I'm sorry I burned down your football club

[ojiveojive]

A teenager 'believed' to have fired the home of Moor Green has written to the club to say sorry. Startled officials of the Birmingham side received the letter from the unnamed teenager, who received a community service order for burgling the Sherwood Road clubhouse in January last year, causing more than £500,000 worth of damage. He was never charged with arson, but as part of his rehabilitation, was invited to appologise.
Secretary Nigel Collins said the club had reluctantly 'accepted'.
" These people do not realise the problems that they cause. We have been left without a home for 18 months now as a result."

[medibot]

Read that a while back and just thought that as much as it may help the kid sort his life out and think about what he has done, recieving a letter like that when yer club has been burnt down is just going to annoy you further.

[ojiveojive]

It only appeared on our forum yesterday. Personally I wouldn't have accepted an apology from an unnamed person who, if his identity was to be known, The Moors' insurance company would be able to take a civil action against for recompense. As it is he has effectively got away with it. A Community Service Order is issued by the courts to a convicted offender over the age of 16 who has committed an imprisonable offence and consists of between 40 and 240 hours of unpaid work in the community, so, even if he got the full 240 hours, that would work out at an hour's work for every £2083.3333's worth of damage. If he got the lowest tarriff, that would be an hour's work for every £12,500's worth of damage. Personally I'd make the bugger work on clearing up the mess he created until it was finished.

[Giggy of Telford]

I don't agree with the idea of these silly little sentences based on someone's age, if they're old enough to set somewhere on fire they're old enough to be responsible for their actions. I don't think age is a good excuse for crime.

I'm 16 and have never had problems following the law, if I were guilty of any major crime I'd expect to be punished for the crime.

[ojiveojive]

I agree with you, giggy. I guess they can't make under 16s work. He was only charged with burglary, not arson, I guess that it was some kind of plea bargain: "You stick your hand up to the burglary, we'll not charge you with arson and we'll have another one to add to our clear up rate, everybody's happy." (That is except us).

[frankiegth]

Good job no one was in the building at the the time else it could have been a letter of appology for some poor souls death.

Call me old fashioned or what you will but I'd have the little b*****d flogged to within an inch of his life in public. Then the next idiot that thinks it might be fun to "let's set fire to the football ground" just might think twice.

[boyblue]

Wouldn't a Moor green season ticket be punishment enough?

[ojiveojive]

frankiegth said:

Good job no one was in the building at the the time else it could have been a letter of appology for some poor souls death.

Call me old fashioned or what you will but I'd have the little b*****d flogged to within an inch of his life in public. Then the next idiot that thinks it might be fun to "let's set fire to the football ground" just might think twice.

Frankie, there were several people in the building, it was a training night and there were players and coaching staff in the dressing rooms getting changed and people in the bar.

I don't know why he was charged with burglary, the burglary occured after the first fire, the second fire was at the time of the burglary and believe it or not there has recently been a third fire .

Boyblue, do I detect sour grapes after our win on Saturday ? Even your keeper Danny said how well we played when I shook hands with him at the end and Daza put that we played the better football ;D.

[boyblue]

Sour grapes for the last 2 St Georges meetings me thinks.

Incidently I regret very much not going to see Moors V City last September. Although Solihull is only up the road I was a bit skint and decided to stay at home. Unfortunately baby blue crashed his bike into the back of a neigbours car and cost me an arm and a leg.
If we had gone, it would have cost me half as much

[ojiveojive]

You'd have seen a fabulous own goal by Des Lyttle