FOOTBALLER Adam Bygrave has apologised and admitted to being "distraught" after being sacked by Farnborough FC for inappropriate comments made on Facebook.

The former Boro captain had his contract terminated with immediate effect and was fined the maximum two weeks' wages after it was revealed he had made numerous racist, disabled and paedophile-based comments on social networking sites.

Bygrave, 23, was hauled in by manager Spencer Day and chief executive Steve Duly just minutes after Monday's 1-0 defeat at Salisbury City and was asked to explain a number of serious complaints made to the club.

After admitting the comments were indeed made by him, defender Bygrave was sacked on the spot with the Blue Square South club insisting it stayed "committed to its community roots".

Bygrave, who joined Boro from Hayes & Yeading last summer, later issued a statement apologising to fans and the club, describing the matter surrounding his online comments as a "private family dispute".

'Redeem myself'

The former Reading Academy player said: "I deeply regret comments that I have loaded onto my Facebook page over the last 12 months.

"As much as I totally accept that they are inappropriate and will offend many people, I believed I was just repeating banter and jokes from numerous sources.

"I am involved in a private family dispute that has racial and disabled implications of which [sic] led to some of my actions and although this is no defence, there is always two sides to a story.

"Nevertheless, I accept the severe punishment handed out by the football club as I have left them with no option. I hope people will accept that I have made a mistake, and just because I have posted comments of this nature it does not mean that I believe in them.

"I would just like to give a personal apology to the supporters, player and officials of the club and wish them all the very best for the future.

"I am a young man and am distraught that my actions have come to this. I hope that I will get a chance to redeem myself in the near future.

'Totally unacceptable'

A Farnborough FC statement earlier confirmed: "Adam Bygrave has been fined the maximum two weeks' wages and had his contract terminated with immediate effect.

"Adam has accepted that he has made numerous racist, disabled and paedophile-based comments on social networking sites which are totally unacceptable in any walk of life.

"The club have acted swiftly having only found out of the accusations late last week, taken legal advice, spoken with the Football Association and confronted the player.

"Farnborough Football Club is committed to its community roots and it will not accept such behaviour or actions from any of its employees or supporters, we do believe though that this is a totally isolated incident. The club will make no further comment on this issue."

For more on this story, see this week's News & Mail, out on Friday, August 31.

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