Harry Redknapp thinks it's "not worth the hassle" and he's probably right.
What the QPR manager was talking about was football clubs having Christmas parties. His unease at the custom turns out to have been well founded with The Sun reporting today that Steven Caulker had to be taken to hospital following some festivities involving QPR and Crystal Palace players.
A squabble broke out between players and other patrons of a south west London pub after a drink was spilled on Rio Ferdinand.
A witness told The Sun:
Caulker split his head open and blood was pouring down his face.
The players piled out of the pub but the bouncers stopped us leaving.
Joey Barton was the peacemaker. When it all kicked off, he was in the middle trying to break it up. It was horrible.
We saw a woman in her early 20s spill a drink on Rio.
Rio got up and was clearly angry. Shaun Wright-Phillips was telling him to calm down.
Jody Morris was also saying to take it easy. It all escalated into a load of shouting.
Rio then left in a cab before Steven went outside.
QPR owner Tony Fernandes insisted on Twitter that Caulker had simply slipped and hit his head.
Team is very United and really playing for each other. Steven caulker slipped over and hurt his head and is fine. Nothing else to report.
— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) December 8, 2014
Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE / Web Summit
