12-year-old footballer subjected to racial abuse – with parent still waiting on response from FA

Children as young as 12 years old are reportedly being racially abused while playing football matches, i can reveal.

In shocking accounts, prompted by our recent in-depth report into the growing issue of racism in non-league and grassroots football, i has been told that racism has been directed at children by parents on the touchline, and even from other children they are playing against.

Jolly Choudhury, 45, claims her son, Krishan, now 13, was called a “p**i” by an opponent when he was playing as a goalkeeper for Orsett Park Royals against Catholic United Minors, in the Southend League under-13s age group, at the end of November last year.

She has also recalled incidents involving other children and hearing racism from parents of children at other clubs on the touchline.

‘Shameful that it goes on in 2019’

“I don’t think anybody should be racially abused,” Krishan told i earlier this week.

“Everybody is technically the same: we’re all human, we all have the same things, we all do the same stuff. There’s only different races.

“Some people don’t like white people, some don’t like black people, some don’t like brown people. It’s sad.” Mother Jolly also said: “It’s shameful it goes on in 2019. You think those days are over, it’s not the 1960s.

“If it’s not stopped now, it could escalate. If kids are not picked up on it, next it might be a beating, you don’t know what might stem from it if people aren’t nipping it in the bud. You try to protect your children the best you can but sometimes you can’t. It’s heartbreaking as a parent, but being on the receiving end as a child is worse.

“It feels as though it’s getting worse. There are certain teams you go to and you know there could be racism from the parents. Kids aren’t born racist, it comes from the parents and other peers.”

No word from FA

The incident was reported to the referee at half-time of the game, but Krishan and Jolly are yet to hear anything back from the Football Association, almost two months later.

Similar issues have been shared with i by welfare officers at other youth football clubs, where incidents are reported but they receive very little if nothing in response.

Staggeringly, Jolly believes that football has become a conduit for the hate. “Football is an area where racism just comes with it,” she said. “Krishan’s only experienced it in football and at school, but by a kid he played football with.”

Read more: Footballers fear destroying their career if they call out racism

Catholic United Minors have provided a report of the incident from their manager to the Essex FA and done everything requested of them, but declined to comment due to the ongoing investigation.

An FA spokesman said: “We encourage all fans and participants who believe that they have been the subject of, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report this through the appropriate channels: the FA, our County FA network or via our partners at Kick It Out.”