Wigan to sack jailed striker King

[Rappy Veteran]

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan says Marlon King will never play for the club again after he was jailed for 18 months.

The striker, 29, was found guilty of sexual assault and actual bodily harm after he had been "cold-shouldered" by a female student in a London nightclub.

The incident occurred last December while he was on loan at Hull.

Whelan told BBC Radio 5 live: "We will now be in the process of severing his contract. To say the least I am really, really disappointed."

Whelan, who only learned on Tuesday that King was on trial at Southwark Crown Court, must follow Premier League rules and pay the player's wages for 14 days before terminating his contract.

The Latics chairman went on: "It's really upsetting and it just sets such a bad example for any youngster coming through who wants to be a professional footballer.

"He was on loan at the time to Hull City but I don't blame Hull City. Marlon King has got to accept full responsibility for this."

After groping and punching his victim at the Soho Revue Bar, breaking her nose, King briefly returned to Hull before spending a subsequent spell on loan at Middlesbrough.

The father of three, born in Dulwich, south London, finally made his way back to Wigan in the summer, but is now left without a club.

In 2002 King served five months of a two-year prison sentence for handling a stolen car before being released on appeal.

Whelan explained how King had kept the club in the dark about the incident.

"It's been kept quite secret by the player. We knew he did something but we didn't know exactly what it was. When you read how serious it was, I mean striking a girl and breaking her nose and messing about like that, we didn't realise the severity of what was happening here.

"We knew he'd been charged with something but I was shocked by what he had actually done and I was shocked by the sentence. But if he deserves it then he's got to do it.

"I sat down with Marlon at the start of the season and said 'Marlon, if you want to play for Wigan Athletic you've got to settle down, train hard and go on the field and give your best.

"He never mentioned anything about this case and he promised me that he was going to train hard and he actually has trained hard, I have to say that.

"Once he's served his sentence, if he manages to get back into football, so be it, but he will never pull on the shirt of Wigan Athletic again."

The Jamaica international started his league career with Barnet, before moving to Gillingham.

He was also signed to Nottingham Forest, who briefly loaned him out to Leeds United, and subsequently Watford.

In January 2008, he made his move to Wigan for an initial ?3m on a three-and-a-half year contract with a ?40,000-a-week salary.

BBC

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

Good stuff. The guy is a complete tool.

[MistaT40]

You have an opportunity to do something you love and makes loads of money out of it but such behaviour.....well.........

[Brodel]

good, i can't imagine anyone can try and oppose that decision.

[Rappy Veteran]

good, i can't imagine anyone can try and oppose that decision.

yeah deserves jail time!

[Martyn]

Scum.

[Calum Veteran]

It serves him right and I'm really glad Wigan made this decision. I personally think punching another gentleman is out of order, but punching a lady is utterly appalling!

[Subject Delta]

No sympathy for him at all, he should never play football again. Its sad really when sportsmen become full of themselves and start to act as if they are above the law

[TheElite]

No sympathy for him at all, he should never play football again.

Never again?

[Toon_Army_Fan]

I am a newcastle fan and this may not mean much to people outside of the UK so sorry in advance but I was surprised at the jail sentence he got. I agree he should have got it but we have a scum bag at our club called Joey Barton who beat a young guy up really bad while he was on bail for beating a former team mate so bad he had to go to hospital and all he got was 6 months or something but was let out early for good behaviour. I want to make it perfectly clear I dont support King in anway way and he deserved to go to jail but the law doesnt seem very consistant here.

I did however hear that this is his 12th court apperance since he turned a proffesional footballer so he clearly never learns!

Edited October 29, 2009 by Toon_Army_Fan

[acnpt]

Never again?

Well not in any FA league, or if he gets his legs broken.

This isn't the first time he's beaten up women either.

[Calum Veteran]

Never again?

Why not? In my opinion he's a disgrace to humanity and not just football. Violence is despicable, especially when it is a male attacking a female. What makes this so sickening is that it was a completely unprovoked attack.

[ViZioN]

Completely agree with Wigan, although it's not like they could just brush this off even if they wanted to. What a waste.

[+John. Subscriber¹]

Good. How does that ever run through someone's mind? To openly punch a woman, it's sick.

[Rappy Veteran]

he'll get another club when he comes out that's the sad fact, remember lee hughes he did serious jail time came out and went to Oldham F.C.

[Subject Delta]

Never again?

Yes, never again. He doesn't deserve his fame or money.

I am a newcastle fan and this may not mean much to people outside of the UK so sorry in advance but I was surprised at the jail sentence he got. I agree he should have got it but we have a scum bag at our club called Joey Barton who beat a young guy up really bad while he was on bail for beating a former team mate so bad he had to go to hospital and all he got was 6 months or something but was let out early for good behaviour. I want to make it perfectly clear I dont support King in anway way and he deserved to go to jail but the law doesnt seem very consistant here.

I did however hear that this is his 12th court apperance since he turned a proffesional footballer so he clearly never learns!

Agreed, Joey Barton is a disgusting individual he should definitely have been banned from the game as his violence transfers to the field as well, I once remember him getting sent off against Liverpool for an absolutely horrifying tackle that luckily didn't seriously injure the Liverpool player, it was so bad that even the manager said he deserved to get sent off, and Newcastle's own fans where even going apes*** about his on pitch stupidity. Sad really but our justice system is pathetic.

[Nayos]

Not necessarily related to this, but do assault charges take in to account provocation (i.e., verbal provocation)?

[deletedxyz]

What an absolute disgrace of a soccer player.

He needs to get his head checked. He has so much talent and wasted it all with this terrible crimes.

The striker, 29, was found guilty of sexual assault and actual bodily harm after he had been "cold-shouldered" by a female student in a London nightclub... After groping and punching his victim at the Soho Revue Bar, breaking her nose, King briefly returned to Hull before spending a subsequent spell on loan at Middlesbrough in January...

In 2002 King, who lives in Hertfordshire, served five months of a two-year prison sentence for handling a stolen car before being released on appeal.

A year later, he was convicted for common assault on two women he chased through London with a belt wrapped round his fist. And in 2006 he was convicted of threatening behaviour after slapping another woman and then spitting at her when police arrived.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/t...tic/8332728.stm

[Toon_Army_Fan]

He will be out by next year and some hero manager will take him on thinking that he can change him blah blah blah! Big sam tried it with barton and so did keegan. I am all for the concept of prision service changing people around etc and then giving people a second chance cause we all deserve that but he has had so many and to throw away a professional football career is just Wrong!

Not necessarily related to this, but do assault charges take in to account provocation (i.e., verbal provocation)?

Not sure but it must do. It has too but If he got put away for 18 months I would assume there wasnt that much provocation.

[Rappy Veteran]

King has future in game - Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes disgraced striker Marlon King should be allowed to return to football after serving his 18-month prison sentence.

The 29-year-old was convicted of sexual assault and causing actual bodily harm after an incident in a London club.

"When he has paid his sentence, of course you would consider signing someone like that," said Wenger.

But Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said that King would never play for the Craven Cottage side.

King underwent a medical at Fulham in January 2008 but owner Mohamed Al Fayed ended interest in the transfer because of his criminal past.

In 2002 King, then playing for Gillingham, served five months of a two-year prison sentence for handling a stolen car before being released on appeal.

Other previous convictions include dishonesty and a range of motoring offences, including drink-driving.

After his sentencing on Thursday, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan was quick to announce his intention to sack the player but the Latics must follow Premier League rules and pay the player's wages for 14 days before terminating his contract.

King has indicated he will appeal against the length of his jail sentence as well as his dismissal, but Hodgson admitted Fulham's failure to sign King last year was a lucky escape.

"I think we got lucky in that we didn't sign him. I'd only just come to the club and didn't know the player at all," said Hodgson.

"All I knew about him was his goalscoring record and the information I was able to gather, which was not sufficiently detailed.

"There was a problem with the medical and it also became a problem when we found out he had a jail sentence.

"Mohamed Al Fayed was not at all keen on that so the transfer was allowed to collapse and he went to Wigan instead."

Although King's agent Tony Finnigan insists that the player will continue his football career after he is released from prison, Hodgson stressed that Fulham would never consider reviving their interest in the player.

"Marlon's agent is fairly clear on the subject and has a very cynical view," added Hodgson.

"He believes there is no moral judgement in football and the fact the person we're talking about can score goals will blot any moral values people will have.

"I don't know if that's true, but I know he won't be signed by Fulham. The owner of our club would not embrace that type of signing and I as a manager would not embrace it."

But Wenger feels that King has a future in the game after his release from prison.

"I believe that you have justice and it's not my justice, it is the justice that England has decided to apply to his case," stated Wenger.

"Otherwise you would never forgive anybody anything. When he has paid his sentence, some clubs if they want, they will take him."

Finnigan criticised the stance of the Professional Footballers Association, after spokesman Bobby Barnes admitted the player had brought the situation on himself.

But PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor defended its position, saying it was under no obligation to stand by players who break the law and had not even been approached by King.

In a statement on the PFA website, Taylor said: "The PFA does not represent players when they have broken the law and been convicted on non-footballing matters.

"Nevertheless, should any member with anger management or other issues approach us for assistance we are always happy to provide that assistance through the Sporting Chance Clinic, as has been the case with other such high-profile cases.

"We have never been approached by Marlon King or his representatives for such assistance and are therefore unable to rely on any information other than the conviction and sentencing on Thursday."

[Subject Delta]

Not necessarily related to this, but do assault charges take in to account provocation (i.e., verbal provocation)?

Yep. Having your sexual advances rejected doesn't legally count as provocation though :laugh:

[Nayos]

Yep. Having your sexual advances rejected doesn't legally count as provocation though :laugh:

Lol, no that's why I said it's not related. But I imagine if someone had say slept with your girlfriend and then you saw them out and they were mocking you for it, you'd most definitely punch them. I'd say that would count as provocation

[Subject Delta]

Lol, no that's why I said it's not related. But I imagine if someone had say slept with your girlfriend and then you saw them out and they were mocking you for it, you'd most definitely punch them. I'd say that would count as provocation

Yep. I'd probably punch them, and i'd definitely argue provocation :laugh:

[metallithrax]

and pay the player's wages for 14 days before terminating his contract.

This is the sort of **** thats gets me.

He will get ?70,000 before his contract is ended.

Takes me a few years to EARN that. These dip**** footballers get paid way too much.

[Rappy Veteran]

Our shock pictures reveal the awful aftermath of the beating that left Emily spattered head to toe in blood, her teeth forced through her lip and her nose badly broken - disfigured for life.

She added: "King's defence moaned that the sentence would lose him ?1 million in earnings - but I've lost my FACE. He's not fit ever to play for any team again."

Emily, just 5ft tall, decided to speak out to heap shame on 6ft 1in Jamaican international King - who is still protesting his innocence - and ensure the world sees him for the thug he is.

In a moving interview she told how the 29-year-old Premier League player:

* GROPED her bottom in front of shocked clubbers.

* TAUNTED her about his vast wealth when she complained.

* POWERED up his devastating punch with a deliberate step back to gather strength for the blow that knocked her off her feet.

* ORDERED a beefy pal to make a menacing "apology" implying it was HER fault.

* FORCED her to endure a harrowing trial by refusing to admit his guilt.

NOTW