Footballer Admits To GBH In Game

Xavi6

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_1730547,00.html

FOOTBALLER ADMITS PUNCHING RIVAL

A footballer has pleaded guilty to smashing a rival player's jaw during an FA Cup game after the attack was seen by millions on television.

Barrow defender James Cotterill admitted punching Bristol Rovers striker Sean Rigg, causing him grievous bodily harm, during a match on November 11.

Barrow Magistrates heard that Mr Rigg had to drink through a straw and eat with a teaspoon after the blow fractured his jaw in two places.

His jaw must be held together with metal plates for the rest of his life.

Television cameras captured the off-the-ball assault at the game, which Rovers went on to win 3-2.

Cotterill's solicitor described the punch as a "moment of madness".

The defender was suspended by the FA after the match at Barrow's Holker Street ground.

The game's governing body has also charged him with violent conduct, but he has yet to respond to the charge.

Cotterill will be sentenced at Lancaster Crown Court on January 5.

Quite a story. Here's the video footage.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd9vfxoGzcw

county

as Mark Lawrenson said, if it happened in the high st he would do time.but will he as it happened an a football pitch?

BaZmO*

Shocking stuff and totally uncalled for. Watched the highlights at the time as it was the featured match on MOTD. How he thought he would never be caught, especially cnsidering that the cameras were there, I'll never know.

Xavi6

Just a follow up vid I found. Should players be charged as well for incidents like this.....?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbKVDsZtaHs&NR

kinaldo

Duncan Ferguson did jail time for an on the pitch incident, and so too should James Cotterill, imo.

Guy:Incognito

county wrote:

as Mark Lawrenson said, if it happened in the high st he would do time.but will he as it happened an a football pitch?

If you run at someone on the street, lunge and take them out at the knee, you'd get done for assault aswell.



It opening up a dangerous precident. Punchign someone on a pitch shouldnt be tolerated but I think bringing the law in is a bit much. Look at rugby, they punch the head off players all the time. I saw footage a few weeks back of a new xealand ( i think) player lying on ronan O'gara and punching in the head about 10 times. While thats a scumbag thing to do, O'gara wasnt looking to have him locked up. As I said, it opens up players to be charged for tackles that are deemed excessive.


I like the name on the video :
"Barrow's James Cotterill apparently throws a punch"

What? like randomly into the air?:)

Paul Tergat

Stekelly wrote:

As I said, it opens up players to be charged for tackles that are deemed excessive.

i dont really agree with this as its very hard to show intention to do damage through a tackle (unless its keane - haaland )...whereas if u punch someone its pretty clear what your intention is!

either way it was a good shot.

its says something about the top level game that he wasnt rolling all over the floor!

Guy:Incognito

p_larkin99 wrote:

i dont really agree with this as its very hard to show intention to do damage through a tackle (unless its keane - haaland )...whereas if u punch someone its pretty clear what your intention is!

either way it was a good shot.

its says something about the top level game that he wasnt rolling all over the floor!

See another good point, how is the guy supposed to learn how to not punch like a small girl if he cant practice?:)

MrJoeSoap

p_larkin99 wrote:

i dont really agree with this as its very hard to show intention to do damage through a tackle (unless its keane - haaland )

And even then Keane had to come out and admit that he had intended serious injury before he was properly punished. :mad:

Paul Tergat

MrJoeSoap wrote:

And even then Keane had to come out and admit that he had intended serious injury before he was properly punished. :mad:

exactly, without hard evidence its almost impossible to show genuine intent to hurt someone....was it essien on hamann i cant remember from last year? that to me was disgraceful but you cant show any intent to hurt someone....whereas a punch like that is very obvious!

make an example of him, the world of football will take note

Töpher

What are you lot talking about? He didn't go anywhere near him! FACT!

bucks73

Stekelly wrote:

Look at rugby, they punch the head off players all the time. I saw footage a few weeks back of a new xealand ( i think) player lying on ronan O'gara and punching in the head about 10 times.

He was the Aussie Duncan McCrae. Happened on the Lions tour in 2001 and McCrae got his payback later when playing for Gloucester against Munster.

Rugby though has clamped down on players pucking the heads off each other and anyone caught gets a straight red. Years ago it was tolerated as part of the game but thats gone now.

Im not a fan of players taking legal action outside the game but if the football bodies can not punish the player then the assaulted player should take these scumbags to court. No way should they get away with it when players careers are at stake. Their careers are short enough anyway but to have some idiot cut it in half or worse is not on.

Maybe they should bring in citing like in rugby. Any nasty incidents not caught by the match officials could be reported by clubs to a citing officer and then taken further. Cant see it happening though as the likes of the FA are useless with stuff like this. They only came down hard recently on Thatcher, and other previous similar incidents, because of the public outcry.

_blank_

What's the difference between being assaulted on a football pitch or on the street?

These people who carry our such attacks on the football field should be charged, and jailed if found guilty.

BaZmO*

seansouth wrote:

What's the difference between being assaulted on a football pitch or on the street?

Waits for punchline.......

redspider

A couple of things I want to say about this incident are as follows.

For one, playing in a match there can be some mitigating circumstances. Why did the player lash out at that point? People dont normally punch someone at random in an instant and with no basis, not having any thought, lashing out for 1 second, and then carrying on.

Even thugs on the street will have a reason in their own mind, as mindless and as random as that can be sometimes. Drunk or whatever. But something caused this guy to do it. Was it a case that the forward had walked on his toes several times during the match and was approaching him again? Maybe such 'stamping' was accidental but maybe the defender didnt think so. The footage clearly shows that the guy who got hit was walking *towards* the defender and for whatever reason the defender lashed out. But importantly it wasnt the defender moving towards the other player. This is important as it identifies the psychologcal basis between attack and defence.


Secondly, its not the most vicious punch in the world. We have seen a lot worse. It was also a single punch. The guy who got hit was hit on the side. A sort of cowardly punch. Its unusual to have your jaw broken so easily. But punches can produce unusual affects at times. There have been cases where people have got batterings from many punches and come out fine. Others, one punch and they've a broken jaw - and this from the same punch. In even worse cases, people have been killed with hitting their head on the pavement, etc. I've even seen boxing footage where someone gets a punch and literraly dies from it. Harrowing to watch.

But the punishment should match the act, the intent, imo, not the affect the symptom. Someone that punches someone else, one punch, should get the same punishment as this guy. It shouldnt be a case that because the receiver had his jaw broken, that the punishment should be increased. There are also cases of whats known in the boxing trade as a 'glass jaw'.

I dont agree with Mark Lawrenson. There are fights, punches like this up and down the country in Ireland (and England) every day of the week and the vast 99.99% of people do NOT go to prison. There are punches being thrown in schoolyards as we speak with much more venom and intent than this one and with less mitigating circumstances yet nothing will be done about it.

I'd like to hear what the player who punched has to say, and the player who was hit as well. Overall, I think GBH is a bit much, although it would depend on what the players actually say.

I dont think he will get 'criminal university' (ie. prison) for it.

Redspider

BaZmO*

redspider wrote:

A couple of things I want to say about this incident are as follows.

For one, playing in a match there can be some mitigating circumstances. Why did the player lash out at that point? People dont normally punch someone at random in an instant and with no basis, not having any thought, lashing out for 1 second, and then carrying on.

Even thugs on the street will have a reason in their own mind, as mindless and as random as that can be sometimes. Drunk or whatever. But something caused this guy to do it. Was it a case that the forward had walked on his toes several times during the match and was approaching him again? Maybe such 'stamping' was accidental but maybe the defender didnt think so. The footage clearly shows that the guy who got hit was walking *towards* the defender and for whatever reason the defender lashed out. But importantly it wasnt the defender moving towards the other player. This is important as it identifies the psychologcal basis between attack and defence.


Secondly, its not the most vicious punch in the world. We have seen a lot worse. It was also a single punch. The guy who got hit was hit on the side. A sort of cowardly punch. Its unusual to have your jaw broken so easily. But punches can produce unusual affects at times. There have been cases where people have got batterings from many punches and come out fine. Others, one punch and they've a broken jaw - and this from the same punch. In even worse cases, people have been killed with hitting their head on the pavement, etc. I've even seen boxing footage where someone gets a punch and literraly dies from it. Harrowing to watch.

But the punishment should match the act, the intent, imo, not the affect the symptom. Someone that punches someone else, one punch, should get the same punishment as this guy. It shouldnt be a case that because the receiver had his jaw broken, that the punishment should be increased. There are also cases of whats known in the boxing trade as a 'glass jaw'.

I dont agree with Mark Lawrenson. There are fights, punches like this up and down the country in Ireland (and England) every day of the week and the vast 99.99% of people do NOT go to prison. There are punches being thrown in schoolyards as we speak with much more venom and intent than this one and with less mitigating circumstances yet nothing will be done about it.

I'd like to hear what the player who punched has to say, and the player who was hit as well. Overall, I think GBH is a bit much, although it would depend on what the players actually say.

I dont think he will get 'criminal university' (ie. prison) for it.

Redspider

:eek:
Shocking post!

Mad Dog

BaZmO* wrote:

:eek:
Shocking post!

Agreed mate, asslault is assault no matter what way you dress it up.

People dont normally punch someone at random in an instant and with no basis

God almighty man wtf :eek:

wheres me jumpa

Ive mixed opinions on this, I know theres no room for this in football and that guy should be banned appropriately, but then I think about Roy Keane and I feel what he done was "all part of the game" which is lunacy.

So its very much a case of when its "them" its bad but when its "us", its grand. This does happen in games, not as much these days but it still happens.

Personally I feel if the victim wants it to go to court then it should. The majority of incidents like this are "left on the pitch" and IMO so it should be. But when a player is injured as badly as this then really i dont think anyone can object to the law intervening.

Big Ears

redspider wrote:

.

Secondly, its not the most vicious punch in the world. We have seen a lot worse. It was also a single punch. The guy who got hit was hit on the side. A sort of cowardly punch. Its unusual to have your jaw broken so easily. But punches can produce unusual affects at times. There have been cases where people have got batterings from many punches and come out fine. Others, one punch and they've a broken jaw - and this from the same punch. In even worse cases, people have been killed with hitting their head on the pavement, etc. I've even seen boxing footage where someone gets a punch and literraly dies from it. Harrowing to watch.

But the punishment should match the act, the intent, imo, not the affect the symptom. Someone that punches someone else, one punch, should get the same punishment as this guy. It shouldnt be a case that because the receiver had his jaw broken, that the punishment should be increased. There are also cases of whats known in the boxing trade as a 'glass jaw'.

Any boxer will tell you it's the punches you don't see comming that knock you out , sure the punch mightn't seem that hard but the player that got hit is looking the other way and his jaw is loose(he has no reason for it to be braced) making it much , much easier to break . People that take a battering(and are fine) will usually see the punches comming and take quite a lot of punches on the arms and high on the head rather than the chin .

'a glass jaw' or more commonly reffered to as a 'glass chin' has nothing actually to do with how easy it is to break someones jaw it just has to do with how easy it is to knock them over/out with a punch .
An Armenian middleweight boxer recently has his jaw broken(in two places) in a middleweight title fight , he didn't go down from the punch and has never been knocked down in his career . His Jaw would be described as very strong .

Anyway , a tackle is one thing but I figuire punching someone in a football match should be treated the same as on the street . It's assault and there can only be one intent from the person that commits the act .

BaZmO*

Big Ears wrote:

....and his jaw is loose(he has no reason for it to be braced) making it much , much easier to break....

and to get knocked out too.

Happened to Lennox Lewis in his fight against the 14-1 rank outsider Hasim Rahman in South Afica. Lewis was over cocky coming into the fight and as a result he didn't give himself enough time to acclimatise which then meant that he was gasping for air during the fight rather than breathing through his nose, as is the proper way to breathe when boxing. Lewis lost that fight to a KO punch by Rahman.

Guy:Incognito

So is everyone going to start a campaign to have Zidane jailed? Or is he above it because of who he is?

MrJoeSoap

Stekelly wrote:

So is everyone going to start a campaign to have Zidane jailed? Or is he above it because of who he is?

Nobody is starting any campaign here.

Mad Dog

Stekelly wrote:

So is everyone going to start a campaign to have Zidane jailed? Or is he above it because of who he is?

He never broke Materazzi's jaw although he may have smudged his make-up a little

MrJoeSoap

Mad Dog wrote:

He never broke Materazzi's jaw although he may have smudged his make-up a little

Hehe, and if we're sending Zizou to prison then surely Materazzi should be getting the chair...

Guy:Incognito

I didnt say anyone was starting a campaign but the "hang him from the nearest tree brigade" are out in force about the guy in the op, but the mention of zidane and its like "aah no, surehe's zidane" There was certainly now threads calling for Zidane to be sent down for it.

@ mad dog: so it's ok to hit someone as long as you dont break any bones? just making sure we're on the same wavelenght.

The potential for damage is much higher when you throw all your weight behind a head butt as opposed to a wilde swing of a fist from behind.

LostinBlanch

Xavi6 wrote:

Just a follow up vid I found. Should players be charged as well for incidents like this.....?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbKVDsZtaHs&NR

Well without going into seeking criinal remedies, this kind of thing should have been more severely punished than it was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHdGkJnsXfQ
And no I'm not just saying it because I'm a united fan and it was on Giggs.

and Brown has form for it too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLGG1YI6yGE

Seems like a bit of a nutter to me, shouldn't be on a pitch if he's going to try and do that to numerous different players.

Redspider I agree with you that there may be "extenuating circumstances" in a game, but that kind of thing has to be eradicated from the game. Potentially career ending tackles.

I know you ABUs are probably going to throw in Keane & Haaland into the mix, but that isn't a tackle I stand over.

Doesn't the Bundeslegia have a rule where if Player A commits a foul that puts Player B out of football for x amount of games then player A is banned for that amount of games? That'd sort out a lot of this crap.

kinaldo

Does anyone remember the head-butting incident that Duncan Ferguson was involved in when playing for Rangers?

The result was a 3 month jail sentence of which he served 44 days, and a 12 game suspension which led to him quitting international football.