‘No offences have occurred’: Police end probe into racism at York City game

An investigation into allegations that a footballer was racially abused by a fan at a York City game has ended.

Police say ‘no offences occured’ at the game between City and Salford at the LNER Community Stadium on Friday, 11 July.

The alleged racial abuse was reported as a Salford City player left the pitch. As a result, the pre-season match was abandoned after 84 minutes.

North Yorkshire Police began their investigation and a 23-year-old York man was arrested. He was later released.

Today, a force spokesperson said: “North Yorkshire Police can confirm that following a thorough and detailed investigation relating to an alleged racist incident which occurred at the LNER Community Stadium on Friday, 11 July 2025, there is no evidence to corroborate the report which was made.

“As part of our investigation, we have worked with the person reporting, both clubs, and fans to gather evidence.

“Based on these findings, our officers are satisfied that no offences have occurred. The victim, who raised the concerns, has received an update from North Yorkshire Police.

“Hate crime has no place within football, and it will not be tolerated. Nobody should be subject to any form of abuse.

“We will continue to work closely with York City Football Club to take a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring that any incident is fully investigated.”

At the time there were conflicting reports from those near the incident. Some said a fan was mocking a player’s voice and this was misinterpreted as a racist slur.

Salford City FC released a nine-minute video responding to the “truly shocking” incident at York.

We stand together as a team, a football club, a community and a game against racism and discrimination.

Friday night’s incident is truly shocking, and something that must not be allowed to happen again. Racist abuse has serious long-term effects on its victims, and those… pic.twitter.com/oPH8jTq8nR

— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) July 16, 2025

York City have released their response to today’s police statement: “York City Football Club would like to reiterate that the LNER Community Stadium will always be a place for everyone.

“We will continue to work closely with North Yorkshire Police across all our fixtures to ensure that our matchdays are a safe environment for everyone.

“Anyone who hears any form of racial abuse should contact York City Football Club or North Yorkshire Police as soon as possible.”