Birmingham Medics FC fined after supporters shouted homophobic slurs at a football match

Comments made during the game also included ‘looks like Harvey Price’

2 years ago

TW: Homophobic and ableist language

An FA investigation has found University of Birmingham Medics FC supporters shouted homophobic and ableist slurs at the opposition whilst watching Saturday Vase Competition fixture.

After a match on 16th October last year against Earlswood Town FC, the referee reported allegations of supporters of Medics FC making comments such as “F******” and “looks like Harvey Price”.

Medics FC said the comments were made by a friend of one of the players, who reportedly does not attend UoB, a disciplinary report recently published by the FA has said.

The charge Medics FC received

Medics FC were fined £60 and will receive six disciplinary points by the Football Association’s Serious Case panel.

They breached rule E20 of the FA, noting that they “failed to ensure that players, officials, spectators and/or all persons purporting to be supporters or followers conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from improper, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting and/or provocative words and/or behaviour.”

The panel noted “the abuse went on for some duration during the second half of the match”, and “at no time did anyone from the Club, including the player who would have known that they were his friends, communicate to the supporters that they should cease their abusive shouting and comments.”

At least one player from Earlswood Town FC complained to players from the club about the abuse during the game.

In the report from the FA, the panel have said: “the club has issued a statement to all players about the standards expected of them and for the club.”

Medics FC has now reportedly worked with the Guild of Students to produce a training programme in leadership for all club committee members in which one member must attend each fixture.

Birmingham Medics FC told The Birmingham Tab: “The club does not condone this behaviour and these views are not tolerated. We would like to, once again, apologise to the opposing team. The persons involved, who are not members of the club or students at UoB, have been banned from future events. We have taken measures to prevent any such incident from occurring again.”

A spokesperson for The University of Birmingham told The Birmingham Tab: “The University of Birmingham does not tolerate or condone abusive behaviour and language, or discrimination of any kind.

“The University and Guild of Students are committed to creating an environment free from harassment and discrimination in which all staff, students and visitors to the University are treated with dignity and respect. The members of the Guild of Students’ student groups are expected to uphold and share this commitment.

“The Guild of Students have worked with the society involved to ensure that proper standards are maintained for student groups, and any events that they engage with. The people involved, who were not members of the society or students from the University of Birmingham, have been banned from future events. The society and the Guild of Students have implemented further measures in an effort to prevent any such incident from occurring again.”

When approached for comment, MedSoc did not respond.

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