FA Under Fire: Last Chance to Appeal Dunn's Punishment for Spreading Anti-Islamic Post
FA can appeal against Barry Dunn's punishment for sharing anti-Islamic content: eight-week suspension from football activities and £525 fine Millwall to conduct its own investigation Football must take action, as British South Asians in Football and the community are closely observing
The Football Association needs to make a decision on Friday regarding whether to appeal the eight-week suspension and fine imposed on Millwall's head of youth recruitment. The punishment was given due to a violation of the FA's rules on social media activity, specifically in relation to an anti-Islamic post shared by Barry Dunn. Dunn confessed to an aggravated breach of FA regulations, as he retweeted the post from another account on March 15. Additionally, he was fined £525 and required to participate in a mandatory in-person education program. Furthermore, he received a formal reprimand and warning regarding his future behavior.
The Independent Regulatory Commission imposed sanctions which cannot be appealed after a seven-day deadline that expires on Friday. The FA has been reached out to for a comment.
In January, the FA effectively challenged the decision made by the Independent Regulatory Commission to ban John Yems from all football-related activities for 17 months. This ban was a result of Yems admitting to one charge and being found guilty of 11 out of 16 charges for violating FA Rule E3.2 while he served as the manager of Crawley Town.
The FA appealed, arguing that the sanction imposed was inadequate and that the commission had made an unreasonable decision. The appeal was successful, resulting in a three-year ban being imposed on Yems. Yems had been accused of 16 violations of FA Rule E3.2 for making comments containing references to ethnic origin, color, race, nationality, religion or belief, and gender towards Crawley players during his tenure as manager from 2019 to 2022.
In July, Kick It Out released figures indicating a threefold rise in reports regarding Islamophobia. The youth recruitment chief at Millwall, Dunn, was suspended by the club on May 15 this year, preceding the charge against him by one month.
Millwall to conduct own investigation
A statement from Millwall Football Club to We News read: "The club acknowledges the ruling of the regulatory commission, which has found one of its staff members guilty of violating FA Rule 3.1. In accordance with our established protocols, the club will proceed with its internal disciplinary proceedings in compliance with HR regulations.Millwall maintains a steadfast commitment against all forms of discrimination and actively collaborates with stakeholders to support the ongoing industry-wide initiatives aimed at eliminating prejudices from both football and society as a whole. #Millwall #DiscriminationFree
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One week before Dunn's post, Millwall had joined the Muslim Athlete Charter, an initiative by Nujum Sports. This charter aims to create supportive environments and cultures in sporting organizations that actively assist players of the Muslim faith.
During that time, Millwall CEO Steve Kavanagh expressed, "Our club is making every effort to establish an environment that enables players and staff to fully develop their abilities and talents. The Muslim Athlete Charter will especially benefit individuals of the Muslim faith in this regard."
Nujum Sports have been contacted by We News for comment.
'Football needs to wake up'
Yunus Lunat, the FA Council's first-ever Muslim member, expressed his thoughts on the suspension given to Dunn, stating that the Football Association must decide whether or not to appeal. Lunat, who previously chaired the FA's Race, Equality and Advisory Board, emphasized the need for football to become more aware.
The FA, in all fairness, has taken action. When complaints are reported to the FA, they will conduct an investigation and handle them in accordance with their procedures. They have indeed addressed the matter following their established protocols.
Now, one might question if an eight-week ban is somewhat lenient. It is worth considering the comparison to John Yems. Should the FA consider appealing? That decision is ultimately for the FA to make.
However, it is crucial to keep in mind the substantial and influential role this individual played as a gatekeeper.
Therefore, the FA should contemplate whether appealing the sanction is necessary. Nevertheless, in terms of the future actions football must take, I reiterate my statement from 2019 - it must eliminate its tendency to turn a blind eye to Islamophobia.
'The community is watching on'
Image:
Former Eastern Eye sports editor Zohaib Rashid, FARE Network chief executive Piara Powar, Football Black List co-founder Leon Mann and We News' Dev Trehan (L-R)
Zohaib Rashid, a former sports editor of Eastern Eye, expressed doubts about the extent of Dunn's punishment.
"In 2023, there have been several instances of Islamophobia in football - and these are only the known and reported cases. It is disconcerting that the recent case has resulted in a minimal fine of a few hundred pounds and a short period of absence from duty. Does this set the standard for similar incidents in the future?"
The community is watching on and will be observing with great interest what the football family does from this point onwards.
