Hearts to help police to track down Auchinleck fans accused of racist abuse
Hearts have vowed to work with Police Scotland to hunt down the Auchinleck Talbot supporters who allegedly aimed racist abuse at Uche Ikpeazu and Demetri Mitchell.
On-loan Manchester United defender Mitchell has also expressed his disgust at the incident. A football fan took to Twitter to recount his experience at Sunday’s Scottish Cup fixture at Tynecastle, claiming that two individuals among the 1,800 travelling Auchinleck supporters repeatedly aimed discriminatory chants at the players.
It is alleged another person also aimed racial slurs at Mitchell, pictured.
Following uproar at the reports, Hearts yesterday issued a response. A spokesperson said: “There is no place for this type of anti-social behaviour at Tynecastle Park.
“We will co-operate fully with the police and Auchinleck Talbot to help them identify those responsible.
“The minority cannot be allowed to ruin the footballing experience for the majority.
“Hearts welcomed more than 1,800 Auchinleck Talbot supporters to Tynecastle on Sunday, the vast number of whom were there to enjoy their day and indeed did so, behaving in a totally appropriate manner.”
Mitchell quote-tweeted the thread cataloguing the abuse, responding: ‘the games [sic] gone’.
This is just the latest incident of racism in Scottish football reported this season. Falkirk striker Dennon Lewis suffered abuse from Bairns fans during their chastening Scottish Cup defeat against Stenhousemuir in November, while Celtic’s Scott Sinclair and Aberdeen defender Shay Logan have both been candid in describing their experience of discrimination.
A Hibernian fan was filmed aiming a volley of vitriol at Hearts’ Clevid Dikamona following the Jambos’ 1-0 win at Easter Road in December.