Yates issues apology

Yates issued a statement apologising to Elam, both clubs and his own family for the confrontation with Elam that landed the Harriers boss with an FA misconduct charge.

Speaking about the incident for the first time Yates described the week followng the incident as "horrible".

But he insisted he could deal with the FA charge without it affecting the rest of his team's season.

The statement said: "Although I am unable to comment in any detail on the incident that occurred after the final whistle pending the outcome of the FA charge, I feel that after a horrible week some kind of public statement and apology is necessary.

"I would like to publicly apologise to my family, Exeter City and Lee Elam, the directors and officials at Kidderminster Harriers, as well as both sets of supporters for my actions.

"Kidderminster Harriers is a family club and I am a family man, and my actions were out of keeping with my character.

"The frustration and pressure of the job is no excuse, but I am a young manager and have learned a lot from this regrettable incident.

"In the meantime, after a great result on Saturday and a semi-final of the Trophy to look forward to, I would like to concentrate on the team and the rest of the season.

"I am grateful to both clubs, my players, and Lee Elam for their understanding and professionalism in handling this matter, and I wish Exeter and Lee all the best for the rest of the season.

"I hope everyone can respect that I can't make any further comment at this stage, that the FA and I can deal with the incident in private and that it is not allowed to affect the team or the rest of the season going forward."

Yates had refused to comment to the media after the Exeter game and the club's two subsequent matches, with assistant manager Neil Howarth conducting the after-match Press conference instead.