Kettering urges supporters to act after alleged racist abuse of Redditch player

Kettering Town has called on supporters to report racist behaviour and challenge abuse online after Redditch United player Dan Sweeney alleged he was targeted at Latimer Park. BBC Sport reported on November 9 that the allegation concerned Saturday's Southern League Premier Division Central match, which Kettering won 2-1.

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In a statement published on Kettering's website, director of football Fabian Forde said the club needed a change in its culture, rather than another routine condemnation. He rejected the idea that describing those responsible as a minority was an adequate response, arguing that silence from other supporters allowed abuse to define the club's reputation.

Forde's appeal extended beyond behaviour inside the ground. He said racist language was also appearing on online fan forums and urged supporters to challenge it. At matches, he asked witnesses to alert stewards and identify those responsible to the club. His statement also stressed the harm racism causes to the people targeted and their families.

The allegation follows earlier reported incidents involving Kettering. According to BBC Sport, a match official reported alleged racial abuse at a fixture last season, while another Redditch player was allegedly subjected to racist abuse at Latimer Park in 2017. Forde acknowledged in his message that the latest incident was not the first.

Northamptonshire Police told the BBC they had not identified a report relating to Saturday's allegation. The force cautioned that a report could still be awaiting allocation or have been submitted elsewhere. It said it would take responsibility if a report made to another force concerned an alleged offence in Northamptonshire, and encouraged anyone who believed they had experienced a crime to contact police.

Redditch chairman David Faulkner welcomed Kettering's commitment to work with security staff, stewards and the relevant authorities to identify those responsible, the BBC reported. He called for action to follow that commitment and said tackling racism required leadership and accountability, with incidents neither dismissed nor forgotten after initial public attention faded.

The BBC said it had also approached the Football Association for comment. Forde, meanwhile, put responsibility on supporters to help change the environment around the club, making the reporting of abuse a central part of his appeal.