Footballer seeking £12m after Ex-Manager called him ‘Curry Muncher’

An employment tribunal has found former Crawley Town manager John Yems guilty of racially harassing midfielder Amrit Bansal-McNulty on three separate occasions during the 2021/22 season.

The ruling found that Crawley were left “vicariously liable” following allegations from Bansal-McNulty that the club failed to protect him from abuse by Yems.

Bansal-McNulty, a former Northern Ireland Under-21 international whose father is Indian and mother is Irish, was on loan at Crawley from Queens Park Rangers FC when the incidents occurred.

The tribunal heard the 26-year-old brought claims of direct racial and religious discrimination alongside harassment allegations, though only three harassment claims were upheld.

Among the findings, Yems was said to have referred to the midfielder as a “curry muncher” and later questioned whether he was disappointed that sponsor-provided pizzas did not include a “curry pizza” option.

The tribunal noted that Yems had attempted to characterise such comments as “banter”, a claim the panel rejected.

However, all other harassment claims against the 66-year-old former manager were dismissed. Claims of direct racial and religious discrimination were also not upheld.

Bansal-McNulty is now seeking around £12 million in damages, arguing that the treatment he endured caused psychiatric harm and brought his professional football career to an end.

The case was heard over 30 days at the London Employment Tribunal.

It also included claims against QPR, where Bansal-McNulty joined as a youth player in 2014.

Those claims were dismissed, with the panel ruling against him on all counts relating to QPR. He left the club in 2022 without making a senior appearance.

A remedy hearing will now take place, involving only Yems and Crawley Town FC as respondents.

Yems completed a three-year suspension in January, the longest discrimination ban issued by the Football Association after being found guilty of 11 charges linked to his time at Crawley.

The original 17-month sanction was increased on appeal, although four charges were dismissed and the initial commission concluded he was “not a conscious racist”.

In its closing observations, the tribunal stated:

“Unfortunately, there are no real winners in this case.”

“Whilst the Claimant has been partially successful in his claims against Mr Yems, and vicariously Crawley Town, his claims against QPR have failed.

“Mr Yems has not, and realistically was never going to, obtain the exoneration of his conduct and character he was seeking.”

Amrit Bansal-McNulty has not played professionally since leaving QPR.