Football Players & military service

Just been reading that Park Chu-young will only be able to play for Arsenal for 2 years before having to return home to do 2 years national service.

We will eventually have the same issue with Dong-Won. It got me thinking about other players who have had the same issue.

I remember reading years ago about a goal keeper who served in some special forces. Forgot his name, I think he was from one of the Scandanavian countries.

Anyway what other notable players have had to do the same ?.

Tim Howard? Playing for Everton is basically the same as being stuck in a foxhole...

:lol!:

Bert Trautmann

In Italy National service was compulsory untill not so long ago; the generation of ADP, Totti etc all did it.

I once read somewhere that a former Livorno (Livorno is notoriously Anti-Facist, infact it's very much Comunist in outlook) captain was a leader in the Italian resistance and was actually killed fighting in the Second World war if I remember correctly.

Not sure if it's true or his name. Wigglesworth may though.

It was wigglesworth himself ...

Also, Giampiero Boniperti was in the Alpini.

GyansDancingBoots wrote:Just been reading that Park Chu-young will only be able to play for Arsenal for 2 years before having to return home to do 2 years national service.

We will eventually have the same issue with Dong-Won. It got me thinking about other players who have had the same issue.

I remember reading years ago about a goal keeper who served in some special forces. Forgot his name, I think he was from one of the Scandanavian countries.

Anyway what other notable players have had to do the same ?.

if South Korea does good in Olympics they both might be exempt....Dong-Won will be in the olympic squad if they qualify.....Park could be on one of the 3 over age people...

because the 2004 team was which included Man U's Park

I LoL'd at this tweet...

#Arsenal agree deal to send Sebastian Squilacci to the South Korean army to serve the two year national service on behalf of Chu Young Park

highburied wrote:I LoL'd at this tweet...

#Arsenal agree deal to send Sebastian Squilacci to the South Korean army to serve the two year national service on behalf of Chu Young Park

Only for him to mysteriously disappear on the border of the DMZ in a routine patrol...

Sushi Master wrote:

highburied wrote:I LoL'd at this tweet...

#Arsenal agree deal to send Sebastian Squilacci to the South Korean army to serve the two year national service on behalf of Chu Young Park

Only for him to mysteriously disappear on the border of the DMZ in a routine patrol...

Hahahaha, amazing.

Leave it to Arsenal to buy TWO players who have to leave for military service. As if regular injuries weren't enough.

highburied wrote:It was wigglesworth himself ...

Are you the real highburied? How are you doing mate? I missed our fights :lol!:

2 years is a long time.
German players had to do the same (until we got rid of conscription this year).

They had the possibility to do social work instead of Bundeswehr though. Still, when they were not busy with school, games and training they had to work at hospitals or nursing homes. Pretty stressful.

I know that a kid from Hansa Rostock was helping clean the buttocks of old guys at my great-grandma's nursing home here in Rostock.

That was big problem in Ex-Yugoslavia.
FK "Partizan" was military club, and if some player did not wanna to sign for them, he had to stop his career and go to army. LOL

babun1024 wrote:

highburied wrote:It was wigglesworth himself ...

Are you the real highburied? How are you doing mate? I missed our fights :lol!:

No the old highburied died in an accident.. in the same time i was in the hospital needed a heart... before he past away took his heart and replaced with mine... so i became a gunner automatically and i love some weird stuff ... its kinda strange isnt it?