SOMETIMES we make mistakes. Last week we made a mistake that upset and alienated lots of good people in Poynton.

Now we want to take this opportunity to apologise to the officials, players and parents involved with Poynton Junior Football Club and put it on the record that they are all entirely blameless following an incident during a football tournament at Great Moor in Stockport.

In our sister paper, the Times - although not in the Express - we reported in mid May that the manager of Poynton under 12s junior team was taken to hospital with severe cuts and bruises to his head following an incident at the tournament, which involved parents of a team called Failsworth Rangers.

The following week the Times reported that the junior football team, officials and parents from Poynton had been cleared of blame and recorded Great Moor chairman, Colin Beverley, as saying: "We believe Poynton to be devoid of any blame for this incident and are therefore awarding them a set of trophies."

Unfortunately in last week's Express our columnist, Vic Barlow, who makes his own apology on page 8, based unwarranted comments about the actions of Poynton parents supporting the young footballers on early reports and failed to make himself aware of the outcome of the incident at the tournament.

At the same time, our internal systems failed to link Vic Barlow's comments in the Express with the earlier reports in the Times. We are sorry that we may have caused distress and we have offered to make a donation of £100 to the funds of Poynton Junior Football Club, for the officials to spend in whatever way they feel will best benefit the young players, as a practical representation of our regret.

One Poynton parent, Peter Taylor, wrote to us to say: "It is clear that Mr Barlow has sacrificed journalistic integrity for sensationalism. The article is so littered with factual inaccuracy as to totally undermine his credibility, not only in respect of this article but in respect of any other article to which his name is attributed.

"When one reads articles of this nature one then questions whether any other article written by this person contains any factual accuracy or any merit whatsoever."

Another wrote: "I would question Mr Barlow's motives and competence in producing such an inaccurate article based on no factual information at all."

Several others have attacked Vic Barlow's article directly in e-mails to him.

We understand their anger and when we make such mistakes we believe we should put the record straight as soon as possible and accept the blame.

Once again, we would like to say to everyone associated with Poynton Junior Football Club, in particular chairman Steve Hardicre; under 12s manager Paul Dawson and the parents - sorry.