I believe Stuart had already been caught out by an internal drug test introduced after the Bowyer/Chandler problem. As with any drug test there's ways round them. The classic is not being available, or being treated for some sort of injury. Floyd Landis used to have a motorbike so that if the testers came to his house, he'd get on the bike put his blacked out helmet on and leave. It was said at the time that all the players were asked if they'd been up to anything that would give a positive test. Stuart lied to the management and tried to front it out. Unfotunately he was one of the randomnly picked players.
Of course if he was in the first team, perceived as a future asset then he wouldn't have been sacked. As his commitment and training had been faltering, and he wasn't much of an asset he was sacked.
I believe Stuart had already been caught out by an internal drug test introduced after the Bowyer/Chandler problem. As with any drug test there's ways round them. The classic is not being available, or being treated for some sort of injury. Floyd Landis used to have a motorbike so that if the testers came to his house, he'd get on the bike put his blacked out helmet on and leave. It was said at the time that all the players were asked if they'd been up to anything that would give a positive test. Stuart lied to the management and tried to front it out. Unfotunately he was one of the randomnly picked players.
Of course if he was in the first team, perceived as a future asset then he wouldn't have been sacked. As his commitment and training had been faltering, and he wasn't much of an asset he was sacked.
The story I heard was that there was a bit of a drugs culture around the club - nothing heavy but one or two of the younger players fell into bad habits. It was around that time that David Whyte had some problems which necessitated some time off which was excused as a "hernia problem". Allegedly the brother of a well known Addicks centre-back was a dealer, whether he was involved in any of this I don't know. After Bowyer, Dean Chandler and I think Stuart had been caught t'management issued an ultimatum - that the next player to fail a drugs test would get sacked. Most of the players heeded the warning - except for one. At the time he was on the verge of a move to Reading but the club rather than sell him and export the problem carried out the threat and passed up a £250k or £200k transfer fee.
The transfer fell through as he was facing a ban from the football league after the test. Reading weren't going to be interested when it had been annpunced that he'd failed a drug test. Unlike Bowyer say Stuart's value was next to nothing, Millwall took a chance with no transfer fee.
Anyone been in his/or his dad's pub The One Bell in Crayford?
Yeah decent pub, nice garden in the summer
Going there on Christmas day, so probably won't be in the garden but thanks anyway.
Yes nice pub. Was asked to take my cap off when i visited last year. Has some memorabilia posted around the walls, ie signed shirts and stuff, and a couple of nice real ales.
Anyone been in his/or his dad's pub The One Bell in Crayford?
Yeah decent pub, nice garden in the summer
Going there on Christmas day, so probably won't be in the garden but thanks anyway.
Yes nice pub. Was asked to take my cap off when i visited last year. Has some memorabilia posted around the walls, ie signed shirts and stuff, and a couple of nice real ales.
Looking forward to a couple of pints there tomorrow.
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Anyone know Mary Jane's bar up London? Up the Minories? He was there in a waist coat!
Of course if he was in the first team, perceived as a future asset then he wouldn't have been sacked. As his commitment and training had been faltering, and he wasn't much of an asset he was sacked.
The story I heard was that there was a bit of a drugs culture around the club - nothing heavy but one or two of the younger players fell into bad habits. It was around that time that David Whyte had some problems which necessitated some time off which was excused as a "hernia problem". Allegedly the brother of a well known Addicks centre-back was a dealer, whether he was involved in any of this I don't know. After Bowyer, Dean Chandler and I think Stuart had been caught t'management issued an ultimatum - that the next player to fail a drugs test would get sacked. Most of the players heeded the warning - except for one. At the time he was on the verge of a move to Reading but the club rather than sell him and export the problem carried out the threat and passed up a £250k or £200k transfer fee.
It’s quite nice.