Tribunal Upholds Racial Harassment Claims Against John Yems
Former Queens Park Rangers midfielder Amrit Bansal-McNulty has partially won his employment tribunal case against ex-Crawley Town manager John Yems. The tribunal found that Bansal-McNulty was subjected to racial harassment during a loan spell at Crawley Town in the 2021-22 season.
The 26-year-old former Northern Ireland Under-21 international is now pursuing compensation reportedly worth around £12 million. He claims the abuse he suffered caused psychiatric damage and effectively ended his professional playing career.
Details of the Case
The case was heard over 30 days at the London Employment Tribunal. It involved claims against Yems, Crawley Town, and QPR. Bansal-McNulty had spent most of his development years at QPR after joining the club’s academy in 2014 at the age of 14. His father is Indian, and his mother is Irish.
Three claims of racial harassment against Yems were upheld by the tribunal. The claims against QPR were dismissed. According to the Daily Mail, one incident involved Yems calling the midfielder a “curry muncher” and asking whether he was upset that pizzas supplied by a sponsor did not include a “curry pizza.” Yems argued the comments were “banter,” but the tribunal rejected that defence, concluding the remarks amounted to racial harassment.
In its summary, the tribunal stated: “We found that Crawley Town was vicariously liable for his conduct which was in the course of his employment. The claims against QPR failed.” This ruling means Crawley Town bears legal responsibility for Yems’ actions during his management period from 2019 to 2022.
Player Claims Career-Ending Damage
Bansal-McNulty is seeking compensation of approximately £12 million, arguing that the treatment caused serious psychological harm and derailed his football career. The tribunal noted: “The Claimant is seeking circa £12 million compensation as he claims that he suffered psychiatric, and career-ending, injury because of the treatment which he had suffered.”
The midfielder left QPR in 2022 without making a first-team appearance after several loan spells away from Loftus Road. He has not played professional football since. During proceedings, it was revealed that Bansal-McNulty believed QPR and then-academy director Chris Ramsey failed to adequately support or protect him after concerns about racism emerged during his time at Crawley. Both Ramsey and QPR denied wrongdoing, and the tribunal dismissed the claims against the Championship club.
According to evidence, Ramsey contacted the player on the same day allegations against Yems became public. Bansal-McNulty alleged the conversation focused heavily on whether he had leaked the story and claimed he found the line of questioning intimidating, particularly as he had only months remaining on his contract. His deal was ultimately not renewed.
Viral Incident and FA Punishment
Yems had already become one of the most controversial figures in English football after allegations of discriminatory behaviour surfaced in 2022. Crawley Town suspended him in April 2022 after several squad members raised concerns over racist language and behaviour. The Football Association later charged Yems with multiple breaches involving discriminatory language. Although he denied all but one allegation, 11 of the 15 charges were upheld by an FA disciplinary commission.
He initially received a 17-month suspension, but that punishment was later increased to three years following an FA appeal, making it the longest ban ever issued by the FA for discrimination-related offences in English football. The suspension officially ended in January this year. At the time, the original FA commission controversially concluded that Yems was “not a conscious racist,” despite upholding the majority of the charges against him.
Tribunal’s Final Observations
In its final observations, the tribunal acknowledged the broader damage caused by the case. “Unfortunately there are no real winners in this case,” the panel stated. “Whilst the Claimant has been partially successful in his claims against Mr Yems, and vicariously Crawley Town, his claims against QPR have failed. Mr Yems has not, and realistically was never going to, obtain the exoneration of his conduct and character he was seeking.”
The upcoming remedy hearing will now proceed involving only Yems and Crawley Town, where the level of compensation, if awarded, will be determined.
