October 27 – England walked off during their Under-15 World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland on Monday after one of their players reported an alleged racist remark, forcing FIFA to abandon the game with just a minute left on the clock and open a disciplinary investigation.
Ireland were leading 4-1 in the 89th minute in Baku when an England player approached the bench after an altercation and complained to his coaching staff.
England head coach Matt Thorpe shouted at the referee before withdrawing his players.
Footage of the match carried by DAZN caught a member of England staff telling the referee: “We’re reporting racism”, before adding: “We don’t want to play”.
When the officials tried to discuss what would happen after the game, another England manager replied: “No, our players don’t want to play.”
The player was described by staff as “very upset”.
Circumstances inevitably leave a lot for FIFA. The allegation came in the final minute of a game Ireland were comfortably winning against their nearest rivals, and there has so far been no independent public confirmation of what was allegedly said.
FIFA confirmed that the incident is now being investigated. If no decent evidence is presented, it is unclear whether Ireland would get the victory they, until then, deserved.
“The match was abandoned by the referee following England’s refusal to continue,” a FIFA spokesman said.
“Official reports are being gathered and the matter will be referred to the independent disciplinary committee, which will decide in due course.”
The FA said it was in contact with FIFA and awaited further information, adding that the welfare of the players is their priority. The Football Association of Ireland has also been contacted for comment.
The incident comes just days after FIFA’s new youth experiment, which has brought 189 national associations to Azerbaijan, including 78 making their first appearance in any FIFA World Cup competition.
With so many teams in the competition, it seems a stroke of luck that England drew Ireland given the fierce rivalry between the two nations.
Matches are eight-a-side and played over two 20-minute halves, with the tournament deliberately built around development and participation rather than the usual knock-out structure.
The two teams returned to action later on Monday, with England beating Zimbabwe 2-0 and Ireland defeating Cambodia 4-1.
FIFA must now determine what happened in the final moments and what happens to a match that was effectively settled on the pitch before being abandoned.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
