Leeds United: Readers have their say on David Haigh interview

He told of being abused and tortured by police after being arrested for embezzlement when he flew out to the United Arab Emirates for talks with his former employers Gulf Finance House.

And on the second day of his interview with the YEP, he called for the GFH, the club’s former owners and still a minority shareholder in the club, to apologise to supporters.

His claims have prompted a huge reaction, as well as making national headlines this week. And while many YEP readers told of their horror at his ordeal, many were less sympathetic.

One reader, ‘sja’, wrote online: “Leeds fans - at least those with brains bigger than peas - need to put aside their hatred of GFH and look at this for what it is.

“A British guy detained lengthily without charge in a foreign jail who was beaten and abused. Scandalous really.”

Another reader, BurtLancaster, wrote: “He looks like Christian Bale in The Machinist. Appalling way to treat an Englishman.

“Where was the British Embassy or Cameron when this was going on?

“Too frightened of offending someone, I expect. David Haigh this time. Could be you next time. It’s Kafka’s The Trial made reality.”

In an online comment, WilsdenWhite wrote: “I think I speak for most decent minded Leeds supporters and human beings in general when I say his treatment in Dubai, regardless of what he did or didn’t do for our football club has been outrageous.

“At the end of the day he is a British National. There is not a lot anyone here can do about the way foreign countries treat their prisoners or human beings in general.”

But ‘mcad’ wrote: “Sounds like he bit off more than he could chew and got in too deep. If has any sense he’d have smelt a rat and not gone to Dubai. He didn’t. Lost some timber though, not all bad.”

‘Hong Kong White’ added: “I have worked in Dubai, but so has David. And everybody in Dubai knows that issuing a cheque which bounces is a serious criminal offence, especially if they work, for instance, in finance.

“Without in any way defending the place, it seems a little ridiculous for David to pretend he was just an innocent victim who didn’t know anything about the law, as he was after all working for the Gulf Finance House in Dubai.”