Antoine Semenyo 'froze' after alleged racist abuse at Anfield, court hears
Antoine Semenyo "froze" after he was allegedly racially abused by a Liverpool fan while preparing to take a throw-in during the Premier League opening match at Anfield on 15 August 2025, a court was told. Semenyo was playing for Bournemouth at the time and is now a Manchester City winger.
Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard the incident occurred about 30 minutes into the match and prosecutors said Semenyo was "clearly hurt and upset" before reporting the episode to referee Anthony Taylor when the ball next went out of play. The prosecution alleges the abuse was directed at Semenyo by Mark Mogan, 47, who was sitting in the disabled section of the Main Stand.
Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court: "Mr Semenyo briefly froze as he couldn't believe what the male had said." Two short video clips were shown to the court and Jones described Mogan as being in an "agitated and angry state." Prosecutors also said witnesses saw chewing gum thrown, hitting the right side of Semenyo's shorts, and that Mogan was removed from the stadium at half-time.
A statement read to the court from Liverpool supporter Neil Sherratt, who sits next to Mogan, said he saw Mogan approach the pitch from the disabled section and heard him shout something along the lines of "hurry up." Sherratt said he saw Semenyo turn towards Mogan with a shocked expression and believed the player replied: "you what".
Another witness, Nicholas Collins, told the court Mogan became "very cocky and brazen" after the incident and threatened to assault police if they approached him. The court heard Mogan had an intermediary with him during proceedings.
Mogan told police in an interview the day after the match that he had shouted at Semenyo to "hurry up", that the footballer had called him "a cripple", and that he had thrown chewing gum on to the floor rather than at Semenyo; the prosecutor told the court the prosecution's case is that Mogan had lied during his police interview.
Semenyo is expected to give evidence over a videolink and Mark Mogan, of Templehill Close, Dovecot, denies racially aggravated behaviour.