Jim White

King is not a typical footballer

Fri Oct 30 11:27AM

Marlon King claimed in court this week that he hadn't assaulted a 20-year-old student in a night club, breaking her nose after she rejected his clumsy advances.

It was, he said, a case of mistaken identity. If so, it wasn't the first time he had been involved in a such an error. For a start, there was the time Steve Bruce paid £5 million for him in the belief he was a Premier League striker. Clearly it was someone else Bruce was thinking of.

King's case was particularly shocking. Not just in the arrogant brutality of his actions on the night he was out in Soho celebrating the fact his wife was pregnant with their third child. What added extra shock to the case was his record. Not revealed until after his guilty verdict, it consisted of a lengthy catalogue of crimes committed by a man who clearly thought he could get away with it. And largely he had.

The numerous convictions for robbery, handling stolen goods and assault had - with one exception - resulted in community service and fines. Even an 18 month prison sentence in 2002 for fencing a stolen car was halved on appeal. He had lied extensively in his career of wriggling off justice's hook, once claiming that his non-appearance in court was due to his requirement to attend a counselling session for drug addiction. Yet he insisted under oath during his recent case that he had never dabbled in drugs.

There are unpleasant, vicious yobs in every walk of life. I have met a few in journalism, some of whom ended up inside. But few professions gift the unpleasant, vicious yob the double whammy of fame and money with which to indulge his vicious yobbery in quite the manner of being a Premier League footballer. And then grant access to the very best lawyers in order to allow them to squirm free of the consequences of their actions. The sad thing is that what King's behaviour will have done is brand football as being a job particularly prone to harbouring violent sexual predators. Already it is happening. Several newspapers reported his sentencing in the framework of reminding us of other players who have been sent down.

Yet, despite the tempatation, the fact is the overwhelming majority of Premier League footballers do not behave like King. Yes, there are the occasional examples - such as the Manchester United Christmas party in 2007 - of activity that would not look out of place in Ancient Rome. But largely footballers at the top of the English game are much less likely to misbehave than their counterparts in American sports, where carrying on like gangstas has become a depressingly common pattern. Most footballers keep themselves to themselves, locked behind the gates of their mansions, taking refuge in their Playstations.

Wayne Rooney, for instance, has been known to play FIFA 2010 for up to eight hours at a time. Away on England duty, he hides away in his room with his console, the only evidence that he is still alive the occasional yelps of celebration that filter through the walls. Fernando Torres too recently revealed that his idea of a great night is to head home, get online and play FIFA against a couple of old mates back in Spain. In fact, if we are to criticise most modern players for their off-field behaviour it is to suggest they are crushingly dull.

This is what King should have aspired to when he became a Premier League footballer: dullness. Or rather, an awareness that the simple act of earning large amounts of money does not make you special nor excuse you from adhering to the same rule of law as the rest of us. Virtually every player accepts that reality when they sign their first contract. If they don't, they are soon made aware of the requirements by their senior colleagues.

King abused every privilege he had been gifted. And wandered about nightclubs telling everyone he was a millionaire and thus should be entitled to grope any woman he liked. That's why he is unlikely to play in the Premier League ever again: he just didn't get what was required.

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Well said Jim. Money is never a good thing in the wrong hands. Arrogant stupid person, whose only gift is to score a goal every 5 games in the premiership. This gives King the right to do as he pleases?
From xxlegionxx009 on Fri Oct 30 12:18PM
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you got almost half way throgh without mentioning man u.....
From willjh_2003 on Fri Oct 30 12:23PM
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You've said it all Jim. He's an arrogant, self centered sexual bully and deserves everything the courts can throw at him. What surprised me was his family and friends screaming and shouting after he was sentenced. Do they condone violence against women??? Maybe that's the world they live in. Scum.
From whoopie1504 on Fri Oct 30 12:26PM
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Very good article, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it
Mr. G
From gerry_afc on Fri Oct 30 12:27PM
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MARLON KING.. KING OF STUPIDITY I WOULD SAY!!
From vitor_bg_cruz on Fri Oct 30 12:30PM
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Must be a first!
Actual half decent article for change!
From lee.cooper21 on Fri Oct 30 12:34PM
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Good article Jim. Behaviour of this sort doesn't tell whether a person is rich or not; it's in his character. From the trend, it has been established that King has an innate tendency of being a serial assaulter of women. Even if he completes the jail term, he will likely not change because it has formed part of his behaviour. There are many footballers and rich people around whose wealth never gets into their head nor control their sexual nerves. The law should take its course on him or anybody who thinks he can commit assault especially on women and get away unpunished.
From sylvesterakere on Fri Oct 30 12:34PM
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The vast majority of footballers are working class neds, and it is only their fear of returning to the urban squalor from which they sprang, that keeps on the straight and narrow. This King creep will get whats coming to him..thay all do in the end. For starters he'll never kick a ball for big bucks again, despite what his agent hopes.
From dmmillers on Fri Oct 30 12:41PM
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Could I correct Mr White ? He states, "..the simple act of earning large amounts of money does not make you special"
King is *paid* large amounts of money.
From mrxt500 on Fri Oct 30 12:43PM
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no king isnt like the typical footballer. eg lee bowyer, gerrard, joey barton, bellamy. all in all they're just good guys.
From orngmnstr on Fri Oct 30 12:47PM
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"It was, he said, a case of mistaken identity. If so, it wasn't the first time he had been involved in a such an error. For a start, there was the time Steve Bruce paid £5 million for him in the belief he was a Premier League striker. Clearly it was someone else Bruce was thinking of."
Brilliant
From segmentrecords on Fri Oct 30 12:58PM
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This is why the world reputes the EPL of being the cleanest and best league in the world. When something this bad happens it is first hushed up by the press (this guy has committed several crimes before the sentence and I find it hard to believe that no jouralist caught wind of it), then when it becomes too much to be ignored ridiculous articles like this prop up to claim it was an isolated case. I shudder to think how many other player/criminals how are less stupid than King and thus get away with everything. Well done England! Disgusting!
From perrydente on Fri Oct 30 12:59PM
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Jim you should write your blogs more often!!! So much better than Paul Parker
From darraghok94 on Fri Oct 30 01:02PM
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Thank you for the comment on the NBA/ NFL players. If you say that in the US, you get run out of town on racism accusations. I think Jim is painting an overly rosy picture of the situation. The Rio Christmas party is probably extreme, but also probably no more than 10-15% more extreme (how do you quantify it, really?) than the normal lifestyle for these guys. Stevie G is a perfect example of the choir boy rep with the aristocrat attitude. I don't think this article is objective, but instead shows how much Jim loves the sport and wants to believe all his heroes are good guys.
From riverside_ac on Fri Oct 30 01:02PM
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gerrard was cleared after beating up an innocent man,...and joey barton...are they footballers and king not...come on
From gkalme2000 on Fri Oct 30 01:05PM
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what is a difference btn king and joey barton or gerrad's actions?
From umsolopa2000 on Fri Oct 30 01:06PM
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upbringing determines...
From lennoxmallory on Fri Oct 30 01:09PM
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I think that this would be an excellent suggestion for the likes of scum like King. He should maybe allowed to continue to play the game, however not in the Premiership under any circumstances. It is true to say that banning him from the sport would be counterproductive as, as he has nothing else to offer in the way of intelligence. He like so many of the soccer players of today, doesn't have have even half a brain cell, so how is he ever supposed to get a respectful trade?
From yozsef1966 on Fri Oct 30 01:10PM
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Spot on Jim !!!!!!!!!!!
From chrismanu747 on Fri Oct 30 01:13PM
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king isnt any good anyway. we shouldnt hold up rooney as a shining light; what about when he was banging that granny.
From karlbillo on Fri Oct 30 01:24PM
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If i was this guy i would keep quiet and not appeal,cos he will only get a l-o-n-g-e-r sentence if he doe''s,(lets hope he appeals),SCUM
From richardsimpson on Fri Oct 30 01:28PM
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Says it all when a 'not very good footballer' like Marlon King can boast about being a millionaire!!
From jacky.chapman on Fri Oct 30 01:35PM
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An excellent article which highlights the need for a root and branch examination of the values not just in football but in society as well. Violence can never be condoned under any circumstances and violence against women is the absolute pits. Marlon King will now have time to reflect on and change his core values, as indeed will his family of supporters. Hopefully he might begin to accept responsibilty for his vile catalogue of actions and do us all a big favour by making a public apology.
From nstraker on Fri Oct 30 01:35PM
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All depends on how good your lawyer is, the amount of young kids that look up to the professional footballers and see them carrying on this way is something we should all be worried about.
From essexgirl64 on Fri Oct 30 01:45PM
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No 23 - Rooney "banging a granny" is a personal choice situation. Maybe not for you and I, but breaking a young girls nose because she doesn't want you to grope her! Now that is something else! Hardly a fair comparison! GET A GRIP!!!!!!!!!!!
From chrismanu747 on Fri Oct 30 01:59PM
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Great article and to the point.
From gareth.surman on Fri Oct 30 02:00PM
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So the question is how and why did gerrard get off and everyone else guilty....any answers out there ?.
From willplank on Fri Oct 30 02:03PM
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A Jackass!
From kingori on Fri Oct 30 02:09PM
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What a great Husband this bloke is ! I bet his wife was well happy that her man goes out on the pull as a way of celebrating getting her pregnant. What a nasty little @#$% he is . Good on the judge for giving a decent sentence , hope he ends up being sexually abused in his cell by some big con and made to wear the old pearl necklace ! What a disgrace as a husband and footballer. Dont let him ever make a living from football again.
From jamesfashworth on Fri Oct 30 02:10PM
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White, you are so out of touch with reality!
This article is absolute dross, and false!!!!!
From cameronwestwood on Fri Oct 30 02:15PM
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