Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell (left) talks to referee James Durkin about the stoppage following an allegation of racist abuse
Reading's League One draw at Exeter was stopped after a report of a racist comment towards a City player by a visiting supporter.
The game was paused for a short time in the 74th minute by referee James Durkin, who spoke to the managers and captains of both sides as well as a steward.
An announcement in the ground then followed, highlighting there had been an incident of discriminatory abuse and warning any further incidents would lead to the game "being halted".
In his post-match press conference, Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell confirmed a comment had come from the away end, with 1,000 Reading supporters at St James Park.
"It's going to be dealt with by the referee and they're sorting all that out now," he told BBC Sport.
"But too many games are getting stopped for unacceptable chanting, unacceptable behaviour and hopefully we can kick it out.
"It's not a problem in football, it's a problem in society. It happens in other sports, it happens in other places and it's incredible that it still happening in 2025.
"Hopefully the authorities in football can try to do something to change it."
The match ended 1-1 after Jack Marriott's early opener was cancelled out by Jayden Wareham.
The point, coupled with wins for Burton Albion and Wycombe Wanderers, meant Reading fell into the relegation places, while Exeter slipped to 16th.
Matt Ritchie went close for Reading with a second-half header that was blocked
Reading went ahead when Marriott took advantage of a sixth-minute mistake to score for a sixth straight game as he cleverly read Johnly Yfeko's back-post header and poked the ball through Joe Whitworth's legs.
But Exeter got a deserved equaliser soon after a Reece Cole's low pass from deep in the right side of the Reading box was blasted home by Wareham as he faced his former club for the first time since his summer move to Devon.
The Grecians played some excellent one-touch football in midfield and should have been further ahead as Cole forced a good save from Joel Pereira.
Exeter skipper Pierce Sweeney headed over at the far post after Wareham had narrowly missed getting on the end of a Danny Andrew cross as the hosts impressed before the break.
Reading took control in the second period and Marriott should have put them in front again, but put an excellent 58th-minute chance over the bar from 10 yards after former Exeter loanee Kamari Doyle got free down the right.
Yfeko blocked a Ritchie header from six yards two minutes later, before Jacob poked over from a similar range soon.
Exeter tried to force a a winner as a total of 13 minutes of stoppage time was played due to injuries, substitutions and the stoppage for the report of racist chanting.
