A special read for the Smerkle

http://www.abc.net.au/am/stories/s128057.htm

COMPERE: ABC cricket commentator and writer, Peter Roebuck, has been arrested and questioned by British police after allegations that he spanked a young South African batsman.

Peter Roebuck has been released on bail and is due to appear in a police station in Devon in south-west England next month.

Edmund Roy reports that Mr Roebuck has dismissed the charges as nonsense:

PETER ROEBUCK: (Recording of telephone message) No one here right now. Please leave a message or send a fax on the same number, and we'll do our best to get back to you.

EDMUND ROY: One of the more articulate and erudite of cricket commentators wasn't answering his phone this morning.

Twenty-four hours ago he was being arrested and taken down to the Devon police station to be questioned on charges of spanking a young South African batsman.

Reports say he was arrested on suspicion of two assaults, occasioning actual bodily harm. The investigation is believed to centre on claims by a 19 year old South African cricketer, that Mr Roebuck beat his buttocks with a cane or a cricket bat while he was sharing his home in Taunton, Somerset last year.

The batsman who came to Britain to be coached by Peter Roebuck apparently told police the beatings were punishments for poor performance.

For his part, Mr Roebuck has dismissed the claims as nonsense, but the cricketing world has been aware of the allegations for some time now. He apparently moved from Taunton to Exmouth after the allegations first surfaced early last year.

Peter Roebuck, who has Australian citizenship, coached at the Cranbrook School in Sydney's east for several years.

Nearly 10 years ago he left that job to concentrate on writing, commentating and coaching small groups of students, mostly from South Africa.

He was captain of Somerset for several years and was in charge of the county in the early 1980s when Ian Botham, Viv Richards and Joel Garner left the team amid acrimonious scenes. He's currently on bail and is due to appear at a police station in Devon, south-west England next month.

COMPERE: Edmund Roy reporting.

Thanks for that Taips. It was good to know the origin of "Spanky"

This part particularly tickled me...

that Mr Roebuck beat his buttocks with a cane or a cricket bat while he was sharing his home in Taunton, Somerset last year.

And a bit more

Loved this bit

"He said 25 out of 29 boys who had stayed with Roebuck had written in support, one stating that Roebuck had given him "the two best summers" of his life."

Comments Trev?

In a statement, the victim said Roebuck told him: "I'm going to cane you now. Then it will be over and I will forgive you and, if I don't cane you, I will feel differently about you." Roebuck asked the boy to bend over and delivered three "forceful strokes" over his clothing. Mr Fenny said: "Roebuck then pulled the boy towards him, in what appeared to be an act of affection. He then asked if he could look at the marks on the boy's buttocks, something which he in fact did."

Crikey!

It's the public school upbringing.

It's a wonder Ian Bell never played under Spanky.

taipan wrote:It's the public school upbringing.

So what explains your little spanking fetish?

Some things are better left unknown

DJ_Smerk wrote:

In a statement, the victim said Roebuck told him: "I'm going to cane you now. Then it will be over and I will forgive you and, if I don't cane you, I will feel differently about you." Roebuck asked the boy to bend over and delivered three "forceful strokes" over his clothing. Mr Fenny said: "Roebuck then pulled the boy towards him, in what appeared to be an act of affection. He then asked if he could look at the marks on the boy's buttocks, something which he in fact did."

Crikey!

Stop getting all hot and bothered Smerkles, it's not exactly like the letters page in Mayfair now is it?!

May explain why he appears to enjoy being the forum whipping boy so much

...and why tac keeps asking Smerky to show him the marks