Ranger's suspension for undisclosed misdemeanor

[mrsblue]

so doesnt being involved in defrauding a vulnerable adult count as the 'one more strike' already? He's a crazy individual to throw redemption away as quickly as he has.

He committed that offence before he joined us...at the time of the offence he was unemployed.

 

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

Although what he has done is bad the reality is it is no different to what a lot of 25 year old's get up to at the weekend, this includes intelligent, professional people. After he has served his suspension I feel he should be issued with a final warning then be allowed to return.

 

[fbm]

Am I the only one on here that saw this and thought "Is that all it was?"

I was expecting some performance enhancing drug scandal, or that he had bet on Sheff Utd to win against us (certainly played like it), or even some return to fraud, whatever... but he failed a recreational drugs test.

Now, let me nail my colours to the drugs mast. I abhor the use of recreational drugs. I have never touched them in my life and I have done my best to pass my values onto my children and step children. Unfortunately without success, however; certainly in Leigh-on-Sea, drugs are commonplace and in the case of weed, almost mandatory once a child gets to secondary school. And no, I am not exaggerating.

But it is a problem society has, not just Nile Ranger. Is it wise as an athlete to take this stuff? Absolutely not. Bloody idiot. If the terms of his contract stipulate that if he fails a drugs test then that constitutes gross misconduct (and I suspect it does) then there really should be no debate about it. Gross misconduct it is.

The club then have to decide the punishment for that, which could be instant dismissal.

This is where the lines blur. Up and down the country, companies of all types face this issue on a daily basis. The difference here is that Nile is an asset of the club in as much as that he is a potentially valuable player with the longest contract I think that any current player has. Forget his playing potential; the contract has a value. I don't know what he's on, but £1000 a week makes that contract value well over £150,000. Not such a simple decision when the balance sheet is directly affected.

As someone said above, let the players decide. It's a team game and if they see him as still part of the team, then persevere. If not, then say goodbye.

But really, some of the stuff on here... it hardly makes him a granny murderer, does it? Some of it's a bit OTT, and this is from someone who hates drugs!

 

[AndyT]

Funny to confess to Brown before the test

This is the bit I can't get my head around, unless the FA turned up and asked to speak to him and, knowing what was coming, he thought it better to 'fess up to the club before being tested.

 

[Fairport]

The club should release him now, otherwise it sets a bad example to all players of the club from under 8's up to the first team.

 

[fbm]

Why did he not do a Rio Ferdinand and have a sudden appointment and drive off .....

Funny to confess to Brown before the test

oh well - if he was at training ground boozed up or hung over it would have been all ok

Of course, your final sentence is probably absolutely true. But alcohol isn't illegal, I think that's the point.

And the punishment for "Doing a Rio" is worse than the punishment for being found guilty. It has to be, otherwise people would just always miss the test.

 

[fbm]

This is the bit I can't get my head around, unless the FA turned up and asked to speak to him and, knowing what was coming, he thought it better to 'fess up to the club.

In a strange way, that to me does show that there is a little bit of remorse and acknowledgement that he'd been stupid... trying to do the right thing after making a mistake and letting himself and the club down. That's probably going in his favour. If he'd tried to hide or deny it, then that just shows that absolute contempt and he would I'm sure have been jettisoned by now.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

I see the problem being the way Nile Ranger appears to work hard at creating the persona of a Gangta/Ganster. He goes out of his way to promote that image on Social Media and may actually believe he is a Gansta. If that is the case and he wishes to continue to promote himself as and pretend to be - a Gansta? I would ask him to leave.
If Nile Ranger wishes to recreate himself as a professional, dedicated FOOTBALLER - then I would give him that opportunity.
The choice would be his. Either 100% Footballer and 0% Gangsta - or go and live his life as he chooses but certainly not employed as a player by Southend United.

 

[AndyT]

In a strange way, that to me does show that there is a little bit of remorse and acknowledgement that he'd been stupid... trying to do the right thing after making a mistake and letting himself and the club down. That's probably going in his favour. If he'd tried to hide or deny it, then that just shows that absolute contempt and he would I'm sure have been jettisoned by now.

My guess is he gambled that he wouldn't get found out that he'd over-indulged at the weekend, or thought they would be out of his system anyway, only to find some random FA test being required when he arrived, thus him confiding in the club before testing.

I'm thinking more that this test was on the Tuesday and the FA had got wind of something on the Monday from somewhere.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Personally I'd put it to the players. If the players believe in him and they for example know him more than any of us do. They may want to help him. If they say cast aside , I concur. If they want to give him a chance, they are in a better position than us to judge, we still have no idea whatsoever of the turn of events, the fact made even worse that we are using the Sun as our gospel ! The Sun !

If, they agree he should stay and be part of their team spirit they have, then markers should be set down to him, ie moving local and staying local.

I will not judge on something that I have no facts, the people around are better positioned in that respect.

I think you're absolutely spot on.

Have just read the full report, so he took MDMA on the Saturday and cocaine on the Sunday, so it's clearly not even a one off. For his own good, sack him and give him the basis to sort his life out.

Do that and you're effectively casting him to walk the path to oblivion. All too easy to fall back into bad ways and with the bad company that have given him half the problems and challenges he's faced in his life.

I wonder how many of those defending him (to whatever extent) on here are parents? I think that may have something to do with it - we've seen our kids make mistakes to varying degrees but who ever really makes the choice to "give up on them". I think he has a good relationship with Brown and with Ron, truth be told, and I think both think that he can change - as I've said elsewhere, he needs strong arm treatment, and also the backing of his team-mates.

 

[SufcUpAndDown]

What ever we think of it as older people, what do you think the 10, 12, 14 year old fans think, a hero? An example? Drugs? Not good for the club.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Why did he not do a Rio Ferdinand and have a sudden appointment and drive off .....

Funny to confess to Brown before the test

oh well - if he was at training ground boozed up or hung over it would have been all ok

He did so because he promised Phil Brown that the club would get no more big surprises, and that he would tell them first if anything else happens. He hadn't told the club about the fraud case. He also promised no more trouble, but failed that one.

 

[OldBlueLady]

What ever we think of it as older people, what do you think the 10, 12, 14 year old fans think, a hero? An example? Drugs? Not good for the club.

Absolutely, but like it or not, drugs are in far more evidence now than they used to be. Kids openly dealing in public places in areas where you wouldn't necessarily think - even about 10 years ago, there was an independent ice-cream van that used to work the Benfleet senior schools that used to fairly openly sell drugs to the kids! Like fbm, I've never touched drugs - cigarettes and alcohol are the worst I've done - so I don't "get" the drug culture although I recognise it's easy to find.

 

[Fairport]

My guess is he gambled that he wouldn't get found out that he'd over-indulged at the weekend, or thought they would be out of his system anyway, only to find some random FA test being required when he arrived, thus him confiding in the club before testing.

I'm thinking more that this test was on the Tuesday and the FA had got wind of something on the Monday from somewhere.

You are right, he probably took the chance that the stuff would be out of his system. If he wasn't tested he may well have done the same thing on other weekends. It is time to say goodbye to Nile.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Unless he changes the people he associates with who are probably wannabe gangsters then I doubt he can improve his behaviour.

 

[manor15]

Do that and you're effectively casting him to walk the path to oblivion. All too easy to fall back into bad ways and with the bad company that have given him half the problems and challenges he's faced in his life.

I wonder how many of those defending him (to whatever extent) on here are parents? I think that may have something to do with it - we've seen our kids make mistakes to varying degrees but who ever really makes the choice to "give up on them". I think he has a good relationship with Brown and with Ron, truth be told, and I think both think that he can change - as I've said elsewhere, he needs strong arm treatment, and also the backing of his team-mates.

Recognise that but have to wonder to what extent footballers wages etc are helping fuel that lifestyle and attracting the wrong kind of friends. At the very least give him a stern warning, cut his wages and give him until the end of the season or something like that to prove that he's on the right path.

 

[tallboyblue]

Football is a team game and he let down his mates. Nothing worse to affect morale. He has to go.

 

[kentblues]

So the surprise is, despite all the inexplicable sudden excitement, that there is in fact absolutely no surprise.

It is exactly as most speculated and to me no reason to change the prevailing view that provided the ban was relatively short he should get a final chance. I am not going to suddenly change my view because I have had confirmed what I already suspected.

it is the case Nile is a teetotaller and society has decided to look differently on consuming ten pints of lager than a recreational drug. This was known by him and all upfront and there can be no excuse.

However, the FA decrees that being tested positive after a match carries a far higher tariff than at a different time. They also decree that penalties are lower for a first offence and that they will take into account any mitigating circumstances around the time of the event (like going to court..) So I expect this will end in a suspension if anything slightly shorter than Berininho's - so maybe 4-6 weeks not longer than 8. The maximum tariff is 12.

So given the above I see no reason to change my view and become inexplicably outraged given what I have said previously.

 

[Firestorm]

Maybe. How often to drugs testers turn up at clubs randomly? I have no idea.

ot as often as other sports

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Agree with above. I had a shop in the Benfleet area close to a Senior School. The tobacco baron was 13 years old and at least 2 of the Year 8 pupils were dealing in drugs. I remember being visited by a Trading Standards officer not long before Tobacco had to be hidden. I invited her to visit any school day around 8am and find out how the kids were getting hold of cigarettes and drugs.