BELFAST football club Linfield has ended a recently-announced sponsorship deal with a local business after it emerged its owner had previously been convicted of sexual assault.
Earlier this week, the club posted a picture of Stephen Mooney holding a Linfield shirt as it announced Mooney’s Master Butchers would sponsor the club’s academy.
However, the current Irish League champions backtracked on the agreement on Saturday after it emerged Mooney had been convicted in 2018 of sexually assaulting a woman at a Belfast hotel.
In a statement on Saturday morning, the club also revealed it would be making a donation to charity.
“Linfield Football Club wishes to advise that it has terminated all sponsorship agreements with Mooney’s Butchers, including sponsorship of the Linfield Academy,” read the statement.
“The club will also be putting measures in place to ensure that all future sponsorship arrangements will be subject to internal vetting procedures.
“In addition, the club will be making a donation to a victims related charity and wishes to apologise for any distress caused by this decision.”
Mooney was fined £750 and ordered to pay his victim £1,000 compensation following the 2015 assault.