Harris hits out at Amankwaah

Last updated : 13 October 2009 By Van Blerk's Crossing
Millwall's Neil Harris has issued an angry response to Kevin Amankwaah's apology after the Swindon Town player hinted that he had been racially abused by The Lions striker earlier today.

Having issued an apology late yesterday afternoon, the West Country club and the defender released a second statement this morning after The Sun newspaper claimed that Amankwaah had been forced into admitting that he had made fun of Harris' cancer after his teammates threatened to tell manager Danny Wilson the truth.

However, the statement accused Harris of racially abusing the defender.

" I feel compelled to make people aware of the racial and physical abuse that I received on the day," said Amankwaah. "Which included passing comment on my origins and physical assault - both of which were totally unacceptable.

"My comments may have been misplaced, but equally racial and physical abuse has no place in football."

As a result of these claims, Neil Harris issued the following response through the club, who published the statement on their official website:

"I am both angry and upset that Kevin Amankwaah, after seemingly offering an apology for his insulting remarks towards me on Saturday which I had accepted, should now decide to try to justify himself.

"It was not my intention to speak publicly on the subject, tempted though I was, because I had no desire to start a war of words.

"I can categorically state that Amankwaah's insult was not in response to any racial comment and his accusations of verbal and physical abuse are frankly laughable.

"Passions were inflamed following an incident during the game and there was a bit of pushing and shoving, nothing more.

It is demeaning to get into a public 'who said what to whom' argument. I am comfortable that I have nothing to reproach myself for."