A Liverpool fan who witnessed the racist abuse directed towards Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has revealed the details of the vile outburst.
Nick Collins was sat just metres away from the incident at Anfield on Friday which prompted a temporary halt during the match as the abuse was investigated.
Semenyo had gone to take a throw in during the 29th minute of the tie, during which he appeared to have an exchange with one of the rival supporters in the accessible seating area.
The Ghanaian footballer, who went on to score two goals in the game, claimed the man shouted a racist insult at him and later brought the abuse to the attention of referee Anthony Taylor.
A man was then identified by police and ejected from Anfield stadium.
On Saturday, Merseyside Police confirmed a man had been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He has since been bailed and banned from attending any football stadium in the UK.
After the game, Mr Collins claimed the man who racially abused Semenyo is a season ticket holder, who has a history of bad behaviour and ‘has crossed the line before by throwing stuff at officials’.
He posted on social media a detailed step by step account of what happened, saying the fan shouted something at Semenyo before throwing his chewing gum at him.
A Liverpool fan appears to have an exchange with Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo during the team’s Premier League match on Friday
Police were seen speaking to a spectator later in the match before they removed a man from Anfield stadium
Semenyo is seen taking a throw in during Friday’s game, in which he scored two goals
He wrote:’ So this fella has had his season ticket for many years at Anfield. He’s passionate but often takes things way too far but it is what it is.
‘He has crossed the line before by throwing stuff at officials (usually chewing gum) and stewards looked embarrassed rather than do anything.
‘So I guess that’s allowed his behaviour to escalate maybe in his brain. About 28 mins into the game, Semenyo goes to take a throw in.
‘He’s not a player that goads the fans and seems like a decent lad. The sort of player that people want playing for their club.
‘For reasons I’ll never know, the fella near me in bay 7 (I’m bay 9) decides to go over to him in his wheelchair and shouts something at Semenyo.
‘Semenyo then asks him to repeat it and he repeated it and threw his chewing gum at him.
‘Then 2 mins later the play is stopped. The fella next to me says he hopes **** hasn’t said anything racist to Semenyo but then I’m getting texts from people saying it’s about the fan in the wheelchair allegedly abusing Semenyo.
‘We missed the first goal because all of us were uncomfortable being around this guy, who’s now sat in silence, probably realising what he’s done and he’s soon to be in the s***.
Semenyo celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-2 during the Premier League match
‘We didn’t want him near us and people (including myself) were calling him a racist p****.
‘It was just uncomfortable to be around and we wanted him gone.
‘The stewards didn’t have a clue what was going on either. He was eventually removed from the ground at 21:01 by police.
‘Firstly saying he’d refuse to move and wouldn’t leave but then agreeing to leave, then kicking off. I’d gone to the toilet by this point but saw him kicking off near the exit.
‘I believe there is some kind of protocol where the police have to remove them and not stewards and they have to get a sort of investigation going first. That’s why it took them 30 mins to get him out of the ground.
‘So the club now have to help the police with an investigation and rightly so. If he’s found to have racially abused Semenyo, he needs to be banned for life. No excuses.
‘Another fan chimed in saying ‘Semenyo didn’t look upset’ so sorta sticking up for the abuser or playing devils advocate.
‘But he just looked shocked to me, which is probably why he asked him to repeat himself. So props to Semenyo for having the brilliant game he had.
Bournemouth captain Adam Smith (right) was visibly irate after the match as he branded the abuse of his teammate as ‘totally unacceptable’
‘All 3 goalscorers were black, which was quite fitting really. The irony is, the fella had a ‘no room for racism’ badge on his shirt.
‘I think at the time, it was annoying that we had to be around the p**** but I think the club acted as fast as they could. I believe stewards can eject fans if they personally hear abuse but otherwise a report needs to be made for it to happen.
‘On the flip side of this, look at the amount of disability abuse there is in response to this.
‘Discrimination is discrimination, so if you’re making your ‘edgy jokes’ about disability on the back of it, you’re just as bad.
‘The head steward asked us all a few questions and everyone was helpful. Proud of the way the club acted in response to one p****. Anfield is a very welcoming place to people from all walks of life. Let’s keep it that way.’
Hours after the game, Merseyside Police confirmed officers had arrested a 47-year-old man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He has since been conditionally bailed.
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘We can confirm that a man has been conditionally bailed after he was arrested following reports that racist abuse was directed towards Bournemouth player Antoine Semenyo.
‘A 47-year-old man from Liverpool was arrested on Saturday 16 August on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He has now been bailed with conditions, which includes not to attend any regulated football match in the UK and not to go within one mile of a designated football stadium.
Referee Anthony Taylor (right) speaks with the Liverpool and Bournemouth coaches and the stadium safety officer after the racist incident
‘An investigation into the incident, which occurred during a Premier League match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield on Friday 15 August, remains ongoing and we continue to work closely with the club.
‘To report a hate crime contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police CC. You can also call 101, or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
‘If, for any reason, you do not wish to report a hate crime to the police, the independent charity Stop Hate UK to run a 24/7 confidential helpline for all victims of hate crime on 0800 138 1625 or www.stophateuk.org. You can also download the Stop Hate UK reporting app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.’
On Saturday Semenyo also addressed the incident, writing on X: ‘Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever – not because of one person’s words, but because of how the entire football family stood together.
‘To my Bournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true character, to the Premier League officials who handled it professionally – thank you.
‘Football showed its best side when it mattered most. Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch.
‘This is why I play – for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.
‘The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.’
Chief Inspector Kev Chatterton, the match commander for the Liverpool vs Bournemouth game, said the force would ‘not tolerate hate crime of any form’.
He added: ‘We take incidents like this very seriously, and in cases like this we will be proactively seeking football banning orders, with the club, against those responsible.’
‘There is no place for racism and it is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards, or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action like we did this evening.
‘As with all matches, we work very closely with both Liverpool and Everton FC to ensure the safety of the public, and the players.’
A spokesperson for Liverpool Football Club said: ‘We condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, it has no place in society, or football.
‘The club is unable to comment further as tonight’s alleged incident is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, which we will support fully.’
