British police said last night they had no plans to continue enquiries into a complaint regarding alleged racist comments by referee Mark Clattenburg towards a Chelsea player because no victim had come forward.
The Society of Black Lawyers reported Clattenburg to London’s Metropolitan Police after Chelsea complained to the Football Association the referee used a term understood to have been interpreted as racist towards John Obi Mikel during the 3-2 Premier League defeat by Manchester United on October 28.
While the Football Association enquiry is continuing, a police statement said, from their perspective, “the matter cannot currently be investigated”.
“An investigation was launched into alleged comments made during a football match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC at Stamford Bridge on 28 October 2012,” the statement said.
“This follows on from a complaint received by the Metropolitan Police Service on 29 October.
“Enquires were made and no victims have come forward. The matter will remain as a recorded incident.
“Without a victim and/or any evidence that any offence has been committed, the matter cannot currently be investigated.”
However, the statement added police could look again at the incident.
“If the situation changes and a victim and/or evidence to support an allegation of a crime comes to police attention then further enquiries will be made,” it read.
It was announced Monday that Clattenburg would miss another round of Premier League matches, the third successive weekend since Chelsea made their complaint that football chiefs have felt it best to keep the 37-year-old official out of the firing line.
Earlier yesterday, Chelsea have denied any hypocrisy in making a complaint against Clattenburg for inappropriate language while standing by club captain John Terry over his four-match ban for racial abuse.
Club chairman Bruce Buck said that the two controversies must not be linked.
“The press seem to juxtapose ‘our support’ of John Terry and what’s going on here and looking at us as being a bit hypocritical,” said the American. “We have to divorce the John Terry situation from this,” he added.
“From our perspective, the latest situation was pretty straightforward. We have an obligation to report what may be misconduct. We did that, in good faith and not maliciously.”