Saido Berahino - Served 8-week recreational drug ban

[Player Red]

Sooo.. the FA don't release when players have been banned for recreational drugs offences. How often is this happening?

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ry-suspension-mark-hughes-confirms-stoke-city

 

[Cliche Guevara]

This might be controversial but I completely disagree with players being tested, and banned, for recreational substances.

Bosnich's suspension was disgraceful for example.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

Uh oh. The boy needs to get his career back on track.

 

[Player Red]

This might be controversial but I completely disagree with players being tested, and banned, for recreational substances.

Bosnich's two year suspension was disgraceful for example.

I don't know. If I was paying someone thousands of pounds each week I would be a touch pissed if they were taking recreational drugs.

 

[Cliche Guevara]

The FA aren't though.

Fair enough the club might not be happy, but if the player is doing the business they'll likely not complain.

For me, there is a real question over whether they are either a performance enhancer or reducer. I find it an invasion and quite a draconian attitude.

 

[Lash]

This might be controversial but I completely disagree with players being tested, and banned, for recreational substances.

Bosnich's suspension was disgraceful for example.

It's an illegal activity and you work in a framework (the league and FA) where it is prohibited. I think there is nothing wrong with banning someone for that, as they are there to represent the sport. The length of the ban and circumstances can definitely be poorly handled though.

 

[Player Red]

The FA aren't though.

Fair enough the club might not be happy, but if the player is doing the business they'll likely not complain.

For me, there is a real question over whether they are either a performance enhancer or reducer. I find it an invasion and quite a draconian attitude.

May be something to do with the illegality?

 

[Smores]

Since when have they not been published? Is this a new legal consideration?

Makes you wonder about players who find themselves out of the team for an extended period.

 

[iHicksy]

So at what point do you decide what is a bannable offence and what isn't? I mean, a player gets caught drink driving and doesn't receive a ban but smoking a joint results in an 8 game ban? Both are breaking the law and involve drugs, arguably playing the next day with alchohol in your system is likely to have a more adverse effect than weed.

I know marijuana is classed as an illegal drug, but in both instances you are breaking the law, i'm just wondering at which point the FA get to step in and say "this activity isn't acceptable for a member of our Association, but this one is".

 

[Classical Mechanic]

There was a rumour about a certain former English wonderkid a couple of years ago. If that is true I don't know.

Since when have they not been published? Is this a new legal consideration?

Makes you wonder about players who find themselves out of the team for an extended period.

We have had some mysterious absences recently.

 

[Snowjoe]

The FA aren't though.

Fair enough the club might not be happy, but if the player is doing the business they'll likely not complain.

For me, there is a real question over whether they are either a performance enhancer or reducer. I find it an invasion and quite a draconian attitude.

I think aside from it being illegal there's also the issue of whether certain things mask the use of other drugs.

I know some things are banned not because they're performance enhancing but because they can mask things that are.

 

[Escape Goat]

Rio should've taken that test, would've had a shorter ban even if he did have some recreational funnies in him.

Not that he did of course, he probably wouldn't even know a recreational drug if it went up in smoke in front of him, the above is hypothetical musing.

 

[villain]

This might be controversial but I completely disagree with players being tested, and banned, for recreational substances.

Bosnich's suspension was disgraceful for example.

Considering they're illegal, banning the player from sport is basically the least that could happen to them.

If you were taking drugs and it impacted your ability to do your job, you'd probably lose your job, or at least be suspended too.

 

[acnumber9]

So at what point do you decide what is a bannable offence and what isn't? I mean, a player gets caught drink driving and doesn't receive a ban but smoking a joint results in an 8 game ban? Both are breaking the law and involve drugs, arguably playing the next day with alchohol in your system is likely to have a more adverse effect than weed.

I know marijuana is classed as an illegal drug, but in both instances you are breaking the law, i'm just wondering at which point the FA get to step in and say "this activity isn't acceptable for a member of our Association, but this one is".

Probably at the point when it's in their rules.

 

[Infordin]

This guy is going to make a big move to a top team any minute now

 

[Bubz27]

Jack Wilshere.

 

[Hellboy]

Some weed never killed anyone, I'm sure a host of PL players do harder stuff in Ibiza.

 

[Giggsy92]

I personally think you'd have to be naive to think silent bans are quite common in sport in general.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Considering they're illegal, banning the player from sport is basically the least that could happen to them.

If you were taking drugs and it impacted your ability to do your job, you'd probably lose your job, or at least be suspended too.

Recreational marijuana use doesn't really impact ones ability to do their job, provided it's consumed outside of working hours. Ross Regbliatti won an Olympic gold medal while testing positive for its use.

 

[villain]

Recreational marijuana use doesn't really impact ones ability to do their job, provided it's consumed outside of working hours. Ross Regbliatti won an Olympic gold medal while testing positive for its use.

When I smoke, I can't focus and just become a giggling mess before I eventually fall asleep somewhere.
We don't know what he smoked and what effect it had.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Doesn't weed stay in the system for ages anyway?

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

When I smoke, I can't focus and just become a giggling mess before I eventually fall asleep somewhere.
We don't know what he smoked and what effect it had.

Yes, but when you go into work the next day you're not totally useless, right?

I used to get terrible nerves before matches, so I smoked a joint. After one season of this the nerves were no longer an issue. It's different for everyone but the one thing I think everyone can agree on is that it is in no way, shape or form a performance enhancing substance.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

Doesn't weed stay in the system for ages anyway?

Only if you're fat, as that's where your body stores it apparently. Makes exercise a lot of fun but pro athletes probably don't experience any significant retention. It's effects last about four hours.

 

[matherto]

It's purely down to the fact that it's illegal and that's down to historical morality and conservative beliefs. Footballers despite all of their obvious and understandable faults are supposed to be role models to younger generations so if one breaks the law then they get banned, even if it's for something minor. Fair game simply because society isn't going to change so they're put on a pedestal despite the fact they're nearly all scrotes that were given a golden ticket and therefore lots of money and fame.

Don't have a problem with people taking drugs, it's up to them and I don't think they should be illegal. Think we'd be better off with a controlled market of substances and addicts are treated for health issues rather than prosecuted for breaking a law that they don't care about anyway.

Berahino had that one good season and he should've kicked on from there but obviously wanted to leave WBA and it's been dragged on for far too long to basically everyone's detriment. Even Stoke who got him for a lot less than WBA probably wanted for him a few years back won't be getting a player trying his absolute hardest to be as good as he can be so they've not really won by saving a bit of cash on him.

 

[Couch potato 82]

Deffo wasn't a fat burning diet supplement anyway. Lazy fecking chubby waste of space

 

[Grinner]

I bet myself it would be three posts before Rio was mentioned.

You can't win 'em all.

 

[illReD]

It's illegal, no surprise really. (I smoke it my self)

 

[GE]

Apparently weed.

 

[Stobzilla]

Have always had a suspicion that certain players are protected this way.

 

[Mart1974]

Is weed a banned substance for footballers in countries where it is legal?

 

[ti vu]

Rio should've taken that test, would've had a shorter ban even if he did have some recreational funnies in him.

Not that he did of course, he probably wouldn't even know a recreational drug if it went up in smoke in front of him, the above is hypothetical musing.

Rio would have been suspended for life. I meant the FA has a different standard for us.

 

[Gopher Brown]

I read it was MDMA, not weed.

This could be argued is performance enhancing.

 

[golden_blunder]

The FA aren't though.

Fair enough the club might not be happy, but if the player is doing the business they'll likely not complain.

For me, there is a real question over whether they are either a performance enhancer or reducer. I find it an invasion and quite a draconian attitude.

If the guy is a stoner he may not have been giving his all. Certainly a lot of the managers comments now make sense. He wasn't focused on football.

 

[Chip Butty]

So he wasn't allowed to take recreational drugs for 8 weeks!

Boy the PL know how to get tough.

 

[Cliche Guevara]

I read it was MDMA, not weed.

This could be argued is performance enhancing.

I'm not sure - hugging the opposition after they score?

 

[Gopher Brown]

I'm not sure - hugging the opposition after they score?

It's a stimulant, so can improve reaction times in the short term.

 

[Cliche Guevara]

Do you think he's dropping an E then playing a game?

And having his reactions improved, as opposed to being off his tits.

Can't see it myself.

 

[dbs235]

He probably did it once on a night out.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

NBA coach Steve Kerr made a great point that it is hypocritical for the NFL to suspend players for marijuana considering that pain killer abuse is so prevalent in the NFL.

 

[Gregawa]

This guy is going to make a big move to a top team any minute now

Stoke is just a stepping stone for him before he joins Spurs.