Latics boss backs winger after match outburst

ATHLETIC player Lee Croft (far right) apologises to the ballboy at the end of the Sheffield game.

ATHLETIC manager Paul Dickov says he “trusts Lee Croft completely” after the winger denied allegations that he racially abused a ball boy at Sheffield United on Saturday.

South Yorkshire Police and the Football Association are investigating the incident.

Croft ran over to retrieve the ball close to the end of the game for a throw-in, when the ball boy appeared to kick it away.

“The ball boy was wasting time,” said Croft (27), who denied using foul and abusive language. “I ran over to get it back off him and he kicked the ball away. In my frustration, I had a go at him to just give me the ball back. That was it.

“Then a fan ran on at the end and told me to apologise. I ran over to the lad — I felt bad for him — but he didn’t want to know and pushed my hand away.”

Athletic were losing 1-0 at the time of the incident. The match eventually finished 1-1 after Matt Smith’s last-minute goal.

Croft has the full support of Dickov.

The Scot said: “I’m never going to condone anything like that, but knowing Lee as I do, I trust him completely.

“If something has happened, we won’t put up with it. But Lee Croft hasn’t got that in his body. A lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon very quickly. The kid himself has said he doesn’t know what was actually said.”


OUR website carries heavily edited versions of stories only available in full in our print and eChron editions
Follow us on Twitter: @OldhamChronicle