James is sock and tired of the wait

From the Echo, first published Thursday 2nd Oct 2003.

AFC Bournemouth have been given the yellow card after a young player with special needs was kept waiting more than 18 months for his football socks.

But the club has vowed to make sure James Williams will soon be feeling over the moon, by supplying the missing footwear in time for his next kick-off.

Dad Dave Williams bought James a replica Cherries soccer kit when the 10-year-old began attending a weekly after-school training session, sponsored and run by the club, at Bournemouth's Littledown Centre early last year.

But while he received the shirt and shorts, James - who suffers from concentration problems and epilepsy - is still waiting for his socks.

He has now outgrown the strip's shorts, and his father says the situation has gone beyond a joke.

"We were offered the kits by the people running the sessions, and when we received the shirts and shorts we were told the socks would follow in a week or so," explained Mr Williams.

"Then it became the next week, then the next, and so on. There was one excuse after the other - we were told the firm making the kit had gone bust, and are still waiting now. Several of his team-mates are in the same boat.

"It is such a shame because the training sessions keep James fit and he adores playing there. I contacted AFC Bournemouth, and they promised to look into it, but I don't want to get James' hopes up. He's been disappointed too many times already."

However, Cherries' chairman Peter Phillips promised the problem was being resolved.

"The situation has only recently been brought to my attention, but it is in hand and James will receive his socks at the next session," he explained.

"I understand the problem originally arose because the company that was supplying the kit closed down. This happened before our community officer Steve Cuss arrived at the club."

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