Non-league player sacked for sickening online abuse of Bournemouth´s Arter

Alfie Barker has been sacked by Hitchin Town after the non-league footballer sent offensive tweets to Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter about the death of his daughter.

Arter was the subject of sickening online abuse as Bournemouth played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal on Tuesday, with the Irishman on the receiving end of tweets regarding his stillborn daughter.

The 27-year-old suffered heartbreak in December 2015 following the death of his newborn baby.

Hitchin Town have reacted by axing forward Barker, who had been playing at Langford and Codicote on a dual registration basis.

“The club adopts a responsible approach to social media and would expect any player connected to Hitchin Town to do likewise,” Wednesday’s statement read.

“In the light of the player’s irresponsible and anti-social behaviour, we are terminating Alfie Barker’s registration and relationship with the club with immediate effect.

“We would reiterate that Hitchin Town, as a community club with established links with various segments of the public, has been a long-time user of social media channels and expects all club stakeholders to use them appropriately.”