<H2>February 13, 2007</H2><H3>Reggae Boy King breaks his silence</H3>
By: Melton Williams
Out of favour England-based Reggae Boy Marlon King broke his silence over the alleged report that he had women in his hotel room and other issues during the two-match England tour in May and June of last year.
King spoke for the first time about the wide-spread report after he was slapped with a two-year ban a few days ago by the disciplinary committee of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) into misconduct charges during the England tour.
The Reggae Boy was not present at the hearing citing that he had work
commitments for his Premiership club Watford. However, he defended his
position not to make himself available for the crucial hearing in Jamaica.
<DIV id="a001119 <div id=" more?>
He said: "The situation was blown out. It should not have reached this
stage. It should not have gone public. It should have been dealt with in house.
"At the last conversation I had with the president (Crenston Boxhill), he said he was going to phone me. He said the delegation was going to come to a decision whether they would let me play in the England game. The next things I heard was the story on SkySport news that I was excluded from the squad. "Going to Jamaica to explain my situation wasn't feasible at the time because as I said the whole situation was blown out of proportion. I just wanted it to be over and done with .... I thought I had already been punished.
"Then statements were made about females in my hotel room when I had my fiancee. The president talked about girls in the hotel. All the players have girls in the hotel up to four oclock in the morning and nobody said anything."
King, who was very upset about the decision to ban him, said he was being used as a scapegoat for Jamaica's poor showing on the tour of England.
"At the end of the day I just think that the president was vexed because of several issues that I had spoken of. I came out and I speak the truth. I talked about the facilities ... I talked about leaving half an hour before game and getting into a match some 20 minutes before kick off when the hotel is 10 minutes around the corner.
"I talked about few towels for 24 players. I talked about having a meeting at 2 o'clock in the night when we have training the next day. I stated the facts. I was been make a skapegoat and it is obvious. I have been keeping quiet all these time."
On June 1, the JFF expelled King for disciplinary reasons prior to the
team's historic match against England on June 3, which the Reggae Boyz lost 6-0 at Old Trafford.
Team-mates Jason Euell and Jamal Campbell-Ryce received lighter punishments and were fined half their match fees after the JFF management and technical staff heard appeals by the three players.
The JFF team had earlier expelled the three, who broke a team curfew.
King further stated that "all this negativity is bringing down the Jamaica name. You don't ban players for two years just like that. I I never did anything wrong."
King said that he was disappointed on how the JFF had handled the issue.
He said: "A two year ban to say it was harsh would be an understatement. Not even people who take drugs or other serious cases .... are not banned for two years and to say that you had a disagreement with the president and got a two-year ban is very disappointed.
"I selected Jamaica over Republic of Ireland .. but when thing like this happens it kind of put element of doubts in your head.
"I don't thin
By: Melton Williams
Out of favour England-based Reggae Boy Marlon King broke his silence over the alleged report that he had women in his hotel room and other issues during the two-match England tour in May and June of last year.
King spoke for the first time about the wide-spread report after he was slapped with a two-year ban a few days ago by the disciplinary committee of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) into misconduct charges during the England tour.
The Reggae Boy was not present at the hearing citing that he had work
commitments for his Premiership club Watford. However, he defended his
position not to make himself available for the crucial hearing in Jamaica.
<DIV id="a001119 <div id=" more?>
He said: "The situation was blown out. It should not have reached this
stage. It should not have gone public. It should have been dealt with in house.
"At the last conversation I had with the president (Crenston Boxhill), he said he was going to phone me. He said the delegation was going to come to a decision whether they would let me play in the England game. The next things I heard was the story on SkySport news that I was excluded from the squad. "Going to Jamaica to explain my situation wasn't feasible at the time because as I said the whole situation was blown out of proportion. I just wanted it to be over and done with .... I thought I had already been punished.
"Then statements were made about females in my hotel room when I had my fiancee. The president talked about girls in the hotel. All the players have girls in the hotel up to four oclock in the morning and nobody said anything."
King, who was very upset about the decision to ban him, said he was being used as a scapegoat for Jamaica's poor showing on the tour of England.
"At the end of the day I just think that the president was vexed because of several issues that I had spoken of. I came out and I speak the truth. I talked about the facilities ... I talked about leaving half an hour before game and getting into a match some 20 minutes before kick off when the hotel is 10 minutes around the corner.
"I talked about few towels for 24 players. I talked about having a meeting at 2 o'clock in the night when we have training the next day. I stated the facts. I was been make a skapegoat and it is obvious. I have been keeping quiet all these time."
On June 1, the JFF expelled King for disciplinary reasons prior to the
team's historic match against England on June 3, which the Reggae Boyz lost 6-0 at Old Trafford.
Team-mates Jason Euell and Jamal Campbell-Ryce received lighter punishments and were fined half their match fees after the JFF management and technical staff heard appeals by the three players.
The JFF team had earlier expelled the three, who broke a team curfew.
King further stated that "all this negativity is bringing down the Jamaica name. You don't ban players for two years just like that. I I never did anything wrong."
King said that he was disappointed on how the JFF had handled the issue.
He said: "A two year ban to say it was harsh would be an understatement. Not even people who take drugs or other serious cases .... are not banned for two years and to say that you had a disagreement with the president and got a two-year ban is very disappointed.
"I selected Jamaica over Republic of Ireland .. but when thing like this happens it kind of put element of doubts in your head.
"I don't thin
Comment