A football team who walked off the pitch in protest at their goalkeeper receiving racist abuse has been fined.

Padiham FC were trailing 3-0 at Congleton Town last October when the players took a stand on behalf of their player Tony Aghayere.

The incident was referred to Cheshire Police but the league fined Padiham £165 for abandoning the game and Congleton £160 for their fans’ behaviour.

Goalkeeper Tony Aghayere was allegedly subjected to racist abuse during the game (Picture: PA)

Padiham’s then manager Liam Smith said he was ‘flabbergasted’ by the ‘spineless’ decision, The Burnley Express reports.


Smith said he told the referee at the time that he would take his players off the pitch in a ‘united front’.



He said: ‘I don’t regret my actions one bit. I’d do it again tomorrow and I’d encourage anyone else who finds themselves in that position, God forbid, to do the same.’

He also thanked Congleton and their players for understanding the decision and reporting the matter to the police after the match.

‘They showed their class,’ he added.

Padiham’s manager said it was a ‘spineless’ decision (Picture: Getty)

Padiham’s chairman Shaun Astin said there was no ‘justice’.

He tweeted: ‘I am a chairman of a non-league club. We decided to take our players off in a game, because our goalkeeper was being racially abused. We were fined £165, the offending club were fined £160. Where is the justice there.’

In January, there was another case in the same North West Counties Football League.

A game between Wythenshawe Town and Rylandson Town was abandoned when Wythenshawe’s manager James Kinsey told his players to come off the pitch following an alleged racist incident with an assistant referee.

The official was charged with an aggravated breach of FA rule E3, which is related to behaviour that brings the game into disrepute, and the case was eventually found to be proven but Kinsey was also found to be in breach of the same rule for taking his players off the pitch, and was fined and suspended.

Kick It Out said it is ‘extremely concerned’ that victims of racism are being treated more harshly than racists and wants more training for officials and better disciplinary processes.

In a statement, the anti-discrimination charity called on the Football Association and county FAs to give referees more guidance on how to deal with racist incidents during amateur games, provide quicker and more transparent justice and impose robust sanctions against those found guilty of discriminatory abuse, including the ‘vastly expanded’ use of education programmes.

It also asked the authorities to ensure that victims of abuse are not punished for taking action to protect their personal well-being.

‘We are extremely concerned at the continued number of reports coming out of grassroots football, some indicating clubs have been facing fines for standing up to racist abuse received by their players,’ it said.

‘Football is sending out the wrong signal when bigger fines are given to the victims of abuse rather than the alleged perpetrators. We would support the FA reviewing their rules and sanctions in cases of discrimination.’



‘Racism and discrimination in professional football has rightly received significant attention this season following a number of high-profile incidents, but we must not ignore the amateur game.

‘Almost two million people play FA-affiliated Football on a regular basis, with a significant representation from the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, but the public perception is that there is a lack of protection for BAME players within the grassroots game.

‘Grassroots footballers across the country are losing patience with a system that is failing to support them. The FA and county FAs affirm they understand the devastating effect racist and discriminatory abuse has on its victims, but we call on them to demonstrate that with decisive action.’