Robert Bayly...

[colonelwest]

Was tempted to put this in the promotional activities thread, ahem, but he was stung with 250k worth of cannabis on Friday, heard rumblings of some shenanigans when he left Shels but nothing of this sort of thing. Would have been a safer bet putting his money on Longford the other week!

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/irish-football-star-charged-over-240k-cannabis-seizure-35713448.html

[NeverFeltBetter]

He could actually be looking at serious jail-time for this. Think what he's been charged under can come with a decade in prison for cannabis of that value.

[colonelwest]

It's a serious amount alright, they'll do him on intent to supply so that's definitely a fair auld stint inside. With him and Eddie Van Boxtel we have the makings of a decent Mean Machine/ The Longest Yard-esque LOI prison team!

[outspoken]

Remember hearing some mad rumours about him when he was with Longford.

[Martinho II]

I only seen this in the papers about Bayly. a huge waste of a talent imo.

[Mr A]

Terrible to see a player make a hash of a promising career.

[outspoken]

I only seen this in the papers about Bayly. a huge waste of a talent imo.

How will the league ever survive without Robert Baylys fine tackling talents

[Mr A]

Bit of a dope to get caught like this, but good to see this behaviour weeded out even if was there was a grass involved. We don't want our league seen as the sort of joint where this is acceptable, our reputation will go to pot.

[Longfordian]

Feel sorry for his partner Mary Jane.

[total hoofball]

From playing against Juventus and Del Piero to 2.5 years in the slammer

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/soccer-prodigy-jailed-over-200k-cannabis-haul-36701064.html

[Straightstory]

Feel very sorry for him, I have to say.

[osarusan]

I want to come up with a Sun-style headline, but the name Bayly doesn't really suit it.

No Bayl for Bayly was the best I could do.

Robert Jayly?

[RathfarnhamHoop]

When you read what happened with the debt and threats and all its a pretty sad story, and brings up more questions as to how the FAI can deem it acceptable to have so much betting sponsorship for the league.

[sbgawa]

I don't disagree with you completely particularly on the betting (My Mother used to say a drinker is better then a gambler because you can only drink so much) but the problem with the way this PC world is going is that soon you won't be able to have Cigarette companies , drinks companies, bookies, McDonalds, suger filled drinks companies and whatever comes next able to be sponsors.

Personal responsibility seems to be an out of date concept.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

I don't disagree with you completely particularly on the betting (My Mother used to say a drinker is better then a gambler because you can only drink so much) but the problem with the way this PC world is going is that soon you won't be able to have Cigarette companies , drinks companies, bookies, McDonalds, suger filled drinks companies and whatever comes next able to be sponsors.

Personal responsibility seems to be an out of date concept.

No I completely agree with you on personal responsibility and that money has to come from somewhere and inevitably some of this will come from unsavoury sources, but currently the best, only, way to watch live league football most weeks is through a betting company, the fai have a betting partner and the highlights show is sponsored by a betting company, that doesn't really sit right with me, one thing to have a patch on the odd clubs sleeve or something but for a countries FA to be actively promoting it so much doesn't seem right.

[Peaky Blinder]

I actually have some sympathy for Boccer.
I always got the impression that he wasn't the brightest light on the Christmas tree & I think it telling that the Garda stated they got the impression he didn't understand what was happening. & yes before people point it out I appreciate he's an adult & broke the law, but I still feel he was manipulated by far more serious criminals when in a position of weakness & that's never nice to see, the chap has a young family & the fact the Garda believe that was used against him shows what an unenviable position he was in. But at the end of the day he did what he did & will be punished accordingly. Unfortunately another name on the list of wasted talent & what if's.

[sbgawa]

No I completely agree with you on personal responsibility and that money has to come from somewhere and inevitably some of this will come from unsavoury sources, but currently the best, only, way to watch live league football most weeks is through a betting company, the fai have a betting partner and the highlights show is sponsored by a betting company, that doesn't really sit right with me, one thing to have a patch on the odd clubs sleeve or something but for a countries FA to be actively promoting it so much doesn't seem right.

That's a fair point re actively promoting , its more on the ground id be worried about tbh, how many pubs etc throw a few bob in for a sign at the pitch etc.

[sbgawa]

I actually have some sympathy for Boccer.
I always got the impression that he wasn't the brightest light on the Christmas tree & I think it telling that the Garda stated they got the impression he didn't understand what was happening. & yes before people point it out I appreciate he's an adult & broke the law, but I still feel he was manipulated by far more serious criminals when in a position of weakness & that's never nice to see, the chap has a young family & the fact the Garda believe that was used against him shows what an unenviable position he was in. But at the end of the day he did what he did & will be punished accordingly. Unfortunately another name on the list of wasted talent & what if's.

2 and a half years seemed harsh given the mitigating circumstances, look at that RTE guy who was caught grooming kids he got 18 months.....

[CorribsideSteve]

Harsh sentence. A suspended sentence would have been enough of a scare for him. Great point about the guy at RTE getting a whole year less for a crime many magnitudes of times worse.

[Longfordian]

The RTE fella was sentenced by an English court so sentencing guidelines aren’t the same. I’m not sure there have been any cases in Ireland with similar facts.

[Peaky Blinder]

2 and a half years seemed harsh given the mitigating circumstances, look at that RTE guy who was caught grooming kids he got 18 months.....

Different jurisdictions so comparisons are unfair. However I agree that the sentence seems harsh given the circumstances. Though I wonder if we didn't know him from his time as a footballer would we bat an eyelid at such a sentence & just dismiss it as a drug trafficking scumbag getting his comeuppance?

[sbgawa]

fair point but even the guards seemed to think he was just a poor ejit and he has a young kid.
I have kid so the RTE guy would get the death sentence from me but I suppose if I had a bad family experience with drugs id probably have little sympathy for Bayley

[redobit]

In fairness to him it does seem harsh, for a couple of reasons. First it seems to be that he was a mule trying to pay of a debt rather than a trafficker. And second it wasn't a Class A drug like heroine or coke.

[bennocelt]

Thats very harsh tbh. Notice its that judge who likes to give light sentences for sex crimes, he is notorious for it.