Pinchbeck manager calls for action to be taken as Leicester player hurls abuse at boy

Officials are investigating an incident at a football match this weekend when a player hurled abuse at a six-year-old boy.

Pinchbeck United manager Ian Dunn is calling for action to be taken against a Leicester Nirvana defender who not only directed vile language at his son Rupert but walked off laughing after agreeing to apologise.

Rupert had been excited to be acting as a ball boy but was left in tears after being shouted at by the Nirvana player for simply kicking the ball back onto the pitch.

Also...

• Supermarket chain offers new app to tackle food waste
• School creates woodland wonderland
• Charity ball raises £14,000 for good causes

Lincolnshire FA has confirmed it is investigating the incident at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field in Spalding on Saturday.

Mr Dunn, who says he is not a “saint”, said: “I get that people lose their rag and say things they don’t mean but I went to him, shook his hand and asked him to apologise to my son. The fact that he looked me in the eye and said yes and walked off laughing made it worse as it showed no remorse.

“I am still really angry. I am not going to pretend that I am a saint but some action should be taken against him.”

The incident happened 10 minutes into the game, shortly after Pinchbeck had taken the lead. Rupert had picked up the ball, took a couple of seconds to dry it on his coat before kicking it back. It was then that the defender hurled the vile language at the six-year-old.

Mr Dunn said: “Swearing at football happens. It’s just the thing that it was directed at Rupert - that was completely out of order. Rupert didn’t know what he had done wrong.”

Mr Dunn, who also added that it had been heard by an independent witness, said it was also frustrating that the incident could have been dealt with by the referee, who later sinbinned another player for foul language.

We have contacted Leicester Nirvana for a comment but it had not arrived at the time of going to press.

An FA representative said: “We have received all the reports and will be investigating this matter.”