WIGAN ATHLETIC CHAIRMAN Dave Whelan has been handed a six-week ban from all football related activity by the Football Association for his comments about Jewish and Chinese people.
The club’s owner was also fined £50,000, warned about his future conduct and ordered to undertake a mandatory education programme.
An Independent Regulatory Commission said it was “satisfied” that Whelan “is not a racist.”
The 78-year-old, who has seven days to lodge an appeal, last month accepted an FA misconduct charge but insisted he was misquoted in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, during which he used the term “chink.”
“We are satisfied on the evidence before us that Mr Whelan is not a racist,” a statement from the FA read.
“We are equally satisfied on the evidence before us that Mr Whelan did not intend to cause any offence by his comments. It is clear that he himself is very upset by the words he used and he moved very quickly to apologise publicly, plead guilty and begin to make amends.”
Whelan immediately came under heavy criticism for his comments and claimed he would resign as Chairman of the Latics if he was found guilty.
His interview with the Guardian defended his appointment of Malky Mackay – who himself is being investigated over claims he sent racist and anti-Semitic text messages to a colleague during his time at Cardiff City – as the club’s manager.
Referring to remarks allegedly made by Mackay, Whelan was quoted as saying it was “nothing” to call a Chinese person a “chink” and also said “Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else.”
Before Christmas, one of Whelan’s Grandsons, David Sharpe, was appointed onto the Wigan board as a director.
Meanwhile, Swansea City have “reluctantly accepted” midfielder Jonjo Shelvey’s four-match ban after he was charged with violent conduct for elbowing Liverpool’s Emre Can.
Shelvey swung his arm into Can’s face during Swansea’s 4-1 defeat at Anfield on Monday and although referee Andre Marriner allowed play to continue, the 22-year-old was charged retrospectively.
He will miss Thursday’s Premier League trip to Queens Park Rangers and Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie at Tranmere Rovers, as well as Swansea’s subsequent league games at home to West Ham United and Chelsea.
Additional reporting from © AFP, 2014
