True - The difference is they are all pre PACE [Police and Criminal Evidence Act]. The CPS wasn't established until the 1980's and evidential methods and prosecutions have come a long way. There is far more scrutiny, but that doesn't mean miscarriages can't still happen. Until the full facts and evidence are known, we can't really say for sure.
Nothing against you lads but I think your club have handled this situation poorly, once you made the original decision to suspend him, you should have stuck to it imo - they must be sure that he will plead not guilty but imagine if he's pivotal in you staying up n then gets found guilty on all 3 charges, surely that would sour it somewhat and it doesn't look good on the club from an outsider.
I wonder if Dick will know where to put him given that he doesn't know where to put his Dick. Yesterday I very much put forward the "innocent until proven guilty" line as we don't know the facts but I am amazed, amazed that he has not been suspended. They suspend him when he's brought in for questioning but not when he's formally charged? Odd.
I was just about to make that point but you beat me to it! If that was to happen then I don't think I could support my club in the same way again....may even cut my ties!
Yeah certainly seems that way, shame for you lot as it's a big club with fans who deserve better, same as the club up the road from you. I'd be absolutely seething if Saints had made that decision.
One thing after another mate. Our PR department is clueless. If you remember PDC and the fachist accusations. We put him in a box room full of press with a PR representative and she left him to dogs to eat him alive. Everything we do make us look bad. This latest news may not even be true, as our stupid football club hasn't even made an official statement yet We should have stuck to the original decision when we suspended him, he should have still been under suspension when charges were brought and our statement confirming he'll remain suspended should have be given before the national news the same day. It's a car crash.
They havent suspended him, doesnt mean they will play him The club are showing support for him publically, but might have had a quiet word with both of him and Dick to say, while we back you publicly we dont think you should actually play.
Imagine the stick he will get if he does play. There may be players that go after him on the pitch too.
It was an assumption (just like yours yesterday mate that Cardew pulled you on) based on what I have read, in the media and by the definition of the term on here. I don't know what the exact evidence is, but I have experience in criminal intel, I know exactly what they'll have in front of them, the DNA samples, the FAR's from cellular decrypt services and her accusations. If he hadn't done it mate, he'd have proved where he was at the time of the alleged offences by now. That's something I said to you a month ago and your reply was that he was well within his rights to leave them hanging, to not tell them because they'd trip him up. Now he's been charged. Now he's been charged with knowing how old she was. What's his defence gonna be? "I shagged her but I didn't know how old she was"? Last month he was saying and his Mrs was saying he didn't do it at all. ****ing hell it's perfectly plausible that he's been helping coach kids at the club or something, they wouldn't even need forensics for that charge.
Not really bothered about what he does - if he hasn;t been charged then he can play as far as I'm concerned. If he had helped us stay up then I'd be happy regardless of his wrongdoings as, until he is(was) formally charged we have nothing to go on. If he had been completely suspended by the club and not allowed to play then all charges were dropped yesterday then we have c aompletely unfit player for the remainder of the season - club got it spot on IMO - look after the clubs business first. Now he's been charged - although still not guilty but a formal charge should mean he is now suspended again pending the outcome in court. If the club ask the player for all of the relating information and he only gives half a story they are not entitled to push any harder for anything else unlike the police - but I'd expect the player (AJ) to be completely honest with the club - if he's not then the club really only have his word for it. His footballing days are very close to being done IMO
That's ridiculous as well, you'd think with them knowing he had bail to answer to yesterday, they'd have one already prepared just in case.
Odd decision mate. Maybe Sunderland's lawyers have advised that in order to sue him, you'd have to retain him until conviction. That's all I can think.
I don't think we should suspend him as it may have an influence on the trial - if it goes that far. I don't think we should play him either. Keep it in-house and let justice take its course IMO
You don't have to justify yourself fella, we're just chatting and exploring possibilities. Looks like he's shagged her doesn't it? Something I suspected from the off. He's a pisshead self important ****er of a footballer after all. Like I said, his plea on the grooming charge will give an idea of whether there's any solid evidence proving he knew her age or weather they don't have much and the CP fancy a bash at convincing the jury. But for all we know there's very little solid(as cases can be built on circumstantial evidence) on any off the charges and CP are using public interest to cover their arse in case they let him go and he re offended, this would be abuse of the prosecution code but it's been done. Michael Le Vell was brought up on 12 charges of child abuse based on public intrest and the evidence they brought to the court was inadequate to say the least. This Public interest thing, in light of operation yewtree exposing years of inadequate policing means **** knows what the situation actually is. He could bang to rights or he could walk it leave an innocent man with no danger of him ever going down.
I think the fact that it's such a fresh accusation really works against him right now, a lot of the Yewtree stuff is historical and for some reason it seems to serve as a precursor to let them off, for some weird reason. There's no doubt that some of these celebs have gotten away with it, by ****ing miracle. I can't imagine the Britannia Stadium being very welcoming for AJ, do you reckon DA will play him again this season?
I wouldn't have lifted his suspension in the first place mate. I've stayed on the fence throughout and tried to bring balance. I've not sang his name neither but I'm not judging him, that's for a jury of his peers. I just wish the Club would air on the same side of caution as me. I don't know if dick will play him but I wouldn't personally. But he's getting the go ahead from the club and Dick may feel he's innocent until proven guilty and that his job is to keep us up and nothing else which is understandable. It's the club that's dropped the clanger here. I won't scapegoat Dick if he chooses to play him.
So you have condemned him before trial then.. I will regard him as being innocent unless the courts decide otherwise..
