Mark Mogan, 47, has been charged with a Racially Aggravated Section 5 Public Order offence after allegedly racially abusing Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during the Premier League match at Anfield on Friday 15 August.
Mogan, of Dovecot, Liverpool, has been conditionally bailed and is due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Monday 22 December.
Semenyo reported the alleged abuse to referee Anthony Taylor during the opening game of the season; play was stopped in the 29th minute and a spectator was ejected from Anfield. Taylor also spoke with Liverpool boss Arne Slot and Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as the match was paused.
Commentator Peter Drury reported via the Premier League Match Centre that Semenyo “was the subject of a racist comment from the crowd.” Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher described the incident as “despicable,” with Neville saying it “overshadows what should be an amazing night” and calling it “a sorry state.”
Kick It Out CEO Hollie Varney praised Semenyo’s response and called for football authorities to lead on consistent action against abuse. “The way Semenyo reacted was fantastic,” Varney told Sky Sports News. “It was incredibly inspiring. The action has to be led by football authorities and those in charge; it shouldn’t be on players to address the issues.”
The Premier League launched a full investigation and representatives from both clubs strongly condemned the incident. Semenyo, who scored twice in the match as Liverpool won 4-2, thanked teammates, opposing players and fans for their support in a social media post, saying the way the football family stood together “will stay with me forever” and that football “showed its best side when it mattered most.” He described scoring his goals as “speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch” and expressed gratitude for the messages of support across the football world.