Singing like a bird ........ how embarassing !

[orangeman]

This is scandalous and they try to tell us that rugby is a sport for gentlemen and that everybody associated with rugby are honest ??


Harlequins humiliated as 'cover-up' is revealed
By Chris Hewett


Wednesday August 26 2009

It started, in a way, at a joke shop at Clapham Junction, but it stopped being a joke weeks ago. Now, it is the most unfunny thing in the rugby world, and it will be many months -- perhaps years -- before Harlequins start laughing again.

Yesterday's publication of the evidence presented by their wing, Tom Williams, to a disciplinary tribunal investigating the 'Bloodgate' scandal is the most embarrassing ever levelled at a professional club anywhere in the sport.
Fighting to reduce a 12-month suspension imposed for his role in the affair -- Williams bit on a blood capsule in the closing stages of his club's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster last April, thereby allowing the goal-kicker Nick Evans to return to the field for one last illicit shot at goal -- the 25-year-old player spilled beans all over the most senior figures at the Stoop: the director of rugby Dean Richards, who resigned as a result of Williams' decision to appeal; Charles Jillings, the chairman; and Mark Evans, the chief executive. The fall-out is nowhere near finished.

During his testimony, Williams made the following accusations:


•That Richards told him before taking the field as a substitute that he would be "coming off for blood". (Richards claimed the decision was reached after Williams had taken the field).

•That Steph Brennan, the physiotherapist, gave him a blood capsule, telling him to "do the right thing". (Other evidence revealed that Brennan had bought capsules from the joke shop at Clapham Junction on Richards' instruction).

•That he was so "programmed to Dean's authority" that he did not consider the rights and wrongs of the matter, and that even in hindsight he felt he had no choice because of the possible consequences of disobedience.

•That once match officials and members of the Leinster staff had become suspicious, he asked the club doctor, Wendy Chapman, to give him a real injury by cutting his lip.

•That he, among others, was presented with a misleading statement by Richards and told to sign it in advance of the original disciplinary hearing.

•That Richards criticised his delivery of evidence during the initial hearing and said he would be "better coached for the appeal".

•That on deciding to make a full disclosure as part of his appeal, he was warned off the potential effect on the club by Mark Evans, who told him that it would be "worse than relegation" and pressed him not to make such a disclosure. He also said he was offered a handsome compensation package by Jillings.

The tactics used by the Harlequins hierarchy will leave the club open to the fiercest criticism.

"Mark Evans' suggestion that I pursue a limited type of appeal was contrary to my own feelings and my advice," said Williams, who did not have independent legal support at the initial hearing. "I now had a dilemma and it weighed heavily on my mind.

"The club preferred that I should appeal on much more limited grounds, which focused on the length of my ban. This would minimise the club's exposure. I had no desire to harm the club, but at the same time I wanted the truth to be told. I had lied so far on the club's directions and this had resulted in a 12-month ban. I decided I would not allow the club to make me lie again."

In early August, Williams received a voicemail apology from Richards. He then met Jillings at the offices of the Professional Rugby Players' Association in Twickenham, less than a mile from the crime scene of the Stoop.

Jillings made an astonishing offer.

"He started by apologising to me for the position I had been placed in," Williams said. "I am sure he was sincere. Charles then laid out a compensation offer to me. This consisted of payment of my salary while I was suspended, an assurance that I would be selected for the team on merit once my suspension ended, a two-year contract extension, a testimonial, a three-year employment opportunity with the club after I retired from playing and an assurance that he would take a direct interest in my post-rugby career.

"He asked me what I was planning to do in relation to an appeal. Damian Hopley (the PRA chief executive) replied that I was appealing on a full-disclosure basis. Charles told me that he thought I should appeal, but it should be on a limited basis that focused on the sanction and not the findings of fact.

"Charles said that if the ERC decided to convene a personal hearing and questions were asked of me that might incriminate the other parties I could simply refuse to answer those questions. At the end of the meeting, I agreed to consider what he had said."

Williams told the panel that he felt under intense pressure not to make the full disclosure to which he had committed himself. But after having a compensation package of his own design -- including the paying-off of a mortgage on the house he owned with his girlfriend -- rejected by Harlequins, followed by series of further discussions, he decided to press ahead.angry

According to Williams, he began to feel angry at the situation in which he found himself the moment the Leinster game ended.

"It did not take long for news to filter through that we had lost the game 6-5," he told the tribunal. "I was devastated. I also grew increasingly angry about what had happened to me. I had hoped for an opportunity to make a positive impact on the match and to help my club win a famous victory. Instead, I had been required to cheat and had been placed in an impossible position."

The ERC authorities plan to publish their judgment in the cases against Richards, Brennan and the club over the next few days.

More humiliation is guaranteed. (© Independent News Service)

Williams' own words: 'I removed it from my sock. On the first attempt, the blood capsule fell from my mouth. I picked it up and bit it once again'

The following extracts are from Tom Williams' statement given to the European Rugby Cup appeal hearing against the year-long ban initially handed to him. Several points have been contested by other parties.

ON THE BLOOD CAPSULE

"With 10 minutes left, and the score standing at 6-5 to to Leinster... Dean told me to tell Steph Brennan, one of the club's physios, that I would be coming off for blood.

"Whilst Mike Brown was taking the penalty, Steph came onto the pitch... At this point Steph handed me a blood capsule... I instinctively placed the capsule in my sock as there was nowhere else to put it... I would like to say that I was presented with a huge dilemma when I was handed the blood capsule. However, in reality, I was so programmed to Dean's authority and focussed on the game that there were no such considerations...

"No one had told me when to fake the injury, but I understood that I should go down once I was involved in some contact. At one stage, Leinster put up a high ball, and I caught it... Two Leinster players hit me and Nick from behind... To be clear, I did not sustain any injuries from this collision...

"I returned to the full-back position and knelt down on one knee to bite the blood capsule. I removed it from my sock and placed it in my mouth... On the first attempt, the blood capsule fell from my mouth. I picked it up and bit it once again.

"Not only is this aspect of the episode shameful, it is also very embarrassing. However, it is a good indication that I was not thinking about what I was doing... The way I removed it from my sock and dropped it was ridiculous..."

ON THE INFAMOUS WINK

"I also winked as I left the pitch. This was not a signal or sign, as has been suggested. Instead, I was simply responding to one of my team-mates, Jim Evans, who suggested that I should "tough it out" as there were only a few minutes until the end of the game... I headed for the tunnel, and heard loud protestations from the Leinster bench. These protests were along the lines of, 'that's not real blood'."

ON WHAT WENT ON IN THE PHYSIO'S ROOM

"A real sense of panic began to set in... I then felt someone wipe their finger across my leg. I now understand this was the fifth official. I guessed he was wiping what he thought was fake blood from me to examine it. As he removed the substance from my leg, he said that it was not blood...

"In the circumstances it seemed the only solution was to cut my lip. I believe it was at this point that I asked Wendy (Chapman, one of the club's match-day doctors) to make the cut... I remember that she was not happy about it."

ON THE AFTERMATH

"By the day of the hearing I was feeling ill. This was a combination of nerves and stress... I was growing increasingly anxious at the prospect of lying to the Tribunal... I genuinely did not consider I had a choice. Dean had directed a course and my job was to follow him, not challenge him..."

ON THE COMPENSATION OFFER

"In my meeting with Charles (Jillings, Harlequins' chairman, on August 5)... he laid out a compensation offer... This consisted of payment of salary while I was suspended, an assurance that I would be selected for the team on merit once my suspension ended, a two-year contract extension, a testimonial, a three-year employment opportunity with the club after retiring from playing, and an assurance that he would take direct interest in my post-rugby career...

"I would, in all possibility, be sitting out a season of rugby. After having discussed this with my girlfriend, I took the view that adequate compensation for all of this would be the club apologising to me, extending my contract terms and paying off the mortgage on the house I own with my girlfriend..."


- Chris Hewett

[longrunsthefox]

Agree with you about how rugby put up about this noble sport with its eye gouging, players being 'speared' and take out and this carry on. Is a great game but needs to stop looking down their noses.. 'game played by gentlemen' who never argue with refs and all that nonsense.   

[Hardy]

Agree with you about how rugby put up about this noble sport with its eye gouging, players being 'speared' and take out and this carry on. Is a great game but needs to stop looking down their noses.. 'game played by gentlemen' who never argue with refs and all that nonsense.   

That bit is not nonsense. But it has nothing to do with nobility or gentlemanly behaviour. It's because there are severe penalties for it. We could do with the same in our sport.

[The Watcher Pat]

A true winner never cheats..

[el_cuervo_fc]

Is it not called "a gentle mans game, played by thugs?"

[Gnevin]

Agree with you about how rugby put up about this noble sport with its eye gouging, players being 'speared' and take out and this carry on. Is a great game but needs to stop looking down their noses.. 'game played by gentlemen' who never argue with refs and all that nonsense.

Hardly fair now is it? There have be 2 high profile cases of eye  gouging in the last year , that I can remember. The spear tackle was 4 years ago !

[Gnevin]

Is it not called "a gentle mans game, played by thugs?"

No that's soccer.

[Over the Bar]

The saying you're thinking of is that soccer is played by gentlemen and watched by thugs, while rugby is played by thugs and watched by gentlemen.

[The Subbie]

The saying you're thinking of is that soccer is played by gentlemen and watched by thugs, while rugby is played by thugs and watched by gentlemen.

your nearly right, the saying is "Rugby is a thugs sport played by gentlemen whilst soccer is a gentlemens sport played by thugs"

sayings aside but harlequins are fooked after this one, can't say i'm too dissapointed as i never really had any time for them as a club, them or wasps.

[orangeman]

Quins could face further sanction

Williams (right) says Quins wanted to cover up the incident
The Rugby Football Union has not ruled out further action against Harlequins following the fake blood scam.
Quins have defended their conduct in the wake of revelations from winger Tom Williams but RFU boss Francis Baron says further sanctions are possible.
"[Further sanctions are] something that will be considered when we have received all the judgments," he said.
Quins were fined £259,000 and director of rugby Dean Richards banned for three years for faking a blood injury.    

Baron also insisted the RFU was determined to ensure there is never a repeat of the damaging episode.
"What I'm going to do is institute a heavyweight task group that will, over a short period of time, look at all the issues and decide what action needs to be taken so that these incidents never happen again," he said.

"We're concerned about the damage to the image of rugby union and we are concerned about the undermining of all the things that sets rugby union apart as a sport.

"We're going to make sure that action is taken, whether it's a change or rules of regulations or whatever. We will take the necessary action to restore the image of the game."

[Gnevin]

At least Rugby is dealing with it's cheats


Uefa president Michel Platini has confirmed that Arsenal striker Eduardo may face a two-match UEFA Champions League ban if found guilty of diving.

Platini stated that Uefa would be looking into the incident which saw the Croatian international awarded a penalty in the Champions League qualifier second-leg against Celtic on Wednesday.

To rub salt into the Hoops' wounds, Eduardo stepped up himself and opened the scoring to effectively put the game out of Celtic's reach.

Uefa has used a similar tactic before when they banned Lithuania's Saulius Mikoliunas for two matches after television replays showed he dived to win a penalty against Scotland in a European Championships qualifier in 2007.

Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has called for Eduardo to face disciplinary action while Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati has also condemned the forward's behaviour.

"There are disciplinary procedures at Uefa and the procedure could be taken to suspend the player," Platini said.

"Scotland often start such procedures, last time it was a Lithuania player who was sanctioned."
Against technology

The incident has called for many to suggest that the time has come to use technology to help stamp simulation out of the game for good but Platini is firmly against such a notion.

Instead the Frenchman believes in adding two additional assistant referees to the game with one behind each goal.

"One day players will give up simulating because referees will see them," the Uefa president added.

"For years players have cheated because the referees were not of a good enough quality.

"I am convinced if you have referees close by that will prevent players from simulating and players will take the right decision.

"I have always said better to have more referees than a multiplication of disciplinary procedures."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_5516842,00.html

[Donnellys Hollow]

At least Rugby is dealing with it's cheats


Uefa president Michel Platini has confirmed that Arsenal striker Eduardo may face a two-match UEFA Champions League ban if found guilty of diving.

Platini stated that Uefa would be looking into the incident which saw the Croatian international awarded a penalty in the Champions League qualifier second-leg against Celtic on Wednesday.

To rub salt into the Hoops' wounds, Eduardo stepped up himself and opened the scoring to effectively put the game out of Celtic's reach.

Uefa has used a similar tactic before when they banned Lithuania's Saulius Mikoliunas for two matches after television replays showed he dived to win a penalty against Scotland in a European Championships qualifier in 2007.

Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has called for Eduardo to face disciplinary action while Celtic midfielder Massimo Donati has also condemned the forward's behaviour.

"There are disciplinary procedures at Uefa and the procedure could be taken to suspend the player," Platini said.

"Scotland often start such procedures, last time it was a Lithuania player who was sanctioned."
Against technology

The incident has called for many to suggest that the time has come to use technology to help stamp simulation out of the game for good but Platini is firmly against such a notion.

Instead the Frenchman believes in adding two additional assistant referees to the game with one behind each goal.

"One day players will give up simulating because referees will see them," the Uefa president added.

"For years players have cheated because the referees were not of a good enough quality.

"I am convinced if you have referees close by that will prevent players from simulating and players will take the right decision.

"I have always said better to have more referees than a multiplication of disciplinary procedures."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11670_5516842,00.html

How in the name of jaysus is it the fault of referees that these prima-donnas are constantly conning them?? What a knob!

[orangeman]

Are they only catching on now that Dean Richards would have been hard to control ?

Harlequins chairman Charles Jillings has resigned after accepting ultimate responsibility for the 'Bloodgate' affair that has disgraced the club.

Tom Williams faked injury to allow fly-half Nick Evans to return to the field in a cup tie and director or rugby Dean Richards has since stood down.

"Harlequins acknowledge that we failed to control Dean Richards," said Jillings in a statement.

"As a result of the board's failure to control Dean, the club cheated."

The incident happened in a Heineken Cup match against Leinster and led to an initial 12-month ban for winger Williams that has now been reduced to four months.

Richards has been banned from coaching in European competition for three years for his role in the fake blood injury.

As chairman I am ultimately responsible for all decisions

Charles Jillings
His ban is particularly severe because the investigation revealed he had been involved in four similar incidents.

Quins themselves were fined £259,000 and physiotherapist Steph Brennan was also handed a two-year ban.

And in a lengthy statement on the club's website, Jillings added: "As chairman I am ultimately responsible for all decisions.

"I apologise unreservedly to all our stakeholders for inadvertently compounding the issues. The escalation of these issues in the public domain needs, I believe, a clear response.

"In this context I have decided to resign as chairman and director. Ultimately this happened under my watch, and the failure to control must fall at my door."

Williams has claimed he was offered a new four-year contract and other benefits by club officials if he kept quiet about the involvement of others in the incident, which took place during the quarter-final at The Stoop on 12 April.

During the game, Richards ordered Williams to feign injury by chewing a fake blood capsule to allow goal-kicker Evans to return to the field.

Williams later had his lip cut in an attempt to make the injury appear genuine, but following an investigation by the European Rugby Cup (ERC), who oversee the Heineken Cup, the 26-year-old admitted what had happened.

"This is totally unacceptable," added Jillings.

"The board was unaware of these facts until Tom Williams came forward on Wednesday 29th July, after the initial ERC Hearing.

   
"I returned from holiday on 3 August to address the findings of the ERC hearing. I was faced with the full extent of the devastating revelation that we had cheated and lied in our statements."

Malcolm Wall has been appointed chairman of the club on an interim basis.

Wall was previously chairman between 1997 and 2000 and has been conducted the board's internal review since the initial European Rugby Cup judgement into the fake blood incident.

"I hope to work with the board and management team to build on his legacy, to put this sorry episode behind us and rebuild the reputation of the club," said Wall.

[orangeman]

How the mighty fall !

The career of Dean Richards looks to be in tatters after further details of the 'bloodgate' inquiry were released.

The former Harlequins boss is already serving a worldwide three-year ban for ordering a fake-blood substitution in April's Heineken Cup tie with Leinster.

But new revelations cast doubt over whether he will return to the game.

The European Rugby Cup judgement of the high-profile case said Richards "was the directing mind and had central control over everything that happened".