Oh the moral indignation I forgot you lot were to the right of Genghis Khan.... He's been found to have done wrong and the courts have dealt with him in the appropriate manner end of story!
Obviously, like most people, I've no time for benefit cheats. However, this is just a sad case. If we strip away all the former footballer stuff, what we find is a man with apparently 'limited financial means' who acts as carer for his disabled wife. When you consider the payment for his radio work was either £45 or £75, it hardly seems like somone deliberately fiddling the system for great personal benefit. He's guilty and he deserves his punishment, but it seems to me he deserves a bit of understanding and sympathy too.
so are you honestly suggesting that you wouldn't be commenting on this if the boot were on the other foot and it was one of our current or ex players? its on our board warky so we are free to discuss it as much as you lot wrote a thread on your own board about grant holt handing in a transfer request last week...
and you'd have the same level of sympathy for Mrs Smith single mum of 2 who did some work on the side and was overpaid on her benefits by £9k would you? Don't bloody think so (and nor would most people I suspect!)
Rich I think the difference between Mrs Smith and Beats is that he has been on the radio (and a bloody joy to listen to it is as well) so I find it hard to believe he was trying to con anybody. All it would've taken would be for someone in the Ipswich benefits office who dealt with one of his claims to be an Ipswich fan and hear him on a match day (not exactly long odds) Very sad that he finds himself in that situation, I think the damage to his reputation and pride is ample punishment for his stupidity on this occasion.
Honestly, if she was earning so little, I would. I wouldn't defend their action, but I'd still be able to sympathise with the situation. It smacks to me of the system being at fault almost as much as the individual. Any cheating of the system is wrong and those people deserve punishment, but perhaps we sometimes need to look at the system as well and consider whether the situation it places some people in is part of the problem. If we're saying £45 - £75 a week is enough to have a £9k benefit possibly taken away, then I think the system is faulty. As I said, I'd never defend them, you can't. You sign up to recieve benefit, you play by the rules, and if you don't you get what's coming. But that doesn't stop the situation being worthy of sympathy.
Very sad that an Ipswich supporting pen pusher would rat on one of his own players.Sounds a bit like Germany in 1939.
