Stenhousemuir have confirmed their player who allegedly taunted Albion Rovers' David Cox over his suicide attempt will take a 'leave of absence' during the investigation.
Cox retired after explaining on a Facebook Live that Jonathan Tiffoney had made comments while he sat on the bench during the pair's League Two clash. He said: "The second half is just starting, Albion Rovers and Stenhousemuir. I have left the stadium.
"I wasn't playing tonight I was on the bench, one of the boys on the Stenny team, we were having a wee bit of to-and-fro on the bench and they had a wee go at my mental health. Told me I should have done it right the first time. So I promised myself the next time it happened I'd walk off the park. Obviously I wasn't playing, I am done with football. Completely.
"Some folk might not think it's a big deal, I'm f*****g fed up listening to it. I don't get paid enough for it and if they'd put me on the park I'd probably have broken the boys' legs deliberately.
"I tried to speak to the referees about it, they didn't want to know because they didn't hear it. Same s*** we're talking about all the time, we talk about racism and the personal issues that get brought up in football, but if it's not heard by officials or whatever there's nothing they can do about it. So I'm going to do something about it and for me it's leaving the game. I'm done with it.
"It wasn't of the reasons I wasn't going back to football, I did in January but I'm done with it. Because I either keep playing and I'm going to batter somebody on the park, which will result in me being the bad one.
"Once he was called out on it he knew what he said and tried to deny it. Nothing gets done about it, nothing is going to get done about it. Football is full of s**** with the things that they say and it's going to continue to happen.
"So, aye, I'm done. Hanging the boots up for good. I've just walked away there, I'm off in the middle of the game. I'm not doing it."
Cox's club Rovers threw their weight behind the striker and told how they would fully back their man.
Now Stenny have revealed Tiffoney will be the subject of an internal investigation, saying in a statement: "The club can confirm that we have asked the Scottish FA Compliance Officer to investigate the incident that happened last night during our game against Albion Rovers, and the SPFL has been informed.
"Serious allegations have been made and they must be fully and robustly investigated. Following discussions with the Stenhousemuir player involved, he will take a leave of absence until the investigation is concluded."
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