West Ham coach has been suspended due to ..
West Ham has suspended one of their youth coaches pending an investigation after he claimed to have participated in a march organized by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance, a group that anti-racism activists have condemned.
West Ham Under-18s coach Mark Phillipshttp://Mark Phillips is now fighting for his job after his support for the DFLA was brought to the attention of Kick It Out, football’s anti-discrimination charity. Phillips tweeted about attending the DFLA’s march through central London last Saturday and later defended the right-wing organization.
The DFLA, a group primarily composed of middle-aged white male football fans, had planned a mass march from Park Lane to Whitehall. On Facebook, organizers stated that they were protesting “returning jihadists,” “thousands of Awol migrants,” “rape gangs and groomers,” and “veterans treated like traitors.” When anti-racist protesters attempted to block the DFLA’s route, the demonstration turned violent.
Although there is no evidence that Phillips was involved in any of the disturbances, his future at West Ham is in jeopardy because the DFLA has been accused of spreading Islamophobia and having ties to far-right organizations.
Kick It Out contacted the club on Monday after receiving a report from an anonymous complainant, and the situation is being monitored. It also tipped off the Football Association. However, the FA is unable to take disciplinary action because Phillips appears to have violated no laws or regulations.
A Kick It Out spokesman said: “We can confirm we’ve received a report about a West Ham coach claiming to have attended the DFLA rally. We have passed it on to the club and are liaising with them about the issue.”
West Ham took action on Tuesday evening, although there is a chance Phillips could earn a reprieve if he expresses remorse and agrees to attend one of Kick It Out’s educational courses about discrimination. The Premier League warned clubs about the DFLA’s growing presence inside stadiums this year.
