Newcastle United defender Amar Dedic was stopped by police after being spotted carrying a bow and arrows at a Northumberland beauty spot, in an incident police say posed no threat to the public.
The 24-year-old Bosnia-Herzegovina international was with a friend when a concerned member of the public raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon. Reports say six police cars were dispatched, including armed officers, and the pair were stopped in a car around seven miles from where they had first been seen.
Dedic joined Newcastle from Benfica in August for a fee in the region of £30 million. He had played two days earlier in Newcastle's 1-0 home defeat by Everton.
What Happened in Northumberland
Northumbria Police said it received a report shortly after 1.55pm on Wednesday of two men carrying a bow and arrows while walking along a track by the reservoir on Military Road in the Harlow Hill area.
"Officers attended and subsequently stopped a vehicle in the Darras Hall area and seized a bow and arrows," the force said. "At this stage, it is understood they were for recreational use and there was no threat to the public. Enquiries are ongoing."
The force has not named Dedic in its statement. BBC Sport has been told Dedic had no ill intention and has fully co-operated with police, a line also reported by talkSPORT in its account of the stop.
In a bizarre twist reported by several outlets, Newcastle goalkeeper Mark Gillespie and former defender Paul Dummett are said to have arrived at the scene while police were speaking to Dedic.
No Arrest, and Enquiries Still Ongoing
It is important to be clear about what has not happened. There has been no report of an arrest or a charge, and police have stressed from the start that they were satisfied the two men were not a threat to the public.
Some reports say Dedic and his friend had fired arrows during the outing, although what they were aiming at remains unclear. Hunting animals or birds with a bow and arrow is illegal in the UK, but no such allegation has been made against the Newcastle player, and LiveScore's report of the police statement makes the same point: recreational use is the working understanding, and enquiries are continuing.
So What for Newcastle and Fulham?
For Newcastle, the practical question is Saturday's trip to Fulham, and on that front the reporting is consistent: Dedic is expected to be available and is not expected to face disciplinary action from the club. The Daily Mail reporting carried by other outlets suggests the club view the episode as naive rather than malicious.
That matters because Newcastle can ill afford another distraction. Matthias Jaissle's side head to Craven Cottage after a poor run, with Joelinton already a doubt for the Fulham game, and Dedic has been one of the brighter performers in a difficult start to the campaign since his summer arrival from Benfica.
The wider lesson is simpler. A bow and arrows carried openly in the countryside will always draw a serious response in Britain, however recreational the intention, and a £30 million Premier League defender will draw a bigger one than most.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This was a strange story, but on the facts reported so far it is a story about poor judgement, not danger — police found no threat, seized the equipment and let the matter rest at enquiries. Newcastle are right not to turn naivety into a ban, and Dedic's best answer is a quiet, strong performance at Fulham on Saturday.
Should Dedic start at Fulham on Saturday, or would you leave him out after this week? Let us know in the comments.
