Deaf team assistant condemns 'offensive' jibes

Matt Dixon called out the abuse using sign language in a video on the club's social media channels earlier this month

The assistant manager of a deaf football team has demanded an end to "deeply offensive" insults made by opposition players.

Matt Dixon, who helps run Farsley Celtic Deaf FC in Leeds, said "disgusting" on-pitch jibes had been made about his players' disabilities.

The trophy-winning club, which boasts nine players in the senior England Deaf squad, competes against other deaf teams but also in leagues where most players do not have impaired hearing.

Mr Dixon branded the jibes "straight-up discrimination".

The assistant manager, who has been involved with the team for four years, grew up in a home where both his parents as well as his brother and sister were deaf, though he does not have impaired hearing himself.

He said he had frequently heard offensive taunts made in the direction of his own players.

Farsley Celtic boasts nine players in the senior England Deaf squad

Speaking to BBC Radio Leeds, Mr Dixon said: "There's been a couple of instances that have really shocked me.

"(On some occasions) things are said that can be quite funny, are banter and are clearly meant in a light-hearted way.

"But there's actually been more instances than I'd care to say where it's actually been deeply offensive.

"I don't know whether it's down to a lack of education, or the fact a deaf team is beating you, I don't know."

Mr Dixon said levels of impairment within the team vary.

While some players use sign language, others play with hearing aids or cochlear implants.

It means on occasion players have heard insults hurled at them and have then been accused of having "selective hearing" when they have responded.

'It's about common decency'

Others have had their voices mocked.

"What's that person's ability to hear got to do with a football match and why are you using that to slight that person or to try to upset them?" Mr Dixon added.

"It's just straight-up discrimination.

"I remember one occasion in particular where I heard something that was so disgusting and it was so deeply offensive.

"It's about common decency. Some things in society people know it's not acceptable to say.

"But when it comes to disability and deafness I don't think there's that level of education where people realise that mocking somebody isn't acceptable."

Mr Dixon called out the abuse in a subtitled social media video in which he communicated through sign language.

He told Radio Leeds that in response to the video, one opposition player had messaged to offer a heartfelt apology for the taunts his team-mates had dished out during a game.

He said: "It made me feel emotional reading it, because he'd gone out of his way to apologise for the behaviour of his team-mates and he'd said the fact he hadn't challenged it made him complicit.

"He said that going forward he'd make sure it wouldn't happen again.

"I thought that was amazing. That's one person now who we've had an impact on and that's brilliant."

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