Author: Nikki Petken

The news on everyone’s minds this morning is the Budget announcement and the Government’s attempt to rescue the country from recession. My mind however is on more important matters ….. football of course and the Arsenal match against Dynamo Kiev, in which Cesc Fabregas takes his first kick as the Gunners’ Captain.

Of course, all eyes will be on William Gallas, stripped of the hallowed captaincy for his outburst against his team mates last week in which he claimed that they lacked bravery and accused them of in-fighting and insulting behaviour. I took an interest in the story from an employment law perspective. Really, Arsene Wenger is no different from any other boss trying to discipline an unruly member of staff. The “Guvernors” choice of sanction was a demotion and he acted swiftly. He demonstrated that he is not afraid to discipline any member of staff, even a star footballer; just as any manager in a business should not be afraid to bring to staff’s attention poor performance or unsatisfactory behaviour. (more…)