DELON ARMITAGE BANNED FOR 12 WEEKS

Breaking news on Twitter apparently (herself subscribes, I don't). Ah, here it is http://www.epcrugby.com/news/29893.php


Delon Armitage, the RC Toulon player, has been suspended for 12 weeks as a result of a misconduct complaint lodged against him by EPCR ...

following his club's European Rugby Champions, Round 3 match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on 7 December 2014.

Armitage appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London today (Wednesday, 17 December). He was accompanied at the hearing by his legal representatives, Mark Milliken-Smith QC and Julian Pike, and by the RC Toulon Team Manager, Tom Whitford, and the RC Toulon player, Drew Mitchell.

The misconduct complaint against Armitage was that during and after the match he was alleged to have conducted himself in an unsportsmanlike manner by making a number of comments to, or within earshot of, spectators using foul and abusive language and may have brought into disrepute the sport of rugby union, the European Rugby Champions Cup, other clubs and persons and/or EPCR in contravention of the Disciplinary Rules of the European Rugby Champions Cup Participation Agreement 2014/15.

After considering evidence and hearing submissions on behalf of Armitage, who pleaded not guilty, and on behalf of the EPCR Disciplinary Officer, the independent Disciplinary Committee was not satisfied that a comment allegedly made by Armitage during the match had been made as the inconsistencies in the evidence were too great.

However, the Committee was satisfied that Armitage had directed abusive language at Leicester Tigers supporters after the match, and while it found that his comments were provoked, the Committee decided he was guilty of misconduct.

The Committee determined that the sanction entry point should be eight weeks, and as this was Armitage's second post-match misconduct case in the last four years, and as there were no mitigating factors, it decided to add four weeks to the ban before imposing a suspension of 12 weeks. Armitage was also ordered to pay costs.
The suspension will run from 17 December 2014 until 8 March 2015, therefore Armitage will be free to play on 9 March 2015. Both the player and EPCR have the right to appeal the decision.



Notes
a) Independent Disciplinary Committees are chosen by the Chairman of the independent Disciplinary Panel, Professor Lorne Crerar.
b) EPCR'S Disciplinary Officer will present the case against the club/individual.
c) Both parties to the hearing (EPCR and the club/individual) have the right to appeal decisions of the independent Disciplinary Committee. Appeals must be lodged within 72 hours of receiving the full written decision from the Chairman of the independent Disciplinary Committee.
d) The full written decision of the independent Disciplinary Committee will be available on http://www.epcrugby.com/discipline/index.php when the disciplinary process is complete.

I would have thought that the provocation should have counted as a mitigating factor. To a degree the severity of the ban is due to his reputation - and frankly he has only himself to blame for that.

LT, you've kind of summed up what I was going to say.

I'm not sure how they can accept that the comments were provoked but not take that as mitigation. Seems a bit odd.

Having been found guilty, it was always going to be a long ban with Delons previous. Silly, silly boy, you'd think he would have learnt by now.

I wonder if the provocation didn't warrant his response? Other than that I'm unsure why it wasn't used as a mitigating factor.


Can't feel sorry for the man, he only has himself to blame for his reputation.

I am a nurse and work in a hospital. I get verbal abuse all the time and if I replied in kind, I would probably lose my job and registration. Rightly or wrongly replying to any verbal provocation is never going to be seen as acceptable. You really aught to be able to simply remove yourself from the situation and not get involved. As has been said though, this is Delon Armitage, who does not learn lessons.

I don't think provocation should be any form of mitigating circumstance in this instance and feel the length of ban is more than justified. Unfortunately Armitage is intent on proving he's a pretty unlikeable fellow. Nevertheless if he feels that his actions were justified have Tigers looked into what was said to him and if so what actions have taken place?

Provocation cannot be used as a mitigating factor due to the person involved being older than six, well physically anyway. Armitage has been and still is a bit of a twit to put it more politely than he would.
The fans involved should be ashamed of themselves as well by the way, no player should receive verbal abuse from the stands, even Delon.

Pete330v2 wrote:Provocation cannot be used as a mitigating factor due to the person involved being older than six, well physically anyway. Armitage has been and still is a bit of a twit to put it more politely than he would.
The fans involved should be ashamed of themselves as well by the way, no player should receive verbal abuse from the stands, even Delon.

Agree with that Leicester really should be looking at what the 'fans' if that is what we chose to call them were saying and deal with that. The player should just have walked away and left it alone though and if he wanted to, made his complaints later on, away from the heat of the incident.

BigGee wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:Provocation cannot be used as a mitigating factor due to the person involved being older than six, well physically anyway. Armitage has been and still is a bit of a twit to put it more politely than he would.
The fans involved should be ashamed of themselves as well by the way, no player should receive verbal abuse from the stands, even Delon.

Agree with that Leicester really should be looking at what the 'fans' if that is what we chose to call them were saying and deal with that. The player should just have walked away and left it alone though and if he wanted to, made his complaints later on, away from the heat of the incident.

Completely agree with this.

LondonTiger wrote:I would have thought that the provocation should have counted as a mitigating factor. To a degree the severity of the ban is due to his reputation - and frankly he has only himself to blame for that.

Considering players have gotten themselves into trouble in the past by responding to provocations off the field, I'm not overly surprised. The general expectation of players is that they rise above it regardless of the context (though I shudder to imagine the culture at certain French clubs). They're professionals and therefore expected to bite their tongues, at least when it comes to verbal abuse.

Of course in this case, the player in question is also quite a clown who deserves every week he was slapped with. I don't expect many people think highly of DA as a person, given the highly unsporting and antagonistic characteristics he displays from time to time.

Gotta love the English law system. Same hypocrite sh*t than with the ERC. Delon should be thankful his reaction(s) wasnt recorded on tv otherwise I feel he would have got a life ban . Dont mind him being suspended personally but the process that lead to it is quite suspect. Opens a pandora box as well as anything a player has allegedly said around the pitch could be used agaisnt him.

The stuff he allegedly said on the pitch was discounted due to lack of evidence. It was the stuff he said after the game that he got done for. Not really sure how it's hypocritical. Who at the ERCC (or whatever they're called) has called members of the public "inbred ****s" (or whatever he's supposed to have said)?

I dunno Hammer. Who exactly reported those insults? A couple of "fans"? Is that deemed as enough proof over there?
Am all good for DA to be punished as an example but "bringing the game into disrepute" is something a bit too subjective to my liking.

BigGee wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:Provocation cannot be used as a mitigating factor due to the person involved being older than six, well physically anyway. Armitage has been and still is a bit of a twit to put it more politely than he would.
The fans involved should be ashamed of themselves as well by the way, no player should receive verbal abuse from the stands, even Delon.

Agree with that Leicester really should be looking at what the 'fans' if that is what we chose to call them were saying and deal with that. The player should just have walked away and left it alone though and if he wanted to, made his complaints later on, away from the heat of the incident.

In the interest of fairness they should. It reminds me of a Scarlets supporter long ago, who was abusive to Jonah Lomu and apparently offered him outside. Lomu didn't rise to the occasion. The supporter received a lifetime ban I think. Speaking of Scarlets, just imagine how this thread would look right now if it was Liam Williams as the culprit. Delon is twice as bad and doesn't seem to cop much criticism for being a dimwit, though I acknowledge this thread is an opening for that to happen.

whocares wrote:I dunno Hammer. Who exactly reported those insults? A couple of "fans"? Is that deemed as enough proof over there?
Am all good for DA to be punished as an example but "bringing the game into disrepute" is something a bit too subjective to my liking.

Drew Mitchell.  He was ratted out by Drew Mitchell.

Armitage appeared before an independent Disciplinary Committee made up of Antony Davies (England, Chairman), Roger Morris (Wales) and Pat Barriscale (Ireland) in London today (Wednesday, 17 December). He was accompanied at the hearing by his legal representatives, Mark Milliken-Smith QC and Julian Pike, and by the RC Toulon Team Manager, Tom Whitford, and the RC Toulon player, Drew Mitchell.

The Saint wrote:

Speaking of Scarlets, just imagine how this thread would look right now if it was Liam Williams as the culprit. .

Good effort there Saint - I have to admire the way you can take a thread that has nothing to do with Wales and still find a way to make it sound like the Welsh are hard done by ...

whocares wrote:I dunno Hammer. Who exactly reported those insults? A couple of "fans"? Is that deemed as enough proof over there?
Am all good for DA to be punished as an example but "bringing the game into disrepute" is something a bit too subjective to my liking.

There is always "bringing the game into disrepute" as a catch all for pretty much anything. As for who reported them and what evidence...I don't know, I haven't read the report yet I'll hold judge,net until then

Heaf wrote:

The Saint wrote:

Speaking of Scarlets, just imagine how this thread would look right now if it was Liam Williams as the culprit. .

Good effort there Saint - I have to admire the way you can take a thread that has nothing to do with Wales and still find a way to make it sound like the Welsh are hard done by ...

it has ALWAYS something to with Wales as a result poor Halfpenny will have to play all games before the 6N, risk an injury and jeopardize Wales chances in the RWC , all part of the Anglo-Aussie conspirary see

Think the stewards heard it.

 It was after the game and the entrances to the bars have quite a lot of people around.

12 weeks for abusing fans when provoked?

Seems quite harsh when you compare it to other bans.

I guess Delon does have a reputation but also a select few of Leicester fans obviously caused him some issues and decided to press charges.

I am sure he's not the first rugby player to verbally abuse fans and I doubt he'll be the last.

If he had pleaded Guilty it would have been 6.
 
 If he wasn't a repeated offender it would have been less.

 Also the evidence must have been a substantial for it to be continued considering any incidents on the pitch was not included.

beshocked wrote:12 weeks for abusing fans when provoked?

Seems quite harsh when you compare it to other bans.

I guess Delon does have a reputation but also a select few of Leicester fans obviously caused him some issues and decided to press charges.

I am sure he's not the first rugby player to verbally abuse fans and I doubt he'll be the last.

I think that might over simplifying the situation though. You have to take into consideration that he had 4 weeks added on for having past offences too.

Regardless of any fans causing him issues (which im against by the way) he is still the professional out both parties.

Whatever was said in whatever context by both fans and player are only a small part of this. The vital thing that comes out of this is that we must retain the mutual respect our sport is so rightly proud of and it must be retained right roots.

P.S. ignore 'The Saint', he's trying to hijack this thread to make it another 'you all hate Liam Williams' discussion

The 'Scarlets' fan with Lomu was an English bloke from Middlesbrough, I think, who had already been banned from attending football matches for the same thing. Not sure its the same category as with Demon Armatige's tormentors.

Also how many of you honestly can say you don't bite at provocation? Just look at most of the threads on here and you'll see probably 90% or more of you/us have bit at something someone else has said. Only difference is Demon is a pro. A ban is fair, but 3months is a joke.

Part of the job (which he generally does very well) for which he is paid is ultimately putting up with this kind of crap.

If the provocation is beyond what is acceptable its up to the home club to deal with it. He should have learnt that part by now^^

If someone on here said what Delon has supposedly said (assuming the swear filters were unlocked) I'd expect them to be given a temporory longterm ban if it was their first offence and a permenant one if it was a repeat. If someone who worked in the NHS said it to a patient or visitor who was giving them grief, I would expect them to be sacked and, if relevent, quite possibly struck off. If someone worked in sales and said it to a customer who gave them grie, they also would probably be sacked. Comparing Delon to Joe Public is misleading, you should compare him to an employee representing him employer and profession (many of whom would sack someone).

Does anyone remember this many moons ago?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2352742/Ulster-at-centre-of-racism-probe.html

Matt McCullough had simply said 'Get up you spide' to Armitage who immediately jumped on the racism bandwagon. He quickly fell off when it was made clear that 'spide' is a terminology for 'chav' used on Belfast.

Delon's always been in the thick of it

Pete330v2 wrote:Does anyone remember this many moons ago?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2352742/Ulster-at-centre-of-racism-probe.html

Matt McCullough had simply said 'Get up you spide' to Armitage who immediately jumped on the racism bandwagon. He quickly fell off when it was made clear that 'spide' is a terminology for 'chav' used on Belfast.

Delon's always been in the thick of it

P.S. I know this is a little off the current subject but it just brought back my first impressions of Mr Armitage way back then.

Is Chav not an insult too though - in ye eyes of the beholder?

I know it's only an exercise in language and logic here, but it is sometimes as if people are given categories they CAN be offended by, but they're not really allowed be offended by other stuff that can be equally offensive because it's classed as mere 'banter'.

Having said all that, I don't get offended by many things, banter or otherwise, I just get even - which is much more fun - but for those who do: "Oh get over it you bog trotting savage!  You take all this stuff too serious, you ugly, big eared f**ker.  Afterall, it's not as if I'm being racist or sexist is it?  I'm just having a bit of the craic calling you a tracksuit wearing chav boy with chicken curry stains on your teefh "

Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:The 'Scarlets' fan with Lomu was an English bloke from Middlesbrough, I think, who had already been banned from attending football matches for the same thing.  Not sure its the same category as with Demon Armatige's tormentors.

Also how many of you honestly can say you don't bite at provocation?  Just look at most of the threads on here and you'll see probably 90% or more of you/us have bit at something someone else has said.  Only difference is Demon is a pro.  A ban is fair, but 3months is a joke.

But we're not professional rugby players, we're not paid the good wages there on (well, I'm not anyway). If you become a sportsman in the public eye you have to be prepared to be a professional.

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Correct it is an Ulster phrase but in no way racial - basically describing him as a plank - seems spot on to me

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Yes he may have said 'ah get up you f%*&ing spide'. That's about as abusive as it got. Poor little Delon felt agrieved.

IMO Offence is something that people generally choose to take unless it is 100% truely offensive. I mean call me what you want, it'll be water of the duck's back but make a foul statement about a recently dead relative and the offence might stick.

geoff998rugby wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Correct it is an Ulster phrase but in no way racial - basically describing him as a plank - seems spot on to me

No Geoff, I'd never heard of it until that actual event, it took my Belfast based friends to inform me what a spide was. In Armagh we simply refer to them as riff-raff you know

Couldn't have happened to a nicer chap, really.

Pete330v2 wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Yes he may have said 'ah get up you f%*&ing spide'. That's about as abusive as it got. Poor little Delon felt agrieved.

IMO Offence is something that people generally choose to take unless it is 100% truely offensive. I mean call me what you want, it'll be water of the duck's back but make a foul statement about a recently dead relative and the offence might stick.

Given that there is a pretty good chance he's had racial abuse thrown at him throughout his life it's not surprising that he would assume one when it's a word he doesn't know.

HammerofThunor wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Yes he may have said 'ah get up you f%*&ing spide'. That's about as abusive as it got. Poor little Delon felt agrieved.

IMO Offence is something that people generally choose to take unless it is 100% truely offensive. I mean call me what you want, it'll be water of the duck's back but make a foul statement about a recently dead relative and the offence might stick.

Given that there is a pretty good chance he's had racial abuse thrown at him throughout his life it's not surprising that he would assume one when it's a word he doesn't know.

Misunderstandings are misunderstandings.

HammerofThunor wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Yes he may have said 'ah get up you f%*&ing spide'. That's about as abusive as it got. Poor little Delon felt agrieved.

IMO Offence is something that people generally choose to take unless it is 100% truely offensive. I mean call me what you want, it'll be water of the duck's back but make a foul statement about a recently dead relative and the offence might stick.

Given that there is a pretty good chance he's had racial abuse thrown at him throughout his life it's not surprising that he would assume one when it's a word he doesn't know.

Yep, can't blame him for not having an in depth knowledge of Belfast slang

They are. It was explained and no further action was taken was it? It's funny, I've had racial insults thrown at me that I didn't know were racial. But I'm white so it doesn't come into my thought process really. It might be different for those that DO suffer it.

He was verbally abused, inlcuding he didn't know and he mistakenly took it as racial. Not really a massive area for digging. No doubt the media ran with it though.

HammerofThunor wrote:They are. It was explained and no further action was taken was it? It's funny, I've had racial insults thrown at me that I didn't know were racial. But I'm white so it doesn't come into my thought process really. It might be different for those that DO suffer it.

He was verbally abused, inlcuding he didn't know and he mistakenly took it as racial. Not really a massive area for digging. No doubt the media ran with it though.

Yeah, its kind of stupid to ascribe blame for that old incident to either side really (based on whats in the public domain).

He's certainly done enough that he CAN be called a tool over. Without considering the borderline/grey area stuff

HammerofThunor wrote:He's certainly done enough that he CAN be called a tool over. Without considering the borderline/grey area stuff

Even in that game though. The description of him as a spide wasn't entirely unfair.

For anyone feeling a little sorry for Delon, remember that wave he gave to a defending player in the act of scoring a try and your sympathy will go where mine is

Pete330v2 wrote:For anyone feeling a little sorry for Delon, remember that wave he gave to a defending player in the act of scoring a try and your sympathy will go where mine is

Pete +1 on that, his contemptuous wave to Brock James in the HC final last year as he scored a try was really beneath contempt. He really is an odious little sh1t.

See I do have a problem with him abusing the crowd. I dont about stuff like the 'little wave'. At its worst it should help the motivation of the other team. At its best he ends up looking like an idiot when his team loses.

brennomac wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:For anyone feeling a little sorry for Delon, remember that wave he gave to a defending player in the act of scoring a try and your sympathy will go where mine is

Pete +1 on that, his contemptuous wave to Brock James in the HC final last year as he scored a try was really beneath contempt.  He really is an odious little sh1t.

Wasn't that because prior to that move, the very player had mocked him after scoring a try etc? He was returning the gesture.

When George North does it, its just the innocence of youth, when Delon Armitage does it, its nasty foul play with chaps like Brian Moore jumping all over his back (which is a little rich given Moore was quite possibly the dirtiest player of his time, even if I respected him for it).

When he gets a 12 match ban with no evidence bar the words of the fans themselves, with no evidence from tv, officials or like then I feel its hard done by.... given Castro went on to call the opposition coach a cun* in public and only got 4 games suspended.

fa0019 wrote:

brennomac wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:For anyone feeling a little sorry for Delon, remember that wave he gave to a defending player in the act of scoring a try and your sympathy will go where mine is

Pete +1 on that, his contemptuous wave to Brock James in the HC final last year as he scored a try was really beneath contempt.  He really is an odious little sh1t.

Wasn't that because prior to that move, the very player had mocked him after scoring a try etc? He was returning the gesture.

When George North does it, its just the innocence of youth, when Delon Armitage does it, its nasty foul play with chaps like Brian Moore jumping all over his back (which is a little rich given Moore was quite possibly the dirtiest player of his time, even if I respected him for it).

When he gets a 12 match ban with no evidence bar the words of the fans themselves, with no evidence from tv, officials or like then I feel its hard done by.... given Castro went on to call the opposition coach a cun* in public and only got 4 games suspended.

Is the report out then? I would have thoght it would have been after the appeal. It must be since you now that it was based on no real evidence. Which is strange since the report said they had dismissed abuse during the game because there was insufficient evidence.

But I agree about the wave. Other players do it and all the excuses come out (Phillips (x2) and North both did it during the Lions tour and there was hardly a blip). Same with the swan dive with Ashton. Happens all the time and not a mutter, Ashton does it? And it's like the heart of rugby has been torn out.

HammerofThunor wrote:

Pete330v2 wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:Ulster apologised for thier player using "foul and abusive" language. Just not racial.

Yes he may have said 'ah get up you f%*&ing spide'. That's about as abusive as it got. Poor little Delon felt agrieved.

IMO Offence is something that people generally choose to take unless it is 100% truely offensive. I mean call me what you want, it'll be water of the duck's back but make a foul statement about a recently dead relative and the offence might stick.

Given that there is a pretty good chance he's had racial abuse thrown at him throughout his life it's not surprising that he would assume one when it's a word he doesn't know.

One letter differedpnt and 'spide' would be a racist term, and a well known/used one. So giving for accents, and nobody outside of Belfast/Ulster ever hearing of 'spide' before, I fully understand why he would assume it was racist.