Mark Wright of The Only Way is Essex is coming to St Albans

THE Evo-Stik Southern League has confirmed that Mark Wright, pictured, has indeed signed ‘non-contract’ forms with St Neots Town Football Club, despite TV the star telling his one-million plus Twitter followers that he has not.

Wright, who was a semi-professional footballer before finding fame on the television shows The Only Way Is Essex and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, signed for St Neots on Wednesday, January 11.

A statement on the club’s website announced his arrival saying: “Mark Wright and Rashid Kamara have today signed for St Neots Town FC … The rumour mill has been in action for some weeks now with regards to Mark.”

The following day, The Hunts Post spoke to St Neots Town manager Dennis Greene who said: “I have been talking to him on and off for weeks and we have signed him for footballing reasons – not just as a gimmick.”

However, on Friday another statement was released by the club informing its supporters that, because of a change to his TV commitments schedule, Wright would not be available for the game against Woodford United at The Hunts Post Community Stadium on Saturday, the following day. At that game, the St Neots chairman Mike Kearns told The Hunts Post: “We knew about Mark Wright before Christmas and he was going to sign for us then. But he rang us up and said he’d had a phone call and had been asked to go into the jungle in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.”

Then, at 4.04pm on Sunday, a Tweet appeared on Wright’s Twitter account which read: “Just to confirm I have not signed for st neots football club!!”

St Neots responded on their website, saying: “Unfortunately there seems to be some confusion with Twitter statements that have been released on Mark’s ‘behalf’ on his Twitter blog.”

And when The Hunts Post e-mailed the Southern League on Monday, secretary Jason Mills replied: “I can confirm that Mark Wright registered with St Neots Town on January 11 as a non-contract player.”

Kearns said on Tuesday: “If Mark’s available and wants to be considered to play, he will be considered.”