Football coach Mark Robins quickly regretted this celebratory gesture. His emotional outburst after the English second division team Coventry City’s sensational advance to the semi-finals of the prestigious FA Cup against Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers was understandable and nothing special. But the 54-year-old targeted a ball boy during his exuberant celebration because he had previously upset him. Robins walked towards the 13-year-old with his arms raised, cheered directly in front of him, and shortly afterwards turned around again and showed his clenched victorious fist again in the direction of the ball boy – a Wanderers fan.
Robins: “I apologize unreservedly”
Robins apologized for his behavior at the press conference after the game on Saturday evening. “We scored the goal, I went and celebrated in front of him. I apologize to him unreservedly. I don’t show emotions often. But that’s what the FA Cup does to you,” Robins said. The ball boy annoyed him before the late goal by dropping the ball in front of him and running away smiling, said the former professional footballer. “It really annoyed me. But he’s a child.”
In a furious game, Coventry knocked the favorites out of the cup competition 3-2 with two goals in the seventh and tenth minutes of added time and moved into the round of the last four teams. The club last stood there in 1987, when Coventry later won the title in the final against Tottenham Hotspur.
Marc Heinrich and Daniel Theweleit Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Published/Updated: Recommendations: 4 Marcus Erberich, Brighton Published/Updated: Recommendations: 7
However, Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil found Robins’ behavior more than questionable. “He apologized. But celebrating like that in a little boy’s face was disgusting to me. The boy is really upset. Something like this shouldn’t happen.”
