Police investigate ball boy incident
A Carrick Rangers statement said the club and the goalkeeper wished to "apologise for any distress caused".
"In acknowledging any distress caused, the club has made a donation to the Northern Ireland Children's Hospice, and will also endeavour to make contact with the ball tender and their family," said the club's statement.
"Any internal disciplinary investigation will, in accordance with employment good practice, remain confidential between the employee and employer. Carrick Rangers FC will be making no further comment on this matter."
Earlier, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said "enquiries are ongoing" into the incident while the Irish Football Association added that it was "aware of the incident".
"Police received a report of an assault at a football match in the Cliftonville Street area of north Belfast on Saturday, March 22," said a PSNI statement.
Comments
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            Just watched that.
Unbelievable
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            Looks like the little runt deserved it.6
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            He'll get done for assault if the family wish to pursue it.
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Not sure he deserved it, he was trying to give the ball to the keeper, the keeper was trying to time waste. There was no need to push him. If that happened at The Valley by a visiting keeper there would be uproar.O-Randy-Hunt said:Looks like the little runt deserved it.12 - 
            In the side on footage it looks like it’s a girl.The keeper already had a ball and it looked like she/he was trying to pull it off him rather than give it to him.0
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            Ball boy / girl runs up to the keeper forcing the ball into his hands (keeper plays for away side and they're in front, cue shithousery time wasting from said keeper). Keeper takes ball off ball boy / girl, then pushes them to the ground.0
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On the side footage the keeper's hands were down by his side. He didn't have a ball.SoundAsa£ said:In the side on footage it looks like it’s a girl.The keeper already had a ball and it looked like she/he was trying to pull it off him rather than give it to him.
The ball person was giving him the ball (possibly forcefully) which he took before pushing them over.
It could have been a girl, but looks like a boy to me.0 - 
            I realise this isn’t a laughing matter, but it reminded when we were in the premiership, Richard Rufus and from memory Duncan Ferguson where having a right old ding dong, which started at the edge of the penalty area and ended up with both of them going down the slope at the covered end, just before they slipped and fell a few punches where exchanged, unfortunately my boy was the ball boy there and they both landed on top of him, neither player where hurt, but they had to call for the trainer who tended a very flattened but unhurt ball boy.Think they both were booked. Along while ago now but after around 30 years we still chuckle about it.9
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            O-Randy-Hunt said:Looks like the little runt deserved it.
The original ball had bounced over the advertising boards and away to the right. The ballboy went to give the ball to the keeper, he certainly did not already have a ball, who was trying his best to waste as much time as possible and the kid rumbled that. Absolutely no excuse to then shove the kid to the ground and keeper deserves to get punished for that. His club realise that and are trying to lessen any punishment by making a donation to a children’s charity and try and speak to the ballboy and his family.SoundAsa£ said:In the side on footage it looks like it’s a girl.The keeper already had a ball and it looked like she/he was trying to pull it off him rather than give it to him.The little runt in this case is the keeper…and I hope he does get what he deserves.13 - 
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            Ball boys had a proper dive up there, knows exactly what they’re doing. Games back.4
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            Shades of Nicky Bailey.0
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            Everything is a major incident these days.3
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            Refs have got to eradicate this from the game and start dishing out cards to the ball boys.4
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            Didn’t Paul Miller have an incident with a ball boy ?Norwich away - spat at him, so Lennie got rid of Miller ?0
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            If I was a manager and knew the opposition had a long throw merchant in the side, I'd give them all water bottles to empty onto the balls whenever they have a throw in
It's the little things0 - 
            Hard to tell from the clip of course, but why oh why did the goalie not stick the boot in as well?
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Miller spat at a Newcastle player, & Lennie got rid of him.Lordflashheart said:Didn’t Paul Miller have an incident with a ball boy ?Norwich away - spat at him, so Lennie got rid of Miller ?4 - 
            
Are you John Beck ???sam3110 said:If I was a manager and knew the opposition had a long throw merchant in the side, I'd give them all water bottles to empty onto the balls whenever they have a throw in
It's the little things0 - 
            
Ah - ok - I’m getting old !!!Stefco said:
Miller spat at a Newcastle player, & Lennie got rid of him.Lordflashheart said:Didn’t Paul Miller have an incident with a ball boy ?Norwich away - spat at him, so Lennie got rid of Miller ?0 - 
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Probably the last two players I'd like to get in the middle of in a fightCharltonKerry said:I realise this isn’t a laughing matter, but it reminded when we were in the premiership, Richard Rufus and from memory Duncan Ferguson where having a right old ding dong, which started at the edge of the penalty area and ended up with both of them going down the slope at the covered end, just before they slipped and fell a few punches where exchanged, unfortunately my boy was the ball boy there and they both landed on top of him, neither player where hurt, but they had to call for the trainer who tended a very flattened but unhurt ball boy.Think they both were booked. Along while ago now but after around 30 years we still chuckle about it.3 - 
            Anyone who thinks that's "assault" needs their head testing.5
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I seem to remember he swore at a ball boy in front of the Sainsburys end because he wasn't fast enough to return the ball, and then Miller got stick from the crowd who heard it.Lordflashheart said:
Ah - ok - I’m getting old !!!Stefco said:
Miller spat at a Newcastle player, & Lennie got rid of him.Lordflashheart said:Didn’t Paul Miller have an incident with a ball boy ?Norwich away - spat at him, so Lennie got rid of Miller ?0 - 
            It reminded me of this incident, between a ballboy and Eden Hazard...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd38KUjmOho 
Interesting aside, only one of those two is now a multi-millionaire twenty-something. And it's not Hazard.0 - 
            Off_it said:Anyone who thinks that's "assault" needs their head testing.It is technically, but as a ball boy you should just hold the ball out for the keeper to take rather than try and hurry the bloke along.No doubt the goalie will be done for assault and never play again. This is a mad world.0
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            I wish the ball boy had got up and pushed the goalkeeper back.
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What would be the right way to deal with a professional footballer pushing a child over?Arsenetatters said:Off_it said:Anyone who thinks that's "assault" needs their head testing.It is technically, but as a ball boy you should just hold the ball out for the keeper to take rather than try and hurry the bloke along.No doubt the goalie will be done for assault and never play again. This is a mad world.0 - 
            
Invite him in to lecture schoolchildren about how easy it is for big people to assault little people.Chizz said:
What would be the right way to deal with a professional footballer pushing a child over?Arsenetatters said:Off_it said:Anyone who thinks that's "assault" needs their head testing.It is technically, but as a ball boy you should just hold the ball out for the keeper to take rather than try and hurry the bloke along.No doubt the goalie will be done for assault and never play again. This is a mad world.0 - 
            
"You are charged with assault, how do you plead?"Arsenetatters said:Off_it said:Anyone who thinks that's "assault" needs their head testing.It is technically, but as a ball boy you should just hold the ball out for the keeper to take rather than try and hurry the bloke along.No doubt the goalie will be done for assault and never play again. This is a mad world.
"Not guilty your honour. The child tried to push the ball into my hands instead of just holding it out for me, so I had no choice"
The only thing mad is you think that assault is a justified response to that situation, or that being convicted of assaulting a child should be a career ending occurance?0 - 
            
I’m not sure we should be encouraging it….seth plum said:
Invite him in to lecture schoolchildren about how easy it is for big people to assault little people.Chizz said:
What would be the right way to deal with a professional footballer pushing a child over?Arsenetatters said:Off_it said:Anyone who thinks that's "assault" needs their head testing.It is technically, but as a ball boy you should just hold the ball out for the keeper to take rather than try and hurry the bloke along.No doubt the goalie will be done for assault and never play again. This is a mad world.3 


















