Birmingham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge ‘shaken’ by alleged racist abuse | City of Birmingham

Birmingham goalkeeper Neil Etheridge was allegedly the target of racial slurs from a supporter during the FA Cup tie at Blackburn.

A visibly upset Etheridge was seen talking to referee Keith Stroud after team-mate Jordan James equalized in stoppage time for the Blues secure a 2-2 draw and send the fourth-round tie back to St Andrew’s for a replay.

Birmingham manager John Eustace later confirmed that the Philippines international goalkeeper had reported the incident to the official and called the abuse a “bang out of order… There is no room for racism in society, let alone in football. We are really disappointed that this has happened. As a football club, we do not tolerate it at all and we are fully behind it.

“The ref will report it and further action will be taken from there. It’s a very, very serious issue. Neil was a bit shaken after the game, rightly so. The guys surrounded him well and have made sure he is ok and we will talk to him when we get on the bus and see how he is doing.The referee will report that first and foremost and it will be up to Blackburn as a club to deal with the situation.

Birmingham said in a statement: “The club can confirm that after the fourth goal of the match, Neil Etheridge reported an incident of racism to the referee. Subsequently match official Keith Stroud delayed the match. restart and spoke to the head coaches and captains of each team as per competition protocol.

“This will be included in the official’s match report and the club will assist the FA and the authorities accordingly. Blues give their full support to Neil. There is no place for racism in the game.”