But you still haven’t answered my points

It was a match day sample and Barba's wasn't. Cocaine is classed as a stimulant and therefore a performance enhancer in a match situation. Therefore UKDA/WADA are only interested in it when found during competition. Its legality or otherwise doesn't really enter into it as far as UKDA are concerned, merely its effects on performance. Now the individual sport's governing bodies may have a different viewpoint for out of competition samples and the effect on the image of the sport but that isn't the issue with Hardaker.

Hardaker is a grade a idiot for getting caught on match day, up there with Hock and Walker as the thickest moron to play in the last few years. Leaving aside that it really isn't that bright for a professional sportsman to jeopardise their health and fitness with a drug habit at any time, to get caught out in a match sample is beyond the pale.

Put it this way for anyone who thinks Hardaker is hard done by - would you be saying the same about a public transport driver, HGV driver or pilot who was caught out on the job with performance altering substances in them? Hardaker has earned his ban, no excuses for him.

[quote="Armavinit"Coke is widely used and I wasn’t aware that Cocaine was habit forming but if you know this from first hand, I bow to your knowledge.[/quote]

Mmmm....devils dandruff ?

All denial speak.....Coke isn't widely used !! Only widely used in circles of people who use together to make them feel better about using illegal mind bending drugs

If you think Coke isn’t widely used, your in denial. It’ cheap now and rife at weekends by all ages.

Thanks for that, at last an explanation. He has earned his ban for using an illegal substance? Not sure it should be 2 years, a ban definitely, but monitred and councilling? Just my opinion, I’m not trying to excuse him, just applying a little reality.

I'm not sure where you go out, or who you have been talking to, but to suggest coke is "rife at weekends and by all ages" is simply not true, and your "reality" seems to be that a slap on the wrist will suffice and two years is "harsh", I can safely say I don't want to live in that reality.

He's done the crime, and he'll do the time.

I had a mate who lived on OPE. On a weekend he used to smoke blow. Then he liked it less and started on speed, then Es then Coke
He knocked about with loads of other losers who all did the same thing. Same useless journey that losers in denial take.
He told me Coke was popular. You know why ?
Because he only knew Coke-heads and scags. They were his world so to him

"loads of people do it"

The fact is about 5% of people take drugs.

Coke - devil's dandruff whatever it's called is a total load of rubbish that devours any self respect you have over a fairly quick space of time

Are you suggesting he had a line of coke in the changing rooms before the match? Hard to believe, he'd use it as performance enhancer when the effects probably only last 30 mins, unless he topped up at half time to?

He had it close enough to the game to exceed the UKAD/WADA threshold level. The results won't lie - he is an idiot and thoroughly deserves the ban he will get. Its not like the rules weren't clear before he took it.

And it's this that proves he, and any others who fall foul of such rules, are, as others have said, complete idiots.
There are many arguments to be had about the legalisation of certain substances.
In this case he's tested positive for a banned substance. So he will have to accept the consequences.