Woman who grabbed player’s shirt from boy, 8, named as Vickie Timbrell
But the 31-year-old from Manchester, who works at a mental health hospital, has claimed it was all a ‘misunderstanding’ and said she actually knows the child and his family.
Ms Timbrell was caught on camera as she appeared to wrestle Jermaine Beckford’s jersey from schoolboy Ted Dockray at Wembley Stadium.
The Preston star striker had thrown his shirt into the crowd after scoring a hat-trick during Sunday’s play-off final against Swindon.
But football fans watched in horror as Ms Timbrell, who was wearing a pink top, took the shirt from the boy and started smiling.
Today she said: ‘People have made me out to be an absolute idiot. I will be speaking to the family, I actually know them, they’re friends.’
She also wrote on Facebook: ‘Can I just say thank you to everyone for all the support and texts.
‘I’m not commenting on the c*** they’ve written because I’m taking this further. It’s all wrong and twisted.
‘My side of the story will soon come out.’
Yesterday evening, the shirt was placed for sale on Gumtree £1,500, but the advert has since been removed.
Beckford, a Jamaica international, has called for the woman to return the shirt to the eight-year-old boy.
