A FOOTBALLER has apologised following an incident when a referee appeared to be assaulted during a match.

Bacup defender Gary Lloyd, 31, was suspended by the club pending a Lancashire FA inquiry after a man appeared to lunge at referee Mike Shaw, a police constable from Macclesfield.

Lloyd, from Salford, had been dismissed by the referee earlier in the North West Counties Division Two game against Stone Dominoes in Staffordshire on Saturday.

Today he said: "I am horrified but I can't say much about it as there will be a hearing before the Lancashire FA."

Lloyd, who signed for Bacup in February, added: "I wish to apologise to the manager Brent Peters, secretary Frank Manning and the board of directors for the shame I have brought on the club.

"I also wish to apologise to the Bacup supporters and the rest of my team-mates who were left to battle for 60 minutes without me against a team who are second or third in the league.

"I would just like to make a public apology to all of them. "

The Lancashire FA is awaiting the referees' report but Bacup have suspended the player until the incident has been fully investigated.

Lloyd could face a five-year, seven-year or lifetime ban from any football.

The referee abandoned the game after the incident but officials from both clubs both spoke to him and five minutes later he agreed to carry on. Bacup were 1-0 down at the time but went on to lose 6-0.