‘Strike’ claims after comment by Ross

IT has been claimed Notts County’s players threatened to go on strike after assistant boss Maurice Ross abused one of the club’s players.

Ross left Meadow Lane earlier this week after aiming the abuse at winger Enzio Boldewijn during last Saturday’s draw at Altrincham.

Confirming his comments on Wednesday, Ross said: “The exact words I said were, ‘He looks like he’s moving like a 40-year-old. What age is he actually? Does he have a doctored African passport?’”

He went on to apologise and express his regret, adding: “I really hope he can forgive that comment I made because it’s not a true reflection of how I am as a human being or me as a coach.

“I take full responsibility for it, I’m here to apologise to Enzio, who’s a cracking footballer, a cracking lad.

“I can only say sorry.”

The former Rangers defender is said to have made the insult in front of the club’s substitutes while Boldewijn was on the pitch during the second half, with the Magpies’ substitutes telling the Dutch winger after the match.

Mirror Sport reports three of the squad’s players were waiting at the door of chief executive Jason Turner on Bank Holiday Monday to outline the depth of feeling at Ross’s remarks.

The national newspaper says Notts players are “understood to have made it clear to Turner in no uncertain terms” that the squad would no longer be prepared to train with Ross in his post.

Turner, it is said, then telephoned head coach Ian Burchnall to outline the situation with the manager then contacting Ross to tell him not to go into training. Within hours of their telephone conversation, Ross – who had only been at the club for five weeks – had left his post.