Police have launched an appeal to find missing former AFC Wimbledon managing director Danny Macklin after he posted a worrying message to social media on Friday morning.
Macklin resigned from his role in September after hidden camera recordings unveiled the director making sexist and abusive comments towards a female colleague. He was charged with misconduct by the FA on Tuesday.
The secret recording, reportedly made by an individual with a military background who had taken up a position working as a club security officer, revealed Macklin saying foul remarks in relation to Wimbledon’s head of supporter services and ticketing Rebecca Markham.
The ex-Wimbledon chief was heard saying he would like to ‘murder’ the female member of staff and described her as a ‘f***ing s**g and a ‘s***’. Macklin was given until December 6 to provide the governing body with a response.
Essex police posted an appeal to social media on Friday asking for information on Macklin’s whereabouts after the former director shared a worrying message about suffering from ‘unrecoverable anxiety’ and ‘anguish’.
Police have launched an appeal to find missing former AFC Wimbledon managing director Danny Macklin (above) after he posted a worrying message to social media on Friday morning
Macklin, who insisted he was ‘not sexist’ but admitted private conversation was ‘100 per cent at fault’, revealed publicly how his ‘life is in tatters’ and that he’s a ‘manic depressive’.
He also said the ‘hideous’ comments had ’caused so much pain for so many people’ and admitted he deeply regretted the comments he made.
‘We want to find Danny Macklin, 32, last seen on foot in Great Notley at 10.50am,’ police released in a statement.
‘Danny is 6ft 4in, with a shaved head, wearing a long black coat, a grey and black bobble hat, black jeans and grey and white trainers.
‘Please call 999 with incident 372 of today, 1 December.’
In his lengthy message on social media, Macklin also apologised to his wife Claire and children Harry, Jacob and Ruby for ‘being the opposite of a good husband’ and being ‘the worst Dad’.
AFC Wimbledon released a statement in response to the allegations ahead of the FA’s charge
He added: ‘I should have put family first, not the determination to be a CEO in the Premier League.’
Markham previously worked at Premier League clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, West Ham and Fulham and became Wimbledon’s head of supporter services and ticketing in June this year.
Another of his former clubs Leyton Orient posted a message of support for Macklin, claiming it ‘takes a strong person to admit their mistakes’ and insisting the whole club was ‘here for you’.
‘Danny, we can’t begin to understand how you are feeling right now but please just know that we are all here for you,’ the club said in a statement.
One of Macklin’s old clubs Leyton Orient gave their support, saying ‘we are here for you’
‘It takes a strong person to admit their mistakes, which you have done, and an even stronger one to overcome the adversity that follows them. We know you can do this too. We hope that the number of messages you have received today prove to you how valuable you are to this world.
‘We are all here for you and will give you all the help you need.’
After The Times unveiled the secret recordings, Wimbledon published a statement which read: ‘AFC Wimbledon strives to be a responsible, inclusive and modern fan-owned club. As such, it takes its obligation to act properly and set an example, as well as its duty of care towards employees and fans, extremely seriously.
‘Behaviour such as that being alleged was and is not tolerated, nor is it representative of the culture at AFC Wimbledon.
‘Once we became aware of the matter we acted appropriately in accordance with our responsibilities and values to promptly resolve it. For legal reasons we are not able to say more.’
For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or go to samaritans.org