MARK Harris, the Witton Albion chairman, has said Anthony Gardner will not play again for the club this season without manager Tony Sullivan’s say so.

The defender was disciplined on Friday as a punishment for his part in an incident that took place in the social club at Wincham Park following last weekend’s win against Ramsbottom.    

He was left out of the squad for yesterday’s league game at Trafford, and did not train with his teammates in midweek.

“We’ve applied the maximum sanction permitted for a contracted player,” said Harris.

“He’s accepted that, and remains registered with us.

“Whether he is selected in the future is up to the manager, which is how it should be.”

Gardner has been fined two weeks’ wages, had his name added to the transfer list and been stood down from the captaincy, a role he was invited by Sullivan to fulfil shortly after the manager replaced Anthony Sheehan in the dugout back in October.

The full back, who turned 24 this week, is alleged to have threatened violence towards Sullivan in front of some his teammates last Saturday.

Harris told the Guardian he had spoken to the players as a group on Thursday before meeting Gardner, who left Cammell Laird to sign for Witton early in 2011, the following day.

“Let me be clear, this has nothing at all to do with a match official from the game against Ramsbottom,” he added.

“I’ve read and heard people saying it is, and that’s simply not the case.

“The detail of what has been discussed between the club, an employer, and any of its employees this week will remain strictly private.

“It would be that way in every workplace, and Witton Albion is no different.

“I had hoped to deal with it in-house, a task that became impossible when a version of events was posted by an anonymous user on an internet message board at the start of the week.

“Things like that are beyond our control.”

He said the club had sought legal advice from the Football Association, as well as from their own solicitor, before deciding what to do.

Speaking the Guardian following the tie with Trafford, Sullivan said: “I haven’t slept for the past few days because what’s happened has been on my mind, and it’s the only thing people have wanted to talk about.

“I’ve lost one of my best players, but Anthony Gardner made a conscious decision to do what he did.”

When Luke Clark gave Witton an early lead at Shawe View, he led his teammates to celebrate with Sullivan on the touchline.

Each one, including goalkeeper Andrew Robertson, embraced him.

“The players know there’s been a lot of mud thrown at me this week for something that isn’t my fault,” added Sullivan.

“Some witnessed every second of what happened, and heard what was said.”