Player fined over 'cuffs gesture
A football club has fined a player who celebrated a goal with a handcuffs gesture to show support for a friend jailed following the deaths of two children.
Ipswich Town said midfielder David Norris had also been "warned about his future conduct."
Norris, 27, made the gesture after scoring in Ipswich's 1-0 win at Blackpool on Saturday.
Ipswich officials said they had penalised Norris because he had been "insensitive" to the way the gesture might have been interpreted.
Norris's celebration appeared to be a show of support for former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick, who was jailed last month after being convicted of causing the deaths of Ben and Aaron Peak in a road crash.
Two weeks ago Norris told a local newspaper that he would stand-by McCormick and intended to stay in contact.
An Ipswich spokesman said Norris told club officials that his gesture "was in no way intended to condone or support the actions" of McCormick.
But the spokesman said the club felt Norris had been "insensitive to the possible interpretation" of the gesture.
"David deeply regrets that his actions may have been wrongly interpreted," added the spokesman. "The club also regrets the potential for misinterpretation of the gesture."
Ipswich said Norris had written "a personal and private letter of regret" to the parents of the children killed in the crash. The club also said it would make a donation to charity.
