DARLINGTON Football Club director Susan Reynolds broke her silence last night to insist: "I didn't intend to brand the players as cheats."
The wife of club chairman George Reynolds was speaking for the first time since her emotional speech at a supporters' meeting last week led to a players' walk-out and national controversy.
The third division club - back at Feethams tonight for the first time since the furore - has been thrown into turmoil by her speech in which she said: "It isn't unknown for games to be thrown deliberately at this time of year by way of favours."
At that point, the meeting descended into chaos and Mrs Reynolds says the players' walk-out and the reaction from fans at the meeting prevented her from finishing her speech and clarifying the remark.
Brendan Batson, spokes-man for the players' union, the Professional Footballers' Association, has called on Darlington FC to apologise to the players.
But, speaking from the Witton Hall, the County Durham mansion she shares with her flamboyant husband, Mrs Reynolds said she did not believe she had anything to apologise for.
However, she went on to say: "I don't regret anything because I was speaking truthfully and from the heart. But obviously, with hindsight, it came over completely differently to how I intended. It has been misconstrued, and if I have caused offence to anyone because of that, I'm sorry."
Meanwhile, Mr Reynolds remains angry with the players for walking out on the meeting and failing to hear the rest of his wife's speech.
But the multi-millionaire has vowed to attend tonight's match against Macclesfield.
He said: "I've never walked away from anything in my life. I know I'll probably get a load of stick but I'll take it."
Mrs Reynolds, however, will not be at the match, saying: "I'm not sure I can even set foot in Darlington again."
Yesterday, her mood was buoyed when several bouquets were delivered to the club from fans wishing to express their support - but she knows others do not share that sentiment.
* Mr Reynolds conceded for the first time yesterday that Darlington's £15m 25,000-seater stadium is highly unlikely to be ready to open for the start of the new season in August.
"It's possible that it will be open in time, but we have to accept that it is looking unlikely now," he said.
Read more about Darlington FC here.
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