Football in England: FA Cup qualifier canceled after racism allegations

The qualifier for the FA Cup between Haringey Borough and Yeovil Town was canceled on Saturday night in the 64th minute. The team from Haringey in northern London had left the place, after previously the Cameroonian goalkeeper Douglas Pajetat and his teammate Coby Rowe had been racially insulted by a part of the Yeovil fans. In addition, Pajetat spit and have been thrown from the spectators with a bottle.

The English association commented on Twitter on the racism allegations. "There's no room for discrimination in our game," said the Football Association (FA). They now urgently want to gather the facts and then take the appropriate steps.

There is no room for discrimination in our game and the relevant authorities, as a matter of urgency, to establish the facts and take the appropriate steps.

Tom Loizou, coach of Haringey Borough, said he had arranged to leave his team. "So much is not worth the FA Cup for us," Loizou told the BBC. "Good luck to Yeovil Town if we get punished and knocked out of the tournament, I do not care." At the time of the game absences, fifth-tier Yeovil had led 1-0 against amateur club Haringey in the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup.

The incident occurred just five days after Sofia's scandal when Bulgarian fans were also racially insulted by English national team players. As a result, the Bulgarian association leadership around President Borislaw Mikhailov had resigned from office, also coach Krassimir Balakov had resigned.