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Cardiff Aware of
Cardiff Aware of "Threatened" Chopra's Problems
Wednesday, 2nd Nov 2011 09:02

Ex-Cardiff City boss Dave Jones says the Welsh side were well aware that their former striker Michael Chopra’s gambling was getting out of hand last season. The 27-year-old, who recently spent three weeks in the Sporting Chance Clinic as he seeks to address his problem, is claimed to have been threatened by someone demanding the repayment of debts at the Blues’ training ground by one of this morning’s tabloids.

Jones, who like the frontman left Cardiff this summer, said: "I knew everything about what Chops was up to. The only thing we never really knew was the amount, but whatever he told us we just tripled anyway.

"We knew all when we signed Chops the first time and second time. I'd informed Roy [Keane] of his addiction [when he went to Sunderland] and also I'd informed Paul Jewell of the addiction as well.

"Part and parcel of the reason why he didn't play at the back end of the season that I was there was because of the gambling and we thought that it was affecting him, because he was a shadow of himself really.”

Jones says the Welsh club made attempts to try to help Chopra with his addiction, which was costing him up to £20,000 a day: "We tried to get him to see people but it's like any addiction that you have, that people have to do it themselves.

"We lined up lots of people for him to see, spoke to him basically nearly every day on the situation because there was always something else coming up.

"I'm pleased that he's now tried to address it but he's on a long road and I wish him all the very best."

Jones says the only surprise in the recent revelations was the Chopra’s claim that he played when he was injured: "Chops was quite a clever lad and if he had an injury he would have played anyway. The rest of it I knew all about. I did [help] as much as I possibly could but there comes a point, as there was with Jeff Whitley, where you have to pull the plug."

Meanwhile, Chopra was confronted by a man posing as an autograph hunter demanding cash to pay back debts, according to this morning’s Sun.

There is no official comment from Town, although a “source at the club” is reported to have said: "Chopra has cleared off his debts and is starting from a clean state."

Elsewhere, ex-Blues boss Roy Keane continues to be linked with the vacant manager's job at Leicester.

One-time Town and Leicester striker Marcus Bent is reportedly joining Indonesian Liga Prima club Mitra Kukar.

Meanwhile, former Town skipper Matt Holland is amongst those to have paid tribute to Doncaster striker Billy Sharp, who played and scored for Rovers last night despite the death of his new-born son: "Thoughts are with Billy Sharp and his wife tonight after losing two-day old son. Very brave to play."


Photo: Action Images



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We8Norwich added 09:13 - Nov 2
I can just see it now, someone looking like Phil Mitchell holding a baseball bat outside the training ground with a autograph book!
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jewellsjewells added 09:29 - Nov 2
I heard G Holt had same problem with dept collectors hanging around the training ground but they were from the big 3,.... KFC , Mcdonalds & BurgerKing.
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Marshalls_Mullet added 09:29 - Nov 2
Excellent, it has been a continuous problem at EVERY club even since his early Newcastle days. This is a chronic addiction. I wish him all the best, but we need a back up plan as we cant rely on someone with an addiction to have ITFC as a priority.

This goes part way to explain why his career goal scoring record is somewhat sporadic.

Lets get Billy Sharp through the door.

Good luck Chops, you are clearly gonna need it. Lets not pretend that 3 weeks in the clinic has solved everything.

Sounds like he needs to give someone trusted power of attorney so that he only gets say £2,000 per week of his wages to gamble with. The club need and deserve full disclosure of his bank accounts, spending habits and DEBTS!!
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bobble added 09:30 - Nov 2
i heard Chopra cleaned up on the cup picking the frog horse to win in a superfecta
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Marshalls_Mullet added 09:31 - Nov 2
* above post should read... "£2,000 per week of his wages, to gamble with if he so chooses. The remainder should go into a secure account that is in trust."
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blueherts added 09:54 - Nov 2
Roy Keane , Leicester - Now that IS Funny .... Ringer for Gilbert O Sullivan - place mop on top uncanny , maybe just maybe - Claire - what a bewt - Good Luck Chops
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fourth added 09:55 - Nov 2
If there are back debts, it would be well to agree them and the club deduct from salary over a period of time.
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irishtim added 10:04 - Nov 2
hope he recovers but feel the situtation will effect the rest of the squad hopefully not
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northdevonblue added 10:05 - Nov 2
Hats off to billy sharp what that guy must be going through and can still play and score goals is incredible, im a new parent myself and cant even think what the poor guy is going through.
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fanofblue added 10:13 - Nov 2
Top man,Billy Sharp,with all that he and his family are going through he still puts in a performance and scores.With the troubles that Chops has at the moment we need him in our squad.
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irishtim added 10:18 - Nov 2
Yes football should be proud of billy sharp. My heart goes out to him & his family.
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jas0999 added 10:26 - Nov 2
Considering all this - I am surprised PJ opted to sign him. I simply don't believe - whatever anyone says - that Chopra's mind is on football. All of this is not good for ITFC - it is unwanted publicity and must be affecting more than just Chopra - it can't be good for the other players. ITFC may be better served to give him several months off to sort himself out - thus not disrupting the squad. We need a back-up plan and that should not involve either JET or Ellington.

Sad news about Billy Sharp's son. Best wishes to him and his wife. Puts football into perspective really.
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Tractorog added 10:36 - Nov 2
The only unusual thing about people turning up to Cardiff City's training ground and demanding payment for debts, was that it was a player and not the club.
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DurhamTownFan added 10:38 - Nov 2
As I read this, I see four seperate adverts for three different betting companies around the page. So we must all be exposed to betting, not just the footballers on more money than most of us with mroe time to kill.
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nitroblue1970 added 11:29 - Nov 2
Would be a nice gesture for the fans to give Billy Sharpe some warm applause before kick off on Saturday, when Rob reads his name out over the PA.... what a dreadful thing to happen.
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MathieandMarshall added 12:33 - Nov 2
nitroblue. I for one will be joining you to aplaud Billy Sharp before the game. Takes great courage to go to "work" that soon after losing a loved one, Especially a child. Lets hope the rest of the stadium follow!
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degausser added 12:40 - Nov 2
Guys, i cant be there on Saturday but Chops needs our help and i expect everyone to be giving him the support he needs. This guy can be the difference between us getting promoted (via playoffs or otherwise) so it is in ALL of our interests to get right behind him and show him that we care. North standers, get some songs going (positive of course) and let's see if responds and starts banging them in again!
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Mark added 12:42 - Nov 2
This is why we managed to get a striker Cardiff bought for around £4.5M and who scored 1 goal every 3 games for them for just £1M. It's was a gamble and time will tell whether it pays off, but the rewards are great for ITFC if we stick with Chopra and get the best out of him.

Good idea to applaud Sharp.
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Bluerme added 12:50 - Nov 2
Having lost a son myself i can appreciate what Billy Sharp must be going through. To play football 2 days after shows tremendous character and i have the upmost respect for the man and wish his family well.
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CornardBlue added 13:24 - Nov 2
Agree Billy Sharp should get our support on Saturday.
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Crock added 13:25 - Nov 2
Mitra Kukar will be a force if Bent signes for them.
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Tiggs added 13:35 - Nov 2
Why is everybody behind him? He is just an overpaid footballer with too much time on his hands. He isn't the first and certainly won't be the last. There's too much sympathy handed out to these guys when a normal man in the street with a similar habit would be classed as a waster! Town have done really well in signing him. God knows what would have been said if Keane had signed him!
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nitroblue1970 added 14:08 - Nov 2
Glad to see the applause for Billy sharpe has gone down well, wonder if Phil could mention it on the radio saturday and use his contacts to get help get the word out as it were, just to show our support for the lad and his family.
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Garv added 14:16 - Nov 2
Chops is no angel, let's get that straight. But we as fans will all be behind him because at the end of the day we want goals. He could score 50 goals this season and be in the bookies every day of it and we wouldn't care.

At the same time it is a sad story, but I would say the sympathy being thrown about is a bit much at times.

Jas I think if we were to use your idea of giving him time off, we would see a further decline in his progress to he honest. He's said himself most the time he has gambled has been in his free time, when not playing, after training etc. So I wouldn't want to give him completely unlimited free time.
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theblueginger added 14:47 - Nov 2
We sort of knew that the moment the story came out. In all honesty, Billy Sharp's problems have given this story a slightly embarrassing look.
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