Proper order.
Non-league side Hitchin Town have terminated the contract of Alfie Barker following sickening tweets aimed at Bournemouth and Irish international midfielder Harry Arter on Tuesday night.
Barker sent two tweets directly to Arter following Bournemouth’s 3-3 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday night, disgracefully taking aim at Arter’s daughter Renee, who was stillborn in December 2015.
The player and Bournemouth became aware of the tweets – which could still be viewed on Wednesday morning – following the game at the Vitality Stadium and reported them to Twitter.
Hitchin Town released a statement on Wednesday confirming that they had terminated Barker’s contract with immediate effect.
“Alfie Barker was registered to play for Hitchin Town in the Southern League and has appeared only briefly for the club in the 2016-17 season,” the statement read.
“He has 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.
“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.”
