Neil Bramwell, Sports Editor, on why Shearer should be booed

TO BOO, or not to boo - that was the burning question.

For Blackburn Rovers fans, my advice would have been to boo Alan Shearer as loudly and for as long as their lungs allow.

The man's bare-faced cheek was astounding following last week's cup tie at Ewood Park.

Puzzlingly, he seemed to be labouring under the impression that Blackburn fans should have shown more loyalty on his return.

Would Posh Spice remain loyal if David pranced home wearing Mel C's G-string?

Loyalty is earned, not spoon-fed, even for pampered footballers.

And there is no question that Shearer displayed a blatant and cynical lack of loyalty in the build-up to his departure from Blackburn Rovers.

Much has since been made of his statement before the European Championships in 1996.

This is what happened.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph arranged to obtain a picture of Shearer and Tim Flowers in the newly produced Rovers kit.

Shearer even took a detour, on his way down to the England training camp, to pose for the picture at the Midlands home of Shearer's agent, Tony Stevens.

It was as clear an indication as was possible that Shearer intended to start the season at Blackburn.

We also asked Stevens to produce a statement, to go with the picture, about the player's intentions for the following season. When the statement arrived at our office, it was bland and answered none of the questions on the lips of all Blackburn fans.

I pointed this out to Ewood chairman, Robert Coar, who agreed to clarify some points with the player.

The next day, he added some quotes to Shearer's statement, to the effect that his future was at Blackburn.

These included: "Hopefully I will be as successful in the new shirt as I have been in the past few seasons" and "In just five weeks it will be back to Brockhall for pre-season training - hopefully with a Euro96 medal to show Colin Hendry".

These appeared in our paper on the day before the opening game with Switzerland under the headline 'I'm staying'.

Content in this knowledge, the town was at ease with the constant summer speculation, despite Shearer's stubborn public silence.

That security was, of course, shattered with the news of his £15million departure to Newcastle.

I have no doubt that, until a couple of days before that move, Shearer expected to return to Ewood.

But this is where the question of loyalty is relevant.

Having provided those indications, was it not Shearer's moral duty to put any move on hold until Blackburn had made reasonable contingency plans?

As it was, Ray Harford was on a hiding to nothing from the start of the season, prompting a spiral of uncertainty and under-achievement that has yet to be halted. The fans' adoration for Shearer intensified the hurt caused by his departure.

And such deep wounds, whether in football or in any other caring relationship, are rarely healed.

The debate has only resurfaced and intensified because, at last, Shearer managed to score on a return to Ewood Park.

But the suggestion that he was fired-up by the boo-boys is nonsense.

He has been booed before at Ewood Park and has not had a sniff of a chance. (And he would not have had a sniff last week if it had not been for some diabolical defending.)

If Shearer decided to swallow his pride and express regret for his actions then the hostility might, just might, start to wane.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.