Many of you are already aware of yesterday’s incident, and we now want to address it formally. The incident occurred when an opposing U14 team we were scheduled to play against could not field 11 players. The reason behind this unfortunate situation has deeply concerned us all. The manager of the opposing team from Panthera FC informed our manager that 4 parents of their players objected to their children playing football against Jewish boys. This information has subsequently been revised by Panthera to 1 parent.

As you would expect, we take matters such as this extremely seriously. Therefore, we are in the process of finalising our report, which we will promptly share with the following organisations:

• Herts FA
• Watford Friendly League
• Kick it Out
• Community Security Trust
• The Office of HM Government's Independent Adviser on Antisemitism
• Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

We are aware that the Jewish News reached out to a representative of Panthera FC and has published a comprehensive article on the matter, detailing both the incident and Panthera FC's response. You can read the full article here

We want to emphasise that there is no place for anti-semitism, racism, or any form of discrimination within our Football Club. We are committed to upholding our core values of inclusivity, respect, and diversity. We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any actions associated with these harmful behaviours. That said, please be assured you that we will not accept or tolerate when others do not act in keeping with these values.

Our commitment to security remains unwavering, and we continue to closely monitor and enhance our security measures as the situation unfolds.

As we move forward, we will keep you informed of our progress in addressing this issue and ensuring that MLLFC remains a safe and welcoming place for all.

We appreciate your support and understanding during this challenging time.