Sheffield United’s Sophie Jones quits football after being found guilty of racial abuse, labels FA hearing a ‘kangaroo court’

Sheffield United’s Sophie Jones has claimed she will quit football after being found guilty of racially abusing Renee Hector by the FA.

Jones labelled the FA’s hearing as a “kangaroo court” and says she can no longer play under a governing body who she “does not have any confidence in”.

The FA reached a guilty verdict on Wednesday after Jones was alleged to have made monkey noises at Tottenham’s Renee Hector on 6 January in the Women’s Championship, with the 27-year-old receiving a five-match ban and being fined £200. Jones was subsequently sacked by Sheffield United.

However, in a statement released after the verdict, Jones strongly refuted the FA’s verdict.

”I would like to state on record that I do not condone racism in any form and I will continue to stand by this statement,” Jones said.

“I strongly stand firm that I am not guilty with regards to the charge that the FA have brought against me.

“I am struggling to come to terms with this decision and how The FA can come to a verdict based on probability from the two witness accounts verbally given, instead of reviewing the case and its evidence, in its entirety, based on the Sport Law and Practice Second Edition stating ‘the more serious the allegation the greater degree of satisfaction required’.

“The FA ‘independent’ panel received more than 10 other witness statements from payers with the alleged incident vicinity including Tottenham players, also all the match officials, all confirming they did not hear any racial abuse and or comments made.

“Video evidence that was submitted clearly showing no issue had occurred in the game had also totally been disregarded by the panel. Audio transcript of the alleged incident was taken to be reviewed and came back clear. Two witness statements from Tottenham players that continuously contradicted each other. And finally, my barrister was constantly being shut down by the independent panel when trying to discredit the two witness statements. In short, he wasn’t allowed to do his job.

“The hearing took place in a kangaroo court. It is with a heavy heart that I feel I am unable to continue within football and play under an organisation that I do not have any confidence in. I would like to personally thank Kevin McCabe and everyone at Sheffield United for their continuous support.”

After the verdict was reached, Renee Hector also released a statement reading: “There is no place for racism in our game. A zero tolerance policy is imperative in stamping this out from football therefore I welcome this verdict. No one should be subjected to racist abuse on or off the pitch and I felt a responsibility to call it out for what it was.”

The FA responded to Jones in a statement of their own which read: “The case against Sophie Jones was heard by an Independent Regulatory Commission comprising two independent lawyers and a former football player and manager.

“The written reasons in the case will be published in due course, which will provide a detailed account of the evidence given and the findings of the Commission.

"The FA continues to treat all allegations of discrimination seriously and encourages any players who believe they have been the subject of, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report this through the appropriate channels.”