Paul Renteurs represented the Football Association in proceedings brought before the Regulatory Commission of the FA against former Head of Recruitment at West Ham United, Tony Henry.
Mr Henry admitted charges that alleged using improper, insulting and/or abusive words which amounted to an ‘aggravated breach’ of FA Rules, including, as they did, references to ethnic origin, race, nationality and/or colour.
In an email to a player intermediary about one prospective player, Mr Henry stated, “We don’t want anymore Africans and he’s not good enough.” When asked about this email by a journalist at the Mail Online, Mr Henry was quoted as making a number of comments, including, “It’s nothing racist at all. It’s just sometimes they can have a bad attitude. We had problems with Sakho, with Diafra Sakho. We find that when they are not in the team they cause mayhem.”
The Regulatory Commission concluded that “the remarks made by Mr Henry about national characteristics, which were repeated in evidence, demonstrate an unacceptable willingness to make general national characterisation based on individual experience or anecdotal evidence.”
Mr Henry was suspended from all football related activity for a period of twelve months, and was ordered to pay a contribution to the Football Association’s costs.
Paul was instructed by Amina Graham of The Football Association.
The case was widely covered in the national press. To read about it in more detail please click on the links below.
BBC | Sky | Daily Mail
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