The Adams Family

‘MICKY Adams should have known better – no sooner had he pleaded for an end to the ‘trial by media’ of his players then the Press were scrabbling around for more dirt on Leicester City’s ill-fated trip to La Manga.

Leicester City held yesterday’s training session behind closed doors

Of course, it didn’t help that he immediately declared that the three players, currently being held in a Spanish jail on charges of rape, were innocent.

‘If they are guilty of anything, it’s being unprofessional 24 hours before a training session,’ he told a packed press conference.

And he dismissed claims that club captain Paul Dickov raped a holidaymaker, while Keith Gillespie held her against the wall and a third player cheered from the sidelines as ‘drunken excess’.

The Mail is not alone in being amazed that even now the club does not seem to appreciate the seriousness of the charges brought against its players.

Adams even said he would pick his side on Saturday from all players fit and available, ‘regardless of whether they are charged’.

That would conceivably include Dickov, Gillespie and Frank Sinclair, if (as seems unlikely) they are released by Spanish authorities by the weekend.

As for the truth of what actually happened in the hotel room at the Hyatt, it depends on what paper you read.

The Mirror says the three alleged victims were filmed by CCTV cameras laughing and joking – evidence the defence wants to use to show they were not traumatised as they claim.

The Mail claims Leicester City are considering hiring private investigators to look into claims that the three women are hookers.

Two English holidaymakers and a Spanish businessman all claim to have been propositioned by the women, who are of African descent but German nationality.

‘They looked like escorts to me – provocatively dressed, two in tight jeans, one in a skirt and all wearing high heels,’ said company director Pepe Martinez.

‘I certainly got the impression – and so did the two people I was with – that they were prostitutes.’

But the women’s lawyer adamantly denies this.

Encarnacion Gomez tells the Sun: ‘They are not prostitutes. They never had any consenting sexual relations with any of the players.

‘They are married with children and had simply come here for a weekend in the hotel.’

The trial by media continues.’

Posted: 9th, March 2004 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink