FORMER England winger Trevor Sinclair has called for the FA to take action against the “vile and abhorrent” racist chanting suffered by York City captain Lenell John-Lewis at the weekend.
Video footage has emerged of audible discriminatory taunts being directed at John-Lewis before his penalty miss in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Yeovil Town, in which the skipper later scored the winner.
The FA are investigating the matter while Yeovil have said they are conducting an internal investigation. The incident was also reported to the police.
Speaking on talkSPORT, ex-international Sinclair said: “This vile and abhorrent behaviour should stop. In football, we can manage this situation ourselves.
“We can ban him (the perpetrator), we can tell his workplace what he’s been up to or we can report him to the police.
“Get them banned, kick them out of football, (because) you’re not wanted and let’s move on with our game and let’s move on as a society.”
Sinclair went on to reveal that has suffered racist abuse previously in his playing career, which saw him win 12 England caps.
He told the radio station: “I’ve had monkey chants and I pray that my kids, who play football, don’t have to hear that.
“We’re failing in football and society, but especially in football because we can manage and govern our own stadiums.
“Get the stewards involved, get their names sent in and kick them out of football and kick them out of your stadium.
“And the FA, get something done about this. Get the culprits, who were racist to this young man, and kick them out of the game.”
An FA spokesperson said: “The FA does not have jurisdiction over individual spectators unless they’re participants in football.
“As a result, we would expect any club concerned and the police to take the strongest possible action where appropriate.
“The FA takes disciplinary action against clubs for any crowd misconduct issues, and this specific matter is currently under investigation.”
Responding to Yeovil’s announcement of an internal investigation, John-Lewis wrote on Instagram, “I am not holding my breath”, adding that “it will be interesting to see what if anything is done by the National League or the FA.”
Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan, also speaking on the programme, felt that viewpoint was “unfair”.
“I think that football’s reaction to this is as strident as it could possibly be,” Jordan said.
“The young man on the receiving end of this has, in one respect, categorised this really well and perhaps not in another.
“He’s called them ‘mindless cowards’, because that’s what they are.
“But to suggest that football doesn’t react to this and that he ‘won’t hold this breath to Yeovil’s investigation’, I think is a little bit unfair.
“His response is that he ‘doesn’t hold his breath’. I think that is awfully disparaging of the effort that football makes.”
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