Matt Partridage v Lee Hughes

[ARNU]

Partridge was what, 18 when he committed his offence? Hughes was roughly 10 years older so I'd much rather give a youngster a chance who is surely more likely to change.

Despite my intense dislike of anyone who would drink drive I do accept that Hughes probably never meant his crime to happen.That dosent excuse him in any way though and football should be ashamed of itself for allowing him to continue with his luxurious career.Hughes should have served his time and dissapeared into obscurity immediately after.Partridge however absolutely meant what he did and just cos hes a footballer should not give him any advantage in the eyes of the law or should it excuse him from getting sacked and jailed like would definitely happen to pretty much the rest of us.I dont think We as a club should be giving 2nd or 3rd chances to offenders like him.I think we are saying we condone this behaviour because he can kick a ball.From the reports yesterday he was shit so even that is debatable.Im never gonna like him,best he ****** off now.

[NickMurphy]

.I think we are saying we condone this behaviour because he can kick a ball.From the reports yesterday he was shit so even that is debatable.Im never gonna like him,best he ****** off now.

I don't think we're saying we condone his behaviour at all, in fact I imagine Wayne says in the interview that this is his second chance, and probably his last chance, and that he believes he has "reformed", or he won't have brought him here in the first place - the same with Labadie.

I'm not impressed with what he's done in the slightest, and I'm still iffy on him, but if he proves to be a decent prospect and is lamentable off the pitch, helping out with the Osborne Partnership etc, which I'm sure he'll be encouraged to do, then I'll give him a chance. As Richie said, whether in defence or not, Partridge was 18 when he committed his offence, and unless he was genuinely remorseful about the ordeal, I don't think Wayne would have given him a chance.

We'll just have to see I suppose.

[ThatRoundThing]

Could both be considered for future captains if we follow Plymouth Argyle regarding Luke McCormick .


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... ptain.html

[ARNU]

.I think we are saying we condone this behaviour because he can kick a ball.From the reports yesterday he was shit so even that is debatable.Im never gonna like him,best he ****** off now.

I don't think we're saying we condone his behaviour at all, in fact I imagine Wayne says in the interview that this is his second chance, and probably his last chance, and that he believes he has "reformed", or he won't have brought him here in the first place - the same with Labadie.

I'm not impressed with what he's done in the slightest, and I'm still iffy on him, but if he proves to be a decent prospect and is lamentable off the pitch, helping out with the Osborne Partnership etc, which I'm sure he'll be encouraged to do, then I'll give him a chance. As Richie said, whether in defence or not, Partridge was 18 when he committed his offence, and unless he was genuinely remorseful about the ordeal, I don't think Wayne would have given him a chance.

We'll just have to see I suppose.

Sadly Nick I think you are wrong about this.Its the principle that matters here.He can be a born again Christian working for the salvation army but for me you do have to take ownership of your crimes and responsibilities.Im digging at football 1st and foremost,keep giving sex attackers ,drunk drivers who kill and thugs like Joey Barton and Partridge who violently attack considerably weaker people a "2nd Chance".
Secondly Im criticising the club for lacking moral decency in this particular case.It just perpetuates an ongoing almost acceptable problem and tars us with the same brush as all the other clubs that clearly couldnt give a ****** about these peoples victims.Maybe its a generation thing but Im sure right and wrong are not much different now to when I was your age.This is wrong.

Soap star leslie grantham(Dirty den in eastenders) shot and killed a taxi driver when he was 21 rather than pay the fare,cold blooded murder.BBC then payed him millions years later to be on our TV screens,gave him a 2nd chance they did.Not surprising that Grantham was just recently exposed for indecency on the internet.Right so that's not football related but is just another indicator that moral standards have dropped significantly in the last couple of decades.

Why should we give this thug a 3rd chance really ? At a "family club" no less.The more I think about it this "Family club " title is a joke.We let violent offenders play for us,even be captain and on anti racism day we segregate Asian kids from the rest of the crowd ( I was there so you cant tell me differently) now we sign this bloke.Plymouth have just given a position to there double murdering drink drive goalkeeper,killed 2 kids 10 and 8 he did.Oh but hang on hes a footballer and has had such a difficult life.We didn't even sack Woodall for D+D but just poor attitude.Whats more serious ??

Some things are just plain wrong.

[Mikins]

Sadly Nick I think you are wrong about this.Its the principle that matters here.He can be a born again Christian working for the salvation army but for me you do have to take ownership of your crimes and responsibilities.Im digging at football 1st and foremost,keep giving sex attackers ,drunk drivers who kill and thugs like Joey Barton and Partridge who violently attack considerably weaker people a "2nd Chance".
Secondly Im criticising the club for lacking moral decency in this particular case.It just perpetuates an ongoing almost acceptable problem and tars us with the same brush as all the other clubs that clearly couldnt give a ****** about these peoples victims.Maybe its a generation thing but Im sure right and wrong are not much different now to when I was your age.This is wrong.

Soap star leslie grantham(Dirty den in eastenders) shot and killed a taxi driver when he was 21 rather than pay the fare,cold blooded murder.BBC then payed him millions years later to be on our TV screens,gave him a 2nd chance they did.Not surprising that Grantham was just recently exposed for indecency on the internet.Right so that's not football related but is just another indicator that moral standards have dropped significantly in the last couple of decades.

Why should we give this thug a 3rd chance really ? At a "family club" no less.The more I think about it this "Family club " title is a joke.We let violent offenders play for us,even be captain and on anti racism day we segregate Asian kids from the rest of the crowd ( I was there so you cant tell me differently) now we sign this bloke.Plymouth have just given a position to there double murdering drink drive goalkeeper,killed 2 kids 10 and 8 he did.Oh but hang on hes a footballer and has had such a difficult life.We didn't even sack Woodall for D+D but just poor attitude.Whats more serious ??

Some things are just plain wrong.

Pretty much this. As much as I know I got into trouble with the law as a teenager no matter how drunk I've been or whatever the provocation I've never even so much as thrown a punch at someone, let alone bitten or nigh on blinded them. While I get that people deserve the chance to reform they need to be straight up about what they did, show some serious remorse and then bury their egos and those God awful smug selfies like on the previous page and sort themselves out.

However they shouldn't do it here and I'm more than a little disappointed that this is what we're bringing to the club now. I really am.

[ARNU]

Ive written to the club about this issue and had a very polite and candid response,I have now replied to that response.Obviously a private conversation so the contents will remain so.My points were considered understandable and the club has made these signings only after receiving assurances from others and the players themselves that they want to change.

Labadie I suppose I can forgive as biting other players is no where near as serious as beating a physically weaker person almost to death in the street.So although not a good move I accept he is not in the same league as the other thug.Needless to say though,we've agreed to disagree on Partridge but Im assured that he wasn't signed lightly.Apparently his misdemeanour was most out of character and he's a nice boy really,it must be true other footballers and managers have all said so.

I remain resolute in my opinion that football harbours murderers,rapists,thugs and drink drivers and perpetuates these low standards without too much conscience.

[rechitski kinzhal]

I am really struggling with this. The comments that this was "out of character" are patronising and insulting, especially as it was only some months previously that he had been involved in another violent assault. It has been mentioned that there was a third "incident". It is no surprise he says "I will change" - it was only a few weeks after his court case that we signed him, and if he hadn't been given a contract by us (and Reading soon got shot of him) he could well have found himself on the dole.
The "selfie" showing him with a wad of cash doesn't actually portray anything nice about him at all.
I shall see if there are any further developments on this issue before I decide what to do, but at the moment I do not feel I want anything to do with the club under these circumstances ..... hopefully I may change my mind.
Like Arnu, I can just about tolerate Labadie, even though his behaviour was despicable. And I accept that Ogogo was provoked, which does provide some mitigation.
But Partridge - no thanks. He is only young but has already been caught at least twice being seriously violent - how many times has he done it without being caught? He is clearly a thug who is prepared to seriously injure, maim or even kill someone. Who is to say he won't do it to a team-mate in training? The Courts have brushed it under the carpet, so has this club, and so presumably have these other people/clubs who are prepared to give him another chance. Not me.
Given Arnu's experience having written to the club, there is no point in me doing the same.
My original (mis-spelt) post was really raising the question that if so many of our fans barracked Hughes, how could they accept this character and welcome him to the club? It seems that about half of you have serious issues with it ...... will you accept it, or will you make a stand?

[mickeyblue]

me ill let there football do the talking, i understand most peoples points and value, but in 2-3 seasons they be gone to another club and we have diff footballers here.
we prob got them on the cheap aswell!!
pretty certain asda etc hire convicted thugs, wont stop me shopping there.

dont remember many moaning about josh scott glassing a bird in a nightclub. ok he got away with it dont mean he did or didnt doit

[Lcbdagger]

If he did is surely largely irrelevant if he wasn't convicted?? Innocent until proven guilty and all that...

Loads of people last year said they wanted him sacked if he was found guilty

[ARNU]

Agree with the concept innocent till proven guilty.I made myself totally clear about that too re Josh Scott at the time.Not to strong on forgive when found guilty and allow to have a glamourous career straight after. Can Rolf harris play football ??

[redboy]

I can kind of understand Barcelona buying Suarez as despite his misdemeanours, he is still one of the top 3 players in the world. Who else would they have bought? We are a little League 2 side on the other hand. Don't tell me that Partridge was the only player available to us? What was the need to sign him? I suspect he was going cheap and nobody else wanted him. Maybe we took him off of Reading's hands as compo for injuring one of their guys last season !!

[Masked Man]

OMG, that picture? Load'sa Money Stavros!! Twatty tattoo's.... And we're paying him? He better be good...

So much for family values....

Second chances all well and good, but lets make sure of there's ANY signs of the bellend of a character who's in that picture.... GET SHOT OF....