The disgraced former Crawley Town manager John Yems claims HE deserves an apology in astonishing interview on talkSPORT on Thursday.
After an independent Football Association panel found that he had racially assaulted his own players, with the 63-year old leaving Crawley in 2022.
The FA disciplinary committee published a report on Tuesday saying that they “accepted Mr Yems was not a conscious racist”.
Yems admitted one charge but was found guilty on 11 other charges. These were related to comments made between 2019-2022 that made reference to ethnic origin, colour or race, religion, belief, gender, or nationality.
He was accused of calling black player ‘Zulu wardens’ and joked that a Muslim player would be a terrorist. Also, he deliberately mispronounced Arnold Schwarzenegger’s name to sound like the n–word.
Four other charges were not proven by the independent regulatory commission. Yems admitted that he used ‘old fashioned language’, but denied that he was racist.
On Tuesday, the FA published Yems’ written reasons. However, the independent panel sided in Yems’ favor. They argued that he wasn’t racist and didn’t intend to make any racist remarks.
The FA responded on Wednesday to the panel’s findings. It reiterated its disagreement with the panel’s conclusions and reiterated the need for a longer sanction.
White: “Do you not accept that you have done something wrong?”
Yems: “No… To me it is the intent of what things I have said.”
White: “Surely you must admit it was far from appropriate!?”
Jim White challenges John Yems, after he was found guilty of racist abuse. pic.twitter.com/I5g91szOca
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 19, 2023
Yems was challenged about his actions and comments by Jim White and said: “People are out there are going to say what they are going to say, people are going to think what they are going to think.
“I would say to you, have a look that I wasn’t found to be racist, never used racist language with intent, if anybody needs an apology then I think I do.
“The amount of abuse I’ve been getting when people haven’t even had the courtesy to ask me.
“I don’t think anybody has looked at the case with any open mindedness. I think if you are going there then there should be a few apologies coming my way.”
On the term ‘conscious racist’, Yems added: “To be quite honest with you, I don’t know where this conscious racist is coming from. To me it was cut and dry.
“I don’t know the meaning of that. I’m not trying to be a thicko, I just don’t know what it’s about. I was dragged through the worst experiences of my life. I’ve worked with black players, I’ve worked with white players, I’ve worked with every race and most countries.
“Some of the things I’ve been accused of saying, to me, okay some have said I used old fashioned language. I totally agree, if that’s the case then that’s the case.
“It so easy to throw accusations and if you throw enough mud then some of it will stick. I find that very offensive for people to say I’m racist.”
When asked if he accepts he’s done something wrong, Yems said: “No, the thing I’ve done wrong has been highlighted to me and has shown me there are certain things you can’t say or do.
“So be it. If that’s the rules now and that’s what we are supposed to do then let people know.
“To me, it’s the intent with what people say. I haven’t purposefully gone out there, individually, to say to someone XYZ, purely on the colour of their skin.”
Kick It Out chair, Sanjay Bhandari, also went on talkSPORT and said Yems had failed to show any remorse for his actions and needed to be held accountable.
Bhandari said: “He used a lot of words but there was one word he didn’t use… sorry. He didn’t say that at all, he didn’t apologise at all.
“He was completely unapologetic. The starting point for a redemptive society is an acceptance of what you’ve done wrong.
“There is zero acceptance from John Yems in that conversation about anything he’s done wrong.
“The prisons are full of innocent people. Serial killers who kill 11 people will point to the 12th one they didn’t kill.
“He spent all his time talking about the one thing he was found not guilty of. He was found to have made racist comments.
“The tribunal looked at the evidence and disbelieved him and believed the witnesses with corroborative evidence.
“There were three or four cases where the charges weren’t held because they gave him the benefit of the doubt and wasn’t quite clear on the evidence.
“They were quite generous to him in giving the benefit of the doubt in three or four cases.”
This is what social media users said as the disgraced John Yems claims HE deserves an apology in an astonishing interview on talkSPORT…
@anDrewjmmullins: He should never get another job in his life.
@Gandermonium: Absolute state of this geezer. 😳
@stfcjosh: You racist bastard, you know what you’re, hope he never returns to football again, can’t believe he thinks he’s owed an apology?? 😂
@GaVzOfficial: John Yems is a racist…..but some clubs chairman will give him another job & he’ll be free to continue his “unintentional” racist abuse!
@TheLiamBryant: This is actually mental
@cricket_badger: Oh my word. Another racist idiot who is now painting himself as the victim. It’s utterly pathetic.
@mrdarren_t: Accountability is something that’s clearly null & void in the Yems household
@Boshsoldier22: Sounds exactly like I thought he would
@BrickiEMJFL: But it’s ok because he’s not a conscious racist apparently… god help any young player with managers like these getting slapped on the wrist for horrific behaviour
@DRWSkinbo: He is racist, he is also very stupid.
@jamie_n22: I’m sorry John that even after all this time, you are unaware of what you’ve done 🤦♂️ what a deluded man
@MrJ9_FFC: Saying oh I didn’t do it with intent is NOT AN EXCUSE!!!
@LewysV: Deluded. Those comments were disgusting and he has no remorse. Should never work in the game again
@nathanbrown_95: Lost for words at the lack of engagement and perspective from him. Please never let the man near another football club ever again. Our game is for all.
@Dan1879_SAFC: No apology, no remorse. “I never used racist language with intent” there’s absolutely no way he thinks the things he’s said weren’t going to offend anyone. Then he plays the victim. Absolute helmet!
@HungryHatter: This is a motorway pile up of an interview. “People owe *me* an apology” made me genuinely gasp.
@adamtweets85: Just listening to this … John Yems’ victim mentality, lack of accountability and general thickness is embarrassing here. The list of what he said was not good. Like a dinosaur from another era lacking the brain cells to understand what he’s done wrong. #crawley #talksport
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