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