Festive football a treat for Blackburn Rovers defender Henley (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Festive football a treat for Blackburn Rovers defender Henley
5:20pm Monday 24th December 2012 in Football
By Andy Cryer, Blackburn Rovers reporter
TURKEY, Christmas pudding, and a decent amount of alcohol will be a common theme in most people’s households across the country tomorrow.
For the majority of people – away from the emergency services – Christmas Day is the only time of the year when they switch off from work and enjoy a day of celebration with their nearest and dearest.
Professional footballers live a lifestyle to envy as their huge pay packets enable even the most average of players in the top couple of divisions to live a lifestyle to envy.
Buying Christmas presents certainly won’t be a problem for Rovers’ high-earning players this festive period but there are sacrifices as they bid to end the club’s recent Championship slump at Middlesbrough.
A coach trip to Middlesbrough on Christmas Day afternoon is not what most people would choose to do, but Rovers’ squad will be making the journey ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Boxing Day encounter.
Rovers’ teenager Adam Henley got his first taste of senior Boxing Day football in last season’s battling draw at Anfield and insists he would not have it any other way.
The 18-year-old right back has been one of the few bright spots of Rovers’ miserable season so far and will be doing all he can to help turn the collective fortunes around at the Riverside.
Henley said: “There are always sacrifices in football, everyone knows that coming into the game. It’s just part of it.
“Obviously with the games on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day it’s important we prepare right.
“It’s got to be done.
“I think we’ve just got the coach journey on Christmas Day.
Hopefully the manager will give us time in the morning with our families, but it’s going to be an important game on Boxing Day so hopefully everyone will get their mind on it.”
Manager Henning Berg was still making his mind up over the weekend whether he would call his squad in for training on Christmas Day afternoon.
But, with a coach trip to Middlesbrough awaiting tomorrow evening, he insists it goes without saying that all of his players will be preparing professionally for Wednesday.
“We travel to Middlesbrough on Christmas Day in the evening and we will have to see if we are training on the day or not, the decision still needs to be made,” he said. “They are footballers. It is nice to be with your family and open presents with your kids and things like that but they will still eat the right things, drink the right things and look after themselves.
“That shouldn’t even be a consideration and I’m sure it won’t be.”
While Henley currently has all his focus on Rovers’ fading promotion hopes, he knows 2013 could represent a big year for him internationally. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Henley is still eligible to play for the United States, but he could also play for both Wales and England.
The full back, whose mother was born in north Wales, has made a couple of appearances for Wales under 21s and was even called up for the senior squad’s friendly against Mexico, where he didn’t make an appearance, “I’m still eligible to play for USA and England,” he said. “I’m happy playing for Wales at the moment. If anything else arises it will be a decision to make in time but we’ll have to wait and see.
“You see it quite often now in international football.
“A decision is going to have to be made, and hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Comments(20)
Rayzerisaloser
says...
5:54pm Mon 24 Dec 12
Lancs - pensioner
says...
5:58pm Mon 24 Dec 12
So on behalf of him and the Venkys all fans of BRFC a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
Lets hope we lose them both in the new year!
Only1Garner
says...
6:08pm Mon 24 Dec 12
No wonder we are in a mess.
R.I.P. Rovers
says...
6:40pm Mon 24 Dec 12
give it a rest Berg.... ya sounding like kean
To.guy
says...
6:51pm Mon 24 Dec 12
Rayzerisaloser wrote:Idiot!
berg out
Ray Gunn
says...
9:00pm Mon 24 Dec 12
unclejacklegend
says...
9:04pm Mon 24 Dec 12
To.guy wrote:It is a stupid thing to say but realistically berg was never the right man for the job and never will be in my opinion. He will still get my full support on matchdays but we needed a proper manager. Did you see the harry redknapp interview? "These players earn far too much money for their ability and what they give back to the club" & "I don't want to see the owners have their pants pulled down" to me he has described exactly what has been happening at rovers for over two years now. Henning hasn't got a rollicking in him like that. A real manager who isn't afraid to speak his mind is in order. Enough ranting from me anyway, merry Christmas one and all.
Rayzerisaloser wrote:Idiot!
berg out
Captain Dreckley
says...
10:55pm Mon 24 Dec 12
French Rover
says...
7:47am Tue 25 Dec 12
dangerous dave
says...
10:27am Tue 25 Dec 12
Return of the Magnificent se7en
says...
10:57am Tue 25 Dec 12
dangerous dave wrote:Oh my god Dangerous dave the snowmans heart is melting.
To all the Posters on here and Rovers fans I wish you a Merry Xmas - to Shaw Agnew Singh Venkys & CO I wish yoiu would push off out of our Club!!!!
IN WITH DANGEROUS DAVE.
Merry Christmas
Return of the Magnificent se7en
says...
11:05am Tue 25 Dec 12
He is currently our best defender but, you cant have a guy who keeps saying he aint coming out for the second half every 3 weeks on your books and to my knowledge he has done that three times. Bye bye le sulk, we need men with spine, not beards.
dangerous dave
says...
11:12am Tue 25 Dec 12
and its fans' but not with the shambolic Management at Ewood - lets hope by early 2013 they will all be 'Ghosts of the Christmas Past' !!!!!!
OUT WITH SHAW AGNEW SINGH BLACK VENKYS AND MAYBE BERG
handyamBRFC
says...
6:16pm Tue 25 Dec 12
I have tried to look at the 1st team squad and analyzed what players are ok and what potential we have and those that should be moved on.
I would like to hear what other fans views are?
List those who you want out?
What players would you like to see playing at BRFC ?
Have you seen any players you think could do the business for Rovers?
Let’s hear your views?
Paul Robinson - OK: Keep if motivated
Grzegorz Sandomierski - Untried
Jake Kean –YOUNG Ok: Potential
Martin Olsson- OK Keep if motivated
Nuno Henrique- Untried Potential
Gael Givet- Ok Keep if motivated
Scott Dann- Ok Keep; sell if money is right
Josh Morris- YOUNG Ok Potential
Adam Henley- YOUNG Ok Potential
Grant Hanley- ok for squad not 1st team
Bruno Ribeiro- ok for squad; Potential
Jason Lowe- YOUNG Ok as squad member
David Dunn- past it; let go
Mauro Formica- Not good enough, sell if possible
Morten Gamst Pedersen- past it; let go
Danny Murphy- past it; let go
Marcus Olsson- ok for squad
Paulo Jorge- YOUNG Untried Potential
Dickson Etuhu- past it; let go
Simon Vukcevic- Ok Potential
Diogo Rosado- YOUNG OK Potential
Fabio Nunes- YOUNG OK Potential
Leon Best- ??? Hopefully ok
Jordan Rhodes- Keep of course
Joshua King- OK Buy Potential
Nuno Gomes- Ok Keep
Ruben Rochina- OK keep if motivated
Colin Kazim-Richards- OK Keep
Bradley Orr – Crap; sell
David Goodwillie ok But sell if money refunded.
MERRY XMAS
BeardwoodB
says...
6:55pm Tue 25 Dec 12
handyamBRFC wrote:It's Christmas day son, youve wasted a chunk of the day stating the obvious.
MERRY Xmas
I have tried to look at the 1st team squad and analyzed what players are ok and what potential we have and those that should be moved on.
I would like to hear what other fans views are?
List those who you want out?
What players would you like to see playing at BRFC ?
Have you seen any players you think could do the business for Rovers?
Let’s hear your views?
Paul Robinson - OK: Keep if motivated
Grzegorz Sandomierski - Untried
Jake Kean –YOUNG Ok: Potential
Martin Olsson- OK Keep if motivated
Nuno Henrique- Untried Potential
Gael Givet- Ok Keep if motivated
Scott Dann- Ok Keep; sell if money is right
Josh Morris- YOUNG Ok Potential
Adam Henley- YOUNG Ok Potential
Grant Hanley- ok for squad not 1st team
Bruno Ribeiro- ok for squad; Potential
Jason Lowe- YOUNG Ok as squad member
David Dunn- past it; let go
Mauro Formica- Not good enough, sell if possible
Morten Gamst Pedersen- past it; let go
Danny Murphy- past it; let go
Marcus Olsson- ok for squad
Paulo Jorge- YOUNG Untried Potential
Dickson Etuhu- past it; let go
Simon Vukcevic- Ok Potential
Diogo Rosado- YOUNG OK Potential
Fabio Nunes- YOUNG OK Potential
Leon Best- ??? Hopefully ok
Jordan Rhodes- Keep of course
Joshua King- OK Buy Potential
Nuno Gomes- Ok Keep
Ruben Rochina- OK keep if motivated
Colin Kazim-Richards- OK Keep
Bradley Orr – Crap; sell
David Goodwillie ok But sell if money refunded.
MERRY XMAS
Go and enjoy the rest of the festivities and stop thinking about this lot.
I doubt ANY of them spared a thought for any supporters today ££££££
cactus rover
says...
7:48pm Tue 25 Dec 12
kazluvsrovers
says...
11:18pm Tue 25 Dec 12
Lancs - pensioner wrote:busy tearing our club apart.
Thought our Invisable press officer would have wished all the fans a Merry Xmas, obviously busy!!
So on behalf of him and the Venkys all fans of BRFC a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
Lets hope we lose them both in the new year!
Cant believe that the week after Christmas they are charging £15 to sit in the
Blackburn end to watch our first round of the FA cup against Bristol City of which we will only play a half decent squad as Berg will say we need to concentrate on the league. Surely £5 for an adult and a quid a kid would have made more sense to try and fill the ground but instead the greedy Venkys will try and drain every last penny out of the fans.....
What a joke!!!!
blueblooded
says...
11:26pm Tue 25 Dec 12
BeardwoodB wrote:Mighty presumptious of you to assume that Handy is of the Christian persuasion isn't it?
handyamBRFC wrote:It's Christmas day son, youve wasted a chunk of the day stating the obvious.
MERRY Xmas
I have tried to look at the 1st team squad and analyzed what players are ok and what potential we have and those that should be moved on.
I would like to hear what other fans views are?
List those who you want out?
What players would you like to see playing at BRFC ?
Have you seen any players you think could do the business for Rovers?
Let’s hear your views?
Paul Robinson - OK: Keep if motivated
Grzegorz Sandomierski - Untried
Jake Kean –YOUNG Ok: Potential
Martin Olsson- OK Keep if motivated
Nuno Henrique- Untried Potential
Gael Givet- Ok Keep if motivated
Scott Dann- Ok Keep; sell if money is right
Josh Morris- YOUNG Ok Potential
Adam Henley- YOUNG Ok Potential
Grant Hanley- ok for squad not 1st team
Bruno Ribeiro- ok for squad; Potential
Jason Lowe- YOUNG Ok as squad member
David Dunn- past it; let go
Mauro Formica- Not good enough, sell if possible
Morten Gamst Pedersen- past it; let go
Danny Murphy- past it; let go
Marcus Olsson- ok for squad
Paulo Jorge- YOUNG Untried Potential
Dickson Etuhu- past it; let go
Simon Vukcevic- Ok Potential
Diogo Rosado- YOUNG OK Potential
Fabio Nunes- YOUNG OK Potential
Leon Best- ??? Hopefully ok
Jordan Rhodes- Keep of course
Joshua King- OK Buy Potential
Nuno Gomes- Ok Keep
Ruben Rochina- OK keep if motivated
Colin Kazim-Richards- OK Keep
Bradley Orr – Crap; sell
David Goodwillie ok But sell if money refunded.
MERRY XMAS
Go and enjoy the rest of the festivities and stop thinking about this lot.
I doubt ANY of them spared a thought for any supporters today ££££££
Though I agree with your latter sentiment that these over-paid selfish sods would have hardly spared a thought for what they've put us through.
handyamBRFC
says...
2:03pm Wed 26 Dec 12
I care about my club....BRFC.
Maybe we cant do what 'Our Jack' did but at least we should not give up hope and get together rather then be divided amongst ourselves.
I believe we fans should do everything possible especially in difficult times to bring the fans & BRFC together.
We need to be stronger, we need to show the world we can come together in times of need and this period is that occasion.
I believe in BRFC and Blackburn and would ask every fan and resident of the Lancashire area to get together and be positive. We shall not be allowed to be dragged to the bottom of everything.
We are a proud people of Lancashire a proud club and we should raise ourselves to where we belong to the upper echelons of English society and the the premiership again one day soon.
to the football......!!
I think we should raid clubs who are thinking of bringing in new players themselves.
e.g. QPR as it seems are a club waiting to make changes to their staff hence a good time to get some of their players.
I can think of some at QPR who could fit the bill.
what do you guys think..?
Givet is going in January.
Defenders needed and a midfielder.
Arte et Labore
Captain Dreckley says...
5:44pm Mon 24 Dec 12