Flashpoint: grandmother Cox remonstrates with
Bowyer for his four-letter assault
Lee Bowyer was forced to apologise after reacting to
crowd taunts with a disgusting foul mouthed blast at a
grandmother.
The Birmingham
midfielder was substituted in the 68th minute of West
Bromwich's 3-1 win - having been booked for a lunging
tackle on Gabriel Tamas. He responded to jeers from fans by lashing
out at Albion season ticket-holder Sandra Cox.
Mrs Cox, who was sitting behind the dug-out in the
family enclosure with seven-year-old grandson Luke, told
Sportsmail: 'Bowyer called
me a f****** ****. It was appalling, especially with my grandson
sitting next to me. He's only seven.
'Everybody was having a go because of the tackle. Then he came
over and was effing and blinding at everybody. It's terrible to
hear such bad language.
Red rage: Bowyer has words with referee Chris Foy
following his challenge on Gabriel Tamas
1994: Failed a drugs test at
Charlton, banned and ordered to
complete FA rehabilitation course.
1996: Convicted of affray and fined
£4,500 following an incident in a
McDonald’s in London.
2000: Charged with GBH and affray
along with Leeds team-mate
Jonathan Woodgate after an Asian
student suffered severe injuries
outside a nightclub. Bowyer was
cleared but paid £170,000 in an
out-of-court settlement.
2005: Seven-match ban and fined
£30,000 by FA for an on-pitch
brawl with Newcastle team-mate
Kieron Dyer and later fined £600
by magistrates for threatening
behaviour over the same incident.
'We sit there so Luke doesn't have to hear it, but it's
even worse because you hear all the players. I reported it to the
nearest steward straight away.'
Bowyer apologised immediately. He could then be seen asking fans
to calm down before taking his seat to watch the rest of the
match.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, who admitted he took Bowyer off to
avoid him getting a second yellow card, said: 'I could see Lee
getting mouthfuls from angry people sitting in the stand and the
only thing I saw him do was put his hands up telling people to calm
down.
'Footballers occasionally say things they might regret in the
heat of the moment but that's not an admission of guilt on behalf
of Lee because I just don't know what happened.'
A West Bromwich spokesman said: 'The lady complained straight
away, saying she had been verbally abused, but the clubs are also
aware that Lee Bowyer made a complete and profusive
apology.
'That is the end of the matter as far as West Brom are
concerned.'