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King was convicted of sexually assault on 29 October 2009 and sentenced to eighteen months in prison.
Club career
Early life and career
King was born in Dulwich, Greater London. He started his career at Dulwich Hamlet, before becoming a trainee at Barnet.[1] After making sixty first-team appearances for the London club he moved to Gillingham in 2000. Although the club intended him to be a back-up to established striker Carl Asaba, injuries to key players saw them thrust into the starting line-up, where he quickly established himself as the club's main striker.[citation needed]
Nottingham Forest
King left Priestfield to join Nottingham Forest in 2003 for £950,000. He scored 15 goals in 57 games, but was loaned to Leeds United in March 2005 for the remainder of the season. Whilst at Leeds, manager Kevin Blackwell mainly played King out of position on the wing, and as a result King failed to net a single goal for Leeds, including missing a penalty against Leicester City. In total he played 9 games for Leeds and returned to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2005 after his loan spell ended.
He struggled to win over the fans at Nottingham Forest, before netting a spectacular winning goal in an emotional match against West Ham United, the first after Brian Clough's death. At first King refused to celebrate, but finally punched the air and kissed the badge.
Watford
In the summer of 2005 King was loaned to Watford for six months, with an option to buy in the January transfer window. He impressed at the Hertfordshire club, scoring 12 goals in 21 games as Watford featured in the upper-reaches of the table.
The transfer was completed for £500,000 in January, and King went on to finish top scorer in the Football League Championship in 2005–06 with 21 goals. Watford finished third, with King scoring in the 3–0 semi-final first leg win over Crystal Palace. He played in the second leg, and in the final against Leeds United, which Watford won 3–0 to win promotion to the Premiership. King was named the club's Player of the Season.
He scored his debut Premier League goal against West Ham United in the second game of the new season. His second Premier League goal, the first in a 3-3 draw with Fulham on 2 October 2006 marked his 100th goal in domestic competition. In the following game, away at Arsenal, he sustained a knee injury which kept him out of the next three games. During his return to fitness he suffered a relapse, and in an exploratory operation it was discovered that some bone had flaked away from his femur.[2] The injury kept him out of action for six months, and he did not return until 14 April 2007 when he came on a substitute in the 4–1 FA Cup semi–final loss to Manchester United at Villa Park. He scored in the final two games of the season, away at Reading and at home to Newcastle United to bring his season tally to four.
Watford were relegated and returned to the Championship for the 2007–08 season. With Watford topping the table for much of the first half of the season, King scored ten goals before the end of 2007, including five in successive games in October.
Wigan Athletic
On 25 January 2008, it was announced that King had moved to Wigan for an undisclosed fee on a three and a half year contract. The next day Watford chairman, Graham Simpson, said on the BBC Three Counties Radio that King had left for a fee of £3million rising to £4million, dependent on appearances and Wigan keeping their Premiership status. He added that King would be doubling his wages to £40,000. King scored his first goal for Wigan against Blackburn Rovers on 22 March 2008.[3]
Hull City
In August 2008, Premier League newcomers Hull City bid an undisclosed amount for Marlon King, which Wigan accepted. City agreed personal terms with King, but the move fell through as he was unable to negotiate the terms of his exit with Wigan.[4] City instead took King on a season-long loan.[5] He scored his first goal for City, a penalty, on 13 September 2008 against Newcastle United, adding a second goal in the second half to win the match 2-1.[6]
King's loan at Hull City was cut short after he reacted in an "unacceptable manner" when told he was not in the starting line-up for a match against Arsenal and was sent home rather than taking his place among the substitutes.[7]
Middlesbrough
On 22 January 2009, King's loan spell with Hull ended and he signed a new loan deal with Middlesbrough.[8] He has been allocated the number 16 shirt. He made his debut against Chelsea on 28 January. He scored his first goal for Middlesbrough on 14 March 2009 against Portsmouth. King grabbed a goal against his old club Hull City on 11 April in a crucial win for Middlesbrough.
Return to Wigan
King returned to Wigan in the summer of 2009–10 season after his loan spell ended. He mainly found himself on the bench for Martinez's side. He was sacked in October 2009, following an 18 month prison sentence (see Controversies).
International career
King played for Jamaica in the friendly against Ghana on 29 May 2006 which they lost 4-1. He would also have been in the squad to face England in a friendly on 3 June 2006, but was sent home for an alleged breach of discipline. Jamaica lost the match 6–0.
King was sent home from the Jamaica squad 4 November 2006 as a result of the incident, the Jamaican Football Federation banned King from international football until May 2008. When Captain Horace Burrell returned as the JFF president he lifted the ban. King played in Jamaica's 1–1 draw with Costa Rica in February 2008, where he provided the cross for Jamaica's goal. King also played for Jamaica in the friendly vs Trinidad and Tobago where he scored a goal and captained the team in the absence of Ricardo Gardner due to injury.
King has convictions for 14 offences, dating from 1997.[9][10] In 2002, his own lawyer compared him to boxer Mike Tyson.[11]
December 22, 1997: Playing for Dulwich against St Thomas's Hospital in amateur match, headbutted opponent then punched him in the face, fracturing his cheek and eye socket. Convicted at Camberwell Youth Court of wounding. 80 hours' community service, £250 compensation.[10]
May 10, 1999: Convicted at Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court of theft from a person, two counts of fraudulent use of vehicle licence document and theft from a car. Fined a total of £240.[10]
January 3, 2002: Convicted at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court of drink-driving. Fined £450 and banned for nine months; fined £200 for driving without insurance.[10]
January 10, 2002: Used a cloned credit card to buy a £1,200 laptop computer. When discovered by retailer, smashed a glass panel when caught.[11] Convicted at Greenwich Magistrates' Court of attempting to obtain property by deception.[10] Given six-month community rehabilitation order. Told to pay £100 compensation for criminal damage. Later told probation officer that he was working as a Laborer for his father, while contracted to Gillingham.[11]
May 10, 2002: Caught driving a stolen £32,000 BMW convertible. Pleaded not guilty. In first trial at Inner London Crown Court, cleared by a jury of assaulting PC Mark Searle after claiming he was trying to diffuse "vicious row" between the officer and friend.[11] In re-trial, again pleaded not guilty. Defending solicitor advocate Michael Conning commented in reference to his client: "His reputation will be tarnished forever, whatever success he achieves, he'll always be referred to in a Tyson-esque way as someone who has had a criminal past and that is a considerable penalty."[11] Jailed for 18 months - reduced to nine on appeal - for receiving stolen goods. Served five months, returned to Gillingham's team within two days of his release.
June 13, 2003: Approached two women in a Soho bar, and when rejected chased them through the streets with a belt wrapped round his fist.[12] Cab driver called police about a "disturbance" in Berwick Street, Soho.[10] After street arrest, one woman said King punched her. Admitted at Bow Street Magistrates' Court two common assaults. Fined £1,000, ordered to pay £500 compensation and £100 costs.[10] Five weeks after the incident, solicitor told police King couldn't make a scheduled appointment at police station as he was attending a drug rehabilitation clinic. In his later trial in 2009, King told the jury under oath that he had never taken drugs.
May 10, 2006: Approached stranger Claudia Canadas in Leicester Square. Slapped her bottom and then her face. When police attended, spat at her.[13] Admitted at Bow Street Magistrates' Court to using threatening or abusive behaviour. Fined £300, and ordered to pay £500 compensation and £55 costs.[10]
November 12, 2008: While on loan to Hull City, involved in a fracas with teammate Dean Windass in a casino in Scarborough. King was alleged to have headbutted Windass following an argument. Hull City stated that the matter had been dealt with internally, and both players remained with the club.[14] Windass later described the incident as a "storm in a teacup".
December 5, 2008: Caught speeding at 106 miles per hour on a stretch of road with a speed limit of 60mph. Banned from driving for 56 days
December 10, 2008: Five days after his driving ban, and three days after being told by his wife she was expecting their third child, arrested on suspicion of punching a 20 year-old female university student in the face in the Soho Revue Bar, causing a broken nose and split lip for which she was treated in hospital. Later charged with sexual assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.[15] Prosecuting QC Roger Daniells-Smith, said after the case that had the Crown made a “bad character” application on time, the jury would have been told about his previous convictions.[16] After several preliminary hearings[17] he pleaded not guilty to the charges at his trial at Southwark Crown Court on 26 October 2009,[18] claiming he was a victim of mistaken identity.[19] Three days later he was found guilty of sexual assault and ABH, having been identified in court by several witnesses. Sentenced to 18 months in prison, told to register as a sex offender for seven years, pay £3,125 compensation to victim and £1,800 prosecution costs.[13] It was announced by Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan in interview on Sky Sports that King would be having his contract terminated with immediate effect.[20][21]
