Teesside soccer stars held after incident in Yarm

2:17pm Tuesday 18th November 2008

TWO North-East footballers were arrested at the weekend after an incident outside a nightclub.

Lee Cattermole, 20, who plays for Premiership side Wigan Athletic, and Middlesbrough FC youngster Matthew Bates were slapped with a fixed penalty notice following the incident in Yarm, Teesside when they and another man were detained following a public order offence.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "Police in Stockton attended an incident outside a nightclub on Yarm High Street at approximately 11.40pm on Saturday, November 15.

"Three local men aged 20, 21 and 23 were arrested and subsequently issued with fixed penalty notices for disorder."

Stockton-born Cattermole signed a three-year deal with Wigan in July in a transfer thought to be worth about £3.5m.

A spokesman from Wigan Athletic said: "Wigan Athletic FC can confirm the midfielder Lee Cattermole was involved in an incident on Saturday night outside a nightclub in Middlesbrough.

"Cattermole was given a fixed penalty ticket for a public order offence. The club is investigating the incident and will deal with the matter internally."

Defender, Bates, 21, is currently recovering from a cruciate ligament operation.

Middlesbrough Football Club declined to comment on what action if any would be taken against Bates.

It's not the first time the England Under-21 star Cattermole has been in trouble.

Only last year he faced being put on the blacklist of troublemakers barred from pubs in Yarm, when another incident got out of hand.

The warning came after landlords complained about a rowdy night out involving the player and 15 of his friends.

A meeting of Stockton's Pubwatch scheme was told Cattermole and others were thrown out of four pubs in the town on November 25 2007 for allegedly being abusive to staff and customers.

Chris Neil, chair of Stockton Pubwatch and owner of the George and Dragon in Yarm, said then that if there was any re-occurrence of their bad behaviour they could be barred for up to three years.

Mr Neil said today it was up to individual outlets "to bring miscreants to the attention of Pubwatch".

He added: "I would hope The Keys brings this incident to our attention officially at which time we can discuss it and decide on any further action."