Planet Swans ArchivesSwansea City chairman Huw Jenkins has said that players should stay away from the City Centre on Saturday nights in the wake of Izzy Iriekpen being arrested and locked up last Saturday night after an altercation outside Time and Envy.
Izzy was bailed, but with no charge, after the incident that took place in the hours of Sunday morning and it is understood that the club are awaiting the result of the interview before going ahead with any internal disciplinary action.
The defender will be interviewed again next month once the police have completed their enquiries and the Chairman was following the same line already spoken when he told the Western Mail “We’ll be issuing a statement when we decide what will or won’t be done.
“First we need to establish the facts. We need to know, for example, whether Izzy was acting in self-defence or if he was picked upon.
“Kenny’s obviously spoken to Izzy, and you’ll have to ask him whether or not the player will be in the team at Port Vale this weekend.”
Is there a precedent? Andy Robinson was dropped for two games after a city centre incident two years ago whilst Kevin McLeod was instantly transfer listed earlier this year when he was spotted out the night before a game although he would not have featured in that game through injury. He did earn a reprieve and was taken off the transfer list before being deemed by Jackett as ‘surplus to requirements’ earlier this season.
Jenkins is not keen on any idea of a curfew and continued “There are times when players need to relax and have a bit of freedom, but the responsibility comes in where they decide to go,
“In that sense, I think the players have got to protect themselves a little bit more and not put themselves in situations where trouble could arise.
“To that end, we’ve advised the players not to be going out in the city centre on Saturday nights. Coming out of nightclubs at 1, 2 or 3am is not a great place for them to be.
Jenkins does not believe that the latest incident highlights anything that is problematic to the club in terms of a drinking culture “It’s just that footballers are in the public eye and what happens to them gets highlighted far more.
“There’s no drinking culture among the players and I think it would be difficult for one to thrive in this day and age.
“These days, the players’ health and fitness levels are forever being monitored, and they’re weighed weekly.
“There’s very little room for them to stray off the straight and narrow when their eating and drinking habits are constantly being watched.”
The team for Port Vale will give a good indication of how the incident has been viewed fully within the club but with injuries making team selection more limited than we would hope would that also play a factor in the decision on whether Izzy plays or not?
