And now for some tabloidism…
Are you looking to buy a house? I heard of a sweet deal that might be coming up on a Chelsea property. No, not a house or flat in the upmarket London borough, known for swanky restaurants and fashionable night clubs – a different type.
By Chelsea property I mean the million pound mansion currently owned by John Terry. The disgraced former English football captain has been the centre of a media storm over the past few weeks, initially for his sexual transgression and dicey moral conduct, and more recently for speculation around his financial stability.
These latest rumours emerged last week when it came to light that the mortgage on his mansion, located in Oxshott, Surrey near Chelsea FC’s training ground, is nearly double the original price of the property. Terry purchased the extravagant house for £2.25 million back in 2003, but last year he took out a mortgage to the value of £3.95 million.
It doesn’t add up or make sense…which it should since a professional footballer of his stature earns around £170,000 per week. Terry’s agent, in attempting to dispel the allegations of heavy debt, said that the player (of football and women) applied for the mortgage merely to benefit from the high interest rate and support other property investments.
This statement has failed to satisfy sceptics who maintain that the shamed sports star suffers from a heavy gambling addiction. Friends of Terry insist that his gambling is under control, and that he pays his bookmaker in full every month.
Despite these troubled times the Chelsea captain seems to have the support of his wife, Toni, who has chosen to stick by her man and fight for their marriage. The couple looked decidedly happy when they landed back in London last week. They returned from Dubai where Toni went to escape the paparazzi frenzy after news of her husband’s infidelity first broke.
In conclusion, two observations:
1. It is a sad day for our society and modern culture. We idolise film and sports stars, thriving on every detail of their activities, to the point that they begin to conceive of themselves as extraordinary people. Up on those pedestals they feel special and untouchable, and well within their rights to do whatever they please without a thought for the repercussions. We are not to blame, but we do need to find other things to obsess over.
2. If you are looking to invest it’s probably safer to go for an actual Chelsea property. Although it is a very nice mansion…