- An amateur team from London boycotted a match because of the opponent’s team name
- They have now withdrawn from another match against the same club this weekend
- IAN LADYMAN: David Moyes should leave West Ham this summer with his head held high It’s all Kicking Off podcast
London amateur team Camden and Islington United (Candi) have boycotted a second straight match against Munter Hunters FC while the club is under investigation.
Candi’s men’s team refused to play Munter Hunters in the Wembley Cup last Sunday due to the team’s name, which was registered in the competition as MHFC.
Munter is a derogatory term for someone considered unattractive and usually aimed at women.
They also cited “horrific examples of misogyny” on the MHFC’s social media accounts as another reason for not playing.
They have now made the decision to withdraw from this weekend’s Premier Plate match against the same opponents after raising concerns about the safety of the teams while the investigation into MHFC continues.
London amateur team Candi have withdrawn from their second straight match against Munter Hunters FC after raising concerns about their team name and ‘horrific examples of misogyny’
Your browser does not support iframes.
Candi won the Wembley Cup and Premier Plate last season but boycotted matches in both competitions within a week.
Candi’s captain Billy Doyle explained their refusal to play MHFC again, saying: ‘We were told again, in no uncertain terms, that we would have to compete against MHFC next weekend. We refused.
‘Candi will stand strong on her principles and is prepared to give up defending our titles as winners of both cups to show the women in our club and our wider community that we will not tolerate an environment in which they are not safe and are respected.
‘We are encouraged by the Amateur FA’s assurances that a swift and rigorous investigation will take place, but it should never have come to this. It shouldn’t be this team’s job to make football an inclusive space.”
Candi only became aware of MHFC’s real name when they were tagged in a post with offensive content ahead of last weekend’s match.
MHFC has an
Their Instagram handle is uefa_munter_hunters, and both accounts have the same motto in the bio: “Work hard, be kind, no excuses.”
‘Munt Hub’ is part of the club’s profile picture on their X account
The London Football League confirmed this weekend’s postponement, releasing a statement saying: ‘We prefer to await the conclusion of the Football Association’s investigation before expressing our views on this matter.’
The FA investigation was launched last week and a spokesperson added: ‘We are working with the Amateur Football Alliance to support their investigation so that the appropriate steps can be taken.
“We strongly condemn all forms of misogyny, which have no place in football or wider society, and we will ensure that action is taken against any club or individual found guilty of this behaviour.
“All allegations of this nature are taken very seriously and will not be tolerated in our game.”