Footballer Antoine Semenyo “froze” after allegedly being subjected to racist abuse by a Liverpool supporter, who then threw chewing gum at him, a court has heard.
Semenyo was playing for Bournemouth when Mark Mogan, 47, allegedly targeted him as he prepared to take a throw-in during the opening Premier League match of the season at Anfield on August 15 last year.
Prosecutor Simon Jones told Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday that Semenyo noticed Mogan, a wheelchair user, beside him before hearing him shout: “Hurry up and take the throw-in, you black b******.”
Mr Jones said the abuse was aimed directly at Semenyo, who was standing close to Mogan.
“Mr Semenyo briefly froze as he couldn’t believe what the male had said,” he told the court.
Mogan then allegedly shouted: “I’m talking to you, you c***,” the hearing was told.
Mr Jones said Mogan looked directly at Semenyo while making the remark.
“Antoine Semenyo didn’t say anything back to him and went to take the throw-in, however he was clearly hurt and upset with the racial abuse that had come his way,” he said.
Antoine Semenyo, then a Bournemouth player, allegedly “froze” after being racially abused by a Liverpool fan during the August 15 match at Anfield
Video footage appeared to show Semenyo turning to his right and speaking to the Liverpool supporter after the alleged abuse
Mark Mogan denies racially aggravated behaviour and suffered a seizure during the lunch break before being taken to hospital by ambulance
Semenyo, who now plays for Manchester City, reported the incident to referee Anthony Taylor when the ball next left the field, the court heard. Mogan was removed from the stadium at half time.
The court was shown two short video clips of the incident. Mr Jones said the footage showed Mogan in an “agitated and angry state”.
Witnesses allegedly saw Mogan remove chewing gum from his mouth and throw it towards Semenyo, striking the player on the right side of his shorts.
“We say that was plainly an unsavoury action from an angry man,” Mr Jones said.
In a statement read to the court, fellow Liverpool supporter Neil Sherratt said Mogan, who sits next to him at matches, left his place in the disabled section of the Main Stand and moved towards the pitch as Semenyo went to take the throw-in.
Sherratt said he heard Mogan say something along the lines of “hurry up” and saw Semenyo turn towards him.
“Semenyo had a shocked look on his face and I believe he has replied back by saying ‘you what?’” he said.
Another supporter, Nicholas Collins, told the court that Mogan became “very cocky and brazen” after the incident, allegedly saying: “If the bizzies (police) come I’m going to deck them. I’m not going anywhere.”
Semenyo, pictured with his wife Jordeen, now represents Manchester City
Mogan, who had an intermediary with him in court, was interviewed by police the following day and told officers he had shouted at Semenyo to ‘hurry up’.
‘His account was that Antoine Semenyo called him a cripple which upset him,’ Mr Jones said.
‘He said he then threw some chewing gum onto the floor but not at Antoine Semenyo.
‘The prosecution say Mr Mogan clearly lied in that police interview.’
In the aftermath of the incident, Semenyo thanked everyone for the ‘overwhelming messages of support’.
He wrote in a statement on X: ‘Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever – not because of one person’s words, but because of how the entire football family stood together.
‘To my @afcbournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the @LiverpoolFC players and fans who showed their true character, to the @premierleague officials who handled it professionally – thank you. Football showed its best side when it mattered most.
‘Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch. This is why I play – for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be.
‘The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together.’
Semenyo had been expected to give evidence over a videolink on Wednesday afternoon, having had a work commitment which prevented him from appearing in the morning.
But Mogan, who the court previously heard has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, suffered a seizure during the lunch break and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
An application to proceed with the trial in his absence was refused by District Judge Mary Dowrick. The trial is expected to continue at a later date.
Mogan, of Dovecot, Liverpool, denies racially aggravated behaviour.
