[Archived] Footballer Jailed

[BuckyRover]

Not in this instance. But I feel in many cases the fact the crime has been committed is enough punishment.

For example, falling asleep at the wheel and killing your family in a car crash.

I think the mental effect of that happening is far worse than any jail term.

[CrazyIvan]

The theoretical argument that drink driving and getting caught is as bad as drink driving and crashing is fair enough. The law doesn't see it that way for logical reasons. You drink drive and you risk a lot. You get caught and you get taught a lesson. You crash and kill someone and you have to pay for that result of your actions; it's too late to teach you the lesson. The first one is designed to stop the second from happening.

The penalty for drink driving is not as harsh as it might be but the penalty for killing someone while drink driving is nowhere near what it should be. Taking a life should be considered a hell of a lot more serious than getting pulled over and breathalysed.

[broadsword]

Is the categorisation for killing someone while driving regardless of whether drink was consumed or not though?

He got done for drink driving, causing death by reckless driving, and driving without insurance ...

[OscarRaven]

Political point-scoring in a thread about two dead kids. Nothing changes eh Smithy? Classy to the end.

The guy has too much class to respond the offensive goading that accompanies his posts (are you Eddie?).

This is the only post I can see that is trying to score points. Embarrassingly hypocritical.

[Billy Castell]

You know, I haven't seen a post from Helen Lovejoy other than shrieking headlines about footballers' bad behaviour for ages. Perhaps he has gotten lost en route to The Daily Express.

[T4E]

The guy has too much class.

You're on the wind up, right?

[RoyRover]

Edit. Wrong thread.

[1864roverite]

Digressing slightly, but why is it that Britain's legal system has become so lenient almost to the point of favouring the criminal? Is it because of the overcrowded prisons or something else I'm missing?

A few pointers....

The legal system is very flawed as you may have noticed.

Every victim of crime have no rights.

Every suspect of a crimnal offence has rights, all the way through the judiciary system.

Legal aid is virtually free.

This country is rabid with politically correct individuals and the Human rights agenda. You will clearly take notice of how a victim does not appear to have any Human Rights.

The punishments dished out by soft judiciary NEVER fit the crime, the reason being because of the the point above.

Not one Politician has the verve, nerve or balls to make a stand like they did in the USA and dole out a punishment that fits the bill, unfortunately this country is all about keeping offenders out of prisons rather than putting them in.

In our prison system, offenders get paid for working whilst the tax payer funds their food and board, their tvs and radios and playstations. Whilst our armed forces are rationed on something like an average of £3.00 per meal the prisoners have something like £3.30 spent on them per meal.

In the prison system they have access to everything, drugs help, alcoholism addictions treatment, anger management, hospitals with no waiting lists and the like. Outside we dont, we have to wait for an appointment or pay to go private.

Britains judiciary system is totally offender focused, ie we pussy foot about trying to find out what makes them tick rather than supporting the victims of horrendous crimes. A murder victims family gets a maximum of £20,000 compensation whilst the offender gets legal aid totalling hundreds of thousands FREE.

Britain has issues in court such as it doesnt matter that the offender committed the crime, they would rather just discredit a witness, deflect the attention of jury and try to acquit their client on techinicality evidence that isnt even related to the case.

Thats just for starters and thats from someone who is extremely experienced from the system

[Rovermatt]

The guy has too much class to respond the offensive goading that accompanies his posts (are you Eddie?).

This is the only post I can see that is trying to score points. Embarrassingly hypocritical.

Whatever. It's not classy to spout one's obsession with 'PC Britain' and the HRA ('a charter for criminals and illegal immigrants') in a thread about an idiot footballer and the two kids he killed.

McCormick clearly didn't get what he deserved but there are an awful lot of things at work in every trial that mitigate and it's far too simplistic to paint this one as some sort of pointless exercise at the mercy of a bunch of catchphrases. The crime in this instance was horrendous and it deserves more than a slew of rabid wailing and gnashing.

[Ninjathunder]

Shouldn't this thread now be in ICBINF? It's lost all relevance as a football related topic.

[OhmiBRFC]

It's a disgrace that a driving ban starts whilst the offender is in prison!! There not exactly going to be able to drive much are they?

You get more for drug offences than you do for more serious offences such as this case.

[American]

Man that guys lucky hes not in the US. I know for a fact that he would have gotten atleast 25 years to life in some VERY hard prisons here in the state! Yikes, 7 years? Thats no where near enough time IMO. Youngs boys that never got to live life....Sad really

I know for a FACT you are wrong. Vehicular manslaughter doesn't carry much more than 7 years here as well. I knew a guy years ago who got out after about 2 or so.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Ipswich player's sick gesture insults the tragic family below...

How can Ipswich Town midfielder Dave Norris look at himself in the mirror knowing that his disgusting and completely inappropriate gesture on the pitch on Saturday has understandably disgusted a grieving mother Amanda Peak, still mourning the tragic loss of her two young boys.

The arrogant swaggering Dave Norris is a good friend of the jailed goalkeeper Luke McCormick - the repulsive scumbag from Plymouth Argyle whose selfish and reckless drink-driving earlier this year killed two young brothers Ben and Arron Peak.

During Ipswich Town's match against Blackpool on Saturday, Norris decided on a sick show of solidarity with McCormick by making a handcuffed wrists gesture while celebrating a goal.

Smirking and grinning like a Cheshire cat, Dave Norris showed a complete lack of respect on Saturday towards Amanda Peak and her husband Phil - who suffered a crushed spine when Luke McCormick decided to drive like a lunatic at speeds of 100mph while over twice the alcohol limit.

I'm pleased that Ipswich Town have decided to fine this disgusting lout for his vile celebration. I'm pleased too that PFA Chief Gordon Taylor - who sometimes makes excuses for badly behaved players - has also said that Norris's celebration was totally inappropriate.

As Amanda Peak has said of Norris's sick gesture: "I'm disgusted. To celebrate a goal like that is disrespectful to me and my husband and my boys. He should be given a ban by his club."

I'd like David Norris to visit some families in hospital whose lives have been devastated by drink-driving. I'd like Norris to speak to some victims who've been seriously injured in road crashes and in some cases confined to wheelchairs due to the selfish actions of drink-drivers. Would Norris still be grinning then and saying what a good friend Luke McCormick is?

Link: Norris's sick signal upsets grieving family

[tony gale's mic]

To be fair the club and player have said it wasn't intended for McCormick and all apologies have stemmed from the fact it was a 'misinterpretation'. Now one might say the player is lying which he might be, but I don't think he'd gain that much from lying and the expression on his face seems to suggest it's something rather more playful than one of your best mates being in jail for the deaths of those young children.

[boris bear]

To be fair the club and player have said it wasn't intended for McCormick and all apologies have stemmed from the fact it was a 'misinterpretation'. Now one might say the player is lying which he might be, but I don't think he'd gain that much from lying and the expression on his face seems to suggest it's something rather more playful than one of your best mates being in jail for the deaths of those young children.

I don't understand this misinterpretation claim, if the gesture was not for McCormick then why has Norris been fined because he wouldn't have done anything wrong?

[broadsword]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/footbal...on-1010716.html

sounds like total rollocks to me.

It wasn't a hand-cuffs gesture, but it was intended for McCormack. Does he think we're all stupid?

[Billy Castell]

Would it be right if the gesture was more of a 'ha ha look at me jailbird' in tone? Will Helen Lovejoy follow it up with more irritating shreiking nonsense? Does Helen Lovejoy support Rovers. or just a shrill housewife who only wants to harp on about footballers' bad behaviour?

[CrazyIvan]

Would it be right if the gesture was more of a 'ha ha look at me jailbird' in tone? Will Helen Lovejoy follow it up with more irritating shreiking nonsense? Does Helen Lovejoy support Rovers. or just a shrill housewife who only wants to harp on about footballers' bad behaviour?

I'm confused by your reference to Helen Lovejoy. Who is she?

[Billy Castell]

She's the vicar's wife in the Simpsons who always bleats on about how immoral the town is whilst spreading the gossip.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Another Chelsea player guilty of drink-driving....

Nigerian John Mikel Obi has been banned from the roads for 15 months after driving at speed and being found by police to be almost twice the drink-drive limit.

LINK HERE

When will these wealthy millionaire buggers ever learn?

We keep being told that modern-day footballers are fitter than before, that they eat and drink sensibly now and that Premiership players are aware of their responsibilities in the community. Yeah right.

They claim that their astronomical wages are justified because of the demands of modern-day football. And yet what have we had from Chelsea players recently? Ashley Cole was arrested after being drunk and disorderly, with the brat being abusive and swearing repeatedly to police officers at 2am outside a nightclub. He was given an £80 fixed penalty. I'm sure that made a huge dent in his £90,000-a-week wages.

Cole, the man who famously said how insulted he was at Arsenal's offer of a mere £55,000-a-week or £2.9m a year, is the guy who reportedly had a drunken affair with a blonde hairdresser last year, allegedly telling the girl that she should be privileged that he was sick in her car.

Chelsea captain John Terry is the man who thinks it's acceptable to park his Bentley in a disabled bay while he goes out shopping.

In September 2001, four Chelsea players including John Terry were fined two weeks' wages by Chelsea for drunkenly abusing grieving Americans at a hotel just 24 hours after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre.

The players went on a five-hour drinking binge and were ejected from the third pub they had visited. Their drinks binge culminated at a Heathrow hotel when according to a report in the Daily Telegraph they stripped naked and vomited in public. The players shouted, laughed, threw peanuts, took their clothes off and reportedly abused other guests.

A manager at Heathrow's Post House hotel said: "They were utterly disgusting. They just didn't seem to care about what had happened. We had a lot of Americans here who were upset. Meanwhile these men were laughing and joking, taking off their clothes and abusing our guests."

A link to a report from The Daily Telegraph of this incident in 2001 is here

Some of the top players claim that their huge wages are justified now because they are fitter than before, that they look after their bodies and that the demands of Premiership football are high.

But could anybody please explain to me how a bunch of disgusting selfish brats who go out and get drunk for five hours, taking their clothes off and abusing members of the public, deserve such massive wages?

The fans are the ones who have to fork out high prices, in some cases of around £45-£55 on tickets at grounds like Stamford Bridge. The players are then turning round and (metaphorically) spitting in the face of the supporters who help to pay their wages.

It's a sad state of affairs. Punters are fully justified in saying "Enough is enough" by voting with their feet and refusing to go to away grounds like Stamford Bridge to be treated like mugs by these spoilt brats.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Why is it always footballers who get abuse for their wages? Nobody ever seems to moan about actors/actresses or other sports stars earning millions. Always seems to be footballers. In the case of John Terry I doubt Chelsea fans moan about how much he earns.

As if anybody on here has never been caught drink driving.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

As if anybody on here has never been caught drink driving.

Well I can't speak for anybody else on here, but I can categorically say that I have never driven whilst being under the influence of alcohol. I made a vow to myself years ago when I started driving that I would never put lives at risk by drinking and driving.

I like a drink, but I would much rather spend £10, £20 or £30 on a taxi home rather than put myself and other lives in danger. I don't care if I have to walk home several miles. I simply will never under any circumstances drink and drive.

I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I had put lives at risk by behaving completely irresponsibly by drinking and driving.

As for why footballers get 'abused' for their wages - I would personally call it criticism rather than abuse - it is perhaps partly due to the fact that football supporters have to fork out hundreds of pounds a year to support their club - or in some cases thousands of pounds a year to support their team home and away. This is a significant amount of money for many people and when footballers turn round and behave in such a selfish way as I've mentioned in my earlier post, showing contempt for the fans who help to pay their wages, then personally it grates with me.

In the case of actors and actresses I don't spend hundreds of pounds a year travelling around the country to watch them perform. So while actors may well be overpaid I'm not helping to fund their lifestyle to the same extent as footballers. I don't seek to justify the salaries of actors, but personally I have never heard of an actor saying that he nearly crashed his car in disgust at only being offered £55,000-a-week. This is what Ashley Cole admitted to in his autobiography. I find such greed particularly contemptible.

I also happen to detest the way that Prime Ministers like Tony Blair and Gordon Brown talk about footballers being "role-models". In many cases, as with players like Ashley Cole, they are greedy spoilt brats and not people that youngsters should look up to as "role-models". Sadly by wanting to follow and support my football club I am partly helping to pay for their Bentleys and mansions.

[Tom]

Well I can't speak for anybody else on here, but I can categorically say that I have never driven whilst being under the influence of alcohol. I made a vow to myself years ago when I started driving that I would never put lives at risk by drinking and driving.

I like a drink, but I would much rather spend £10, £20 or £30 on a taxi home rather than put myself and other lives in danger. I don't care if I have to walk home several miles. I simply will never under any circumstances drink and drive.

I couldn't live with myself if I knew that I had put lives at risk by behaving completely irresponsibly by drinking and driving.

I've got to say I wish more people took this stance, I know most of us do but there's still the odd one that chances it now and again to save a few quid.

[mellison24]

better yet, try going teetotal and gettin hyper instead of ######. You feel better and won't have potentially fatal consequences. I'm teetotal having seen my uncle be knocked down by a drink-driver.

[Billy Castell]

Actually Mellinson24, I have had some good nights in dear old Bedford when I have drunk a couple of pints of cola and danced like a nob at Esquires. Of course standards have dropped as I have drunk half a bottle of wine. Bin 53 Chardonnay by Hardys. It is half price at Scummerfield by the way, and is nice.

And whilst I often take the ____ out of AESF, I applaud his stance on drink driving. If I could drive, I'd also not 'have a sly pint' for the reasons he stated. If only more people had his attitude.

And keeping on this theme of agreeing withother posters, it is indeed odd Vinjay, that the likes of Jude Law or Tom Hanks does not get slated for taking home a tidy £10-20m for crap like the remake of Alfie or Forrest Gump.

William Elliot was singing on Jools Holland. Doesn't he play for Coventry or Bristol City?