Just what did El Abd do

[Roger Mellie]

"You are kidding aren't you? Why should anyone arrested and fined be entitled to anonymity for behaving like this? If it acts as an extra deterrent, then it's for the good of society, isn't it? Justice must be done and SEEN to be done, the police are far too secretive already. What we need is a real Freedom of Information law, we are behind even America on this!

As for El Abd, the public exposure of his idiocy was VITAL. What do you really think will stop him behaving like a complete aggressive pisshead on the wages we pay him, an £80 fine or ending up on the front page of the Argus?"

Yeahaa cowboy - trial by press is just what we need in this country. How could we have overlooked following the mighty U S of A down this right and proper road to salvation. God bless wapping and all the justice that flows from its mighty pen

 

[Turkey]

As for El Abd, the public exposure of his idiocy was VITAL. What do you really think will stop him behaving like a complete aggressive pisshead on the wages we pay him, an £80 fine or ending up on the front page of the Argus?

Unless he's had a rise since the last time I chatted to him about that sorta thing I think you'd be suprised how little some our players are earning. That's besides the point though. It didn't seem appropriate to bring it up with him this evening so I don't know the full facts, and if I did I doubt I'd post them on here, but I do know the Argus article didn't paint the whole picture.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

The Argus version ...


First published on Saturday 02 April 2005:
Albion warn wayward star
by Andy Naylor

Albion manager Mark McGhee today warned wayward defender Adam El-Abd his behaviour in the future must be squeaky clean.

El-Abd faces an anxious wait to discover whether he will be back in favour for Tuesday's visit to promotion-chasing Preston.

McGhee axed the youngster from the squad for today's trip to Coventry after he was thrown out of a nightclub on Brighton seafront and fined for being drunk and disorderly.

El-Abd paid an £80 fixed penalty following the incident at the Honey Club, Kings Road Arches.

Albion had given him permission to be out and he was with other players commiserating over the plight of team-mate Adam Hinshelwood.

Fellow defender Hinshelwood was at home recovering from the shock of discovering he will be out until Christmas with a ruptured cruciate knee ligament sustained in the home defeat by Reading.

McGhee decided a further fine for El-Abd from the club would be inappropriate, but dropping him from the squad with the Seagulls fighting against relegation and short of defensive cover emphasises his hard-line approach.

"I feel very strongly about it," McGhee said. "I probably behaved worse than Adam El-Abd when I was a player but times have changed.

"I don't think there is any ambiguity at all. There is now a far greater climate of responsibility and examination of people's behaviour in the industry that we are in.

"Adam El-Abd is not Wayne Rooney, so the criticism that can be levelled has to be tempered a bit in terms of what we can expect.

"But what I say to guys like Adam is they are investing in their future by behaving as they will when they are earning big money and are at a big club, so they have got to do it now.

"Their behaviour has got to be squeaky clean and better than the average man in the street, because that is the industry we are in and we have got a responsibility to that industry."

Meanwhile, McGhee has moved a step closer to agreeing a new two-year contract.

"I now have a hard copy of my contract, which I have got somebody looking at," he revealed. "As soon as I get it confirmed that everything is in order, I will sign it."

 

[Lord Bracknell]

That's a great euphemism. I shall use it myself in future.

"Sorry officer, we were commiserating over the plight of Adam Hinshelwood".

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

Here's the way I'm guessing the press got hold of it.

A copper told an Argus reporter, "I nicked that Adam El Abd the other night for being pissed. Don't tell anyone I told you though."

So the reporter asks the police press office: "Have you arrested the Albion player Adam El Abd". The press officer probably said something like "off the record, you're in the right sort of area. On the record, we arrested a man outside the Honey club last night."

That's how I normally do it anyway

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

My mate is a Brighton policeman and he wondered how the press got hold of this story as neither Brighton nor the police named El-Abd.

If a policeperson was to arrest someone they considered to be famous, are they obliged under data protection or confidentiality legislation not to disclose to people the name of the person they arrested or what they were arrested for?

Or are the police above the law?

or is El Abd just not famous?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Or did McGhee tell Andy Naylor?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

It didn't seem appropriate to bring it up with him this evening so I don't know the full facts, and if I did I doubt I'd post them on here, but I do know the Argus article didn't paint the whole picture.

Were you there Turkey?

Unfortunately for El Abd, dozens of people were, as there was still a big queue for the Honey Club at the time, so chances of him being (a) seen and (b) dropped in it to the Argus by someone, were fairly high.

For what it's worth (and as far as I'm aware), the picture painted by the Argus was more or less spot on for once.

 

[Uncle Buck]

The thing is who actually cares? He is hardly the first youngster to get nicked for being beered up, OK in the past you got a night in the cells and told to piss off in the morning, now days you get one of Tony's on the spot fines. It is not like he raped or murdered somebody. As long as he performs on the pitch for us, I do not really care what he does in his spare time, but I guess some of the high and mighty on here do, as they are obviously not just the Guardians of the Albion, but also the Guardians of Society.

Out of interest, I wonder how many coppers it took to pin him down?

 

[CHAPPERS]

. As long as he performs on the pitch for us, I do not really care what he does in his spare time, but I guess some of the high and mighty on here do, as they are obviously not just the Guardians of the Albion, but also the Guardians of Society.

Exactly. I wouldn't even mind if he was on COKE as some people have suggested, as long as he didn't get caught.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Exactly. I wouldn't even mind if he was on COKE as some people have suggested, as long as he didn't get caught.

At the end of the day, at one point Captain Cod Piece was on I think 3 charges, one for possession of a class A, one for knocking some stewardess about and the final one was for driving without insurance whilst banned.

Now whilst on bail he was still playing for us and people took the piss a bit, but that was more because he was a lazy so and so. He got 3 months for the driving offence, I think Michael Gilkes got him off the possession charge and the assault was dropped. The club stood by him whilst inside and when he came out, he actually started performing for us and people generally got behind him.

El-Abd has hardly done anything wrong. Some over zealous plod decided to give him a fine to help with the clear up rates when he was pissed up, so what.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

My mate is a Brighton policeman and he wondered how the press got hold of this story as neither Brighton nor the police named El-Abd.

If a policeperson was to arrest someone they considered to be famous, are they obliged under data protection or confidentiality legislation not to disclose to people the name of the person they arrested or what they were arrested for?

Or are the police above the law?

No obligation. Anyone from the press can ring up and ask for details regarding people being held.

I know El Abd asked the argus not to print it because the club did not know but that they went ahead and did it anyway which is fair enough I think.

 

[fatboy]

Why is it fair enough? It's hardly in the public interest to know what some Championship reserve player does when he has had a bit too much to drink.

Clearly nothing particularly exciting happens in some people's jobs so they feel the need to spread things like this.

 

[The Laughing Bluebird]

Why is it fair enough? It's hardly in the public interest to know what some Championship reserve player does when he has had a bit too much to drink.

Perhaps the paper thought that the fans who pay his wages should know that he's a piss artist?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Why is it fair enough? It's hardly in the public interest to know what some Championship reserve player does when he has had a bit too much to drink.

Clearly nothing particularly exciting happens in some people's jobs so they feel the need to spread things like this.

As far as has been said, the club knew he was out, as he had permission, so it is hardly like he has broken curfew. He is a young lad and get nicked so what. Maybe the arresting officer was an Albion fan and wanted to tell their mates whom they had nicked that night?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Perhaps the paper thought that the fans who pay his wages should know that he's a piss artist?

Like a lot of the other professional footballers. Too much time on their hands etc. However he hardly did anything wrong, just seems that some people on here and elsewhere (not aimed at yourself) want to judge him for one mistake.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I think, though I may be wrong, that the innitial story was covered by the crime reporter Phil Mills and then taken up for the sports pages by Andy Naylor.

I dont see it as too much of a problem that he was out and had a few beers but then I also dont see it as a problem that the newspaper chose to report it because, lets be honest, they are always going to cover stories about local 'celebrities', especially ones who have been arrested.

 

[Yorkie]

Good grief, what a non story.

Which one of us wasn't drunk when we were 20? Ok, we may not have got arrested or fined but that was probably more by luck than judgement.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Good grief, what a non story.

Which one of us wasn't drunk when we were 20? Ok, we may not have got arrested or fined but that was probably more by luck than judgement.

Exactly.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

A non story?

Seems to have created quite a bit of interest though hasnt it?

I dont care whether El Abd got a bit drunk and got arrested and certainly wont judge him on it but peope in the public eye have to accept that there are negatives to go with the countless positives their status brings them and unfortunately for them being in the media spotlight can backfire occasionally.