STALYBRIDGE Celtic insists it ‘will not hesitate to take appropriate action’ against anyone found to have made racist remarks after two former players were each banned for 12 matches.
Aaron Dwyer and Max Harrop were punished by the Football Association for conduct towards Hednesford Town’s Desean Martin during a Northern Premier League West Division match on September 2 last year.
And the Bower Fold side has left no-one in any doubt about how dimly it views the incident, even though it was not part of the Independent Regulatory Commission’s investigation as both had already left.
A spokesperson said: “The club is aware of the outcome of a Football Association Independent Regulatory Commission’s investigation dated May 31, 2024 into the actions of two of its former players who left the club in November 2023 and April 2024.
“The club was not a party to this matter and hence is unable to comment on any details of the case.
“The club strongly condemns and has a zero tolerance policy against all forms of abuse and discrimination including racial abuse and will not hesitate to take appropriate action against anybody found to breach such policy.”
Both Dwyer and Harrop were found to have referred to Mr Martin as a ‘black b*****d’ and as ‘Raymond’ – a reference to a character in TV show Max and Paddy.
In evidence, Mr Martin said: “Initially it was SCFC-8 [Harrop] who was trying to wind me up. He said something along the lines of, ‘You look like Raymond.’
“SCFC-10 [Dwyer] then walked over towards me and made a comment about me ‘going to jail’ and ‘what they would do to me.’
“He then called me a ‘black b*****d.’
“He was stood right in front of me, face to face, less than a yard away. He said it in a normal tone, blatantly racially abusing me in close proximity to others.”
Mr Martin, who was booked, complained to the referee he had just been racially abused.
However, he added: “As I walked back into the 18-yard box, SCFC-8 [Harrop] walked past me and whispered the words ‘black b*****d’ in my ear and started smiling at me.
“I could feel myself getting mad inside. However, I didn’t want to show them that these words bothered me. “
Mr Martin was issued a second yellow card and referee Jonathan Wyatt told the panel: “Whilst issuing the caution, (Mr Martin) disclosed to me that he had been racially abused. He said, ‘They called me a black b*****d and told me I look like I belong in jail.’”
Dwyer denied calling Mr Martin a ‘black b****d’ and when interviewed, he said: “I’m being so honest now, like, no, nothing, I didn’t say nothing like that.
“I just didn’t. I know, for a fact, that I didn’t say nothing like that.”
In a later statement, however, he added: “I would like to place it on record that at no stage did I ever say the words ‘black b*****d.’
“That is something that is not in my vocabulary and I would not ever say anything like that.
“The only thing that was said that Desean has said was in reference to a character called Raymond from TV programme Max and Paddy. I said this in the context of banter.
“Obviously, I was trying to wind him up, but never in one million years did I do so with the intention of being racist.
“I didn’t admit it in the first instance as I panicked.”
When questioned by the FA whether he had used the term ‘Raymond,’ Harrop replied: “No, not at all. And it’s the 21st century. Do you know what I mean?
“I mean, if you’re still doing s*** like that then – do you know what I mean, it’s just f***ing mad.
“I’m a nice lad, I would never use that language.”
However, according to the commission, it ‘did not find Mr Harrop to be a convincing witness.’
It added: “The Commission was also singularly unimpressed that Mr Harrop sought to suggest to it that he had been unaware when he attended for interview that he was himself the subject of an accusation of having used discriminatory language.
“In the Commission’s view, this was implausible and untruthful.
“The credibility of Mr Harrop and indeed that of Mr Dwyer was, in the Commission’s eyes, critically undermined and eroded by the fact that in their respective interviews with The FA they had lied.”
It found Dwyer and Harrop did indeed refer to Mr Martin as a ‘black b*****d’ and as ‘Raymond.’
It also found he made references to his opponent ‘going to jail’ and that he said, ‘You would get boned in prison.’
In Dwyer’s case, it states: “Insulting and/or abusive words which made reference to colour and/or race, including the term ‘black b*****d’ and the admitted reference to ‘Raymond’ were aimed at Mr Martin.”
In adds: “The words ‘black b*****d’ are, sadly, self-explanatory in this instance.
“There can be no doubt that they refer, expressly, to colour. The Commission also considers that they refer impliedly, if not expressly, to race.
“We also find all the references to ‘Raymond’ were impliedly a reference to colour and/or race.
“The Commission is of the clear view the only reason that ‘Raymond’ was referred to out of all possible characters who may have appeared in sitcoms or other shows on the television is because of the colour of his skin.”
As a result, the pair were each banned for 12 competitive matches, which is still in place.
They were also made subject of an education programme and ordered to pay £600 each in fines and costs.