MEST 4 Task 1: Ashley Cole

Ashley Cole is an english professional footballer who now plays at left back for Chelsea FC and is revered as one of the best in the world. His public life has been heavily criticised with him appearing regularly in english magazines, newspapers and news stories. He is seen as a villain by the english press and is in turn highly unliked by the public. His football career has also been engulfed in controversy. Despite his talents he is hated for things which questionably shouldn't matter as a footballer; he is a perfect example of how the public obsession with sports stars has exploded.

He begun his football career at Arsenal FC but left the club in very questionable circumstances, he was accused and found guilty of having illegal conversations with Chelsea about a possible transfer and was fined £100,000 later reduced to £75,000. Arsenal fans threw fake £20 notes at him when they next played each other. Also more recently he made a high tackle on Tottenham defender Alan Hutton then turned his back when referee tired to book him, he received a yellow which a lot of critics believed should have been red.

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/5251684.stm
• http://gunnerblog.com/?p=346

In his personal life stories of the football being involved in a homosexual orgy

surfaced with the player suing The Sun and The News Of The World and a retraction being printed. Also the details of his and pervious wife Cheryl Cole's relationship was very much public knowledge.