Star refuses to play after Tottenham’s FA Cup trip to Tamworth after being ‘disappointed’ with club’s response to racist abuse following game
- A footballer was subjected to racist abuse after Tamworth’s defeat to Tottenham
- He hit out at his club online after being ‘disappointed’ by their lack of response
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Tamworth star Chris Wreh refused to play on Tuesday night after being ‘disappointed’ with the club’s response to racist abuse he suffered following their FA Cup defeat to Tottenham.
Wreh, 28, hit out at the club for a ‘lack of support’ after receiving a threatening message calling him a ‘n*****’ and a ‘monkey’.
Tamworth took Tottenham to extra time in a heroic game on Sunday, with striker Wreh coming off the bench as the National League side lost 3-0.
The person who contacted Wreh accused him of being the reason he lost a £20 bet on the match.
Wreh declined to play in Tamworth’s 4-2 win over Boldemere St Michaels in the Birmingham Senior Cup on Tuesday night due to his disappointment with the club’s hierarchy.
“Incidents like this highlight the ongoing issue of racism,” Wreh wrote on Instagram and X.
Tamworth striker Chris Wreh has criticized the club for not supporting him after racist abuse and refusing to play on Tuesday
Wreh, the son of former Arsenal FA Cup hero Christopher Wreh, called it ‘disappointing’
This is the sickening message Wreh received on Instagram from someone who had placed a bet
Wreh added that manager Andy Peaks has supported him in dealing with the abuse
‘It is a shame to be racially abused by someone simply because they have lost a bet, but unfortunately this happens all too often.
‘While I have the utmost respect for my manager (Andy Peaks), who has supported me throughout this matter, I am disappointed that the club has not yet publicly supported me, leaving me feeling confused and disappointed.
‘At no point was I asked if I was okay, but was told the silence was due to a desire to keep the matter internal. I cannot agree or condone this approach.
“If these incidents are kept ‘in-house’, they will never be addressed. I hope everyone understands my reasons for speaking out.”
He added that police are now investigating the incident. Mail Sport tried to trace the Instagram account that sent the message but could not find a user with the same name.
Tamworth has not directly addressed the incident. They tweeted a reminder of their “zero tolerance policy against all forms of discrimination and abuse” ahead of kick-off on Tuesday.
Chris Wreh is the son of Arsenal FA Cup hero Christopher Wreh, scorer of the only goal in a semi-final against Wolves on the way to winning the Double in 1998.