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Northumbria Police have confirmed they’ve made an arrest in relation to an incident of racism in the recent Tyne-Wear derby.
A 45-year-old man, as yet unnamed, from Gateshead was taken into custody on Tuesday, March 31, on suspicion of committing a racially-aggravated public order offence.
The game was halted midway through the first half when players from both sides reported hearing and seeing an incident from the crowd during the game, which took place at St James’ Park on March 22.
Police have confirmed the man has since been released on bail, pending further enquiries.
‘Racial abuse has no place in football’
Detective Inspector Phil Guard, of Northumbria Police, said: “Racial abuse has absolutely no place in football or in our communities, and we will not tolerate this type of behaviour.
"Following proactive policing enquiries and close partnership working with both clubs and their supporters, a suspect has been arrested.
"They have since been bailed with robust conditions while the investigation continues.
"We will continue to work with clubs, supporters and partner agencies to tackle any form of criminality at football matches."
Premier League react to racist incident
The Premier League issued a statement following the incident via its Match Centre X account, which read: “Today’s match between Newcastle United and Sunderland was temporarily paused during the second half after a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, directed at Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida.
“This is in line with the Premier League's on-field anti-discrimination protocol. The incident at St James’ Park will now be fully investigated. We offer our full support to the player and both clubs.
“Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.”
Newcastle United could face FA charge
The FA have confirmed they are aware of the incident and will work with the clubs and authorities to establish the facts of the incident and ensure the appropriate action is taken.
As the FA does not have jurisdiction over individual spectators unless they are ‘participants’ in football, any disciplinary action will see Newcastle charged as a club.
The FA investigates clubs for almost all crowd issues at fixtures with the investigation involving seeking observations from the clubs in question and agencies such as the local Police.
The FA works to ensure the individual or individuals responsible are identified and dealt with appropriately by the club and, where appropriate, the criminal courts.
The FA may issue disciplinary charges to clubs if the investigations conclude the club did not do enough to deal with or prevent the misconduct of its supporters.
If found guilty, Newcastle could find themselves in breach of FA Rule E20.1 and face a misconduct charge.
“FA Rule E20.1 provides that a Club shall be responsible for ensuring, amongst other things, that its supporters refrain from improper conduct,” FA rules state. “This includes refraining from any improper conduct which includes a reference, whether express or implied to any one or more of the following: ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or disability.”
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