Planet Swans ArchivesThe club are right, Roger was approached with an offer from QPR. A very generous offer as well, no-one can dispute that. More than the £2000 a week that people claim he is earning. Well, first off, he is not earning that at all. We spoke to Roger this afternoon and posed the question on his earnings, “I am not telling you what I am earning but it is not the figure that has been banded around in the press. In fact it is nowhere near that. I don’t like it when figures are used that are incorrect, it makes me look mercenary and anyone that knows me will know that this is nowhere near the truth. I earn a decent wage, enough to support my wife and children but not that amount of money”
Moving onto the subject of QPR, we asked Roger what had happened “There is naturally some uncertainty about the club at the moment. I was not happy when I read the article in the News of The World on Sunday with regards my pay again and comments from the chairman. I went into see Mr Shuttleworth on Monday and as you know the chairman was back and I asked him about it. He said that he was misquoted and it was left at that.
“When I got home I heard about the QPR offer but turned it down. I don’t know how many times I need to say this but I am happy at Swansea and want to get on with playing football and enjoying my testimonial season. It is a very good offer that they have put on the table and by turning it down I am showing what I think of this club. I informed Colin and Peter that I did not want to go and also the chairman. This is why the offer was not accepted. Roger Freestone is going nowhere.”
From a personal point of view, it is sad to see that the PR machine from within the club works overdrive and Roger refusing to go to QPR is passed off as Tony Petty saying that the club have refused the offer. It would, of course, be fruitless them accepting the offer when the player, under contract, is not going anywhere.
I have known Roger and worked closely with him, along with Keith Haynes, for over a year and you will not find anyone at the club who loves Swansea more than Roger. He is an adopted son of Swansea, despite living in Risca and in his soon-to-be-released biography you will read of offers being turned down from some of the biggest clubs in England to stay at Swansea. But let’s let Roger have the last word
“I can put the minds of everyone at rest. I have a contract at Swansea that sees me though until the end of next season. I want another contract after that and want to be here when I hang up my gloves, hopefully in another five or six years. After that, maybe management, who knows but I want to be part of Swansea City for a long long time. Maybe one day I may even get to that £2000 per week figure that has been quoted but there’s a long way to go before I get there just yet”
And from me, PR Spin or Fact – which one would you prefer?
