O'Leary to tell of crunch Bowyer meeting

David O'Leary will tonight describe in a television interview his meeting with Lee Bowyer when the player was told he had to …

David O'Leary will tonight describe in a television interview his meeting with Lee Bowyer when the player was told he had to accept a club-imposed punishment.

In ITV's Tonight With Trevor McDonald, which also features Leeds defender Michael Duberry, the Leeds manager told interviewer Martin Bashir how he held a meeting with Bowyer after a jury cleared him of affray and grievous bodily harm with intent on Asian student Sarfraz Najeib.

The manager told the midfielder he planned to fine him four weeks' wages for breaking the club's code as he was "drunk" on the night of the attack and there was "no excuse" for his behaviour. Bowyer refused to pay the fine and was immediately transfer listed.

Leeds centre-back Jonathan Woodgate, who was found guilty of affray and ordered to serve 100 hours of community service, was fined eight weeks' wages, as well as being asked to work within the club's community programme.

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"If he [Bowyer] accepts the disciplinary measures then he can play again - it's in his hands," said O’Leary. "He said he had been found not guilty and I said 'Yes in court, but . . . going by the court's evidence you were on the street, out of your mind drunk running around'.

"That's not what I want my athletes doing on the streets of Leeds . . . there's no excuse for it.

"I told him that he was going to be fined all these wages. He came back with 'two weeks is the maximum you can fine me, but really I don't think I should be punished anything'," O'Leary said.

PA