Jack Simpson: FA has no plans to appeal to increase ex-Cardiff player’s racism ban

The FA has no plans to appeal to upgrade the six-game suspension imposed upon former Cardiff player Jack Simpson ater he admitted directing a racial slur towards team-mate Rohan Luthra, Sky Sports News has learned.

Simpson, whose contact at Cardiff was terminated by “mutual agreement” in August, was suspended for six games, fined £8000 and handed an education order by the FA after a decision by a three-person Independent Regulatory Commission.

Cardiff City have been contacted by Sky Sports News for comment.

Six matches was at the lowest end of the six-to-12-match suspension range available to the Independent Regulatory Commission.

The Commission had noted Simpson was in a relationship with his girlfriend who is of Indian heritage and that he was “clearly embarrassed and perturbed by having used the words he did in the knowledge that such insults have been used towards his girlfriend’s family in the past”.

Simpson committed the offence during a pre-season tour of Portugal with Cardiff in July.

The 26-year-old was found to have breached FA rule E3.1 by using “language towards a team-mate that was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper”.

Furthermore, Simpson breached FA rule E3.2 by using language that “constitutes an aggravated breach as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to race and/or colour”.

Luthra became the first-ever British South Asian goalkeeper to sign a Premier League contract when he was at Crystal Palace back in 2020, and the Sikh-Punjabi is the only goalkeeper from Britain’s South Asian community ever to play in the Sky Bet Championship.

The former chair of the FA’s Race Equality Advisory Board Yunus Lunat told Sky Sports News: “Jack Simpson is very fortunate to have received the minimum match-based suspension.

“Rohan Luthra is the one of the highest-playing role models for South Asians in English football.

“To be subjected to such language in the safe environment and company of his own colleagues can only serve to deter young players from South Asian backgrounds.”

Rohan Luthra’s father, Dr Sunny Luthra, told Sky Sports News: “Racism is unacceptable in any form, anywhere, especially in football.

“Hopefully, the player learns from this and I hope it acts as a deterrent for this type of unacceptable behaviour.”

Kick It Out CEO Tony Burnett said: “There’s no space for racist abuse between team-mates, or anywhere in the game, and it is reassuring to see the individual responsible being held to account for his actions.

“Our first thought when discrimination occurs is always with the victim, and we applaud the courage of the victim in this case for coming forward.

“In this situation, as in all incidents of discriminatory abuse, there can be no winners and we hope that the perpetrator has learnt from this incident to ensure it is never repeated. Education plays an essential role in shifting attitudes and it is encouraging to see The FA include one to one education as part of the sanction. We know from our own work in this space the impact that this can have in changing mindsets.

“We would encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses abuse to report it to us at Kick It Out.”