Will there ever be another? Almost impossible to believe so. Taken from us in his prime, after decades of loyal service and reaching almost god-like status to his legion of devoted followers, its over. That shining career, that charm, wit, poise and all that talent and the incredible love of his many, many fans. All over. A national treasure is lost. Poor Terry.

Yes, John Terry is leaving Chelsea this summer. The club won’t give him an extension to his contract. A modern day tragedy. Probably along the Julius Caesar mould of tragedies, with lots of back-stabbing and two-faced bastardism and definitely with a very strong Roman influence.

A banner held by Chelsea fans yesterday proclaimed their captain as ‘The Legend’ and in many ways he really is, despite the horrendous over-use of the term currently in which if you let someone have a seat on the tube you get “fanx mate, yer a legend”. Achieving legendary status was harder for the ancient Greeks, for sure.

But JT was there before the money. He wasn’t just one of the hundreds of journeymen arrivistes pitching up because the money-laundering Russian would enrich their lives beyond the dreams of a thousand Shahs. He was Chelsea from the start and he’ll be Chelsea… well, almost to the finish.

He’s 35. Old for a footballer. Yet this season, due to the ‘all turned to shit’ start to their campaign, he’s been even more important to the team. Dragging them by their bootstraps to start playing. Leading by example, as he always does, showing 73 billion quid’s worth of international superstars how to score goals. A lumbering English defender.

However, I do in fact, as per my original metaphor, come to bury Terry, not to praise him. Because he’s a bastard scum-bag and always has been. BUT, and (as you can see) its a very big ‘but’; he is 140% (I learned maths from Alan Shearer) committed to Chelsea football club. He played (almost) his entire career there and is, for many, the face of the club. He is for me. Because his face is really ugly, horribly aggressive and looks like that of a thug. So why let go a player, however old, who is firstly still playing very very well, and secondly, is the embodiment of the spirit of Chelsea football club. Something even Abramovich’s billions can’t buy.

Its all to do with power, so I reckon. That’s been the whole issue this year. The Terry/Morinho/Abramovich axis of evil became destabalised just before Jose left. Costa and Fabregas got the brunt of the blame. But in my mind, nothing happens at Chelsea, and certainly not in the dressing room, that isn’t controlled by John Terry.

Next season I can see it all; he’s playing for recently promoted Middlesboro’ and in the last game of the season heads in (from a corner; what else?) the game-winning goal which sends Chelsea into relegation.

Terry Wogan died.

Happy Monday

A xxxx