PSNI: Police investigating ball boy incident at Cliftonville v Carrick Rangers game

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) says “enquiries are ongoing” into an incident involving Carrick Rangers goalkeeper Jack McIntyre at Saturday’s game against Cliftonville, in which a ball boy appeared to be pushed to the ground.

The Irish Football Association has also said that it is “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.

The incident occurred in the first half of the game at Solitude as McIntyre went to retrieve the ball from a ball boy for a goal-kick in an attempt to restart play quickly.

The referee did not caution McIntyre after the incident, but Cliftonville fans voiced their displeasure by booing the goalkeeper for the remainder of the game.

The Irish FA statement added: “Should the matter be formally referred to the Disciplinary Committee, normal disciplinary protocols will be followed in line with established procedures”.

Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter said after the game that he “didn’t see” the incident and therefore had “nothing to say” about it.

Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton also said that he had not witnessed the incident but added “if he has put hands on the ball boy and that is the rule then he was lucky not to be sent off”.