FA action over Leicester under-15s football match
The FA in Leicestershire is to hold a disciplinary hearing after disorder at an under-15s football match.
Colin Francks, 50, admitted using threatening words and behaviour at the match between Leicester Nirvana FC and Blaby and Whetstone Boys Club. The Blaby fan, of Linwood Lane, Leicester, was given a 12-month conditional discharge by Leicester magistrates on Monday. The FA is now taking its own action over the match on 21 October 2012. The Nirvana club, which is mainly made up of black and Asian players, claims monkey chants were directed at the team. Keith Murdoch, chief executive of the Leicestershire and Rutland county FA, said charges had now been brought against Blaby and Whetstone Boys club, one Blaby player, two Nirvana players and the referee. "Against the club, Blaby, the charges relate to controlling their spectators and controlling that environment, particularly around abusive and aggressive behaviour. "There is a player from Blaby who has been charged with comments aggravated by race. For the Nirvana player it's about inappropriate comments on social networking sites and the referee has been charged with non-reporting," he said. The disciplinary hearing is due to be held in August. Blaby and Whetstone Boys club said it would not comment before a meeting of its directors.