Black player accuses club of race bias

Mark McCammon, 33, a Barbados international forward, claims he and other black players at Gillingham FC were treated differently from white players.

The player, whose former clubs include Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City, signed a three-year contract with League Two club Gillingham in 2008, and was released three seasons later. He is now with Conference team Braintree Town.

The case is believed to be the first race discrimination claim brought by a professional footballer.

It comes at a time when there is concern about racism in football.

Prime Minister David Cameron hosted a summit on the issue last week, amid fears that high-profile incidents are harming football’s image. Earlier this month Liverpool forward Luis Suarez was forced to apologise for refusing to shake hands with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra before the teams’ match. Suarez had recently returned to action for Liverpool following a ban for racially abusing Evra during a game in October.

England star John Terry is due to face trial over the summer on charges of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Terry denies the charges.