Management trio walk out on Atherstone Town as football club admits racially abusive comments of 'mindless' handful of fans

Atherstone Town chairman Brian Henney has promised to root out racist "cancer within the club" after the managerial duo which has taken the team to brink of a Wembley cup final dramatically quit along with the football secretary.

The Sheepy Road club – on a high, days after making history by reaching the last eight of the FA Vase – were brought crashing down to earth in the most ignominious way after admitting a "mindless" handful of fans had made racially abusive comments to Stafford Town keeper Samuel Amedu in yesterday's game at the Evans Park ground.

The Midland Football League Division One match was halted by the referee minutes after the start of the second half and Atherstone club officials despatched to speak to the guilty fans in a bid to stop the abuse.

But today life-long supporters of the club with a non-league pedigree going back generations were asking: Where does the club go from here?

Chairman Henney acted swiftly to distance the club from the events in the second half of Atherstone's game at Stafford, which the visitors won 3-0, but where the only lasting memory will be the off-field actions of the perpetrators peddling obscenities.

After the game, the club admitted the racists comments had been "observed and heard by members of our own team and supporters", launching and conducting an immediate investigation.

But it didn't stop a procession of officials walking away from the club.

In the case of manager Scott Rickards and his coach Mike Fowler, they issued a short statement announcing their departure with "great sadness following today's unacceptable behaviour".

In a heartbreaking message to the club just two ties away from gracing the hallowed turf of football's premier stadium, Town FC boss Rickards added: "I would like to place on record that I have stepped down as first-team manager of Atherstone Town Community Football Club with immediate effect.

"I would like to thank Brian Henney and Dave Turner for the support they have offered me during my short spell with the club.

"I want to thank each and every player who I have worked with for their honesty and hard work to keep a dream of Wembley alive in our FA Vase run and also a MFL promotion campaign.

"And last but not least I want to thank Mike Fowler for sharing this opportunity with me, we entered as a team and will be leaving as a team and for that I'm extremely proud.

"I hope the good people within the club get to see this team succeed."

Secretary Dave Turner followed suit with a post on the club's Facebook page admitting he had "no alternative" but top resign his position with ATCFC – citing "no place for what happened today in any sporting arena."

Despite his long association, which has brought many friends, he said he "wouldn't be true to myself if I carry on after what has happened this afternoon".

He ended: "I wish the club every success going forward and will always be a supporter of the mighty Adders."

Adders TV, the account that posts Atherstone's match highlights social media, also issued a statement: "Having found out what the allegation was I can confirm there was racial abuse.

"If it is not dealt in the correct and proper way, I will never set foot in Atherstone Town FC again."

Stafford Town FC tweeted: "Shame football has to be ruined by idiots., and we appreciate it wasn't all Atherstone fans – just a handful."

Atherstone chairman Henney confirmed that all the fans identified in the incident would face lifetime bans, adding: "We have a zero-tolerance policy on racism.

"ATCFC wishes to publicly apologise to Stafford Town FC, their players, management and supporters for this totally unacceptable behaviour.

"Furthermore I personally wish to apologise to our own ATCFC players, management, sponsors and core supporters for today's mindless few and assure everyone this is not what our club represents.

"We will take whatever action is necessary to eradicate this cancer within our club once and for all. we will not allow a few mindless individuals to bring down this club."

But where does that leave the club and who will step into the empty pairs of shoes left by Rickards and Fowler.

Club photographer Gary McGuffog told Nub News today: "I am gutted, just as we seemed to be on our way back up.

"It is a real kick in the teeth for loyal Atherstone supporters.

"I can say that 99.9 per cent of them are good people.

"I fear it is letting racism win and I don't know where we go from here or who will want to manage us after this."

Before Rickards and Fowler joined last autumn to rescue Adders season, striker Joe Obi had been in temporary charge. As a result of what transpired yesterday, it is hard to see how he could be expected to fill the managerial void.