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Wags World The Work of a Footballers Wife
http//www.billcaldwell.com/acatalog/June_2006.htm
l featured in the Sun 22/06/20068
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The Wag

• A typical Wag is recognised by her fake tan,
  hair extensions, oversized sunglasses and the
  arm-breaking, oversized designer bag she is
  carrying. Some Wags have managed to turn their
  status into a job. Wayne Rooneys bride-to-be
  Coleen has a reported 8 million fortune thanks
  to a perfume range, book, TV and fitness DVD
  deals and a column in Closer magazine (Sheridan
  06/02/08 Daily Mail online)

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The Wag Phenomenon

• There is also, of course, the whole WAG
  phenomenon, predicated almost entirely on a
  cynical pact between rich, bored, badly behaved
  men (Ashley Cole comes to mind) and the women who
  want to live off them. The gaggle of wannabe WAGs
  hovering outside any nightclub frequented by
  Premier League footballers is proof that there is
  an increasing number of women who believe that
  far from having their own life and their own job,
  the notion of being a human leech is to some
  degree a preferable career. (Turner, Daily Mail
  200836)

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Job Description

• Key skills, rather, are looking decorative in a
  cocktail dress and smiling politely at official
  functions. On no account should you attempt to
  interfere in matters of state - pre-match
  strategy and post-match analysis are strictly for
  the men - and you will be expected to socialise
  extensively with the other wives according to a
  strict hierarchical pecking order - deferring to
  the captain's and the manager's wives and
  patronising the younger and less successful
  wives. (Cadwalldr Observer Sport Monthly June
  200664)

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Fired or Retired?

• I couldnt be one of those footballers wives
  who just accept them sleeping around because they
  live in a nice house and have designer
  handbags.What if you get cheated on or beat
  up? What are you going to do then? Stay there for
  the Chloé handbag? I dont think so. (Cheryl
  Cole in OK! Guiltenane 200751,53)

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• the professor came into see me to tell me what
  it was first shattered knee and I was like umm
  well cos we thought he was just gonna say a
  little damage and he said hes done this, hes
  done that and hes done this. Hes like if you
  could tell him Id appreciate it and Im like oh
  please and he just left and Im like great thanks
  for that, so how? And he was my husband by then
  so now Ive got to tell my new husband that his
  career is on hold (Jackie)

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• he finishes his career its not about him any
  more its going to be about me. Like I said we
  are going to have to move about for me now, its
  my job that determines where we stay and things
  like that. Thats probably the biggest thing that
  I look forward to. (Kate)

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• Ive never met so many beauticians and
  hairdressers in my life like and theres nothing
  wrong with that but it just seems to be because,
  I think the reason, I think it is, is because you
  need to fit in so much with their career you need
  all these jobs that move about easilyat least
  they are making the most of the situation and you
  cant do more than that in football (Kate)

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• Shed say, oh its bizarre, because I say oh
  weve got a move, its obviously not weve got a
  move - hes got a move and were going but she
  says like weve had a pay rise its not we
  though is it? What have you done? She used to
  work in a bank like Natwest part-time and it was
  something like her kid used to go to, when she
  just had one, to nursery and her wages covered
  half the nursery fees she said oh there you are
  Im bringing money into the house. You think you
  could live in a 500,000 house on that money and
  just things like that I find bizarre these girls
  are like giving themselves credit the whole
  things just strange. (Jackie)

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• I really had to get used to that way of
  thinking and to think about the way to say things
  and maybe its this area maybe its the
  country, its not easy to make friends with the
  English in the beginning because they dont let
  you in. So you know for my first four or five
  years all my friends were foreigners you know the
  foreign players (Joanne)

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• Im good friends with players wife, shes a
  good friend of mine. I get on well with her but
  her husband was playing in my partners
  position when he got dropped you know and its
  still like youre going to the games but really
  thinking fuck up, fuck up because he makes a
  mistake, my fiancé gets back in but at the same
  time shes your mate there (Lisa)

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• youre torn between looking like a stuck up
  bitch saying I now drive a Range Rover and Ive
  got a credit card to go shopping, and theyre
  still doing the job that I was doing do you see
  what Im saying (Lisa)

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• Do you have this glamorous life - no I dont
  you know, I mean I have to bring the kids in to
  bed and I still go to the toilet and er you know
  you have to see me with my kids, especially being
  a pilates teacher. Theres nothing glamorous
  about me at all because Im in my tracksuit
  everyday, I pick up the kids and I am so not
  glamorous. I can be glamorous (Joanne)

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• I see what youve got, youve got nice things
  but I wouldnt want your life