Harty on Ashley Cole and Rebels’ youth team

Given that the lovely Cheryl clearly wasn’t enough for him, I’ve always been of the opinion that Ashley Cole needed his bumps felt.

This was confirmed to me on Friday when, in light of the FA decision on the John Terry affair, Ashley then goes and verbally abuses the gentlemen at the top of our national game on Twitter.

It almost beggars belief and threw up a scenario that, at just two caps away from being the first black footballer in this country to win 100 caps for his country, Cole had effectively “run himself out” on 98.

Thankfully, common sense seems to have prevailed.

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Cole has apologised, although perhaps if John Terry had done that some time ago all of this could have been averted, although Roy Hodgson has been told he can pick his teams for the two upcoming internationals on none other than footballing reasons.

As entertaining as the social media networks are, perhaps it would be best for all concerned that the people at the head of our major sports, i.e. football, rugby and cricket, put it into the contracts of the top players that all the time they represent their countries, they are barred from using any of the various social networks.

Critics might say that would be like treating the players like kids, but if the cap fits . . .

It’s part and parcel of football that managers come and go but for me, personally, it’s with deep regret that I see Chris White exit from Worthing Football Club.

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He gave Wayne Wren and I the chance to run the under- 18s some 18 months ago and in that time he has become not only a colleague but a close personal friend.

I make no secret of the fact that I’ve spent almost the last month trying to talk him out of resigning but, in the end, he rightly had to put himself and his family before the football club.

With the under-18s in action on Tuesday in the FA Youth Cup at Carshalton, as a squad we find ourselves just one game away from a place in the first round proper.

It will be a hard tie against a very good Ryman Youth League side.

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But, if we are lucky enough to come out of the other side, part of that achievement will be down to Chris White and his long-term belief in both his youth management team and the squad itself, when things weren’t going so well.

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