A Wellington Phoenix reserves player has been stood down after making a homophobic comment to an opposition player over the weekend.
In a statement, the club confirmed that 19-year-old midfielder Fin Conchie admitted to verbally abusing a Petone FC player during a reserves match on Saturday evening.
The club said that while the officials didn't hear the comments, Conchie confessed to club staff his comments were homophobic.
A Phoenix spokesperson said the New Zealand under-20 player apologised to staff for his behaviour.
“Fin is very apologetic and accepts his comments are completely unacceptable,” director of football Shaun Gill said.
“Homophobic abuse or abuse of any kind simply isn’t tolerated and in no way reflects the values of the club.
“Fin acknowledges this and is prepared to accept any punishment that comes his way.
“He is genuinely sorry for what he’s said and wants to own his mistake. Fin has agreed for us to speak out publicly so his teammates aren’t suspected of doing anything wrong.”
The club said Conchie's actions were out of character and "aren't reflective of the club's culture".
Gill said the club had a sports psychologist and a chaplain at the academy, "but it's clear we need to do more".
“We will review all of our processes and will work with Rainbow Youth to ensure we’re better at educating our young players.”
Conchie will be axed from the squad for the "foreseeable future" but will continue to train with the reserves and first team.
“Fin is still part of our club, and we recognise we have a duty of care to continue to support him in his personal development.
“He is a young man who has made a mistake, but we as a club are also responsible, so we’ll work together to ensure there’s no repeat of such behaviour at the Wellington Phoenix.”
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