Robins release absent player (From Messenger Newspapers)

Robins release absent player

12:22pm Wednesday 25th July 2012 in Sport

LEIGHTON McGivern has been released by Altrincham after failing to show up for any of the pre-season games or training sessions so far.

Lee Sinnott made repeated attempts to contact the missing Alty striker and was left with no option but to end his spell at Moss Lane after he failed to answer any of the manager’s calls or messages.

“It is a bit mystifying,’ said Alty boss Sinnott. ‘If there is a problem with Leighton, we have been unable to get to the bottom of it, for the simple reason we’ve been unable to speak to him.

“At the end of last season, we decided which players we were going to let go and which we were going to renegotiate with, and Leighton was in the latter category. There was no hint of anything being wrong then, but here we are, starting the fifth week of our pre-season programme, and there is no sign of him and no word from him.

“When he didn’t turn up for the first session, I tried to contact him to find out why, as did Neil Tolson and Grahame Rowley. In week two, a message reached us that he would be in touch. He was going to contact us, but we are four weeks down the line now, and that call still hasn’t materialised.

“I have left countless messages, because I was starting to become concerned there may be something wrong. Each time, I said: “Leighton, I hope everything is ok. Give me a call and let me know.”

“There comes a time in these situations where you have to make a decision, and that time has arrived. It is just disappointing and a bit unfortunate that when I had to tell him he was no longer an Altrincham player, I couldn’t do it face to face or at least by speaking directly to him.

“I haven’t had a conversation with him since the end of last season, and when I called him for the last time, it went on to answer machine, as it has done all along.

“I did my best to communicate with him, but for whatever reason, it wasn’t possible, so I just wished him all the best, hoped everything was ok and thanked him for his service. It was time to move on, and that probably applies to Leighton as well. I think he needed to know, so he can move forward and sort out what he wants to do.”