Anti-racism organizations and England’s Football Association (FA) are expressing strong disapproval of an independent panel’s ruling that found former Crawley Town FC manager John Yems, despite his use of “offensive, racist and Islamophobic” language, was “not a conscious racist.”
Yems faced accusations of making at least 16 offensive remarks between 2019 and 2022, with comments that referenced ethnic origin, color, race, nationality, religion, and gender, according to the FA.
Following an investigation by an independent Regulatory Commission appointed by the FA, Yems was suspended from all football-related activities for 18 months, until June 1, 2024. He had already been suspended from coaching in April and was dismissed from the club in May.
The FA, responding to the panel’s decision, stated that it is “considering legal options” due to their disagreement with the panel’s conclusion that Yems was not a conscious racist. The FA emphasized their stance by stating, “We fundamentally disagree with the independent panel’s finding.”
During the panel hearing, Yems admitted to one comment but denied 15 others. The panel confirmed 11 breaches of FA rules but could not substantiate the remaining four. Yems, 62, argued that he was not a racist and highlighted his own background and his wife’s immigrant heritage. He acknowledged, however, that he had not been mindful of “politically correct” language.
The panel, led by Robert Englehart KC and including Wolverhampton Wanderers FC’s Matt Wild and former footballer Tony Agana, acknowledged that Yems’ remarks were “offensive, racist and Islamophobic” but concluded that he was not a “conscious racist.”
They noted that while Yems’ behavior was offensive and hurtful, it did not warrant a more severe punishment such as a permanent ban.
The panel justified their decision by stating, “If he were a conscious racist, an extremely lengthy, even permanent, suspension would be appropriate.” They described Yems’ comments as “misplaced jocularity” that failed to recognize the distress caused to others.
Crawley Town FC and the English Football League have declined to comment on the findings.
Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out criticized the panel’s decision, calling it “shocking” and suggesting that the 15-month ban is inadequate given the severity of the proven charges. The group argued that the behavior described in the report should be unequivocally labeled as racism and Islamophobia.
Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) expressed deep disappointment with the report’s conclusions, stressing that the impact of racism is damaging regardless of intent.
They called for robust anti-racism education to ensure that individuals like Yems understand the full extent of the harm caused by their actions. SRtRC emphasized the need for a unified stance against racism in football and broader society.
The panel recommended that Yems participate in an anti-racism education program, although specific details of this program were not provided.