And... is he (and are they) out drinking alcohol when in those pubs every night or just having a drink?

When McRae spoke of the "cancer" at the club back in 2002, it doesn't take Magnus Pike to work out that an element of that was a drinking club.

At that time there was a certain aussie prop who was renowned for getting stuck into the beers, but he could at least back it up on the pitch. That individual was clearly a poor roll model for some of the younger players at the time.

Years have gone by, players have come and left, yet the one constant during this period now spanning back SEVEN years is a locally born player who some seem to think can do no wrong.

I find it amazing that this thread has lasted so long. As you put it started out praising a player. It should have been locked from the first post as it must be against the AUP to post delusion.

Anyone who thinks the individual concerned had a "good game" is clearly so blinkered in their devotion to this player that they cannot see it was nothing better than a decent / average game. That this average performance gains raptures speaks volumes about his other performances of late.

This individual WAS a GB player 8 years ago. At the time he had the guidance of a very good coach who could have put him in the GB front row for many a test match. The player however took the dumb option and thought looking at the bottom of a glass "to be one of the lads" was better.

When he decided to play (and by the way that hasn't happened consistently for years now) he can be a very effective player. But this hero status he has from some I just cannot buy. By getting into the states he sometimes does it will impact in training which ultimately impacts on games. In short I don't think he realises the privileged opportunity he has had in being a professional sports man. By not adopting a professional attitude to what is a short career, in my opinion, he has short changed the very fans that appear to think he can do no wrong.

Some people think I have something against Paul king as a person. I Don’t. I have no doubt he is a good man. But when there are calls for the coach’s head for being unprofessional yet some players are hero worshipped when not displaying a professional attitude, that baffles me.

spot on the money

I think King had a good game. I have been watching him since he first pulled the shirt on. I don't think he had the best game he's ever had, but that doesn't mean he did not play well. He tackled well and those he "missed" put enough contact in to slow the player's progress so that the second and third tacklers could stop them. He took the ball up hard and generally showed some passion and pride in the shirt. He might not have broken lots of tackles (who does nowadays) but he took some stopping which tires defenders - that is the work that means teams can be broken down in the last 15 minutes of a game... and we know what happened in the last 15 minutes against Celtic. So no, not his best ever game but a good game nonetheless.

I agree with all of that.The problem needs sorting now.

my problem with King is that he only "performs" when he needs a contract - the rest of the time he is average and seems like he doesnt really care

or in the run up to his testemonial

spot on and he is one of many in our club

Listen, I often seen a few individuals out around the town and although a part of me wishes that they concentrated on the season and waited till the closed season before the drinking started, it really doesnt bother me.There cant be any club rules on this matter so its their life.

What does bother me is during this season I have seen a few of our players out as regular as me. My job does not put me in the public eye nor does it state I am supposed to keep my body in optimum shape so I can perform to the best of my ability for paying watching fans. Surely their jobs are effected by them pouring copious amounts of alcohol and fags down their throats every weekend!!

What really piissees me off though is seeing a couple of our players recently so drunk it was clear they had no idea what day it was and could hardly stand unaided. Surely this has to be unprofessional and wrong during a season and if nothing else leaves them vulnerable to attack by local yobs who fancy the chances of being able to forever more brag about laying out a FC player.

I'm not asking because I don't believe you. I put the same question in about three threads to make the point that many threads end up with a wink and a sly comment about the players drinking. I'd like to start a thread devoted to that topic but I fear it would be locked for some reason (e.g. libel), but at least we could all focus on that as a specific and serious issue (which it sounds like it is) in a more constructive way rather than diverting all other threads towards the topic.