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[Steve Russell]

By Dan Woodland in the Mail...

A young footballer is suing Queens Park Rangers after he claimed the club did not renew his contract
when he blew the whistle on being racially abused while on loan at Crawley Town.

Amrit Bansal-McNulty, 23, claims the decision to loan him to League Two Crawley 'in the knowledge' manager
John Yems used 'racist banter' was direct race discrimination.

The attacking midfielder also alleges that when he complained about the 'really bad' treatment it was a factor
in his contract not being renewed by the Championship club.

Bansal-McNulty says he confided in QPR's technical director - and former England youth coach - Chris Ramsey,
about the treatment, who told him 'things are old school down there'.

Yems has since been suspended from football until June 2026 after he was found guilty of 11 charges of
racist abuse.

Amrit Bansal-McNulty, 23, is suing Queens Park Rangers after he claimed the club did not renew his contract
when he blew the whistle on being racially abused while on loan at Crawley Town

Bansal-McNulty claims the decision to loan him to League Two Crawley 'in the knowledge' manager John Yems
used 'racist banter' was direct race discrimination

At an employment tribunal preliminary hearing, it was heard the ordeal had left Bansal-McNulty 'depressed',
'powerless' and in 'fear of speaking out'.

The tribunal decided that the former first team hopeful's claims of direct race discrimination, harassment and
victimisation should now progress to a full hearing.

He is making claims against Crawley Town and Yems himself, as well as QPR.

The prelim was told Bansal-McNulty had been 'obsessed' with football as a youngster and was scouted for
QPR's academy as a talented teenager in 2014. He had excelled at Futsal.

As a third year scholar, he was picked by then manager and former England boss Steve McClaren to train
with the first team and made the bench for several matches in the 2018/19 season.

The following year, the winger signed a professional contract with the club - but his first season as a
professional was thwarted by the Covid pandemic.

When McClaren was sacked after a dismal run of form in April 2019, he was replaced by former Rangers'
boss Mark Warburton.

Bansal-McNulty told the tribunal Warburton had a 'different philosophy' to McClaren and 'did not let any of
the under-23 players play for the first team'.

However, QPR claim that 'even McClaren' had decided Bansal-McNulty wan't good enough to play in the first
team standard and Warburton had simply agreed with his assessment.

After a number of loans to lower league clubs, such as Torquay United where he was described as 'a pocket rocket',
Bansal-McNulty was sent to League Two Crawley Town in 2021.

He claimed QPR sent him there 'in the knowledge' that their manager, John Yems, used 'racist banter' and in
doing so failed to protect him, even after he complained.

Bansal-McNulty was so 'badly affected' by the abuse he was subject to from Yems, he would 'feign illness' to
avoid having to train with the manager, it was heard.

Steve McClaren was sacked as QPR manager after a dismal run of form in April 2019 and was replaced by former
Rangers' boss Mark Warburton.

It was heard Bansal-McNulty told the QPR under-23 coach about what was happening, who encouraged him to
speak to Chris Ramsey.

QPR deny Bansal-McNulty had spoken to their under-23 coach.

In April 2022 Bansal-McNulty says he called Ramsey to tell him the 'racist banter' at Crawley was 'really bad'.

He told the preliminary hearing he didn't mention Yems by name to Ramsey because he knew the pair were
friends - and claims he was told by Ramsey, 'it is old school down there'.

Bansal-McNulty said he was left feeling 'brushed off, surprised and upset', as he 'expected Ramsey to be
sympathetic because he is black'.

When other players made allegations of race discrimination against Yems, the Crawley boss was suspended
pending an investigation by the FA.

As a result, Ramsey called Bansal-McNulty twice, who said the coach 'assumed' he had made the allegations
against the Crawley boss.

It was heard Bansal-McNulty denied being one of the players who complained, and he claims an 'upset' Ramsey
told him: 'You need to remember that your contract ends at the end of the season.'

The tribunal heard QPR 'specifically deny' any threat was made not to renew Bansal-McNulty's contract if he
continued his involvement in the FA investigation.

The club said Ramsey had instead simply called the youngster to 'ascertain his level of involvement'.

In April 2022 Bansal-McNulty says he called QPR's technical director Chris Ramsey (to tell him the 'racist banter'
at Crawley was 'really bad')

In the resultant FA investigation, Yems faced 16 charges including 15 instances of speaking in a racist way -
two of which were against Bansal-McNulty.

Although the Disciplinary Commission upheld most of the charges, it did not consider that Yems had been
'consciously or deliberately racist'.

Yems was initially banned until June 2024 but this was extended until June 2026 when The FA appealed on
the basis the sanction was insufficient.

It was heard that in October 2022, Bansal-McNulty contacted the former QPR psychologist who found him
to be 'extremely vulnerable and experiencing depression' and had 'clearly been traumatised by his experiences
and felt powerless'.

Later that month in a meeting with his GP, he referred to 'stressful whistleblowing events'.

Employment Judge Holly Stout dismissed his unfair dismissal claim as out of time, but said: 'In the circumstances,
I am satisfied that most of [Bansal-McNulty]'s victimisation claims are strong claims, with prospects of
success substantially above the threshold for a deposit order.

'The victimisation claim in relation to the non-renewal of the contract itself is weaker, but even that in my
judgment stands more than little prospect of success when his case is taken at its highest.'

'Finally, I draw all those threads together to consider the overall balance of prejudice.

'In this case I consider that the prejudice to Bansal-McNulty of not being permitted to proceed with this claim
(which is important to him given his career aspirations, and potentially of significant financial value to him and
which he has struggled to pluck up the courage to bring) significantly outweighs the prejudice to each of the
respondents that has resulted from his delay in bringing the claim.'

The judge said due to the 'hurdles' of mental health, ignorance as to his rights and 'fear of speaking out' that
he overcame to bring his other claims, they should be heard.

Bansal-McNulty is claiming he was the victim of direct race discrimination from Crawley Town and their manager Yems.

These claims will be heard in full at a later date.

[steveqpr881]

So, CR & this Yems guy are friends, even though CR knows that Yems uses 'racist banter' ???
Doesn't add up to me.