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Jordan: Leeds statement was ‘stupid and antiquated thinking’

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OPINION

Simon Jordan has said that Leeds’ response to Jordan Steven’s football ban was “stupid and antiquated”.

Stevens was banned for six weeks from all footballing activity by the FA, including training, after admitting to placing 59 bets on games, some involving Leeds. He was also fined £1,200.

Talking on the Jim White Show (talkSPORT, Tuesday, 12.30pm), White said, “I don’t think it’s clear enough. So many footballers place bets. They’ve thrown the book at him [Jordan Stevens].”

However, Simon Jordan had a very different take and thought the punishment was justified.

“The rules are the rules,” Jordan said. “Clubs have to take responsibility and lay it out more clearly but players know it’s wrong.

“For Leeds to say that they hoped two professional players on the FA panel should have had more sympathy for him is just stupid and antiquated football thinking.

“You want football’s integrity to be upheld. The only way to do that is to send out a message that betting on football is outlawed.”

Jordan softened a bit when he found out the ban included training, saying, “You see that surprises me. That takes away sporting opportunity.

“However, if you mean it, if you’re trying to send out a message to kids that aren’t listening… if you want to send a message that we have zero tolerance to any breach, how hard do you want to go. Do you want to mean it?

“On one hand I think it’s draconian but on the other, it does what it says on the can. Clubs have to take more responsibility. He’ll have plenty of time to reflect on what he’s done.”

Stevens must take it on the chin

Stopping Stevens from training is draconian, but Jordan makes a valid point. Players know it’s against the rules and must take a punishment.

The worst thing about Stevens’ betting was that five of the 59 bets were on games involving Leeds.

The amounts he bet – totalling just over £500 – were fairly modest but that’s inconsequential really.

In the FA report, it was revealed that Stevens, “confirmed that he knew that he was not permitted to bet on football under the FA Rules… He accepted that he had attended an FA education presentation at Leeds on 20th September 2018 at which the betting rules were discussed.”

However, surely no one wants to see youngsters hit with punishments that are out of line with the offence? And ones that could have a serious impact on their mental wellbeing. Stevens can’t train and can’t even talk to any staff at Leeds during his ban.

How is that going to help a young player who has admitted to suffering from anxiety and being homesick?

Everyone would agree that footballers betting on games, especially involving their own clubs, is something that needs to be stamped out of the game.

This will send out a strong message to players that it won’t be tolerated but it’s way too harsh on a young footballer who made a stupid mistake.

Ban him from competitive football but don’t take away his support network and let him train. It seems that the FA can’t act with any degree of common sense or humanity when it comes to issues like this.

As for Jordan, he’s generally a thoughtful pundit but after Leeds were trying to support one of their young players, calling them “stupid and antiquated” is way out of line.

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