Referee inspector Brian Kerson suspended nine weeks over comment that 'they all look the same'
FA bans referee inspector for nine weeks, fines him £200 and orders mandatory training after panel finds discriminatory remark following Luton–Rotherham match.
The Football Association (FA) has suspended referee inspector Brian Kerson for nine weeks after a disciplinary panel found he made a discriminatory remark about Chinese and Japanese supporters following a League One match.
Kerson, who was serving as an assessor of referees after the November 2025 fixture between Luton and Rotherham, told a group of match officials that Chinese or Japanese supporters "they all look the same" and can be told apart only by their shirts, the panel was told.
Disciplinary finding and sanction
Four witnesses gave evidence to the FA disciplinary committee confirming the remark. Kerson denied the allegation, saying he could not remember making such a comment and noting inconsistencies in the accounts over whether he had referred to Chinese or Japanese fans. The committee concluded the breach had been proven.
The FA imposed a nine-week suspension on Kerson, fined him £200 and ordered him to complete a mandatory educational programme as part of the punishment.
As an inspector responsible for evaluating match referees, Kerson’s suspension removes him from assessment duties during the penalty period. The committee’s decision underscores the FA’s disciplinary approach to discriminatory conduct by match officials and officials’ assessors.
No further details about appeals or additional sanctions were published by the disciplinary body.
Photo: press material from the event
