Football manager banned from South Yorkshire club after 'taking a wee down clubhouse drain'

In a statement posted on his Twitter account on Monday, Jordan Stocks, who managed Swallownest FC, claimed he was made to step down after he was caught 'urinating down a drain' at the club's base at Swallownest Miners Welfare.

He has also been handed a lifetime ban from entering the facilities.

Jordan, who was a manager for three years, claims he has been victimised by the Miners Welfare trustees for such harsh punishment, considering what he has brought to the club during his tenure.

He wrote: “I've unfortunately been made to step down from a club that three years ago I helped out as a favour.

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“I bought into an idea of turning a poorly run club into a club that a community could be proud of.

“I started that process and over the last three years we built a young local side finishing 11th, 10th and ended 9th last year with a league cup semi-final.

“Over this period I knew certain people within welfare didn't like it as they weren't involved.”

He said the incident occurred during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic where the welfare restricted the use of the club's facilities to control the spread of the virus.

“The welfare locked the changing rooms and toilets to stop the spread, rightly so. So once at football, where I took responsibility for washing the kit, I urinated down a sewage drain at the back end away from the club.

“This is what got me a lifetime ban. I've no issues with what I did as it was a safer, better option than using facilities that were Covid restricted.

“I feel let down, yes, I feel I've been victimised by a coward who's acted in jealousy, but I'll move on with my head held high,” he said.

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On Tuesday, Swallownest FC announced that Jordan has stepped down from his role by 'mutual consent'.

Club chairman Mick Kent said: "Following incidents that took place at the club during the first Covid lockdown, the Trustees of the Miners Welfare, the lease owners for the facilities at Swallownest, made decisions resulting in Jordan being unable to attend home matches to carry out his managerial duties.

“Attempts to resolve the issues over a protracted period have been unsuccessful and the situation has become untenable.“As a result, and with the best interest of the team and club at heart, Jordan has offered his resignation and the Management Committee of the football club has reluctantly accepted.”

Asked to comment on Jordan's allegations, the club's spokesperson said: “We have nothing further to add other than information supplied in the release.”

They also clarified that Jordan was banned from accessing the facilities at the Miners Welfare, which includes the ground by the welfare that the club use as a home base for fixtures.

Miners Welfare have been contacted for comments.

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