Newport County could face formal investigations from both the Football Association and South Wales Police following allegations of homophobic chanting during Saturday's FA Cup first round tie against Walsall. The fixture, hosted at Rodney Parade, was temporarily halted for five minutes during the second half by referee Robert Massey-Ellis as the official took steps to address the incident.
During the pause in play, Massey-Ellis spoke directly with the managers and captains of both teams and appeared to make gestures toward home supporters positioned near the dugouts. Because homophobic and discriminatory chanting breaches FA rules and is classified as a hate crime, the Rodney Parade outfit could still be subjected to an official charge from the governing body.
Addressing the stoppage following the match, Newport manager Hayden Mullins firmly stated that discriminatory behaviour has no place in the game. Mullins explained how the complaint escalated, saying: "I think it was homophobic stuff that was heard in the crowd, which is not on. We don't condone it. It was reported to the stewards and then to either the linesman or fourth official. I didn't hear anything, but he [the referee] has gone down the right channels, which is good. No-one wants that."
Mullins also commended the referee's decisive handling of the situation on the pitch. "He chose to stop play and wanted to deal with it pretty thoroughly. He wanted to make sure he was on top of that and had the right things in place, which is key," Mullins added, as the club now awaits potential follow-up actions and inquiries from football and police authorities.
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