In 2004 Arsène Wenger cleared out his squad with 17 players, from first-team regulars to promising youngsters, all being released. Sylvain Wiltord and Martin Keown were the notable names while name sakes Nwankwo and Sam Kanu both left Highbury. At different ends of their careers, they may have shared the same surname, but they went on to have completely different fortunes.
Nwankwo went on to join Portsmouth but for Sam, who’s youth career had been dogged by a knee injury, he quickly realised a dream life as a footballer would not come to fruition. After various attempts to return to fitness, he was forced into retirement. A bitter blow for the youngster who had been scouted and signed at 10-years-old. He came through the Hale End Academy and went on to win the equivalent of the Premier Academy League with the Under 19’s.
Although Sam’s career with football came to an end, his association with the game didn’t. After setting up a local club for young footballers on the streets, he gained a job as an entertainments officer for the London Mayor. Youngsters who joined the setup he formed would benefit from being watched by Arsenal scouts in a distant partnership with the Gunners. However, on a regular trip to his local Costcutter store, Kanu was violently attacked by Rocky Djelal in what police later confirmed was a race related attack.
Djelal received three years in prison for GBH but was out after serving less than half of the sentence. Sam was left with severe brain-damage and requires 24 hour care. Far from his once promising football career, the 24-year-old is now wheelchair bound and unable to speak.
Sam’s proud mother Linda Bangura has previously met with former Home Secretary Alan Johnson to discuss the level of street crime in the capital, in the hope that the shocking and unprovoked attack sustained by Sam Kanu is never repeated.
This is truly tragic. A completely innocent victim. I know I’m stating the obvious here, but wow, this kinda put a bit of a downer on my morning, just reading this.
that is f’d up u no dey could never do dat shit in london now
I never heard about this but if this was someone like Nwankwo or Wiltord who got attacked it would’ve been all over the press.
Didn’t know about this. Hope he makes a full recovery.
And the perp only got 3 years for wrecking the lives of the Kanu family. Just incredible.
That’s an amazing story – it would make a fascinating movie, but it needs a good ending … here’s hoping.
shows how messed up the legal system is. Bet the other guy was chuffed he only got 3 years the racist bastard. Thoughts are with the Kanu family
Horrible thing to happen to anyone my best of lucks to the guy is their any chance for him to get better
I was actually going to post about Buffon iminent arrival to Arsenal will papaers says the transfer only being weeks away and done before the world cup but forget about that
How can a person ruin someones life and only get 3 years for it that’s the most idiotic thing ever. Break Djeal head open and then leave him on a weelchair that seems more fair or put him in a cell where he’s not allowed to be got out and then he will realise what he’s done
Sam was in hospital for 2 years, Rocky was released before he was out of hospital.
That’s tragic. My heart goes out to his family and friends.
Forming a career after football, and seemingly doing well for himself and then what happened…..
Tragic.
wtf is this sht!
that’s horrible
Sad, sad story.
Wilshere is wanted by Newcastle but if coyle can sign some technical player who know how to play our way then I hope he stays there because you can see his work rate has improved and decision making aswell. He also looks a lot more stronger and ready to bully the likes of Terry and Alex
If it was the other way around (black/indian/arab man attacks white man), we would have been inundated by the media. The Daily Mail would remind us of the numbers of immigrants in the UK and the Telegraph would detail the “increase” in crime (by cherry-picking dates)….
This is only a example of the underlying racism in the UK. It is hidden, unknown but real…
Get well soon Mr. Kanu…
@fuse
why are you making this political by saying the telegraph selectively picks its stats
Please dude….I dont know how it works in England but it is the other way here. I have seen far more white people jumped or attacked by black people and none of it ever makes the news. Racism is wrong but in America, it is looked at like a one way street. Every town that has more white people is viewed as a racist town. The funny thing is that lets in a ‘racist” white town , a black person might get called a racial slurr. How ever try being a white guy and walk through Harlem and see what happens to you. Heres a clue, you will get hit in the head by a brick for before you get called something racist.
The overal point is racism is bad all together, but just don’t pretend like it is all one way. I wish this article wasnt posted cuz it will just start a topic on racism.
This article makes me sick. How flimsy is our justice system?
Honestly you wonder what is the point in having judges if they can’t even put a proper sentence on a completely anti-social thug like that Rocky Djelal. One and a half years?!?!?!
The kid set up a football camp, is now in a wheelchair and mentally disabled, and social services wont even help them find a new flat that’s wheelchair friendly. After everything we give to the Government- this is how they show their gratitude. This is a disgrace.
The thing I don’t understand is how a sentence is dealt out, I mean, firstly the guy was a two day boozer, secondly he was a racists fanatic who’s friends to this day continually harass the kid’s mother, and he beat this kid so bad that he was in a coma for two months, is now permanently mentally and physically disabled. And you know what the saddest thing to say is? It would have been probably better for this poor mother to have had her child die because that’s what it takes for the Government to actually fucking do something.
I honestly feel sick.
i wish him the best of luck
why do people come on here to discuss topics completly irrelevant to the article, pisses me of, if you want to talk about the first team, transfer rumours or how shit our goalkeepers are fuck of to one of a million arsenal forums. I understand if there are tonnes of comments and things get sidetracked abit but when i read the first few comments and people are talking about how we are linked to buffon or david villa its ridiculous.
Anyways enough of that, this article put me in a bad mood disgusting that you put someone in brain damage then get away with a years sentence. Good behaviour in prison ofcourse most people are going to be behaved in prison, unless they want to spend all there lives in there. Feelbad for ther’re family at one point he had the world at his feet.
I think what happens with the first team has a lot to do with our youngesters especially transfers. If there’s any truth about Buffon then it means Szchesny will have to wait a while to break into the no.1 spot and unlike David Villa transfer we are looking for GK
Believe it or not Almunia and Fabianski haven’t worked out like they were suppose to and we need a keeper and a keeper like Buffon who papers say is almost a done deal should be a talking point.
3 years is an absolute joke of a sentance and then to be let out in half that sentance is criminal in itself.
thats a very sad story, & shows how messed up the legal system is ….. hope sam makes a full recovery, also find it sad that I like many other gooners never heard about this… an artical in the clubs programme wishing sam & his family well & condoning these attacks would have been nice :(
Andrew, your making excuses for them. I very rarely see them come on here and justify anything saying this will be bad for so and so. They come on here and tell us about there ideal team in football manager and formation for the first team etc.
here’s the thing.
people say lets keep it about Arsenal youth but when a person post which youngsters he thinks will make it then that becomes controversial and people say lets keep it about the youth now not the future.
We are talking about Arsenal so who cares if we are talking about transfers, youth, formation as long its related and realistic I think it should be talked about
What are you going to write about for 2 months now that their are no youth or reserve games to talk about. World cup or Transfer?
A truly terrible story, is there any way we as fans are able to offer our sympathies to him directly? With the responses you have received it shows the strong feeling we all have towards this story, and if we were able to send something would be quite something, show the lad that even if you leave Arsenal, you don;t leave the fan’s hearts.
We can talk about the articles that sanderson posted perhaps? Crazy concept i know. Since this websites pretty big now i would suggest that sanderson creates a seperate section where people can post what ever shit they want to post.
that just says everything about you
Thank you for the article, it puts things into prescreptive. For a young person being told “NO CHANCE”, about the dream. Then having the fortitude and strength of character to change only to be struck down by society racist thugs. I can only offer a few words of comfort to the family.
Thank you once again for the article, which indentifies not everything has a silver lining, but if you have the luck and opportunity grasp it as tight as possible and ride it for as long and as hard as possible.
haha i guess im in the wrong here then. O well if you cant beat them join them.
What do you all make of our world cup chances what with terrys alledged foot break? Who do you think will replace him in the squad, i hope sol does.
That is one of the most tragic, depressing and upsetting things I’ve read in quite a while. It’s always nice and occasionally uplifting to see that some of our youngsters have succeeded elsewhere. Usually early retirement is bad but seriously, it’s sickening what happened. I’m not a Daily Mail/Sun hang them all type but I fail to understand how we can live in a society where somebody serves 18 months for ruining the life of another human being.
So sorry to hear what has happened and I wish him and his family all the best.
That’s really pathetic by Djelal!
Felt so sorry to Sam and send my heart to him and his family.
@no9:do not thake the atten tion away from Andrew, you know he likes to be centre of attention. And when J has the undeacendy to post something about a brain damaged former arsenal player. Well Andrew does not get his normal attention. Its only natural he will throw a tantrum and try to undermind it. Who would talk about Js article about someone braindamaged when we can discuss Andrews wievs on new buys, preferably new 1st team buys and Buffon instead of Arsenal youngsters… :p
And to the rest of you: That story is sick and makes me feel ill. the worst is that the guy was cut loose after 6 months…
Have the club done anything for this fella like donated match proceeds from one game or something, I am sure his family could do with some help.
I think under the circumstances its the least the club could do …like have a friendly between the youth team maybe and senior or something along the lines.
sad story.
If you wanted a little more of Sam’s story, mention of his foundation, and of the Arsenal players vistiting him in hospital, a couple of links are:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23516389-mother-of-victim-left-in-coma-speaks-out.do
http://www.bnvillage.co.uk/news-politics-village/98092-so-pleased-arsenal-still-gunning-my-son.html
I think everyone should contact Arsenal and ask them to set up a trust/foundation in his name in aid of brain damaged people. From what I’ve read of him he sounded like a good hearted individual that would appreciate such a notion.
I feel like crying that’s so tragic and frustrating :(
We’re the Arsenal, you know I grew up in Finsbury Park and It’s a multi-cultuar mix of immigrants from Carribean to Ireland to Greece and me myself is 100% English. But we all live together respect each other and we all have one thing that brings us together, Arsenal Football Club. We actually doesn’t have those kind om racial problems around here.
Our justice system is just as bad in America. People getting 20 years for MURDER. 6 months for dealing crack. A former “friend aka classmate of mine got in a wreck while under the influence of alcohol and killed a guy and only got probation. Justice systems are generally horrible.
Look there’s nothing we can do about it but J you might be able to
You can contact Arsenal Supporters trust and give them this story and they might be able to persuade Gaizidis to make donations during the pre season which will make peopel aware of this and also give their family some financial help
I dont know people……Bad things happen all the time in this world. This story is hardly any worse than stories on the news every night. There are also tons of mentally or physically disabled people in the world and they don’t need your pity. They need your help. Not saying you can do anything for this man, but I guarentee there is someone around you that you can help. I actually work with mentally disabled kids and adults. Best decision you can make, is to not spend as much time on ourselves but help better someone elses life and you will realize you will be bettering yours aswell.
for once I actually agree with you you are 100% right
England has the worst justice system in the world, you will spend more time in jail for something stupid then if you harm someone, end of the day if you take someones else’s human rights, you should not be given any, murders, rapes, assault and pedo’s should have no human rights as they have taken someone elses.
i remember this being in the papers..the worst thing is this rocky guy had already been found not guilty twice for the same thing…he put a turkish guy in a coma and some other guy was floored by him…it took this to finally convict hi..and he got 3yrs? in america he would have probably got 10-15yrs!..we shud bring americas justice system in full stop..then we,ll see what little pricks wanna run around with knives
Dude did you not read my comment about our justice system in America. Trust me you don’t want ours. Like i said, people getting 20 years for murder, only 6 months for selling crack, OJ Simpson not even being convicted when it was the most obvious case ever. And you want our system.
all the best Sam for the remainder of your life.. u will always be there in our hearts….
Really sad and terrible story. I’m shocked that I didn’t know it till now and agree with all the people who’ve said that the club should make it better known, both in the match-day programme and on the official site. I’m sure all Arsenal fans reading it will, like me, want to do something to help but don’t know what Sam’s family most need and would like. I guess money would be the simplest and best thing? Could the club organise a fund so fans can donate something to help with Sam’s care and rehabilitation? Perhaps also there could be a place on the official site where we can send messages of support? Perhaps Young Guns should contact the club and suggest it?
Just looking at the official site and all the crap it is printing – rubbish transfer rumours from the Sun etc. – I feel really strongly that the club should give some space to this terrible story and make it possible for fans to help. Good to know that Cesc and Philippe Senderos visited Sam in hospital.
I played up front with Sam a couple of times back when we were under-10s. A truly great little lad (he was small then!) and amazing in goal as well. Such a sad story.
justice system in spain is even worse, i can assure you.
eta terrorists: 93 years sentence/good behaviour/written confession=3 years
thats a good way to pay for more than 100 lives.
i would kill zapatero, the worst thing that has happened to spain in the last 100 years.
yes, you did not get this with franco, at least then criminals were imprisoned or killed if that was what they deserved, you could go out and not worry about people mugging you.
anyway, you english pagans can start to criticise me, you are communists
the press will always say it is a racist attack just to sell more papers. i can asuure you race had nothing to do with it
race attack – more like a religious attack. Kanu comes from a christian background, whilst Djelal comes from an Islamic background.