Leicester fight move ordering club to reinstate Wise

LEICESTER CITY yesterday confirmed that they would fight a Football League decision ordering them to reinstate controversial midfielder Dennis Wise.

The 35-year-old was sacked by the club after breaking team-mate Callum Davidson’s jaw in a pre-season incident. However, a Football League Disciplinary Commission ruled Wise had been treated too harshly and ruled the maximum punishment should be a fine of two weeks’ wages. But Greg Clarke, chairman of Leicester City plc, yesterday insisted the club would fight the decision. ‘‘We’re going to fight it,’’ he tld BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme. ‘‘We’re going to listen to what the appeal by the Football League says and we will study the outcome of that and, if necessary, we will follow up by the other channels available to us.’’

Clarke also dismissed suggestions that cash-strapped City’s reaction to Wise’s offence had more to do with getting the player off the wage bill rather than internal discipline.

‘‘The truth of the situation is, on the grand scale of things, Dennis’ wages aren’t material,’’ he said. ‘‘Six or seven weeks ago, the Premiership chairmen decided not to increase the parachute payment to relegated clubs.

‘‘That was four or five times the amount of Dennis’ wages and I didn’t jump up and down and scream because that’s a straightforward business decision. Okay, it cost us a lot of money, but these things go against you when the times are tough. The reason I’m jumping up and down now is that I think it’s outrageous that people who assault their team-mates and break their bones get the same fine as someone who’s caught having a crafty half of lager when they shouldn’t do.

‘‘The club itself has tried to uphold reasonable standards over the years and we found ourselves in a position where one of our players had assaulted another player - and this wasn’t handbags at 10 paces on the training ground, this was a premeditated assault which resulted in broken bones. In any other industry that I’ve worked in, that would be immediate dismissal, so we sacked him.’’

Whatever the outcome of any ensuing legal battle, Clarke admits it is unlikely that Wise, who signed for the Foxes last summer after 11 years at Chelsea, will ever play for the club again.

‘‘There’s no support from within the football team for having him back; there’s no support from within the fan base for having him back, and there’s no support from within the board for having him back,’’ he said.

‘‘I don’t think Dennis Wise wants to come back to Leicester City; I know Leicester City doesn’t want Dennis Wise back, so I can’t imagine that chain of events happening.’’