Preston Release Official Statement To Hopefully Put An End To Miserable Jermaine Beckford Shirt-Snatching Saga

Chris Wright

26th, May 2015

3 Comments

By Chris Wright

The saga of Jermaine Beckford’s League One play-off final shirt has rumbled on into its third day.

For those unaware, outrage was sparked during the latter stages of Sunday’s game at Wembley when a 31-year-old woman appeared to snatch Beckford’s jersey out of the hands of an eight-year-old fan, Ted Dockray, who had emerged clutching it after the Preston striker slung it into the crowd.

The shirt then appeared on Gumtree after the match priced at £1,500 before being quickly removed as widespread scorn and condemnation poured in from across social media.

beckford-shirt1

As is usually the case in these heady days in which we live, the derision soon turned into a quasi-militant witch-hunt, with the woman soon being identified and duly hounded on Facebook by fans disgusted at her behaviour. It was a ‘campaign for justice’ or so we’re told.

The woman, Vickie Timbrell, was later smoked out by the press, with the Mirror proudly boasting about publishing the “first picture of the Preston shirt-snatcher” – having right-clicked and saved-as’ed one of her Facebook profile photos.

This was after Mrs Timbrell herself told the Manchester Evening News that the incident had been a “misunderstanding” and that she was “family friends” of Ted’s parents. However, that didn’t stop Ted’s aunt from chastising her on Facebook.

Mrs Timbrell responded by telling the Lancashire Evening Post that “her side of the story will come out” before promptly deleting her Facebook page entirely and reporting the merciless online abuse she’d suffered in the meantime to the police.

Justice?

And so, on to today, with Preston North End themselves finally wading into the increasingly murky waters to issue an official club statement on the matter.

“[We] have been in consultation with the Football League and the parents of the child who is alleged to have had the shirt taken from him as seen on television cameras covering the match.”

“Please note, no one involved in this situation is connected with Preston North End in any way, shape or form.

“We are delighted to say that Jermaine is more than happy to sign and present the child involved with his spare match shirt from the game.

“[Preston] will also provide a stadium tour for the youngster.”

The club also added that, should Beckford’s match-worn shirt be returned to them, they’d be more than happy to pass it on to its rightful recipient.

Let’s hope so, eh? And the sooner the better, before the swarming social media morality goon squad claim another victim.

Honestly we don’t think we can sum it up more succinctly than Kelly over on the Football Ramble site managed earlier today: Just because Mrs Timbrell appeared to act like a five-year-old doesn’t mean you have to too.

Yes, we’re talking to you, the internet.

Posted in Football League, Kits & fashion, Media, Newsnow

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3 Comments

  1. Jarren says:

    Hard to have sympathy with an adult who steals from a child.

    In fact, I have none at all.

  2. Degs says:

    It looked to me that the kid in the blue top got his hands to it first and the kid in yellow took it from him.
    But the important thing is that I DON’T CARE!

  3. Geraldo says:

    If you can’t do the time (or in this case, put up with the abuse), don’t do the crime.

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