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Terry Connor: Former Wolves manager’s son Louis refuses to play on over alleged racist abuse but FA awards opposition three points |

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Former Wolves manager Terry Connor says he is angry and upset after his son Louis was subjected to a racist comment and the FA decided to award three points to the opposition when his team refused to play on.

Staffordshire FA investigated the incident, which happened during Tividale FC’s Midlands Premier Division game at Whitchurch Alport on November 5, but decided there was no case to answer.

The FA’s written decision – which has been seen by Sky Sports News – decided the language used by one person among the Whitchurch support was “descriptive rather than offensive”.

Sky Sports News has been made aware of what was said, but we have decided not to report those words. It is a comment the Connor family feel is clearly racist, as do Louis’ team-mates, because it categorises him and sets him apart because of the colour of his skin.

Former Wolves manager Terry Connor
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Former Wolves manager Terry Connor’s son Louis was subjected to a racist comment during a semi-professional football game

Connor plays as a goalkeeper for Tividale in Step 5 in the football pyramid. He didn’t hear the abuse himself, which happened during the first half.

But the referee’s assistant heard it and when he brought it to the attention of the referee and the Tividale management at half-time, Connor’s team-mates decided they wouldn’t continue the game, as a show of solidarity.

That led to the Birmingham County FA – which runs the Midlands Leagues – awarding the three points from the match to Whitchurch because Tividale refused to complete the game. Tividale were losing 3-0 at half-time.

Connor’s father, Terry, who took over from Mick McCarthy as Wolves manager in 2012, has told Sky Sports News the FA have got this one very wrong.

“It’s like a double punishment,” he said. “The fact that the FA have deemed there’s nothing to answer and Whitchurch can take the three points is like a double hit for football in many respects.

“It almost gives teams an open field for their supporters to abuse a player of colour and nothing will happen – in fact, you’ll win the game if that team decide they don’t want to play on in a racist atmosphere. So they win twice.

“They can make those remarks, and having made those remarks, they can rely on the FA to give them the three points as well.”

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Staffordshire FA investigated the incident but decided there was no case to answer

In a statement provided to Sky Sports News the FA have said that Tividale didn’t follow the correct protocols in dealing with a racist incident.

FA rules dictate a team can’t just abandon a game – there must first be a public announcement to the crowd (which did happen in this instance), and then any decision to abandon a game must be taken by the match referee.

“The incident was fully investigated, including the use of the discrimination protocol undertaken by the match officials, which we introduced in collaboration with Kick It Out,” an FA spokesperson said.

“We are determined to tackle all forms of discrimination and urge anybody who has been subject to, or a witness of incidents of discrimination to report it to The FA, their local County FA, or Kick It Out immediately so it can be thoroughly investigated.”

Connor believes there is a contradiction within the FA guidelines because the FA offered their support to Gareth Southgate and the England men’s senior team when they threatened to walk off the pitch in the face of racist abuse during a game in Bulgaria in 2019.

He says that same level of support from the governing body should be applied to football at lower levels.

“When Gareth and the team came very close to leaving the field because of what everyone could hear on the TV in a big international game, there should be the same respect for grassroots and semi-professional football, right through the pyramid of the game.

“The FA should be working to wipe this out.”

Sky Sports News has contacted Whitchurch Alport FC and Staffordshire FA for comment.

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