Millwall charged by FA over alleged religiously offensive chants aimed at James McClean
The Football Association (FA) has charged Millwall with misconduct over anti-Catholic chants aimed at Wigan Athletic’s Republic of Ireland midfielder James McClean.
The Championship club face three charges for chants allegedly involving “either expressed or implied reference to religion” during their 2-1 defeat at Wigan on April 22.
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In video footage of the game, a section of Millwall’s supporters could be heard chanting “F*** the Pope and the IRA.”
In a statement on Friday afternoon, the FA said: “It is alleged that the club failed to ensure its spectators and/or followers — and anyone purporting to be its supporters or followers — conduct themselves in an orderly fashion at the game and do not use words or behave in a way which is improper, offensive, abusive, indecent or insulting, with either express or implied reference to religion in the eighth, 12th and 45th minutes.
“Millwall has until Friday 30 June 2023 to provide its responses.”
In response, Millwall said it “strongly condemns discrimination of all kinds and has a zero-tolerance policy against such abuse,” citing a “very proactive approach to combatting discrimination” through the work of an “industry-leading equality steering committee”.
A statement added that the club is “formulating a comprehensive response to the charges, which will be issued to the FA in due course.”
Blackpool face a similar charge after chants of “F*** the Pope and the IRA” were directed at McClean during their match against Wigan on April 15.
McClean, who won his 100th cap for Ireland this week, has encountered sustained abuse from the terraces and on social media since declining to wear a poppy on Remembrance Sunday in 2012 — saying that doing so would feel like an insult to the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre in his home town of Derry in 1972.
The 34-year-old claimed he receives “more abuse than any other player in England” and has frequently accused the game’s authorities of ignoring it.
Barnsley were fined £20,000 and told to implement an action plan in 2020 after a section of their supporters aimed anti-Catholic and anti-Irish chants at McClean during his time at Stoke City.
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Kirk Broadfoot, then a defender for Rotherham United, was banned for ten matches after an FA commission found him guilty of using “abusive and/or insulting words” towards McClean in 2015.
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James McClean, the footballer who suffers 'more abuse than any other in England'
(Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images)
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