Comments on: The Top 5 Jailbirds In Sport

By: BigAl

BigAl — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:33:41 +0000

He certainly did time, and was with that poor girl when she OD’d, but I’m pretty sure there was no case against hin for providing the drugs – and being involved in any cover up !

To claim otherwise in an anonymous forum with no evidence is pretty low – tending to litigious (attn. Roar Editors ?).

It could certainly be true that football enabled him to keep his life together (sort of?)

Gary Ablett Snr. will tell you that it was Jesus that saved him.

By: Interesting

Interesting — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:40:41 +0000

What about Gary Ablett Senior, played a season with Hawthorn in 1982, then with Myrtleford in the Ovens and Murray whilst in the local nick for 1983, then 1984 to 1996ish with Geelong.

Arguably the greatest footballer to have played at VFL/AFL level. A very troubled human being. The only thing that stopped him being in prison long term was his legendary status.

That poor young woman who he supplied narcotics to, then shamefully covered it up in low. He lost a lot of people in Geelong. For mine he is lower than Carey.

By: Crosscoder

Crosscoder — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 04:40:06 +0000

Andrew
it is not too hard,appears you have jumped the gun. An apology or something to that effect would be in order.
it is easy to put something in black and white.it is much harder to admit”I got it wrong”.
The trouble with the media,they can serve it up to the best of them when someone is downed by allegations eg the Lindy Chamberlain case.
Then as soon as the party involved has either been acquitted or receive a lesser conviction,the mud sticks and any retractions ,are usually tucked away in an obscure small column near motor vehicle sales.

By: Ted Skinner

Ted Skinner — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:31:57 +0000

Andrew

The fact that Greg Bird has never spent any time in jail & has only been convicted of a minor offence don’t you think you owe him an apology?

By: westy

westy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:03:47 +0000

Dangers of mere opinion. I am as guilty as anyone else . Although i do not profess to pursue journalism in my opinions. Luckily our legal system has higher standards of evidence then Andrew. He hung Bird and categorised him as the top jalibird in world sport.
Quite a feat i might say even for the obviously biased Andrew.

By: Jim Wilson

Jim Wilson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:07:24 +0000

This Queensland country rugby union player:

http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/news/local/news/general/rapist-jailed/1249406.aspx

By: cuzybros cuz

cuzybros cuz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:19:29 +0000

rumour mill is already spinning around town. SMS from friend says Tigers are keen. see what happens

By: Dogs Of War

Dogs Of War — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:16:39 +0000

Bunnies can’t afford him with the talent they brought in (get your money on the Bunnies to win the comp, and for top 4). Roosters for sure, they love buying 5/8th’s, halfbacks and locks. Never thinking about where do you actually play them.

By: cuzybros cuz

cuzybros cuz — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:08:12 +0000

Greg bird has just had his case quashed. Free man. who will he sign with????? Roosters or Bunnies???

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/975624/greg-bird-walks-free

By: True Tah

True Tah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:37:45 +0000

Didnt Les Mara get jailed in southeast Asia for drug trafficking?

Johnny Elias did time as well.

By: Matt S

Matt S — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:21:55 +0000

Ian Jessup, pull your head in, what does the jailing of a sportsman’s brother have to do with this article?

I would add Albert Proud of the Brisbane Lions for his conviction for assaulting & glassing two women earlier this year but he got off jail time and went straight back to playing AFL.

We could soon add the Essendon player for punching & kicking an Indian taxi driver or does the spectator that knocked out a junior AFL player with a mallet count?

By: Nipper

Nipper — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:21:06 +0000

Ali was never in jail. He was arrested for “draft evasion” during Vietnam, when he refused to serve as a conscientious objector. But he was never imprisoned.

Also, I believe that OJ didn’t hold up a store, but threatened memorabilia dealers in a Vegas hotel room.

By: Mick Gold Coast QLD

Mick Gold Coast QLD — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:12:42 +0000

Ian Jessup names Dennis Pittard – he was our school captain when I was about half way through high school.

Cannot forget Paul Hayward – tough nut Newtown Bluebags five eighth and capable amateur boxer banged up in Thailand for life-ish, for drug running, in the late ’70s. He was let out in the late ’80s and died a couple of years later from something nasty he picked up whilst in the slammer.

Lots of rumours when he got caught about being a courier for well known Sydney media people but it turned out he was Neddy Smith’s brother in law and probably got dobbed in by rival crooks to Neddy’s business interests.

I don’t think he made it to 40.

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:16:38 +0000

An interesting parallel is Frank Warren, Ohtani, who despite never going to jail was an illegal bookmaker and trainer to ilegall bare knuckle boxers in his youth, and is related to English gangsters. Warren was also shot a few years ago.

By: ohtani's jacket,

ohtani's jacket, — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:52:45 +0000

Not a sportsman, but Don King is an interesting twist on this considering he became one of the most successful promoters in boxing history after serving time for second degree murder (later reduced to nonnegligent manslaughter.) Stomped an employee to death who owed him money. This was during his illegal bookingmaking days. Thirteen years earlier, he’d shot a guy in the back who was trying to rob his gambling house, but it was determined to be justifiable homicide.

Has to be one of the greatest crooks in the history of sport.

By: Ian Jessup

Ian Jessup — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:06:21 +0000

Add the cyclist Gary Neiwand (AVO by wife), former North Melb AFL star David Dench (fraud), nathan baggaley (kayak), Kevin Humphreys (NSWRL boss),

By: Knives Out

Knives Out — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:43:35 +0000

Rather bizarre anecdote here: my best friend’s sister’s best friend was dating Cahill’s brother a few years ago. My best friend’s sister is around 5 or 6 years older than my friend and I (who are the same age – 24 now). At the ages of 16/17 (can’t recall) my friend’s sister and her friends took my mate and I out for one of our first drinks at a local pub (O’Neills) in Bromley, SE London. Cahill’s brother turned up, absolutely off his head, and proceedeed to try and growl at absolutely everyone in the pub, which in itself struck me as silly because Bromley is a bit of a rough house and he wasn’t a particularly menacing man. Anyway, having failed to get beaten up by anybody in the pub he then turned on my friend and I (whenever his gf was out of shot) and proceeded to threaten us and generally ‘playfully’ push us around. Obviously, at the end of the night at chucking out he really did his best to look for more trouble but was safely bundled out of the pub by the bouncers. I recall thinking he was a bit of an idiot trying to intimidate a pair of kids until I was informed by my best frined that he had been caught trying to kick seven shades of decency off some poor guy’s head. Turns out he wasn’t an idiot, just a scumbag. I imagine he’s getting his just desserts in jail.

By: Ian Jessup

Ian Jessup — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:24:26 +0000

If memory serves me right the rugby league-playing brothers of Allan Langer and Mal Meninga both did time in Boggo Road for murder, as did fellow Bronco Smokin Joe Kilroy for dope running.
Steve Randell the cricket umpire went down for touching kids.
Dennis Pittard, dual Rothmans Medal winner from the early 1970s, went to jail for embezzling, as did former Test legspinner Terry Jenner, who went on to become Shane Warne’s mentor.
What about Tim Cahill’s brother? John Elias? the Aussie jockey in Hong Kong recently?

By: Art Sapphire

Art Sapphire — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:38:53 +0000

Joey Barton – pathological violent nutjob.

from Wiki.

“His career and life have been marred by numerous controversial incidents and disciplinary problems, and he has been convicted twice on charges of violence. On 20 May 2008 he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for common assault and affray during an incident outside a McDonald’s restaurant in Liverpool City Centre. Barton served 77 days of this prison term, being released on 28 July 2008.On 1 July 2008 he was also given a four months suspended sentence after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm on former teammate Ousmane Dabo during a training ground dispute. This incident effectively ended his Manchester City career. Three days after his release, he was charged with violent conduct by The FA for the assault on Ousmane Dabo. In 2004, he was also involved in an incident where he stubbed out a cigar onto the eyes of reserve team player Jamie Tandy during a Manchester City Christmas party at Lucid nightclub. This resulted in permanent scarring for the victim although luckily his vision was to return to normal.”

His half brother Michael is currently doing time for this horror.

From the Guardian 01/12/2005

“Cousins jailed for racist axe murder”

Two cousins were today sentenced for life for the racist axe murder of black teenager Anthony Walker.
Paul Taylor, 20, who drove an ice axe into the 18-year-old student’s head, must serve at least 23 years and eight months of his mandatory life sentence. Taylor’s 17-year-old cousin Michael Barton, brother of the Manchester City footballer Joey Barton, must serve a minimum of 17 years and eight months for the murder in Huyton, Merseyside, in July.

Sentencing the pair at Preston crown court, sitting in Liverpool, Mr Justice Leveson said they had carried out a “terrifying ambush” and a “racist attack of a type poisonous to any civilised society”.

Barton, who initiated the confrontation and supplied the axe, was yesterday convicted of the murder. Taylor admitted murder on November 15, just before he was about to go on trial.

Today, sentencing the pair, the judge told them: “You took from Anthony Walker his most precious possession, that is to say his life and all it held for him. He was a young man of enormous promise, lost in a moment.

“You have damaged forever the lives of those who loved him. Further, you have destroyed your own lives and affected the lives of all who are dear to you.”

By: Campbell

Campbell — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:20:09 +0000

Wanye Carey surly deserves a spot – he has technically spent time in jail, a night in 2004 in Las Vegas.

What a tosser! Might have been a great footballer but certainly scrapes the barrel bottom as a person:
- shags best mates wife
- leaves pregnant wife 6 weeks before their child is born
- sexually assaults woman by grabbing her breast
- beats up girlfriend
- glasses another girlfriend
- assaults police officers, some female

Nice bloke eh?

By: Art Sapphire

Art Sapphire — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:19:15 +0000

NFL Quarterback Michael Vick is doing time for staging illegal dog fights.

By: Mick of Newie

Mick of Newie — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:10:53 +0000

Bit obscure,
but didn’t Con Boutsianis (Sth Melbourne) do time for armed robbery.

How about Nathan Baggerly, Scott Miller, Mark Catchpole. Admittedly all convicted after sporting career (or conviction brought it to a premature end).

By: Big Steve

Big Steve — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:03:23 +0000

OJ was trying to steal his own sporting memorabilia.
I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse?

By: Hoy

Hoy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:17:15 +0000

Didn’t the greatest of all time, Ali, go to jail? not quite in those 5 people’s league for skullduggery, but maybe worth an honourable mention?

By: onside

onside — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:50:44 +0000

In 1982 ,Harry M Miller who currently represents many high
profile sports people spent 8 months in Long Bay for fraud.

By: onside

onside — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:43:38 +0000

Tom,
The game may have been umpired by once top AFL whistleman Harry Beitzel ,who
in 1994 was sentenced to eighteen months in the slammer for financial scullduggery

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:36:27 +0000

Joey Barton would have to be in there. Spent more time in prison or suspended than actually playing for Newcastle…

By: onside

onside — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:36:01 +0000

Q. Who was the last West Indian to ride a derby winner?

A .Lestor Piggots cell mate

(Lestor Piggot was a famous English jockey who
got caught for tax evasion and spent time in gaol).

By: Finno

Finno — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:18:28 +0000

Wasnt it Tyson who said after someone commented that he was a psychopathic rapist,

he replied ‘Im no psychopath’

By: Eamonn

Eamonn — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:39:16 +0000

Fair go for football…we even missed out on this category…bias I say:)