During the opening match of the 2025‑26 Premier League season, Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo was playing for Bournemouth when a 47‑year‑old Liverpool fan, Mark Mogan, allegedly shouted a racist slur at him while he was preparing to take a throw‑in at Anfield.
Prosecutors said Semenyo was “clearly hurt and upset” and that he briefly froze, unable to believe the comment. The incident was reported to referee Anthony Taylor when the ball went out of play.
Mogan, who uses a wheelchair and lives in Dovecot, Liverpool, denied any racially aggravated behaviour. He was removed from the stadium at half‑time, the court was told. Two short video clips were shown, depicting Mogan in an “agitated and angry state” and reportedly throwing chewing gum at Semenyo’s shorts.
Witnesses, including supporter Neil Sherratt, said they heard Mogan shout something akin to “hurry up” and saw Semenyo react with a shocked expression. Another fan, Nicholas Collins, described Mogan as “very cocky and brazen” after the incident and claimed he threatened police.
Mogan later told police he had only shouted at Semenyo to hurry up, claiming the footballer had called him “a cripple”. Prosecutor Simon Jones said the prosecution’s case was that Mogan had lied in his police interview.
Semenyo, born in London to Ghanaian parents and a World Cup‑representative for Ghana, is expected to give evidence over a videolink. Mogan, of Templehill Close, Dovecot, continues to deny racially aggravated behaviour.
