City rugby's war of words continues as Peterborough Lions chairman brands Peterborough RUFC coach a 'puppet' issuing 'ignorant, ill-informed comments'

Peterborough RUFC coach Shane Manning made the comment after his side had beaten Lions in a league game last weekend.

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The allegation infuriated Moore who hit back in a statement issued to the PT this weekend. He called Manning a ‘puppet’ who was delivering the views of others and referred to an apology made to his club by Borough officials for alleged racial abuse and violent conduct by unnamed parties after a league game last season.

Moore said: “When I read Manning’s comments I was very disappointed, but wondered how a man I have never spoken to, who has only been at Boro for 2 seasons, could have such ignorant, ill-informed views. Then I realised he’s just a puppet.

"When you look at the bigger picture, and the same fixture last season, which resulted in a written apology to us regarding racial abuse, and violent crowd behaviour, Manning isn’t the problem or the author of his own words.

"You don’t have to look far to find which of his sad, bitter and twisted employers are responsible and while they are allowed to continue to undermine any possibility of harmonious relations, the club will never achieve the accolade or success most of its volunteers deserve.

"There has always been questionable banter between our clubs and I miss my old sparring partners of Phil Elmer and his crew, but it was never racial, personal or vindictive.

“I say this to Manning, ‘do the job you’re paid to do and leave the politics alone, you’ve not earnt the right’ and to the members of PRUFC who support the comments, I say, ‘people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!”