Three Chelsea fans in Paris Métro video suspended from entering ground
Club says fans could face lifetime ban from Stamford Bridge after being filmed making racist remarks
The Chelsea fans involved could face a lifetime ban from Stamford Bridge.
Three Chelsea fans who were filmed as part of a crowd caught chanting that they liked being racist, moments after a black Parisian commuter was repeatedly shoved from a train carriage, have been suspended from entering club grounds.
Chelsea’s statement, which did not identify the individuals, said that fans could face a lifetime ban from Stamford Bridge.
The threat follows a warning from French prosecutors who said those found guilty of racist offences could face three years in jail.
The alleged victim at the centre of the racist incident captured on a camera on Tuesday evening has made an official complaint to French authorities and has called for the fans to be punished.
The Guardian has learned that two brothers, Josh and younger brother Benji or “Beno” Parsons who have been identified as being in the centre of the throng of the fans on the train carriage, were recently warned by Chelsea over inappropriate celebratory behaviour in the stands.
The warning letters sent to both brothers, who are season-ticket holders at one of the world’s richest football clubs, are understood to be completely unrelated to racism.
A schoolmate who did not wished to be named, said the brothers were part of a small but “vocal” Ukip crowd during their time at Millfield private school more than a year-and-a-half ago.
He added that Josh had even posted a photo of himself with the leader of Ukip, Nigel Farage, on Instagram. The caption underneath the now deleted photo reads: “UKIP BOYS! What a geezer.”
The former pupil at the Somerset boarding school, which charges fees of £30,000 a year, said: “They were ... only about four or five people but they made themselves heard.
“They were never aggressive, they were never forcing it down your throat ... but you were left with no illusions looking at their social media that they were a) Chelsea fans and b) Ukip supporters.”
Wearing a black hooded jacket, Josh Parsons can be seen in the Paris video after those around him appear to have chanted: “We’re racist, we’re racist and that’s the way we like it.”
It is unclear from the video whether either Parsons brother was among those chanting or remonstrating with the commuter.
In a statement released on Thursday night, Parsons’ employers, Business and Commercial Finance Club said they were suspending Josh from work with immediate effect pending investigation into his alleged role in the Métro incident.
“We are utterly opposed to racism in all of its forms and would never tolerate racist conduct among any employee. We are investigating the events in Paris and Mr Parsons will not return to work until we have conducted a full and thorough investigation.”
Ukip has told the Guardian that Parsons is not a member of the party and that it had “never heard of him”, adding that the photo was taken outside a London pub.
In a statement, the party’s head of press, Gawain Towler, said: “Mr Farage is photographed with and by dozens of people, both by supporters and opponents on a daily basis.
“We are delighted that the identities of these people are being revealed, and that they will face the full force of the law.”
The commuter on the receiving end of the alleged abuse, known only as Souleymane S, was born in Paris and grew up in the Val-d’Oise area outside the city. He works in a company near Richelieu-Drouot Métro station where the incident happened on Tuesday night.
In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper he said: “I wanted to get on to the carriage, but a group of English supporters blocked me and pushed me back. I tried to force a gap and get on. In the scrum, I lost my phone.
“They were saying things to me in English but I didn’t really understand what they were saying. I don’t speak a word of English.”
He added: “I understood they were Chelsea fans and made the link with the PSG match that night. I also understood very well that they were targeting me because of the colour of my skin.
“You know, I live with racism; I wasn’t really surprised at what happened to me, even if it was the first time in the metro.”
He said he “faced them down for a long time”, adding: “Afterwards someone came and said to me that I’d been brave to resist people like that.
He believed the incident lasted around six or seven minutes.
Mitchell McCoy, a 17-year-old Chelsea fan who was also on the train, has spoken to a number of media outlets defending the fans in the video, claiming there was no racism involved.
He told LBC: “The carriage was full up, there was no room for him to get on and he tried to force himself on. He was really aggressive, pushing himself. I’d say it was self defence, pushing him off.”
Asked whether the pushing and chanting were connected, he said: “No of course it wasn’t connected. The press are trying to make something out of nothing.”
At the time of the incident, McCoy sent a number of tweets which he later deleted, including one which read: “Our captain is a racist a racist a racist and that is why we love him we love him we love him.”
On Wednesday, Chelsea condemned the supporters involved and said their behaviour was “abhorrent and has no place in football or society”. The club added they were supporting any criminal action against the fans involved and that they had received a strong response to their appeal for information.
On Thursday afternoon, Paris prosecutors confirmed that Souleymane S had made a formal complaint and French authorities were working with their British counterparts to investigative the matter.
A spokeswoman for the prosecutors’ office said anyone convicted could face a prison term of up to three years and a fine of up to €45,000 (£33,000).
Guardian
