Vickie Timbrell appears to take the shirt caught by schoolboy Ted Dockray. Photo / Sky Sports / Screengrab
Vickie Timbrell appears to take the shirt caught by schoolboy Ted Dockray. Photo / Sky Sports / Screengrab
The woman who sparked outrage when she appeared to grab a football hero's shirt out of the hands of an eight-year-old fan has been named as mother-of-two Vickie Timbrell.
But the 31-year-old from Manchester, who works at a mental health hospital, has claimed it was all a "misunderstanding" and saidshe 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 in the 71st minute of Preston's 4-0 victory and started smiling.
Ms Timbrell has protested that she knows the schoolboy and that real story will come out. Photo / Sky Sports / Screengrab
Yesterday evening, the shirt was placed for sale on Gumtree for £1500, 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.
Ted, who lives in Failsworth, Manchester, was said to be "in bits" and ran towards his father Martin after the woman seemed to grab the shirt for her daughter.
The family had gone to north-west London to watch his ten-year-old brother Leo play in a schools' championship. His aunt Helen Dockray spoke of his sadness to the Lancashire Evening Post.
She said: "Ted was clearly the last one to have his hands on that shirt. He would have worn it even if it was all sweaty and smelly. It is the happiness it would have brought the child that matters."
Beckford, 31, who made history by becoming only the third player ever to score a hat-trick in a play-off final, said: "It was intended as a goodwill gesture.
"I assumed it would go to a good home from someone who was able to enjoy the game. Hopefully, it will find its way back to the kid who caught it."
The advert for the shirt was later posted from a Stretford address on classified website Gumtree for £1500, but has since been removed. It is not known whether this was a genuine advert.
But a happy ending is still possible, after Preston confirmed they will get Beckford to present his second Wembley shirt to Ted if he makes himself known to the club.
And Ted's mother Sarah said the brothers had a day out at Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey today after Leo's team won his final.
A Lancashire Police spokesman told the Daily Mirror no crime had been committed, but added that its football intelligence unit would look into the case.
It comes after a baseball supporter was caught catching a fly ball at a game on May 16 - and showed off by kissing her biceps as a group of boys stood nearby, disappointed that they had not caught the ball.
Eventually, the Kansas City Royals fan turned and gave it away to a boy wearing a white jersey and mitt - but later in the game, cameras caught her calling out over the aisle: "Give me my ball back!"
