A FOOTBALLER has claimed he was racially abused during a football match against Winchester City on Saturday (November 9).

The club were playing an away game in Portsmouth against Moneyfields FC.

In the closing minutes, 19-year-old striker Lamin Jatta said he was racially abused by an opposition supporter from the stands.

Winchester City Football Club have since said the team's supporters were not in the stand where the abuse came from.

A spokesperson said: "Winchester City Football Club were extremely dissapointed to learn the Moneyfields' player Lamin Jatta suffered racial abuse during our game on Saturday.

"WCFC pride ourselves on being an inclusive club and do not condone discrimination of any kind. Our initial enquiries found that the only person associated with WCFC in the vicinity of the stand where the abuse came from was our press officer, Malcolm Clarke, who did not hear the comment.

"Our understanding is that the rest of our supporters were behind the goal at the opposite end of the pitch which we were attacking in the second half.

"We will continue to help Moneyfields and the authorities to investigate this incident in any way we can."

After the incident the referee held play for a few minutes while he talked to both sets of players and management.

He said he would take the players off of the pitch if another racist comment was made.