“After the game on Saturday Richard Clarke came straight up to me visibly upset as he had been told an accusation had been made against him regarding his celebration, he told me he was pointing to his name & there is no doubting in my mind this was his intention as he regularly does this when scoring a goal. I’ve known Richard a long time & genuinely is a nice human being alongside being a great football player.
I understand football fans will be upset that his celebration took place in front of our fans but as I told him after the game scoring goals & celebrations are part & parcel of football.
This week in particular we have spoken greatly about mental health wellbeing & the impact social media has negatively on young people. Please think about this when making these accusations about any young man playing a game of football. Life is far more important than point scoring online.”
Matthew Tipton – Portadown Manager