John Yems: Backlash follows finding that soccer manager who used ‘offensive, racist and Islamophobic’ language is ‘not a conscious racist’
CNN
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Anti-racism groups and the Football Association (FA) are condemning the finding by an independent committee that an English football coach used language that was “offensive, racist and offensive” anti-Muslim” is “not a conscious racist”.
Former Crawley Town FC coach John Yems allegedly made at least 16 offensive comments between 2019 and 2022, with each comment including “regarding national origin and/or color and/or race and/or nationality and /or religion or creed and/or gender,” said the FA, the governing body of English football.
An independent Regulatory Commission appointed by the FA investigated and suspended Yems from all football and football-related activities for 18 months until June 1, 2024, for 12 violations of the rules. FA rules, the organization said in a statement on January 6. was suspended from coaching duties in April pending an investigation by the management committee and has been placed on leave by the club. job in May.
Reacting to the independent panel’s findings, the FA said in a statement on Wednesday that it was “considering legal options” following the ruling, adding: “We are essentially, we disagreed with the independent panel’s conclusion that this was not a case of conscious racism.”
Yems acknowledged one comment and declined 15, the FA said. In a hearing, the Independent Regulatory Commission found Yems committed 11 violations and was unable to substantiate the remaining four violations, the FA added.
Yems, 62, testified before the panel that he was not a racist. He says that he himself comes from “travel stocks” and that his wife comes from an immigrant family. He admits he wasn’t careful enough when he spoke in a “politically correct” way.
In its findings, the independent panel said it found “11 out of 15 Existing Charges were established based on a balance of probabilities.”
The report, reviewed by CNN, outlined some of Yems’ clearly racist statements, including crude slurs and stereotypes about Blacks, Muslims, and people of Caribbean and South Asian descent.
But despite the “insulting, racist and anti-Muslim” comments, the panel – which is headed by Robert Englehart KC and includes Wolverhampton Wanderers FC’s general manager of football, Matt Wild and Tony Agana , a former footballer and arbitration expert on the FA Complaints Council – found Yems was not a “conscious racist” and did not deserve harsher punishment, such as suspension. forever.
“We accept that Mr Yems is not a conscious racist,” the panel wrote, detailing that it reached this conclusion after reviewing written submissions from both. beside. “If that is the case, an extremely long, even permanent, suspension would be appropriate.
“However, Mr. Yems’ ‘joke’ is certain to be seen by victims and others as offensive, racist and anti-Muslim. Mr Yems simply doesn’t care about the suffering his misplaced humor is causing,” the council added.
Crawley Town FC and the English Football League declined to comment when contacted by CNN.
CNN has also given Yems the right to respond through the League Managers Association, which represents British football coaches.
The anti-discrimination group Kick It Out also criticized the panel’s findings, in a statement saying: “The discriminatory language outlined in the FA independent panel report is simply shocking.
“Given the gravity of the incidents detailed, it is difficult to understand how the FA’s independent panel would conclude that ‘Mr Yems is not a conscious racist.’ We do not share that view. The behavior covered in the report must state exactly what it is, racist and anti-Muslim.
“In a word, the fifteen-month ban due to the severity of the 11 charges has proven to be a slap in the face to the victims of the discriminatory abuse detailed in the report. this and anyone who has experienced racism or Islamophobia,” they added.
Meanwhile, anti-racism education group Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) said it was “deeply disappointed” by the comments highlighted in the report.
“Racism, ‘conscious’ or not, has a profoundly damaging effect on individuals,” the group added.
“Besides sanctions from the FA, there needs to be a strong and extensive anti-racism education training program, otherwise the perpetrators will never understand the impact and hurt that the experienced by individuals as a result of their ‘unconscious’ actions,” he said. SRtRC.
“It’s important that at every level of the game, people see that the football family unites to remove racism from the game and wider society.”
The board noted that Yems reportedly took two online courses, but said he should still take an educational program, which did not elaborate.
