Breaking: Pittsburgh Riverhounds Player Alleged to Have Used "Racially Offensive Language" Towards Hartford Athletic Player
The incident happened towards the end of Saturday night's game at Trinity Health Stadium
The end of Saturday night’s game between Hartford Athletic and Pittsburgh Riverhounds was enveloped in controversy, as allegations emerged that a Pittsburgh player had used racist language towards a Hartford Athletic player.
In a statement on social media, Hartford Athletic indicated that they had asked the league to investigate the use of racially offensive language by a Pittsburgh player. The language was also described as “racially abusive” and “racist,” but there was no confirmation as to the specific nature of the alleged comment, and a spokesperson for Hartford Athletic declined to provide further specifics, citing the pending league investigation.
It was unclear exactly when the incident happened, although it appeared to take place during second-half stoppage time. There was a lengthy delay following a restart, while Hartford midfielder Marlon Hairston remonstrated with the referee. It appeared that this followed an exchange with Pittsburgh’s Danny Griffin, although it was unclear if the two events were directly connected, and a spokesperson for Hartford Athletic declined to identify any of the players involved in the alleged incident. The conversation between Hairston and the official continued for some time, and then some Hartford players left the field, although they later returned.
A further delay ensued, with both teams huddling near their respective benches, and referee Greg Dopka appeared to consult with both managers before blowing his whistle to end the game. It was unclear at the time if the match had been abandoned. A subsequent statement from Hartford Athletic said in part that “players and technical staff did not feel comfortable proceeding with the match,” but there was no immediate confirmation from any source as to whether the match had been officially forfeited.
As the teams departed the field, fans booed the Pittsburgh players, with “shame on you” and “there’s no room for racism” among the comments heard from the stands.
Pittsburgh manager Bob Lilley declined to comment as he was boarding the team bus outside Trinity Health Stadium, saying only “the league will investigate.” Reached for comment, the Riverhounds directed the Blazing Musket to a statement on social media, which said in part that they were aware of Hartford’s request for an investigation, but also denied that any use of racial abusive or racist language by a Pittsburgh player had occurred.
At time of publication, the league had not responded to a request for comment.
Update: Hairston posted the following on his social media
