I do not personally or morally condone his actions but Gareth Hock himself has dropped unlucky with him being selected in the random test. It could have happened to a number of different players. Maybe even a Rhino or two??



Footballers, Movie stars, musicians (recorder players renowned for it), Rugby league and Union players accross both sides of the pond. It's a culture that I am not naive enough to think doesn't exist.



Ryan Bailey and Keith Senior came close with ephedrine.



Ryan Hudson, Sean Penkywhatiscalled, Keiron Cunningham etc... all spring to mind at the senior level this side of the pond.



Was Hock at fault? Yes

Was he unlucky that out of everyone that dopes in some way or form he got caught? Yes

Was it ephedrine or pseudoephedrine?



Plus IIRC didn't both players declare to the testers that they had taken cold medication prior to the tests?

On an unrelated note will Ryan bailey and matt Diskin be available for 1st team duties tonight?

It was once legal but now a banned UK substance as of early 2000's. Legal in coutries like Canada though. I'm no expert but I know it's an alkaloid in the same family as caffiene and amphetamine.



Commonly taken by athletes as it aids in energy and weight loss. Boosts the metabolism, increases readily available energy in the blood stream. Also plays about with receptors in nerve cells that gives you the adrenaline fight or flight buzz. I know loads of guys at the amateur level who use it. It can also be used as a decongestant in some older brands of medication but most use something else.

Andy - Cocaine is also an alkaloid stimulant not too dis similar for Ephidrine. Then again so is caffeine if you look at like that.

Oh I know - there's a big difference in the legal status however, although the amount Starbucks charge for coffee it's probably cheaper to pick up some cocaine..

Would Hock be daft enough to use that as a defence

True aswell, the player was renound for drug abuse, both recriational & performance henhancing (went from a nobody to an international, then must have come to leeds after his near miss, or was actually pregnant)

The lad who lives next door but two from me who plays for Wigan reserves has been told that all players arent to go out round Wigan.



Evidently the thinking is that Hock's shandy was tampered with......

I will never go out in wigan again! shandy tampering bast@rds

It's never Wigans fault is it. They are always so badly done to.

and there is hock, so remorsful for drinking shandy.