Tøfting given stay of execution
Thursday, October 31, 2002
Article summary
Bolton Wanderers FC will retain Stig Tøfting until the end of the season despite his jail sentence.
Article body
Bolton Wanderers FC will let Danish midfield player Stig Tøfting stay at the Reebok Stadium until the end of the season, despite his jail sentence.
'Available for selection'
Tøfting, who has lodged an appeal against the decision, received the four-month sentence on 15 October for an assault in a Copenhagen restaurant in June. Bolton have said they will retain the 33-year-old until the end of next June and that he will be "available for selection".
Unacceptable behaviour
A statement on the English Premiership club's website said: "The club has concluded its own discussions with Stig regarding his future, the details of which will remain confidential. The club would like to strongly reiterate its position that it regards the behaviour of Stig that led to his conviction in Denmark to be totally unacceptable and it should be stressed that this matter has been dealt with internally."
Alleged headbutt
Tøfting 's conviction came after he allegedly headbutted the manager of Cafe Ketchup in Copenhagen, where he had met his Danish team-mates for a post-FIFA World Cup reunion. He also punched one of the chefs on the jaw after a row broke out when staff complained about singing from Tøfting's group.
Hell's Angels
Tøfting has been in trouble before. Three years ago he received a suspended 20-day prison sentence for assaulting a fan who insulted him because he was playing for the German club MSV Duisburg. Last year his plans to open a café in Aarhus were rejected by the local council due to his reported Hell's Angels links.