Adam Johnson

[Canaryboy]

Well somebody had to start it, didn't they? Now that he has been found guilty people are free to talk about it. 

Goes without saying that the man should never play professional football again I think? It wasn't a spontaneous drunken mistake, he full on groomed her. Makes him a predator who got off on the risk and abusing his status, not a bloke who made a mistake. 

But do we think that Sunderland knew the ins and outs of this, and decided to play dumb for the points in their relegation battle? If Sunderland survive and we're the team in 18th we could have a situation whereas we were relegated by Sunderland's decision to be complicit in encouraging him to remain free to play for as long as possible? 

If the margin is just 1 point between Sunderland and the team below them then Johnson's goal in his final appearance for Sunderland in February (and hopefully last in football) would have earned them that point. 

 

[Canaryboy]

For context, the papers today are accusing their CEO of knowing that he was guilty of some activity long before the plea was entered but deciding not to suspend him at that point. 

 

[morty]

Innocent until proven guilty though.

I wonder perhaps if Johnson underplayed the whole thing to the club as just some daft girl fan who was a bit obsessed?

But does letting him play on actually break any football related rules? Sure it would break moral ones, but not sure if being suspected of a crime would make a player ineligible.

I think the Premier league and Sunderland will just let this issue quietly die, once sentencing is complete.

 

[Canaryboy]

No, not football ones, its not one where we could sue (like the Tevez affair). 

Apparently their CEO saw police statements in which Johnson confessed to the kissing and touching, and Sam Allardyce claims the CEO did not tell him about this.

Smells a bit like she is the one being thrown to the wolves though, difficult to believe that just one person would know the truth and not tell everybody else important at the club.

 

[morty]

To be honest, I am not really seeing the issue here, yeah its morally iffy, but sacking the player before the facts are established at trial is pretty questionable too. I do find it difficult to believe why the police would show anyone statements though, surely that can't be legal?

The press have got hold of the money aspect too, and how he continued to earn 60k a week. But apparently the girl is suing him for a million in damages, I'll keep my opinion on that, to myself.

I think there has been just a little too much burning torch waving about all this, there is no denying Johnson is scum, and an idiot, but he is no Jimmy Saville. I was pretty surprised when they said just how long he could go down for two, I had a figure of a few years in my head for some reason.

 

[Canaryboy]

To be honest, I am not really seeing the issue here, yeah its morally iffy, but sacking the player before the facts are established at trial is pretty questionable too. I do find it difficult to believe why the police would show anyone statements though, surely that can't be legal?

She was due to stand as a witness for the defense but then failed to show, or pulled out. So it would have been the defense lawyer who would have had copies of the statement(s) from Johnson once he was charged I assume. 'Witness' is probably the wrong word, a character reference is what she would have been giving in support of Johnson I guess?

 

[ZLF]

Morally wrong  but that happens in football all the time;   now found guilty and suitable punishments already underway.  

Interesting to see reports of a justice for johnson campaign allegedly started by his sister.   Not quite what injustice they can possible perceive to have suffered  

 

[Dubai Mark]

He certainly behaved badly, and the club's handling of it, particularly with what they knew is questionable. BUT....taking out the media hype and thinking about it, it's a relatively low level crime of it's type based on the facts released, particularly considering it's her word against his regarding just how far he went* and the sentence should be relevant to that....., and of course there should be a custodial sentence, but one that is balanced and not just playing to the baying crowd.

* I say that, as having a teenage daughter myself, and knowing the fantasy world she lives in, how she is easily influenced, and the untruths she comes out with, I could not guarantee she would be telling the truth once influenced by an influential lawyer and perhaps the promise of a small fortune heading her way, also the victims friends witness testimony was not that supportive.  Although, of course we also have to question whether he did also tell the truth, the whole truth.....

 

[Canaryboy]

The what's app messages by Johnson are very incriminating, he was clearly grooming her, giving her shirts and then asking if she'll give him a kiss for them? Then asking for 'more'? 

He knew the risks and knew it was against the law. Yes we can't be certain that she actually had intercourse with her, but he did plead guilty to two other counts and he is still a confessed sex offender, and we can be fairly certain that he was looking to go that far whether he did or didn't. 

I think he's odious to be honest, just smacks of pure arrogance, he has everything so needs to look for something the law says he can't have? Its not like he'd fallen in love with her is it, he was meeting in a car park for a fondle.

I felt a bit sorry for the teacher who eloped to France with a 15 year old a few years back because he actually seemed to have fallen in love with her, Johnson didn't appear to have those emotions, looks like he just got a buzz out of it being illegal.

 

[Canaryboy]

Interesting to see reports of a justice for johnson campaign allegedly started by his sister.  

Shows that stupidity runs in the family then, great way to *bleep* off the judge before sentencing! 

 

[Gaffer]

There was a time not so long ago when a lot of Norwich players were doing similar things and worse with underage girls. I witnessed it myself and nobody really thought anything of it. I'm sure it was common throughout the country. In fact I'd be surprised if it wasn't still common, although it must be less common due to changing societal attitudes to these things.

I can see why his sister might think the way she does. The girl was a few months below the age of consent and in these situations there's always a feeling among some that she should be responsible for her own conduct. Personally I think he deserves his spell in prison but let's not pretend he did something that plenty of other footballers we watch ever week haven't done.