Quote Originally Posted by simonp_ccfc View Post
What concerns me most about this story is news reports say there were 3 people on the tarmac before the plane took off from Nantes. I find it hard to believe that anyone was happy to allow our record signing to fly with just one pilot. Especially at that time of night in the middle of winter. By all accounts the other person on the tarmac was Dave Henderson, a far more experienced pilot with these sort of flights. Was he meant to be the main pilot? Surely nobody would have arranged our star striker to be flown across the channel with just one pilot? Why was Dave Henderson on the tarmac in Nantes?
The thing is, from what I've read this week, players make these kind of journeys and flights all the time. And you do hear about so-and-so is late back from international duty and so on from time to time.

There have no doubt been other seat of the pants incidents and 99% end safely but this is the terrible exception. I'm not making excuses for anyone involved but I can't imagine this is the first time similar arrangements have been made.