Quote Originally Posted by Gobstopper View Post
From what I understand Dario did go and talk to the player and his family, the media says to smooth things over so we don't really know the truth about why he went or what was said or even who asked him to go. The story was that Chelsea paid this player not to take his allegation any further, if Chelsea have been cleared by the FA, then they decided either not to pursue this allegation because all those presently at the club are no longer if football or they did not believe the allegation. The one person who was still in football is DG so they made the decision to please the media to suspend him, but the Police are involved so he cannot talk to the FA until there investigation is complete. I'm sure if the player was paid to keep silent then the money came from Chelsea not Dario and the payment would have to be approved by the chairman or other director not by a coach. Also the decision to pay him would have to come from someone at a higher level in Chelsea than a football coach. Lots of questions unanswered as well as why were Chelsea cleared, I doubt DG just turned up without the authority of Chelsea and was he asked to talk to the family and report back to Chelsea or was he sent to smooth things over, whatever that actually means. I have not heard any comment that DG made during this meeting that he made any reference to money, I'm sure the press would have been all over that one. So what did he actually do apart from a cup of tea and a chat. Its that comment 'smooth things over', what does that mean, the press makes out its sinister but as we know the media is not a reliable source of information and neither is social media. So is DG guilty of something or not, my view is probably not, we don't know why he went to the house of the player who made the allegation, so its wrong to say that his intention was to get the family to keep the allegation within Chelsea football club, all we have heard is what's reported in the media and that is a totally discredited source of factual news. My theory is the FA is pandering to the media as they always do.
It's been a bit confusing in the press gobstopper/itwasin, but actually it's two different players, but the same alleged abuser. Gary Johnson was a player who was paid some money by Chelsea, and the FA have said what Chelsea did was acceptable by the procedures of the day. The player that Dario went to visit - let's assume he was sent - hasn't been named, for legal reasons. As you say, gobstopper, we can only guess at what was said. Partial quotes are attributed to the player and his family, and Dario would make no comment. It is this, as far as can be discovered via the internet, that was the cause of his suspension, though no reason has ever officially been given. Dave ***ton was the manager then, and Dario his assistant. Both ***ton, and the chairman of the time, Brian Mears have since died; so has the alleged abuser; I've no idea if any of the directors are still alive. This makes it a particularly difficult thing for anyone (FA or police) to investigate, surely. I tend to agree with you, gobstopper, that the suspension is the FA's attempt to satisfy the press, so they could be seen to be doing something. I've no more idea than anyone else whether the lifting of the suspension is being considered or not.