Qpr And Crawley Sued For £11.1m By Former Player Who Claims They Did Not Protect Him

Queens Park Rangers and Crawley Town are being sued for much than £11m by a erstwhile subordinate who is claiming they grounded to protect him from alleged racist banter that he says destroyed his career.

The Championship nine are associated defendants pinch Crawley successful a declare presently being heard astatine nan Central London Employment Tribunal, brought by nan erstwhile Northern Ireland Under-21 world Amrit Bansal-McNulty, who is suing for £11.1m for a nonaccomplishment of opportunity and individual injury. Both clubs person denied wrongdoing.

Bansal-McNulty’s declare is based connected his experiences during nan 2021-22 play while connected indebtedness astatine Crawley, wherever he alleges he was racially abused by nan past manager, John Yems.

The 66-year-old is serving a three-year ban, nan longest imposed for favoritism by nan FA, aft being recovered blameworthy of 12 charges of utilizing discriminatory connection astatine Crawley.

Four different charges against Yems were dismissed successful a lawsuit that led to nan FA successfully appealing to widen his 17-month suspension, arsenic good arsenic challenging nan findings of nan original committee that he “was not a conscious racist”.

Bensal-McNulty has fixed grounds to nan tribunal on pinch Yems and respective witnesses from QPR, including nan long-serving academy head Alex Carroll, nan erstwhile method board Les Ferdinand and Chris Ramsey, and nan erstwhile head Mark Warburton.

Further written submissions will beryllium made to nan tribunal adjacent week, pinch a determination connected liability expected this month. If that is successful nan player’s favour a 2nd proceeding would find nan level of damages.

Bansal-McNulty’s lawsuit is based connected his contention that QPR and Crawley grounded to protect him from maltreatment by Yems, which he claims led to nan extremity of his master profession and important psychological damage. In documents submitted to nan tribunal, seen by nan Guardian, he is claiming for a nett grant of £6.1m, pinch nan gross fig £11.1m earlier tax.

His ineligible squad produced arsenic portion of their grounds matter messages from QPR’s erstwhile master improvement coach Paul Hall, successful which he compared Bansal-McNulty favourably pinch 2 different players he worked pinch astatine Loftus Road, Eberechi Eze and Ilias Chair.

Bansal-McNulty joined QPR astatine 14 but ne'er made a first-team quality for nan club. After making 4 appearances successful League Two for Crawley, and 3 crossed nan FA Cup and EFL Cup, he was released by QPR erstwhile his statement expired connected his return from Crawley astatine nan extremity of nan 2021-22 season. His only appearances since person been for Waltham Abbey successful nan Isthmian League North Division.

John Yems, nan erstwhile Crawley manager, was fixed a three-year prohibition by nan FA. Photograph: Pete Norton/Getty Images

Crawley suspended Yems aft allegations of racist behaviour were made by respective squad members successful April 2022, which led to him leaving nan nine by communal consent nan pursuing period and being charged by nan FA pinch 16 counts of utilizing discriminatory language.

One of nan charges upheld progressive Yems calling Bansal-McNulty a “curry muncher” and asking whether he was unhappy that pizzas fixed to nan players by a sponsor did not see “curry pizza”.

Much of Bansal-McNulty’s declare centres connected a telephone speech he had pinch Ramsey erstwhile nan allegations against Yems emerged successful April 2022.

The subordinate claims he called Ramsey to kick astir Yems’s “racist banter” and was disappointed by Ramsey response, alleging that nan past QPR sporting head told him specified connection was commonplace successful nan little divisions and indicated he would person to study to woody pinch it.

In consequence Ramsey told nan tribunal that Bansal-McNulty had complained to him astir Yems’s banter, but denied being told that it was racist.

Ramsey, who spent 9 years successful a assortment of roles astatine QPR, including manager,has coached England age-group teams and was awarded an MBE for services to shot and diverseness successful sport, has denied playing down nan effect of Bansal-McNulty’s experiences astatine Crawley.

Yems told nan tribunal that he had utilized nan words “curry pizza” but described it arsenic a joke and an effort to raise Bansal-McCarthy’s spirits successful nan dressing room aft a mediocre performance.

During nan people of his prohibition Yems has undertaken diverseness training successful an effort to amended himself astir nan imaginable effect of nan connection he has used.

Five erstwhile Crawley players were listed to springiness grounds against Yems, but only 1 beyond Bansal-McNulty appeared earlier nan tribunal.

Several Crawley players reported Yems to nan Professional Footballers’ Association and testified against him astatine nan FA hearing, but Bansal-McNulty is nan only 1 to person taken ineligible action.

QPR and Crawley person been approached for comment.