Speight issues apology

Bradford striker Jake Speight has apologised for failing to notify the club about his recent prison sentence. The 24-year-old, a £25,000 signing from Mansfield earlier this month, served eight days of a 12-week prison sentence after pleading guilty to assault before being released following an appeal. The punishment has been suspended for 18 months and he must now complete 100 hours of community work. Speight told the club's official website: "Of course I regret not telling the club and it was not something I did lightly. But this was a massive move for me. I was in a Catch-22 situation and didn't know what to do for the best. "I've apologised to everyone for not letting the club know and putting people in a difficult situation. I did worry I'd blown it. But it was a weird situation because the incident happened a while ago and nobody expected it to come to a prison sentence. "Now I'm hoping to put everything behind me and move on by getting off to a good start to the season. "I really want the fans to support me. That's why I'm desperate to start well and show them that I was worth keeping. I hope they all get behind me and then there's nothing more said about it."

Source: PA