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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Darren Lewis

FA suspends referee assessor for four months for two incidents of racial abuse

The FA has suspended one of its referee assessors for four months for two incidents of racial abuse.

A three-person disciplinary panel found unanimously that a case against former police officer Michael Ewen had been proved. Three complainants – two referees and a referees coach – had come forward to give statements.

Ahead of a game in December 2019 and while discussing a forthcoming operation, Ewen is alleged to have been “proudly stating how he would refuse black doctors to be involved in the operation process, going on to say he wouldn’t let them f***ing touch me”.

Ewen denied the claim, arguing he had had a triple-bypass operation which had been carried out by a Chinese and Indian surgeon. Ewen also rejected an allegation he continued in front of witnesses, stating “he couldn’t understand them and said he’d previously told a doctor to go away and get someone who can talk (sic) proper English.”

The 70-year-old denied another claim that in February 2018, he asked, on being told the email address of an assistant referee, Bo Wang: “What number on the Chinese menu is that?”

But the FA panel banned Ewen for 16 weeks from football and all football-related activity for using language that referred to race, nationality or ethnicity. He has also been told to undertake a face-to-face education programme.

Ewen emphasised he had carried out 591 observations with just one appeal. The panel reduced their starting point for suspending him from 20 weeks to 16 because “there was clear mitigation to be found in (his) unblemished record and in particular his 50 years’ service to football”.

Each charge resulted in a punishment of just eight weeks. But the panel argued that because Ewen is not a player, manager or technical area occupant, a match-based suspension was not appropriate.

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