GRIMSBY Town club director John Fenty has defended his actions after reportedly breaking a young Newport County fan's flag at Wednesday night's game.
Newport fans have told the South Wales Argus that a 10-year-old boy was left "devastated" when Mr Fenty broke the black and amber flag into four pieces – much to the delight of Mariners fans.
But Mr Fenty has explained that members of the Newport County party sitting in the directors' box had twice been asked to stop waving the flag, as flags on sticks are banned from football grounds for safety reasons.
He said a steward had already asked for them to stop waving the flag, before Mr Fenty was then asked to intervene after complaints that one of the Newport party had been swearing.
After asking for the swearing to stop, Mr Fenty then took the flag from the boy's hand, rolled it up and gave it back to him, telling him not to wave it.
But, to "his dismay", the flag came out again, waved by a woman believed to be the mother of the boy.
Mr Fenty said: "I deconstructed the flag to the point where it was safe and where it couldn't be considered a danger."
He said if the party had gone through the turnstiles the flag would have been confiscated.
"Directors should know better.
"There was no intention to upset the boy.
"If they had taken notice of the stewards, none of this would have happened."
He reiterated that there was a certain etiquette to be respected in the directors' box, and this had not been adhered to.
Newport County president David Hando said: "It was completely out of order and out of proportion. All he needed to do was to request the flag and say he could have it back at the end, but he didn't, he snapped it not once but twice."
Newport County would not comment on suggestions Mr Fenty had been banned from the directors' box for the second leg at Rodney Parade on Sunday. A club spokesman said: "The club is fully aware of the incident and we are going to take the moral high ground."
Mr Fenty confirmed he will be travelling to Newport.
