A Challenge, but not the University one. Away to Oxford, Sat Apr 15th 3-0'clock.

[DJBlu]

https://fanbanter.co.uk/suspended-jail- ... e-emerges/

Not the best viewing.

I now understand why his form has been good. He's had to work his bollocks off for the club so it's not an easy decision to get rid of him. Really am intrigued as to what the club does.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

How will the curfew affect night games. Serious question.

Personally I think that he'll be allowed to play night games - as its his job.

Yeah, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t. His workplace is very public. But he may have to agree a passage home.

[Bertie Wooster]

https://fanbanter.co.uk/suspended-jail- ... e-emerges/

Not the best viewing.

I now understand why his form has been good. He's had to work his bollocks off for the club so it's not an easy decision to get rid of him. Really am intrigued as to what the club does.

It's not the best viewing, however I honestly expected to see much worse.

[DJBlu]

How will the curfew affect night games. Serious question.

Personally I think that he'll be allowed to play night games - as its his job.

Yeah, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t. His workplace is very public. But he may have to agree a passage home.

The timings are variable and dependent on employment. Just the same as someone working shifts, they know where the tag is. I suspect the club will be giving the parole service a copy of his itinerary as we speak.

[BWFC_Insane]

How will the curfew affect night games. Serious question.

Personally I think that he'll be allowed to play night games - as its his job.

Sounds like he can. But that hasn’t been the case with footballers in the past on these tags.

[DJBlu]

Just when you think twitter is all shite it gets back up and delivers.

[TANGODANCER]

"Can Dempsey’s parole officer play centre back? "

Curfewscious says: Maybe not, but he can surely lock up the left or right side.

[BWFC_Insane]

https://fanbanter.co.uk/suspended-jail- ... e-emerges/

Not the best viewing.

I now understand why his form has been good. He's had to work his bollocks off for the club so it's not an easy decision to get rid of him. Really am intrigued as to what the club does.

For me the club deal with it internally and we move on.

I don’t really see how sacking him makes sense. Same as if he wasn’t a footballer. He’s being dealt with by the law. There will be some internal club disciplinary action too I’m sure. A fine. A formal warning.

But he cannot do anything like this again.

However, I think he deserves a chance. I think Sharon once said she believes in second chances and this I think constitutes that. The club needs to offer him help and support whilst also showing it simply won’t tolerate a repeat.

[irie Cee Bee]

Let him who is sinless cast the first stone. He made a mistake no doubt due to what took place outside the door before the incident. The doorman was an innocent victim. He was assaulted as the Dempsies tried to get at the perpetrator who was already in the club to my understanding. The court has taken everything into consideration and punished him. No need for the club to double punish him harshly by cancelling his contract. A club fine and a warning should be sufficient and Dempsey allowed to continue doing his job which he does very well. Another mistake like this and he is out.

[TANGODANCER]

Let him who is sinless cast the first stone. He made a mistake no doubt due to what took place outside the door before the incident. The doorman was an innocent victim. He was assaulted as the Dempsies tried to get at the perpetrator who was already in the club to my understanding. The court has taken everything into consideration and punished him. No need for the club to double punish him harshly by cancelling his contract. A club fine and a warning should be sufficient and Dempsey allowed to continue doing his job which he does very well. Another mistake like this and he is out.

It's a pretty safe bet, within the bounds if sanity, nothing ever will.

[TonyDomingos]

Thought about this long and hard and, much as it pains me, I think he should go. I very much doubt he will , but he should.

[BWFC_Insane]

Thought about this long and hard and, much as it pains me, I think he should go. I very much doubt he will , but he should.

What good would that do? Same as if he was a regular employee. A bloke in his 20’s makes a mistake out of work and is dealt with. I’m not convinced there is any scenario where also losing his job helps anything.

I get that in many cases someone might lose their job but I don’t see it as beneficial.

[knobpolisher]

Anyway this is a match thread not a discussion on right or wrong.
I say 2 - 0 to us.
COYWM

[jimbo]

Thought about this long and hard and, much as it pains me, I think he should go. I very much doubt he will , but he should.

What good would that do? Same as if he was a regular employee. A bloke in his 20’s makes a mistake out of work and is dealt with. I’m not convinced there is any scenario where also losing his job helps anything.

I get that in many cases someone might lose their job but I don’t see it as beneficial.

The club have made lots of progressive steps under the current ownership with making stances against gambling, pushing a family friendly community approach and being open in banning disruptive elements of the fan base. If they stay consistent with this, then I think they’ve no way they can continue with Dempsey. I think if he was a squad player he’d be gone. The issue is he’s a key part of the team and getting rid now could literally be the difference between promotion and relegation. Could one option be play him until summer and then look to sell?

Personally I’m a bit uncomfortable with it. My 3 and 5 year old watched the Wembley game, and he was the one who caught their eye as he was behind everything good we did in that first half.

The club have a difficult decision coming up.

As for if it was another job - there are plenty where a criminal conviction for ABH would lead you to losing the job.

[BWFC_Insane]

Thought about this long and hard and, much as it pains me, I think he should go. I very much doubt he will , but he should.

What good would that do? Same as if he was a regular employee. A bloke in his 20’s makes a mistake out of work and is dealt with. I’m not convinced there is any scenario where also losing his job helps anything.

I get that in many cases someone might lose their job but I don’t see it as beneficial.

The club have made lots of progressive steps under the current ownership with making stances against gambling, pushing a family friendly community approach and being open in banning disruptive elements of the fan base. If they stay consistent with this, then I think they’ve no way they can continue with Dempsey. I think if he was a squad player he’d be gone. The issue is he’s a key part of the team and getting rid now could literally be the difference between promotion and relegation. Could one option be play him until summer and then look to sell?

Personally I’m a bit uncomfortable with it. My 3 and 5 year old watched the Wembley game, and he was the one who caught their eye as he was behind everything good we did in that first half.

The club have a difficult decision coming up.

As for if it was another job - there are plenty where a criminal conviction for ABH would lead you to losing the job.

I get all that. I don’t think the football or the fact he’s a good player or any of that can factor into it. You have to make a call.

He’s made an error, a massive one.

However if we are talking about ‘kids’ and influence if a player in a game loses it and lamps an opposing player that is worse for image given it happens whilst they are directly representing the club in front of those fans. And of course is as serious but outside the scope of criminal prosecution in most cases. Would the club sack that player? I doubt it. But in terms of reputation it would arguably be worse.

It’s problematic either way. But I come at it from this angle that if we are giving second chances and rehabilitating people then I don’t see what good them losing their job and livelihood does? And that goes beyond football.

[TANGODANCER]

Consider what effect sacking would have on the team, who after all are his mates. His crime was a rush of blood maybe fuelled by alcohol and a sense of revenge for what he saw as injustice. No benefit can be gained anywhere by drastic life-changing action. The are cases of as bad or worse ( is a savage tackle that leaves a player badly injured any worse in effect)where players have repented and moved on. I think we need to do the same. Dempsey will no doubt suffer some crowd abuse, but time is a great healer. Im with Knobpolisher in saying let's talk football. Onwards...

[BWFC_Insane]

Consider what effect sacking would have on the team, who after all are his mates. His crime was a rush of blood maybe fuelled by alcohol and a sense of revenge for what he saw as injustice. No benefit can be gained anywhere by drastic life-changing action. The are cases of as bad or worse where players have repented and moved on. I think we need to do the same. Dempsey will no doubt suffer some crowd abuse, but time is a great healer. Im with Knobpolisher in saying let's talk football. Onwards...

Yeah. Put it this way. If we are saying that we should sack him then we are arguing he doesn’t deserve employment. Because ultimately either someone gives a chance to people OR they end up in a worse scenario and more likely to offend.

I’d have this view regardless of football. If he worked in the hotel for example I think that where possible we should afford a second chance.

There are obvious examples where it goes beyond the bounds of reasonable behaviour to afford someone that chance but here I think it just about is the thing to do.

I’d also say that if the club sacked him they’d never be able to take any player or employee with any criminal record again - which is potentially dangerous territory for a football club.

EDIT: I am surprised at the clubs silence on this but I suppose it takes a while to really understand the implications and make decisions. I do wonder if the worst part is the statement the club put out in Dempseys defence which in hindsight was ill judged. Even if given the facts incorrectly or without balance it’s probably wiser to just note the situation without putting any details out there. And I did say at the time it wasn’t wise.

[boltonboris]

The point about banning orders for anti-social behaviour is a good one

Someone lights a flair, or a smoke bomb and they are categorically told, that they are no longer and will never again be welcome at the club...

[BWFC_Insane]

The point about banning orders for anti-social behaviour is a good one

Someone lights a flair, or a smoke bomb and they are categorically told, that they are no longer and will never again be welcome at the club...

False equivalence because that is a business protecting itself against something outside their control. If a customer of any business behaves in a way damaging to that business then the only real course of action is to ban said customer. The business cannot judge any 'rehabilitation' or manage it or set any sort of action up beyond a ban to protect itself.

Whereas with an employee they can do all those things.

Dempsey absolutely should be banned from that club and one assumes will be.

[Harry Genshaw]

It's a moral minefield. If Dempsey had been injured in the fracas and unable to play, I'm sure we'd have dismissed him to save on the wages. Derby tried similar with their captain at the time, Richard Keogh.

I dont want to see him dismissed, I hope we support him as a club after giving him a bollocking but I must admit, a lot of these thoughts are because he's a good player and an asset that I don't want us to lose.