Darlington and Scarborough fined by FA after female official suffered sexist abuse
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The Football Association has fined two National League North sides after a female official was subjected to misogynistic chanting during a match in January.
Darlington and Scarborough Athletic have both received fines of £1,500 after supporters abused lineswoman Emily Carney during the encounter on 2 January.
The game, at Scarborough's Flamingo Land Stadium, was stopped for over 40 minutes as a result of the abuse, which left Carney visibly upset and crying by the comments.
The FA disciplinary panel heard that sexist comments were made shortly after the match began with Carney stationed beside the Darlington fans.
She first reported the abuse to referee Dean Watson and an announcement was made in the stadium, urging supporters to stop.
They continued for the rest of the half and Carney once again reported them at half-time where it was decided she would swap sides for the second period.
However, within the first 10 minutes of the second half, she reported that she had received further sexist comments, this time from Scarborough fans, leading to the 40-minute stoppage.
Several social media posts from both clubs urged fans to stop while police ejected those who they believed were responsible. There were no further reports of sexist chants once the game resumed.
Following the match, Darlington took action handing a 12-month ban to a supporter identified as being one of those responsible.
Reacting to the FA findings, Darlington said: "Club officials apologised to the assistant at the first opportunity on the day, again later via the FA, and once again we do so here. We also apologise again to the match officials, Scarborough, the National League and FA.
"We responded promptly to the FA charge, accepting our responsibility and pleading guilty. We also provided mitigating factors (thanks to the hard work of Jonathan Jowett), which the FA considered in their proceedings, and we appreciate their understanding.
"After an investigation following the incident we took disciplinary action, with one fan banned from attending matches due to his abusive behaviour. We wish to commend those fans who came forward with eyewitness accounts, aiding our investigation.
"In line with the FA's directives, we are committed to implementing a stringent action plan aimed at preventing such incidents in the future.
"Darlington Football Club is proud of its numerous community initiatives, women’s and girls’ teams, and our Foundation's efforts in benefiting local people through projects such as 'Think with Your Feet'. We are also aligned with organisations like 'Kick It Out' and 'Her Game Too', demonstrating our ongoing commitment to inclusivity and respect."
Scarborough also released their own statement which read: "As a community club Scarborough Athletic condemns all forms of discrimination, including misogynistic abuse.
"Any person failing to follow the ground rules at home or away fixtures could face a banning order and/or police prosecution. The individuals responsible for this particular incident were immediately issued with indefinite bans."Scarborough Athletic is also required by the FA to adhere to an agreed action plan to combat these issues, part of which is already in place, with further actions and initiatives to follow in the coming weeks."The club have engaged with 'Her Game Too' to allow supporters to report misogynistic abuse anonymously and will continue to remind all supporters of their behaviour before and during fixtures.
"As a club we will be installing further CCTV over the coming weeks to support our operations as recommended by the Safety Advisory Group and the Football Association."
Both clubs will need to pay £1,000 of the fines now, while £500 has been suspended for if there are any further breaches.
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