Walsall backs Colchester goalkeeper in racism probe after Walsall win

Walsall manager Lee Grant said the club will fully support Colchester United goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala as authorities investigate a report of racism from Saturday's game in Essex. The League Two match ended 3-1 in favor of Walsall, but play was halted in the second half when the 23-year-old keeper said he heard a potentially racist comment from the away end.

Grant said Radio WM after the final whistle. He noted that Lo-Tutala was not entirely clear on the exact words he heard. Grant said that if the goalkeeper reported hearing something that should not have been said, the situation has to be dealt with properly. He added that Lo-Tutala followed protocol to a T and that the match officials, including referee Declan Brown, assistant referees Jon Block and Daniel D'Urso, and fourth official Ian Cooper, handled the situation excellently.

Grant acknowledged that he was not on the pitch and did not hear the comment himself. He stated that he would be appalled if the report was factual but clarified that his absence does not mean the report is not true. He expects Lo-Tutala to sit down with Colchester staff and manager Danny Cowley. Walsall will support the player and everyone involved until the process is complete.

Both Walsall and Colchester issued near identical statements on Saturday evening. The clubs confirmed that an investigation has been launched in line with standard protocol following the report of discriminatory language toward a Colchester United player. They said they will work with Essex Police and West Midlands Police to ascertain what was allegedly said. The statements added that the clubs will take any necessary action and that anyone found guilty of such offenses will be subject to arrest or a football banning order.

Lo-Tutala is on loan from Premier League club Hull City. He spent his junior years in London with West Ham United, Brentford, and Tottenham Hotspur. He left Tottenham in August 2022 to sign for Hull. He has yet to make his debut for Hull but has completed five loan moves. Those loans included stints at Stevenage, Doncaster Rovers on two occasions, and Crawley Town before joining Colchester.