Terry: should he remain captain?

CHELSEA footballer John Terry’s alleged affair with an England team mate’s former partner has caused a furore in the media.

Richard Hooton asked shoppers in Oldham if they think he should remain as captain of England and whether the press should be allowed to delve into the private lives of public figures.

ENGLAND defender John Terry had won a gagging order to prevent the public learning about his alleged affair — but when the so-called super injunction was lifted by the High Court on Friday it lead to a press field day.

The allegations that the father-of-two had cheated on his wife Toni Poole (28) with model Vannesa Perroncel (28) sparked a deluge of damaging headlines.

And because the reported fling was with the ex of former Chelsea team mate Wayne Bridge, whose apparently now unwilling to line-up with Terry in the England team, it has led to calls for the 29-year-old to be stripped of the England captaincy.

There are fears the revelations could damage team morale and ruin the nation’s chances of World Cup glory.

Oldhamers quizzed by the Chronicle said the press had the right to report on what those in the public eye get up to but were split as to whether Terry should remain England captain.

Daniel Bryan (62), from Oldham, said England manager Fabio Capello should keep Terry as his skipper.

He said: “Football has nothing to do with his private life. His own problems should not come into it. I think the story should just fade away. It’s only because he’s high-profile that the papers jump on it.”

Wife Lynne Bryan (53) agreed that he should remain England captain.

Student Adam Carr (19), from Oldham, said: “He should stay as captain. His private life has nothing to do with football. All the stories are just what the papers do. They have a right to do it but it should not affect football.”

Lisa Walker (31), from Shaw, knows all about the lives of footballers — as her grandfather Eddie Hopkinson played for Oldham Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, where he holds the club record for appearances, and England in the 1950s, while her dad Paul Hopkinson played for Manchester City and Stockport County in the 1970s.

Perhaps in those days footballers were more gentlemanly and scandals much rarer.

The married mum-of-two said: “He should stay as captain as his personal life is his own business. He should not have done it. He’s done wrong but it’s his private life and he should not be stopped from being captain for that.

“I’m not saying the press have the right, but such stories sell papers at the end of the day. If he did not want it to come out he shouldn’t have done it.”

But student Thomas Ip (19), from Oldham, thought the scandal might affect the England team if Terry’s colleagues have lost respect for their captain.

He said: “He shouldn’t be captain because it influences the team if no one can trust him. I think David Beckham should be captain.”

Edward Henderson (50), from Chadderton, said: “He shouldn’t be England captain. I think he is trying to show that he’s a model citizen when he’s not. He’s spoilt it by the other player (Wayne Bridge) saying he would not play with him if he is picked for the team as well.

“What annoys me about these footballers is when they get top lawyers to help them out with everything, like getting them off motoring offences. It should be the same for everyone.”

Mr Henderson said the press had a right to publish the story as Terry was trying to hush it up to protect sponsorship deals rather than his family.

He added: “He was doing it for the sponsorship and what money he would lose, not for his family and wife. He’s in the public eye. They should take the captaincy off him and say if you can’t be cleaner than clean you should not be captain.”

Wife Margaret said: “To me, they are all doing it. If he wants to ruin his family life, it’s up to him.”

Student Martin McNamara (18), from Oldham, said: “I don’t care, I just like watching England play. What matters is how well they play. It’s up to the team who the captain should be.”