From The Times today:
Newcastle United are under mounting pressure to sack Peter Beardsley after receiving more complaints of allegedly racist comments that are said to have been made by the club’s under-23 coach towards a number of his players.
The Times has been told of at least three separate allegations that Beardsley used language that could be considered racist while coaching at Newcastle. The claims are contained in written statements from academy players after the club launched a formal investigation into his conduct last month.
Beardsley denies any allegations of racism and unfair treatment of players, but he agreed to take “a period of leave” last month after a complaint from the under-23 winger Yasin Ben El-Mhanni, alleging that he had been the subject of non-racial bullying by the 57-year-old. The club interviewed all of their under-23 and under-18 players, and every member of staff, and the other allegations emerged as a result.
The new allegations against Beardsley are in addition to the claim that he said, “Your lot should be good at this” to African players who were struggling on climbing bars during a visit to Go Ape, which was widely reported last month. The witness statements have been provided by players of several nationalities and centre on Beardsley’s alleged use of language which the players claim was designed to belittle them.
Several academy players are understood to have testified that Beardsley told a group of African players that “you lot should be better runners” in a training session last year, before allegedly making clear that he had their nationality in mind by referring to his assumption that they had trained at altitude.
On another occasion Beardsley is alleged to have accused a different group of players of speaking a “made-up language” after overhearing a conversation in Arabic.
There is also testimony from a player who was upset by Beardsley allegedly making disparaging remarks about the quality of training facilities and pitches in his country.
Throughout the players’ statements a picture emerges of Beardsley’s alleged use of language that made them feel uncomfortable, rather than being overtly abusive.
Beardsley is understood to have accepted that he did use language that has been attributed to him in some cases, but not in others, and insists that he was not being racist.
In a statement released last month, his solicitors, Farsley’s, said that their client “categorically denies ... allegations of unfair treatment” and expressed his hope that “the investigation will conclude quickly”. Farsley’s and Newcastle declined to comment last night.
Beardsley was accused of bullying at Newcastle in 2003 by three academy players during a previous coaching spell at the club that he represented with distinction as a player, but was cleared after an investigation by the FA.
The parents of Lewis Gibson, the England under-17 defender who left the club for Everton in a £6 million transfer last summer, were so concerned about Beardsley’s treatment of young players that they wrote a letter to the FA about the culture at Newcastle last year, although they did not name Beardsley. Gibson’s older brother, Liam, remains at the club.
Newcastle’s investigation into the allegations is not expected to conclude for several weeks. The club must first decide whether his behaviour warrants disciplinary action and, if so, he would have the right to an appeal.
So the case could drag on even more. Ben Dawson, a professional development coach with the under-21s, has been standing in for Beardsley during his leave and is considered a strong candidate to replace him should he be dismissed.
