Barnsley have signed a player accused of

Depends where you are apparently. Do it in a country that allows that sort of thing and it's fine.

 

It makes me uncomfortable too to be honest. But the 4 year contract gives me hope that the club have spoken with his legal representatives and they have presented some evidence that have convinced the powers that be that he is indeed innocent of the charges.

Either that, or there is a specific clause in the deal that lets them **** him off the minute a guilty verdict is made...

 

He’s still innocent at this time.
And I don’t think it’s detrimental that footballers are accused of fighting.
To me that shows a certain type of spirit and attitude that can be valuable in sport.
I mean - if you are the type to go in pubs and clubs at that age - who the hell hasn’t been involved in things like this !?!?!

 

You're confusing stabbing with shooting mate. Easy mistake to make, granted.

 

A friend of mine was a victim of knife crime, he was stabbed. Neither I nor any of my friends have ever been accused of being the perpetrators.

 

This is it for me. We are here comparing him to the likes of Lee Hughes? Wilks hasn't even had his trial yet and said he's innocent whereas Lee Hughes caused a death by dangerous driving and then he left the scene of the crime. Oh and then a few year later he was found guilty on a separate charge of assault.

Can we stop comparing Wilks to people like this when he's not even been found guilty of anything yet? it's innocent until proven guilty not the other way around. We've decided to sign him, Stendel clearly wanted him and his judge of character is good enough for me.

 

Maybe we ought to wait until the trial before we become judge jury executioner.. Hasn't it crossed anybodies mind that the lad out with not only his mates but some that were mates of his brother too... Witnesses what takes place incident nothing to do with him.. But due to situation and connection to his brothers death.. He is then hauled in and charged with association of whatever with the prosecution trying to claim its a revenge attack which he ordered simply because he was there at the time ... and is completely innocent

 

It says the prosecution are going to use CCTV evidence so we’ ll certainly know if he has cracked someone or worse. It’s two groups fighting with weapons as far as I can tell and he was in one of those groups.

 

I'm sure that someone charged with say supplying class A drugs, a sexual assault, or using racist language wouldn't get near the club. Yet someone charged with violent disorder and abh has been given a contract.

I don't think the club can cherry pick which criminal offences are 'not-problematic' and which are.
If someone is found guilty, serves a sentence then I have no problem about him signing for the club.

To date this player has not been found guilty. That doesn't mean he's innocent -- we don't know.

 

Jay there is a lot of conflict in your post here. Firstly you say we shouldn't talk about specifics of a case going to court yet you open a post that is about exactly that. Also your saying your not prejudging his guilt but now suggesting your uncomfortable signing him which does prejudge and treats him based on circumstances yet unproven.

On the topic of should we sign players accused of crimes. We have signed in the past players guilty of crimes. Players who have subsequently committed crimes and I'm sure others have too. Personally i believe we have to do whats right for our club and this signing isn't a concern to me. Speaking generically on whether its right to sign players who have been found guilty of serious crimes then i am uncomfortable with signing players who would for example be murderers, rapists, and any serious crime.

 

I never mentioned what happened and I was clear in stating that he has been accused of this not that he's guilty and that he's pleaded not guilty. You've just made up a scenario to suit your stance.

 

I don't post about any specifics, just that he's been accused and it is going to trial. Nor have I prejudged his guilt, I say I'm uncomfortable about signing players who will stand trial.

 

This is irrelevant -
The point is we have signed a player with a serious criminal charge hanging over him.

 

Me.
And I strongly suspect I'm in the majority.

 

Been out plenty and to the best of my knowledge I've never stabbed anyone nor has anyone I've been out with (at the time) been stabbed.

 

It's really impossible to make a judgement without knowing the lad and none of us do.
He could be a decent lad at heart but naive, in with the wrong company and had too much ale. If he's got a good personality at bottom I'm happy for us to try and rehabilitate him.
If he's a total waste of breath like Nile Ranger then I'm definitely not.

 

Seriously, what the **** is wrong with you. I am 100% certain the take from this isn't "even if he's guilty, its all fine because I also behave like that.
PS I wonder if you should be admitting to doing these sorts of things on a public forum as a known director of a business.

 

I

Whilst I agree with this iin some areas gangs and carrying knives is normal. His brother got killed as a consequence of gang violence so it probably is his normal. Doesn't make right or acceptable.

 

My post was about the ethics of signing someone in his position not a debate about his character or guilt. At the moment he's innocent and will remain so until the trial after which he may still be innocent. But I do think it's an issue worth discussing.

 

To clarify a statement I made on an early thread, as a group of supporters we condemned Bolton/Cardiff when they signed Gary Madine.