some Spanish taxes, I am indirectly funding the transfer fee. This is adding insult to injury as I seem to be contributing to both ends of this outlandish transaction.

Of Cristiano Ronaldo's wages some may say I'm just jealous or resentful - I'm not. Others would say "good luck to him" as it's not his fault that clubs are prepared to pay such ridiculous amounts and which one of us would turn down that sort of money if we were in the same position? I would agree up to a point - I've no problem with Ronaldo per se. In fact, it amuses me to read of his alledged one night stand with Paris Hilton (the fatuous meets the vacuous - frankly I'd need to be paid more than Ronaldo to shag her!) He's obviously spending his money wisely. Ha!

I've done a lot of thinking about football recently and I'm just waking up to the realisation that it is totally tribal and primitive. The game itself is simulated warfare and is all about territorial possession and victoriously taking control of your opponents territory by overcoming their defence and scoring a goal. This might be OK if it were confined to the field of play but the rival supporters are two combatant groups who have not evolved very far from two primitive tribes showing their arses to each other and angrily waving their spears at each other across the river. I've been to away games where people have behaved like animals and the behaviour of the visiting fans and the home supporters has been absolutely fucking savage towards each other. It doesn't need t be like this and I've been to a number of rugby games where the interaction on the field is significantly more physical but where the supporters can mix and even have an alcoholic drink during the game without expecting to have their head stamped on or be stabbed by rival supporters.

I don't think we can look to Government for any capping of the amounts changing hands in football (even though those amounts are larger than the GDP of a small country). Football is fast becoming a way to control the unruly masses. Give it a few years and it'll be Rollerball! - If you haven't seen the original film with James Caan (not the re-make), watch it!

The other problem with the amounts of money circulating in football is that the players (and the dreaded WAGS) all become so-called celebrities. They're even hailed as 'heroes' in some quarters. Call me old fashioned, but I don't want to pick up my daily newspaper and be overloaded with stories (which incidentally aren't 'news') about Colleen fucking Rooney or 'Posh' (anorexic) Spice. Who gives a fuck what these stupid bimbos are doing let alone which underpants or shaving product their dumbass husbands are promoting this week. These people are portrayed as role models when all that separates them from the millions on the Dole is MONEY and the only reason they've got money is that they are good at kicking a ball ( and the WAGS are good at shopping and bitching at each other). What has it come to when the lifestyles of such people are aspired to by a large proportion of young people. From a Societal point of view, we're on the slippery slope. Football is not the root cause but it's certainly a contributory factor or at the very least, a major symptom of the ills of our society.

I'm voting with my feet - I'm not watching Premiership football any more. I won't buy a matchday ticket. I've cancelled MUTV, Sky Sports and Setanta and the only time I'll be wearing a football shirt is if I'm playing in a team! I won't be reading my newspaper from back pages to the front any more either. If everybody did the same, perhaps these incredible amounts of money could be put to better use. I'm not preaching; everybody will make their own decision, but I'm simply not supporting this foolish game any more. I'm OUT.