Widnes Nick Gregson Ban

[OMEGA]

Nick Gregson has been banned for 8 games (5 suspended) for historic posts dated back to 2012!

I know nothing of the posts and their content so I’m not commenting on them. 
However, Gregson is 29 now and the posts were in 2012 when he was just 16 years old and not even a Professional Player.

As I said I don’t know the content of the posts but on the face of it this seems like a big over reach by the RFL disciplinary 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/c98425j22g7o

 

[RigbyLuger]

But there under his name,.so he's still responsible for them. A warning others won't take.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48140058.amp

Edited March 19 by RigbyLuger

[The Blues Ox]

Will be a few nervous players around after seeing this.

[Griff]

If he wasn't signed up as a player back in 2012 (and I don't know whether or not he was) he shouldn't be bound by RFL rules for those posts.

[dkw]

17 minutes ago, Griff said:

If he wasn't signed up as a player back in 2012 (and I don't know whether or not he was) he shouldn't be bound by RFL rules for those posts.

Dating back to 2012 doesnt mean all the posts were in 2012.

[RigbyLuger]

Like drugs tests, it's an intelligence one. They're warned about their conduct, and if they don't listen, it's on them. But easier to blame the RFL and wokes.

[RigbyLuger]

Number of comments insinuating who they think "dobbed him in" which aren't helpful either, and potentially libelous.

 

And one "fan" who doesn't know how to behave,

 

 

Edited March 19 by RigbyLuger

[RigbyLuger]

Is this guy really a match official?

 

 

[StandOffHalf]

What a joke to ban someone for posts from 12-13 years ago when he was a teenager.

[The Phantom Horseman]

4 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

Is this guy really a match official?

 

 

A glance at the excellent www.rugbyleaguerecords.com website suggests he might no longer be a match official, as he doesn't appear to have officiated any games since last August. Probably a good job, as if he were still an RFL official, he probably wouldn't be for much longer.

[The Phantom Horseman]

3 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

What a joke to ban someone for posts from 12-13 years ago when he was a teenager.

Have you read the thread?

[StandOffHalf]

8 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

Have you read the thread?

Yes.

[The Phantom Horseman]

6 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Yes.

So do you have inside knowledge confirming that he has in fact been banned for posts made from 12-13 years ago, rather than for a series of posts that date back as far as then, but may have included more recent ones?

(I don't know the answer to the above by the way, which is why I said my earlier post was a guess.)

Edited March 19 by The Phantom Horseman

[Martyn Sadler]

Try not to make unsubstantiated allegations or assumptions that could be libellous if not correct.

Some posts have been deleted for this reason.

I have asked the RFL to put out a statement that gives a more detailed account of this decision.

[The Phantom Horseman]

Fair enough, a couple of my posts were based on guesswork, I was just trying to counter what seems to be an assumption that, as stated above, has yet to be confirmed.

[Spidey]

I'm wondering if this came about that after noosegate last year when he made a complaint on Social Media about his treatment against Swinton, then somebody took it upon themselves and went trawling trough his historical posts

[Griff]

3 hours ago, dkw said:

Dating back to 2012 doesnt mean all the posts were in 2012.

Obviously.  I didn't intend to imply that they were.

[phiggins]

To be fair, it's distinctly possible that the RFL investigation into this did actually start in 2012.

[Griff]

1 minute ago, phiggins said:

To be fair, it's distinctly possible that the RFL investigation into this did actually start in 2012.

Jeez - I don't think the wheels of justice turn that slowly.  Even at the RFL.

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, RigbyLuger said:

Like drugs tests, it's an intelligence one. They're warned about their conduct, and if they don't listen, it's on them. But easier to blame the RFL and wokes.

He was 16 and not a rugby league player. It’s nothing to do with the RFL. 

[Griff]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

He was 16 and not a rugby league player. It’s nothing to do with the RFL. 

Yes - that's my point.  If he wasn't under any obligation to adhere to RFL rules, they shouldn't have been taken into account at all.   We've all been young and daft.  To some degree.....

[Eddie]

What next, getting a ban for calling someone a name at primary school? 

[EagleEyePie]

The phrase 'dating back to' is a bit ambiguous, though it does suggest that the offence happened in 2012. If it was because of numerous posts over several years you'd expect the report to say something like 'offences ranging from this year to this year'. It's poor wording if there were posts from later years.

If it is because of posts from 2012 when he was just 16 then I think it's absolutely ridiculous, no matter what was posted. I don't mind some sort of punishment but actually getting a 3 game suspension for it is overkill. We all do stupid things at 16. I thought My Chemical Romance were the greatest band of all time at that age. Some things may seem difficult to forgive but heinous mistakes get made and we grow as a person. If you haven't grown then you'll have messed up a few more times in the space of 13 years.

It's one of those situations where common sense gets overriden by this obsessive need to be seen to do the right thing. Unless there are more recent posts that are an issue just suspend the entire punishment as a reminder that such things should be left in the past, where they inevitably were.

If it turned out someone had committed an assult at 16 and they were now 29 would they also be receiving a ban?

[Griff]

When did the Social Media Rules come into play?

I can't remember but I didn't think we had them in 2012.

[Wilderspoolmemories]

10 hours ago, Martyn Sadler said:

Try not to make unsubstantiated allegations or assumptions that could be libellous if not correct.

Some posts have been deleted for this reason.

I have asked the RFL to put out a statement that gives a more detailed account of this decision.

I well remember your 'assumption' which you put into print ahead of the 2009 Rugby league Challenge cup final. The 'assumption' that Huddersfield would undoubtedly win! I'm so sorry that we spoiled your party!