Amateur football club guilty of racism after John Barnes visit
An amateur football club has been found guilty of racism following an FA investigation.
Littleton FC fans hurled racist abuse at Cheslyn-Hay based Hawkins Sports FC players during a match attended by football legend John Barnes.
The ex-Liverpool star visited Stafford Town's ground to congratulate the Hawkins players for winning a competition to play a match at Anfield.
He gave a team talk and even treated players to his famous rap from 1990 World Cup anthem World in Motion.
But some of the fans supporting Cannock-based opposition side Littleton FC abused black Hawkins players.
The FA charged Littleton with 'failing to ensure that players, officials or spectators conducted themselves in an orderly fashion, aggravated by racist and/or discriminatory language and/or behaviour'.
A hearing held this week found the charge proven. The penalty faced by the club following the decision has not yet been revealed.
Staffordshire FA football operations manager Adam Evans said: "On July 14 the Independent Anti-Discrimination Panel which was appointed by the Football Association heard the breach of FA Rule E20 against the Littleton FC.
"The commission found the charge proven and the written reasons will be published on the Football Association website in due course."
Hawkins won a place in the match at Anfield last month in a competition organised by Barclays. They attracted thousands of votes in a Facebook competition to win the chance to play at the famous ground on May 24. Barclays arranged John Barnes' surprise visit on May 11.
The claims of racism had been denied by Littleton FC Manager Paul Andrews, who said there was 'no racism in our club.'
Speaking earlier this month he said: " All our players want to do is play football so it is a shame that it has come to this."
The club was unavailable for comment since the decision was made by the FA.
Meanwhile, Hawkins have been charged with fielding ineligible players at the Premier Cup Final in May, which they won 3-2.
The Cannock Chase League decided the club had used ineligible players and the club launched an appeal with the Staffordshire FA, which upheld the charges.
The club said it will appeal to the national FA.
