The Toni Polster Effect

Amongst the hype surrounding Santos and Brazil's striker Neymar and the reported £40m bids that his club have received for him was the frankly amazing rumour that one club only offered the money on the condition that he must first cut his hair before the deal is done...that got me thinking, why is it that so many footballers have terrible hair, some call this phenomena 'League 2 Haircut Syndrome' but I prefer to attach it to a player (much like the Bosman Ruling), so to me it is known as the 'Toni Polster Effect'.

For those of you who don't know, Polster was an Austrian striker from 1982-2000, and is Austria's all time leading goalscorer.  However, more importantly than that, he was the proud owner of an original Permullet...not content with sporting one classic 80's look, he was the original purveyor of fashion in football...

Obviously, big Toni wasn't the first man to be caught on a football pitch, and he most certainly wasn't the last...so lets have run down of the top 6 hair cuts which have done the rounds;

Bobby Charlton - Hell of a player, but the comb over was...was...was...well words don't do it justice.

Chris Waddle - Not the most majestic of player, but still one of the best of his generation...and with this classic business at the front, party at the back mullet a style icon to boot.

Jason Lee - much maligned striker, mainly by Baddiel and Skinner on Fantasy Football.  'He's got a pineapple on his head, he's got a pineapple on his head, he's got a pineapple on his head, he's got a pineapple on his head.'

Taribo West - played for some of the top clubs in Europe despite looking like he'd stolen a 4 year old girls scalp.

Abel Xavier - mental, fantastic hair and not a bad player when he wanted to be, just a shame about some 'incidents' in his career.

Rigobert Song - same meat, different gravy as Xavier...he is living proof not to criticise Jamie Carragher's defending though..."Song walked on to the training pitch with a smile on his face. He was limping off it with a grimace an hour later. The first chance I got, I did him. Never have I hunted down a 50–50 tackle with greater appetite. 'You're not fucking laughing now, are you, you soft cunt?' I said as he hobbled away."

Now, I can hear some of you asking "What about Baggio?" ...but in my book, that hairstyle was a classic, a trademark and the source of the great mans powers.  It still makes remember 'that penalty' when I see an eastern European sporting a Rat Tail mullet, and it also makes me smile!