Race row coach sent home by England

ENGLAND women’s goalkeeping coach Lee Kendall was sent home from the team’s first match since Mark Sampson’s sacking after the FA launched an investigation into claims of racist behaviour made by striker Eni Aluko. The FA announced on Thursday night that they were set to investigate Kendall after striker Aluko claimed during an evidence session to a Parliamentary committee that he had used a mock Caribbean accent when speaking to her. Aluko is British of Nigerian heritage. Kendall was still with the team on Thursday for last night’s match but a day of meetings in London ended in the FA starting proceedings against the coach on Thursday night. Yesterday, it was subsequently decided that Kendall should return to England before the France game. The men’s Under 21 goalkeeping coach Tim Dittmer travelled to Valenciennes yesterday afternoon to prepare the goalkeepers for the pre-match warm-up. The FA, insist, however, that Kendall (below) is not officially suspended from his position. In her spoken evidence to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s select committee, Aluko claimed that Kendall, a Welshman, repeatedly put on a Caribbean accent when speaking to her. The England striker had previously referred to the allegations in a letter to the FA last November and in a newspaper interview in August. Amid the off

field crisis, interim manager Mo Marley, a former England captain, has sought to anchor the ship this week and to her credit, the team looked well-prepared for this game. England actually played rather well here. They kept the ball with composure and in the main defended with assurance. For all England’s possession, France had the clearest sight of goal as Valerie Gauvin brought a terrific first-half save from Siobhan Chamberlain. The England goalkeeper then reacted sharply again to deny Eugenie Le Sommer. Yet Chamberlain lapsed in the 89th minute, misjudging a cross as Viviane Asseyi’s scuffed effort beat her.