Soccer star Luke: I’m sorry for stupid immature tweet
Player gives wages to victims
Jono Gibbes faces questions yesterday ULSTER Luke Rossiter A FOOTBALLER has said sorry over a tweet about the verdict of the rugby rape trial.
Following the conclusion of the case, Drogheda United player Luke Rossiter posted a grossly offensive comment on Twitter.
The 19-year-old has now apologised over the “stupid and immature” tweet, adding he will donate his wages for the rest of the season to a rape crisis centre in the north east.
Drogheda United added it is still carrying out an investigation and a review of club policy and Rossiter won’t be selected while these are ongoing. A statement since Stuart
Paddy Jackson and
Olding’s acquittal.
Jono Gibbes, who leaves Ulster at the end of the season, said the last two weeks had been “difficult”.
But he added his players had to separate issues of the rape trial from their training and games to handle the pressure of this week’s match. Asked if the from the player on the Drogheda United website yesterday, read: “May I start by saying how deeply sorry I am for the comment I made on social media.
“The truth is I don’t really know why I did it as I have no reasoning behind it. It was a stupid and immature thing to do.
“And in doing so I hurt and let my family, club, manager, teammates and the Drogheda fans down and I’m sure many more.
“I have only been at Drogheda United a short time and for them and Tim Clancy to take a chance aftermath of the case would impact on Friday’s fixture against Edinburgh, Gibbes said: “The question is legitimately fair and there’s nothing sinister about it but it’s difficult to answer.
“This is a situation that is 21 months old and it’s been part of the group – so being able to put things into different compartments has been important.
“What we have to do day to on me I can only say I am truly sorry.
“It is clear I still have some growing up to do in relation to how I conduct myself off the pitch as well as on it.
“If the club and fans can forgive me I’d like to start that growing by donating any money I receive from Drogheda United for the remainder of the season to Rape Crisis North East based in Dundalk which has an outreach programme in Drogheda.
“I would also like to offer my day is about dealing with different things on their own.”
Gibbes added he hadn’t banned the team from accessing social media during the 42-day trial, nor advised them to avoid it.
He said: “I don’t enforce bars around social media.”
The coach would not be drawn on the morale of the Ulster team, adding: “I can’t say
HEAD COACH YESTERDAY
about morale because how do you define it?
“Win, lose or draw when we look at the team’s performance in the past 12 months or the last nine months I’ve been here, there been periods of the game where we’ve been well positioned.
“But we go a score behind and it’s the next moment that comes after that that we aren’t managing well.
“It’s about training really. It’s understanding what we’ve got time to promote awareness of such sensitive issues and I am also keen to learn how such issues can impact and affect people’s lives.
“Once again I’m sorry for any hurt I have caused.”
Drogheda United added on the page: “While the club acknowledges Luke’s wholehearted apology, an internal investigation is still ongoing.
“Drogheda United are also carrying out a review of club policy and plan to educate all players and staff in relation to the impact their opinions and actions can have on others.” in place, who we’ve got on the team, the strategy we’ve trained during the week for and how we utilise that and the individual roles we have for that.”
Speaking of the last two weeks of the rape trial, Gibbes told reporters: “It is a difficult situation but I can’t control any of it.”
He added Craig Gilroy would be available for Friday’s game, adding: “We haven’t made final announcements.”
What we have to do day to day is deal with things on their own JONO GIBBES