Crawley’s black players ‘used separate changing room’
Boss accused of telling white players ‘Don’t change in the black boys’ room’ ++ Asian players allegedly called suicide bombers ++ Suspended by club amid FA probe
SUSPENDED Crawley boss John Yems is being investigated by the FA over claims he racially abused his players with insults including ‘suicide bomber’, ‘terrorist’ and ‘Zulu warrior’, and ran a segregated training ground where the club’s black stars use a separate changing room. Sportsmail revealed last month that the FA had started a probe after a group of players reported the alleged use of offensive language to the PFA, with the League Two club suspending Yems, 62, the next day. Sportsmail can now reveal details of the allegations against Yems, which he denies. They include routine use of the n-word and telling an Asian player not to get the train wearing a backpack because passengers would think he intended to blow it up. One player told Sportsmail: ‘He called us terrorists, curry-munchers, suicide bombers. No one challenged him as he’s the gaffer and we didn’t feel we could.’ The FA’s disciplinary department are deciding whether to charge Yems, though Crawley have launched their own inquiry and could act before the governing body’s probe is concluded.
Yems declined to comment last night.
Crawley Town manager John yems is being investigated by the Fa for allegedly abusing his own players with racist insults including ‘suicide bomber’, ‘terrorist’ and ‘Zulu warrior’, and running a segregated training ground where the club’s black stars use a separate changing room.
Sportsmail revealed last month that the Fa had opened a probe into yems’ conduct after a group of Crawley players reported his alleged use of offensive language to the PFa, with the league Two club suspending the 62-year-old the next day. Crawley’s american owners, investment group waGMI United, were so shocked at claims about their manager’s behaviour that they removed yems within hours of the story being published, asking him to leave the team hotel in Mansfield at 1.30am ahead of a match later that day. Sportsmail can now reveal details of the allegations against yems, which he denies. They include:
■ PRESIDING over segregated changing facilities with two dressing rooms at the training ground which, although not official policy, was reinforced by comments to white players such as, ‘don’t change in the black boys’ room’.
■ FREQUENTLY referring to a number of the squad’s players from asian backgrounds as ‘terrorists, suicide bombers and curry munchers’.
■ CALLING one youth-team player a ‘suicide bomber’ on a regular basis and telling him not to get the train home wearing a backpack because fellow passengers would think he intended to blow it up.
■ ROUTINELY using the n-word and referring to one black player as a ‘Zulu warrior’.
■ CALLING a young player of Cypriot extraction a ‘Greek bobble-head’ and mocking Greek music.
■ BANISHING two players with ethnic minority backgrounds from training with the first team without explanation.
■ CAUSING such resentment in the squad that seven players complained to the
PFa last month, with at least one seeking counselling as a result of the damage the manager did to his mental health.
Sportsmail has been told that numerous players were left traumatised by their alleged treatment at the hands of yems, with several of them in tears as they confided in staff at Crawley over the last couple of weeks.
One Crawley player, who did not wish to be named, told Sportsmail: ‘he called us terrorists, suicide bombers, curry munchers. he also called one of the players a Zulu warrior. It’s been going on since 2020-21 — in the changing room, during