Former St Johnstone winger Lee Croft protests innocence in race abuse row

Published on 15/10/2012 00:55

FORMER St Johnstone winger Lee Croft has protested his innocence after becoming embroiled in racist abuse row.

Croft, who spent five months of last season on-loan at St Johnstone from Derby County, clashed with a ball boy in the closing stages of Oldham’s 1-1 draw at Sheffield United on Saturday.

South Yorkshire police are now investigating an allegation of racist abuse but Croft has insisted he has done nothing wrong. Croft said: “He (the ball boy) kept hold of the ball and 
I ran over to get it and he 
kicked the ball away. In my frustration I said ‘what are 
you doing?’. We were losing 1-0 and I wanted to get the ball back.

“I went over at the end to apologise and he didn’t want to know.”

Croft has the full backing of the Oldham manager, Paul Dickov, who said: “I trust him completely.”