This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/mar/03/sunderland-let-down-adam-johnson-sam-allardyce

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Sunderland feel ‘extremely let down’ by Adam Johnson, says Sam Allardyce Sunderland feel ‘extremely let down’ by Adam Johnson, says Sam Allardyce
(6 months later)
Sam Allardyce has said everyone at Sunderland was stunned by Adam Johnson’s guilty pleas and that they they feel “extremely let down”.Sam Allardyce has said everyone at Sunderland was stunned by Adam Johnson’s guilty pleas and that they they feel “extremely let down”.
Related: Spotlight on Sunderland for allowing Adam Johnson to continue playing
The manager emphasised his sympathy for the victim after Johnson, having pleaded guilty to kissing a 15-year-old schoolgirl after grooming her over the internet, was found guilty of sexual activity with the girl.The manager emphasised his sympathy for the victim after Johnson, having pleaded guilty to kissing a 15-year-old schoolgirl after grooming her over the internet, was found guilty of sexual activity with the girl.
“I’m hugely disappointed on Adam Johnson, and what has happened,” Allardyce said. “But my sympathies don’t lie with him, they lie with the victim and the family. As far as I know, Adam was pleading not guilty all the way through from the day I arrived. Obviously this incident had happened well before I got here. The information to me was that he was pleading not guilty to all charges, and that was why we continued to let him train and play for us.“I’m hugely disappointed on Adam Johnson, and what has happened,” Allardyce said. “But my sympathies don’t lie with him, they lie with the victim and the family. As far as I know, Adam was pleading not guilty all the way through from the day I arrived. Obviously this incident had happened well before I got here. The information to me was that he was pleading not guilty to all charges, and that was why we continued to let him train and play for us.
“We were all at the football club stunned and shocked the day before the trial started when we heard a guilty plea come out. I was sat at home when it came on the news, and I was just gobsmacked because as far as we were concerned, it was going to be not guilty on all charges.“We were all at the football club stunned and shocked the day before the trial started when we heard a guilty plea come out. I was sat at home when it came on the news, and I was just gobsmacked because as far as we were concerned, it was going to be not guilty on all charges.
“He’s gone through the process, and the process has proven that he’s guilty. Now he has to serve his sentence, and there’s not a lot of sympathy here for Adam Johnson. There’s no doubt about that.“He’s gone through the process, and the process has proven that he’s guilty. Now he has to serve his sentence, and there’s not a lot of sympathy here for Adam Johnson. There’s no doubt about that.
“I think everybody is well aware of the position it has left the club and his team-mates in. I think they’re all as disappointed as we are as a football club, and they’re all going to have to make sure they put that behind them.“I think everybody is well aware of the position it has left the club and his team-mates in. I think they’re all as disappointed as we are as a football club, and they’re all going to have to make sure they put that behind them.
“That has been addressed very briefly from me, and obviously for no one to get involved in anybody asking any questions on it. You need to be very factual on this, and we wouldn’t want any of the players to say the wrong thing because it could be jumped on by just saying the wrong sentence, or the wrong word here or there. I’ve told them to be very careful about saying anything to anybody.”“That has been addressed very briefly from me, and obviously for no one to get involved in anybody asking any questions on it. You need to be very factual on this, and we wouldn’t want any of the players to say the wrong thing because it could be jumped on by just saying the wrong sentence, or the wrong word here or there. I’ve told them to be very careful about saying anything to anybody.”
Allardyce added: “Now the judgment has been made, the decision has been made, we all feel extremely let down by what has happened and by what Adam has done and certainly feel a lot of sympathy for the victim and the family.Allardyce added: “Now the judgment has been made, the decision has been made, we all feel extremely let down by what has happened and by what Adam has done and certainly feel a lot of sympathy for the victim and the family.
“Hopefully that has now given them some peace and they can get on with their lives and we can get on with our football. Whatever the punishment is he has to accept that and we can all move on.”“Hopefully that has now given them some peace and they can get on with their lives and we can get on with our football. Whatever the punishment is he has to accept that and we can all move on.”