PHYSIO Jim Conway has finally broken his silence over the controversial incident which saw him leave an injured Harriers player to limp half the length of the pitch.

Youssou Diop hobbled from the goal-line to the tunnel on the half way line at Grimsby after a bust-up with the Harriers bucket and sponge man.

The incident happened at Grimsby's Blundell Park ground on November 20 but Conway has declined to comment on it until last Friday's fans forum.

"I don't think I should have to put the record straight after 1,600 games," said the long-serving physio, who also doubles up as general manager. "There was no problem with me and Youssou before the game, he was a lad I'd spent three months taking round Kiddy, getting him a house.

"I did everything I could for him and we'd got a good relationship going. On this day, for some reason, he didn't want to communicate with me.

"He was about a yard off the goal-line. I stepped over him and we still had no communication. The ref was telling me to get on with the job and my words to the ref were, "He's fussy, he's French."

"He refused treatment and he refused to get on the stretcher so I left him, there was nothing else I could do because the referee was about to re-start the game.

"He hopped round the pitch, he came into the dressing room and refused treatment at half time and at full time."

Diop reported for treatment the next morning after failing to talk to Conway on the team bus, despite the physio getting captain Wayne Hatswell to mediate.

But the striker failed to make another appearance for Harriers and was later released by manager Stuart Watkiss for "football reasons" after agreeing a settlement on his contract.

Conway says the matter has been blown out of all proportion.

"People who are 150 yards away from the incident have turned it into something they obviously wanted to see," he said

"It was taken on from there and that's how it stands at the moment. Nothing happened, the only thing the lad did was refuse treatment, end of story.

Asked if he felt like quitting after the abuse he has received from fans as a result of the episode, Conway replied: "I haven't and I won't."