THE Football Association (FA) have confirmed they will take no further action against Solihull Moors striker Conor Wilkinson following an investigation into an alleged discriminatory remark made by the player.
Referee Sunny Singh Gill showed Wilkinson a straight red card in the 66th minute of Solihull’s National League game against Boston United at Damson Park back in April.
Gill took both teams off the field for around 20 minutes after the assistant referee reported that Wilkinson had allegedly made a discriminatory comment towards the referee.
Boston went on to win the game 3-0 and the FA subsequently launched an investigation regarding ‘an alleged incident of discrimination towards the referee’ during the fixture.
However, the FA have now concluded their investigation and have decided to take no further action against the striker who missed the club’s final game of the 2025/26 season through suspension.
An FA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that no further action will be taken against Solihull Moors FC’s Conor Wilkinson for alleged discriminatory conduct during a fixture against Boston United.
“The player was sent off after the assistant referee reported that he had allegedly made a discriminatory comment towards the referee.
“We conducted a full and thorough investigation into this allegation, which included reviewing witness statements, match footage and enhanced audio, and we have decided not to take any further action.
“We are satisfied that the allegation was made in good faith, and we would like to thank all parties for their cooperation throughout this process.”
Moors chairman Darryl Eales has released a lengthy club statement in response to the FA’s verdict and questioned whether the organisation’s current protocols regarding discriminatory allegations.
Eales said, via a club statement: “First of all, the club would like to thank the FA for the speed of its investigation and the openness and transparency with which the process was conducted.
“The club also agrees with the statement published by the FA, in so far as it goes. Indeed, we wholeheartedly support a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of racism and the need for the football community to continue its journey to eradicate this scourge from our game.
“However, false claims of racism do not positively serve this objective in any way and hence due care should always be taken when responding to any allegation in such a sensitive situation.
“We accept that the FA is also in a difficult position in having to opine regarding on-pitch incidents, which happen in a split second and are not directly football related.
“Therefore, we are delighted that the correct and just verdict has been delivered and Conor Wilkinson’s innocence has been confirmed.
“However, the club does have unanswered questions as to both how the events unfolded on the day and whether the current FA protocols are completely fit for purpose.
“Those involved in the incident on the day, including many players from both Solihull Moors and Boston United, believe that the incident could and should have been handled very differently and this would have avoided the disruption to the game and the widespread negative publicity, especially on social media, which followed.
“Specifically, because of the manner in which the match officials chose to handle the incident, including taking the players off the pitch, Conor Wilkinson has been subjected to abuse on social media and had his reputation sullied.
“The reality is that Conor was adjudged as guilty of making a racist comment towards the referee.
“The alleged comment was communicated to the referee by the assistant referee who was some 30 yards away from the incident.
“The referee then acted as if it was beyond doubt that a racist remark had been made despite at least five players on both sides being much closer to the incident and those players absolutely confirming that no racist comment was made by Conor.
“I do question why the referee chose to believe the assistant referee, who was further away than the relevant players who told the referee that no such racist remark was made?
“The referee effectively acted as judge and jury, on a non-football related offence, in a fashion that goes against the presumption of innocence and the equitable principles of English Law.
“The club believes that in similar circumstances in the future a more pragmatic and balanced approach should be taken.
“The referee, given the balance of evidence and the material potential for the assistant referee to have made a mistake, albeit honestly, should have noted the assistant referee’s comment and referenced the need for a further investigation after the game.
“An alleged racist comment should always be investigated but the punishment cannot be handed down until due process has been followed, especially when it is circumstantial and indirectly heard from a considerable distance away from the incident.
“In our view, the FA should consider whether their protocols need to incorporate the adoption of such an approach advocated above, especially when it is far, far from certain that the any racist comment was made and it was not directly heard by the intended recipient but was communicated by a third party.
“Notwithstanding the FA’s findings and subsequent statement, the consequences of the incident are, unfortunately, still extant.
“Conor Wilkinson has suffered reputational damage and online abuse.
“Accordingly, we have asked the FA to contact the assistant referee and ask for an apology for his error.
“We are not doubting his integrity; it was a simple mistake but one which had significant consequences.
“In this day and age, a simple apology would go a long way. Conor is also under a two game suspension which will mean he will potentially miss our first game of the season.
“We have asked the FA to rescind the suspension and expunge the sending off from Conor’s record.
“Finally, the club has had to incur legal bills on Conor’s behalf which again would have been avoided had the referee chosen to adopt a more balanced and equitable approach.
“We are relieved that Conor’s innocence has been confirmed and we are delighted that he can now fully focus on pre-season and the forthcoming birth of his first child.”
