Marcus Maddison, the former Peterborough United and Bolton Wanderers forward, has been sentenced to 20 months in jail after attacking an elderly woman, reports the Peterborough Telegraph.
Maddison, 29, was out drinking with a friend in September last year when the incident with the 60-year-old occurred. After a night of drinking, the footballer and his friend were making their way to a kebab shop on Duke Street in Darlington when he became involved in an argument with the woman and her daughter.
The Telegraph report states that the former Newcastle United man shouted abuse towards the two women before throwing his chips at her and eventually hitting her. The woman was left on the ground in a pool of her blood before being taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.
According to the BBC, his then employer Darlington Football Club conducted an ‘immediate disciplinary investigation’ following news of the attack and came to an agreement to release the player from his contract. Sa spokesperson for the club said, “Darlington FC is a fan-owned club and has zero tolerance of discrimination, violence or abusive behaviour.”
The former England C international began his career at Newcastle before impressive form at Gateshead attracted the attention of League One Peterborough. Over his six seasons with The Posh, Maddison would contribute over 150 goal involvements in just short of 250 games and was regularly linked to teams higher up the pyramid. A brief loan move to Championship outfit Hull City was followed by a short stay at Charlton. He would then join League Two promotion chasers Bolton. It was whilst at Bolton that Maddison chose to step away from the professional game.
Maddison shared his thoughts on his exit from full-time football via his personal Instagram account, posting, ‘Well, the football industry has eventually broken me. All the abuse, pressures and monotony of the last two years has just got to me. I’ve tried to fit in and be happy but if I can’t be happy In a winning team fighting for promotion it’s clearly something deeper.’
In an interview with Sport Bible in 2021, Maddison said, “I’m returning home to think ‘Do I want to play football anymore’ as it just doesn’t bring me any joy at all. It’s awful to say but I literally just wanted to take a picture of my car in a ditch, just to say I couldn’t make it in. I just didn’t want to be there.”
Maddison had attempted to get his football career back on track with a short spell at eighth-tier Spalding United before reaching out to Darlington on social media.
Writer’s View
This is obviously a very unsavoury incident and Maddison will have to deal with the punishment that has been handed down to him. Credit to Darlington in this situation as they acted swiftly to release the player from his contract.
At just 29 years of age, I can see Maddison making a return to football once his sentence is compete albeit lower down the football pyramid.
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