Official Premier League 2009/10 thread

[therockbox]

Surely you'd just take a screenshot?

[Scott McFly]

Hull have issued a statement saying it's utter bollocks. Shocker.

And Andy Burton is a bit of a twat. Although the Scottish guy who's the chief football or transfer reporter or whatever just comes across as a total posh, up-himself arsehole. Bryan Swanson, that's it, he's literally just been on as I type this.

[IAceI]

David Craig's worse. For the North East correspondent I don't think I've seen him further south than the south end of St. James' Park (soon to renamed we hope )

[Dynamite]

I pay little attention to any of them except Millie Clode and Georgie Thompson.

[Scott McFly]

And Charlotte Jackson. And Chloe Everton.

[9 to 5]

Brown stays, but Duffen goes. And there has been question marks over their finances in the last couple of days.

[Adam]

What are the odds of Adam Pearson returning to Hull? He conveniently stepped down as Derby chairman to 'pursue other interests'.

[IAceI]

Very high I'd imagine, since that's all anyones assuming.

[ONO]

Premier League footballer Marlon King has been jailed for 18 months for sexually assaulting a woman in a bar.

The Wigan Athletic striker was repeatedly "cold-shouldered" by the 20-year-old student in London last December, Southwark Crown Court heard.

He groped her and then punched her, leaving her with a broken nose.

The father-of-three, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, had insisted it was a case of mistaken identity, but the jury returned a unanimous verdict.

The assault happened at the Soho Revue Bar at a time when King was on loan with Hull City.

'Gratuitous violence'

He was celebrating two occasions - his wife's latest pregnancy and the scoring of a winning goal - with a night out in the West End.

King was repeatedly "cold-shouldered" by women in the bar, the court heard, and lost his temper.

A moment of "completely gratuitous violence" led to him "smashing" the victim to the floor, jurors were told.

Two other people standing beside King were also knocked away as a result of the force of the blow he inflicted.

Several witnesses testified that King was responsible, despite his denial, including a football coach who insisted the 29-year-old Jamaican international was the assailant.

[Dynamite]

He was celebrating his wife getting pregnant with his child by trying to chat up another woman? And then he punched her in the nose because she cold-shouldered him? Sounds like a lovely guy...

[IAceI]

To be fair - they all look the same ¬_¬

Also, to celebrate his wifes pregnancy he tried to pull a student? And they make him out to be some absolute hulk as two nearby people are blown away because of the force of his punch.

[Liam]

He always seemed like a prick, to be honest.

[Hobo]

If at first you don't succeed, grope and punch!

[Hobo]

Wigan are going to be sacking King.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan says Marlon King will never play for the club again after he was jailed for 18 months.

The striker, 29, was found guilty of sexual assault and actual bodily harm after he had been "cold-shouldered" by a female student in a London nightclub.

The incident occurred last December while he was on loan at Hull.

Whelan told BBC Radio 5 live: "We will now be in the process of severing his contract. To say the least I am really, really disappointed."

Whelan, who only learned on Tuesday that King was on trial at Southwark Crown Court, must follow Premier League rules and pay the player's wages for 14 days before terminating his contract.

The Latics chairman went on: "It's really upsetting and it just sets such a bad example for any youngster coming through who wants to be a professional footballer.

"He was on loan at the time to Hull City but I don't blame Hull City. Marlon King has got to accept full responsibility for this."

After groping and punching his victim at the Soho Revue Bar, breaking her nose, King briefly returned to Hull before spending a subsequent spell on loan at Middlesbrough.

The father of three, born in Dulwich, south London, finally made his way back to Wigan in the summer, but is now left without a club.

In 2002 King served five months of a two-year prison sentence for handling a stolen car before being released on appeal.

A year later, he was convicted for common assault on two women he chased through London with a belt wrapped round his fist. And in 2006 he was convicted of threatening behaviour after slapping another woman and then spitting at her when police arrived.

Whelan explained how King had kept the club in the dark about the most recent, and most severe misdemeanour.

"It's been kept quite secret by the player. We knew he did something but we didn't know exactly what it was. When you read how serious it was, I mean striking a girl and breaking her nose and messing about like that, we didn't realise the severity of what was happening here.

Marlon King

The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict against King

"We knew he'd been charged with something but I was shocked by what he had actually done and I was shocked by the sentence. But if he deserves it then he's got to do it.

"I sat down with Marlon at the start of the season and said 'Marlon, if you want to play for Wigan Athletic you've got to settle down, train hard and go on the field and give your best.

"He never mentioned anything about this case and he promised me that he was going to train hard and he actually has trained hard, I have to say that.

"Once he's served his sentence, if he manages to get back into football, so be it, but he will never pull on the shirt of Wigan Athletic again."

The Jamaica international started his professional career with Barnet, before moving to Gillingham.

He next signed for Nottingham Forest, who briefly loaned him out to Leeds United, before making his Premier League debut with Watford in the 2006-07 season.

In January 2008, he made his move to Wigan for an initial £3m on a three-and-a-half year contract with a £40,000-a-week salary.

[9 to 5]

Too fucking right as well.

Shame Newcastle didn't have the same balls when Barton went to the clink.

[Shelty92]

He was celebrating his wife getting pregnant with his child by tryingto chat up another woman? And then he punched her in the nose becauseshe cold-shouldered him? Sounds like a lovely guy...

You don't cold-shoulder a millionaire!

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Yeah I understand that Woodgate is still coming back from injury but I wish Harry had dropped Bassong for King instead of Dawson for King. King and Dawson centre back is second only to King/Woodgate for Tottenham in my opinion. Still, Bassong plays ok alongside King.

Also, considering Defoe's out, Modric is out and Lennon's out the team still looks strong. I'm actually looking forward to see Bentley get his chance...Maybe he can roll back the years and score another.

[stokeriño]

Whoops, wrong thread for some reason.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I'm loving Clattenburg's refereeing so far (21 minutes in). It's like watching football from 15 years ago.

[TheArsenal]

Bentley's a dirty little arsewipe.