Gerrard

[jumpinjackflash]

I guess money talks..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/8167000.stm

[RosieH]

But it don't sing and dance, and it don't walk.

[SeanMacGabhann]

big discussion going on about it in the football thread JJF - I think most people would agree with you

[Ted Max]

His money got him into court, as much as it got him out of there.

[Annasfield]

Ted Max Wrote:

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> His money got him into court, as much as it got

> him out of there.

Ex-acctly! Wouldn't have even got there if he'd not been who he was. Storm in a teacup.

[HonaloochieB]

jumpinjackflash Wrote:

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> I guess money talks..

...it don't, it swears.

[jaybee82]

I'm surprised he got away with it - the video evidence was pretty damning.[

Gerrard

[bigbadwolf]

Not exactly a 'banging' party by the looks of things. Looks like the bloke at the beginning was dancing to Macarena.

[matthew123]

Maybe people should actually pay attention to all the evidence rather than drawing conclusions from newspaper headlines

Reminds me of when I did jury service and these 2 old dears said surely the police wouldn't have brought it to court if he wasn't guilty - thankfully sanity prevailed amongst the jury as otherwise we'd have sent a perfectly innocent man to prison

So, No, money hasn't talked but ill informed opinions quite clearly do

[mockney piers]

Sorry he said himself that he couldn't understand why the DJ had an issue with him playing his own music. Man needs a reality check and a quick spell in sing sing would have done. I bet you he says "do you know who I am?" a lot. Twunt!!

Gerrard, not you Matt!!

[Jeremy]

Can't believe a man can get caught on video throwing punches at someone without getting charged. Since when was "I thought he might hit me so we beat him up" a reasonable defence?

He obviously had some good legal guys.

[Keef]

Yeah, all those people who think OJ may have been guilty should just listen to that jury! You make me laugh Matthew, because nothing you've ever typed on here suggests that you'd be taking this stance if it was a Chelsea / Man U player in this story!

I agree with Anna / Ted, this is a storm in a tea cup, no biggy in the grand scheme of things, and had it not been a famous footballer, the incident would never have happened. However, it still doesn't sit right with me, that he can basically get away with punching someone, whilst 7 other blokes are going to have to "take the fall" for him.

Still, if you have mates from Huyton, you're going to get in to trouble occasionally.

[garbo]

there was no way Gerrard could be made out of the CCTV footage shown and the fact that the footage was all over youtube meant he was never going to be found guilty.

[Ted Max]

Still, if you have mates from Huyton, you're going to get in to trouble occasionally.

And get out of it occasionally.

Nudgety nudge.

[davy watts]

Actually he didn't say 'Do you know who I am ?' to the bloke he hit. He said 'Who do you think you are?'. He's very lucky to have got off as self defence is very difficult to prove in court, especially when you admit to throwing the first punch. I once was jumped by two blokes out for trouble. I defended myself very effectively and certainly didn't throw the first punch, however I ended up getting charged and convicted of assault.

[Jeremy]

Keef Wrote:

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> I agree with Anna / Ted, this is a storm in a tea

> cup, no biggy in the grand scheme of things, and

> had it not been a famous footballer, the incident

> would never have happened.

While plenty of blokes get into scraps all the time and lots of them get away with it, I do know (and know of) guys who have been charged because they've got into fights. So I don't agree that it wouldn't have been taken to court if he wasn't famous.

> However, it still

> doesn't sit right with me, that he can basically

> get away with punching someone, whilst 7 other

> blokes are going to have to "take the fall" for

> him.

Yep... how Gerrard could possibly be less guilty than his mates is beyond me. If anything, he seemed like the instigator.

[matthew123]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> Sorry he said himself that he couldn't understand

> why the DJ had an issue with him playing his own

> music. Man needs a reality check and a quick spell

> in sing sing would have done. I bet you he says

> "do you know who I am?" a lot. Twunt!!

Gerrard said he was given permission by the bar's manageress to pick tracks on the stereo - and when he asked the DJ, the DJ responded with "You are not putting no f***ing music on in here".

Gerrard later returned to speak with the DJ

"I asked Marcus what was the problem with the music machine and why he treated me like that. Very quickly he came off the bar stool and was in my face right by me. I firmly believed Marcus came towards me to hit me."

Keef you might have a point about bias on this case as the DJ was previously reported as a Man United fan... all swings and roundabouts really, either way the Jury have decided and the Judge has backed it up.

[mockney piers]

Celebrity pure and simple. Cantona put his studs in a mans face and got community service. Mindyou I'm all for lessening the burden on the secure estate!!

[SeanMacGabhann]

I still stand up for Cantona on that one....

[Ted Max]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/3751836619_261212aaf2_o.gif

[Wimpole]

I caught Sky News live this afternoon as he came out court and the shouts of "Come on Rocky" from fans outside was quite amusing.

This was followed by interviews with local worthies in Liverpool ..."He's just a nice guy"... " He's one of us and a good role model"...what a load of tosh.

[Annasfield]

Ted Max Wrote:

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> http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/3751836619_261

> 212aaf2_o.gif

The actual version of Ted Max's video:

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

Fact is, from the outside the "not guilty" decision looks dubious. None of us were there that night, so really can't comment. He has been found "not guilty" by a court of law - therefore in legal terms he is innocent.

What a lot of people fail to realise is that Southport is the home to a lot of Mancunians and apparently Gerrard gets no end of grief when he is out in that area. Not saying it's right, but sometimes people just snap. I know I've done it.

Be honest, with that footage - can you really tell who is who? The reaction of whatever happens next it not also one (that I would believe anyway) of someone that is saying they won't play a song request. Who knows what was said.

I also think that had the DJ not changed his story 3 or 4 times he might of had a stronger case.

[matthew123]

Glad you posted that Anna as some people would have been gullible enough to believe the original!! lol

[DaveR]

It is worth pointing out that all but one of the others who pleaded guilty were involved in a separate incident after Gerrard had left, and the other was Doran, who clearly struck elbowed the guy before anything else started. As I understood Gerrard's evidence he thought Doran had been hit, and thought Mcghee was going to hit him, so hit him first....three times. In my experience of these types of cases it largely comes down to the impression you make on the jury from the witness box, and they gave Gerrard the benefit of the doubt. I suspect he benefited from not having a reputation as a dirty player as well as his generally positive image, but thta's fair enough.

The one definite benefit he would have had was that the trial was in front of a very senior judge who would not have 'put the boot in' in summing up, as he may well have been tempted to do if it was A N Other pleading self-defence having hit the bloke three times!