Now it's not my job to defend or attack Walker's past, one because I don't really care and two because his biggest crime as such is that he got caught. Be honest in the crazy world we now live in his offences barely register, had he made transphobic comments that may have been the end of him but drugs? Drugs, a peculiar obsession that sport fans have in a world where in all other aspects of life it’s pretty much a given. The rank hypocrisy of this attitude is even more ludicrous if you go sniff the air in the North stand these days, it like Marrakesh!
I only care that he can play and that he hopefully doesn't eat new-born babies for his tea, that would be beyond the pale even for me.
Just to make my point that bad lads are part and parcel of the game, always have been, always will be, I'll share something with you. Due to a family connection I have a great knowledge of RL players indiscretions past and present, including Wakefield players. I'll be vague, no names, places or even eras other than to say they were all well liked Trinity players at some point.
Bear with me on this PT as it makes a point and trust me nobody will be able to put two and two together. Apologies if you feel these anecdotes are in bad taste but they are all true.
1: A body taken from a Chapel of Rest and propped up in a park with a fag in its mouth. A drunken prank that was hushed up. The miscreants were by all accounts utterly ashamed of themselves once sober. But hell, that's a bad one, can you imagine the effect that had on relatives. This happened so long ago that both players involved have also now spent some time with an under taker.
2: Clubs story, player out for season after breaking ‘leg’ in training. Players story, broke both legs by falling off a bridge whilst drunk. Actual story, player jumped from a bridge that was higher than he thought whilst running from the police after being caught stripping lead from a roof!
3: A players who was done for assault numerous times whilst still a junior player and who eventually did some time by unsuccessfully selling his services as a hit man! It’s true, though he never actually did one, his rate by the way was £100 per hit, seriously he didn’t even know the value of the service he was offering.
As for more modern players. Well performance enhancing drugs are an issue, but recreational drug use is far more serious and more widespread. Apparently Cocaine is the go-to drug and Trinity are not immune. Walker appears to be one of those players who wasn’t bright enough to conceal his issues.
We put ridiculous expectations on what are basically gifted but relatively un-educated young men, not that educations stops people doing stupid things. The vast majority of players are decent enough people but as in all walks of life a few are absolute rotter’s whilst some others are just plain weak. It's the mix of life. Walker may still be a knob, or he may finally have learned his lessons, we'll eventually find out I suppose. Clearly the club echo’s this last bit, hence why he's on trial at the club and not a signing.
We all tend to be judgemental and in politics or say the law that is absolutely vital, in RL not so much. If a player commits a serious misdemeanour let the law decide and the club take its cue from them and ditto the fans. For more human errors in judgement then let’s not have a double standard, one that appears to be much higher for them than us. Especially in RL where the financial rewards or the fame are hardly stella.
Give the lad a go, see how it works out and remember as it stands the guy is innocent and has paid for past offences, that’s how the law works.
Final point, anyone remember Tacey Lazenby? Did18 month for something but one of the shrewdest buys Toppo ever made, a gifted footballer who never let us down.
