Saturday 31 October 2009

Spare The Rod, Spoil The Child Footballer...

Arsene Wenger believes Marlon King still has a future in football once he serves his prison sentence.
As what? A groundskeeper?
...Arsenal boss Wenger said: 'I believe that you have justice and it’s not my justice, it’s the justice England has decided to apply to any case.

'When he has paid his sentence, of course you would consider it (signing King). That means you would never forgive anybody anything his whole life.

'When he paid his sentence some clubs, if they want, they will take him.’
Let's recap on this case, shall we? This is a man who has been 'forgiven' again and again and again:
It also emerged that King - who intends to appeal -had 13 previous convictions, including theft, assault and wounding, and he will be sacked by Wigan Athletic.
So, it's not like he's being hounded after a first offence, is it? And let's not forget the sort of people he pals around with, and their view of the justice system. Is any club going to take on that kind of risk?

But Arsene is quick to avoid any issue of his job being at fault:
Wenger said: 'That he is a football player or isn’t a football player has nothing to do with what Marlon King did. He’s an individual.
Nothing to do with it? Really?

Let's just remind ourselves of the words of Latics chairman Dave Whelan:
'We will not tolerate football players who get sent to jail for 18 months. As far as we are concerned, he is finished with football at Wigan Athletic.'
Do any of these football managers not think that by tolerating anything and everything up to this arbitrary sentence that they are simply giving these people license to behave as they wish, with no fears of any consequences?

13 comments:

Von Spreuth. said...

He is an asshole, pure and simple.

What the FUCK has his "footballing" hobby to do with anything?

Ross said...

Wenger's probably right about what will happen, albeit not what should happen.

When King is released he will get another club not because he deserves it but because the value of player like that is considerable if he can make the difference between promotion and relegation.

Lee Hughes, the footballer who killed someone when he crashed into another car and ran off whilst drunk and high is playing again after serving a couple of years in prison.

Laurence said...

As the law stands, it doesn't follow that his criminal record should debar this man from getting a job as a professional footballer.

Our libertarian instincts should make us feel quite comfortable with this state of things.

Whether any football club would want to give him a job is another question entirely.

Quite aside from his footballing prowess, with 13 or 14 previous convictions, his potential for damaging the reputation and financial well-being of any club that might hire him is clearly tremendous.

Surely we can trust the marketplace of clubs and players to address this problem.

MTG said...

King is compelled to insult, threaten, assault and injure people.

Libertarian instincts may extend to finding him a place in the police - where those inclinations can be fostered and pursued 'legally'.

James Higham said...

As what? A groundskeeper?

Now, now. :)

Von Spreuth. said...

If you went to your local park on a Sunday morning with the kiddys, and saw 10 men dressed in shorts playing with their balls, you would, quite rightly call the police. But THIS mother fekin arsehole wanker gets PAID to do it???????

I have also heard that if you add the I.Q of EVERY player to the I.Q of every fan, the sum you come to is LESS than the I.Q of the ball, AND their life is ALSO of less worth.

staybryte said...

VonSpreuth

Settle, petal. I'm a fan of the game and I'd happily see Marlon King strapped to a chair and kicked down a stairwell.

17,000 times.

Von Spreuth. said...

strapped to a chair and kicked down a stairwell.

I think we could beon the same wave length. Fancy a pint?

staybryte said...

Always, Von Spreuth, always. Real ale if they have it, good German bier of any description if not, and Guinness as a failsafe. Cheers.

Now that we've established a rapport, am I an exception to your rule about those interested in football?

JPT said...

Best laugh of this case is as the sentence was announced in court one of King's supporters/family shouted from the public gallery 'this is institutionalised racism'!
Say no more.

Von Spreuth. said...

staybryte said...
Now that we've established a rapport, am I an exception to your rule about those interested in football?


Grudgingly. ;-))

JuliaM said...

"Wenger's probably right about what will happen, albeit not what should happen. "

Sadly true, though Laurence is hopefully right about clubs having to weigh up the downside...

"Surely we can trust the marketplace of clubs and players to address this problem."

Let's hope so. And let's hope he isn't a very good player.

"Say no more."

Indeed. One of the more bizarre court outbursts...

blueknight said...

I thought that this might have been a drunken 'one off', but by all accounts he has been doing this sort of thing for ages.
I wonder how many other times he wasn't caught