Glenn Roeder no charge to be answered
If there were racist comments then this willingness to 'turn a blind eye' makes Roeder no better than racist Emre!
Daily Mail
Emre on racism charge
By MATT LAWTON
Emre is facing a lengthy ban after he was charged by the Football Association on Friday night with using racially aggravated and abusive language to Everton’s Joseph Yobo.
The Newcastle midfielder’s alleged comments led to a 20-man brawl during Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat at Everton on December 30. According to sources close to the players, Emre is alleged to have called Yobo ‘
a f****** n*****’. Discussions took place between the clubs immediately after the match and Everton decided not to make an official complaint to the FA. But referee Dermot Gallagher included the incident in his report and three Everton players, including Yobo, were asked to provide the governing body with individual statements.
Yobo did not hear what Emre said but Tim Howard and Joleon Lescott have accused the Turkey midfielder of abuse. Everton are understood to be incensed with Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder over his defence of Emre since the incident. Emre intends to dispute the charge and has until January 29 to respond.
A Newcastle statement said: ‘As the player has not yet had an opportunity to submit a reply to the charge, we cannot comment further other than to say the player intends to deny the charge.’ Emre’s agent Ahmet Bulut vehemently denied the allegation when it was made originally, saying: ‘I spoke with Emre and he said he never said anything racist to the player.’
Referee Gallagher did not hear any comment but the FA wrote to Everton requesting further information after Roeder said last Friday he thought the matter was closed. Roeder said then: ‘There is no charge to be answered. Everton are comfortable with that as well. It is a closed matter.’ However, if found guilty, Emre looks certain to receive little sympathy from his manager, with Roeder saying last week: ‘What we need to do if a person is found guilty of racist abuse is to come down really hard on him. ‘I am not talking about three, six or 10 games. If it’s proven someone has racially abused another player, we cut them out, take them out for six months or a season.’
Emre was also involved in controversy earlier in the season. He reacted furiously to comments made by a member of the Reading coaching staff during Newcastle’s 3-2 victory at St James’ Park on December 6 before scoring the winning goal.
The Independent
Emre denies racist abuse as FA charges midfielder
By Glenn Moore, Football Editor
Emre Belozoglu, Newcastle United's Turkish midfielder, yesterday became the first Premiership footballer to be charged by the Football Association with
using racist language towards a fellow player. Emre has been charged after an incident during Newcastle's match at Goodison Park last month. The Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, and defenders Joleon Lescott and Joseph Yobo, reacted furiously towards Emre after the visitors received a penalty in what proved a 3-0 defeat on 30 December.
The charge comes after
both Howard and Lescott told the FA in written statements that Emre racially abused them. Yobo said that he did not hear the exact nature of the words Emre used. Dermot Gallacher, the referee, said he did not hear anything but reported that the Everton players had told him they were racially abused when he broke up the subsequent mêlée.
Emre, who has been charged with "using racially-aggravated abusive and/or insulting words", has until 29 January to respond. In a statement Newcastle indicated Emre would deny the offence.
Anti-racism campaigners hailed the charge. "The case is still to be heard but the very fact Emre has been charged reflects the growing confidence among players to make a complaint," Leon Mann, of
Kick It Out, said. "When you talk to players of the past, like Cyrille Regis or Luther Blissett, they will tell you they were abused but would not dream of making a complaint because nothing would happen. This shows the success of campaigns like ours, and by the Professional Footballers' Association, and the growing awareness within clubs.
"I hope this gives confidence to players involved at grass-roots level to take action as well as in the professional game." Emre could face a fine and suspension if found guilty, though it is not likely to be as long as the six months
Glenn Roeder, the Newcastle manager, advocated for players found guilty of racial abuse. Roeder was speaking after insisting Emre had "no charge to be answered". He had added: "I would not tolerate anyone that showed any sign of any racism. All my life I have been surrounded by all sorts of races. As far as I am concerned, we are all exactly the same."
The player's agent, Ahmet Bulut, said: "I spoke with Emre and he said that he never said anything racist to the player." There have been previous high-profile instances of alleged racist abuse, notably involving Duncan Ferguson and Luis Boa Morte, Peter Schmeichel and Ian Wright, and Steve Harkness and Stan Collymore, but they have never concluded in a charge being laid as insufficient evidence was forthcoming. Pending is a charge of using racially-aggravated abusive language levelled against Stuart Elliott, of non-League Northwich Victoria, in relation to an incident concerning Halifax's Tyrone Thompson in November. Elliott denies the charge and will have a personal hearing.