John Terry is an easy target, there's no getting away from it. You can come up with any crap joke and as long as it's at the expense of the Chelsea captain, you're guaranteed to at least get some pity laughs. So when Terry's Chelsea career came to an ignominious end at the weekend courtesy of a second yellow card against Sunderland, there were very few individuals who were ready to sympathise with the 35 year old.
It must be said however, that in a purely footballing sense, Terry deserves a much better ending to his Chelsea career. His contract runs out this summer and Chelsea have been unwilling to offer him a new one. There is still the possibility that Antonio Conte will decide he can't do without Terry next season but for now, it looks like Terry is on his way out.
Speaking in Denmark yesterday, Terry was fairly up front about what he wants to do next, saying he 'still wants to play for a couple more years, hopefully at Chelsea'. That may not happen but one way or another, Terry has ensured that he'll have at least one more chance to play at Stamford Bridge after it emerged this morning that he had hired the pitch to hold what will likely be a farewell game for himself and a close group of friends.
Chelsea, for their part, have decided to wave the £22,000 fee to hire the field according to the Telegraph.
Unsurprisingly, given the fact that this is John Terry after all, you don't have to search too far to find one or two 'full kit' jokes.
Aside form usage of the pitch, Terry and friends will also have use of 'dressing rooms, match officials, use of the dug-outs, access to stadium screens and public address system, and a barbecue'.
It must be said that if that really is his send-off, Chelsea will have done a great disservice to a man that will surely go down as a club legend for years to come. You'd like to think that, if Chelsea choose to allow Terry to leave this summer, there will be more of a public send-off that will allow the Stamford Bridge faithful pay tribute to a player who, when it comes to his ability as a footballer, has been nothing short of exemplary over the past decade and a half.
However, with a presumed £20million deal on the cards if he chooses to move to China this summer, we won't be shedding too many tears for him.
