Lee Grant said Walsall will support Thimothee Lo-Tutala after Colchester's goalkeeper reported hearing a potentially racist comment from the away end and the match was halted in the second half. Walsall won 3-1, but the result sits behind the process now under way.

Grant's defence of the protocol

Grant's own line was about how the officials handled it. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "The goalkeeper followed protocol to a T. And the fourth official, the referee and the two linesmen were excellent. They called us over."

He also added: "It has to be followed in the right way. I expect he will sit down with their club staff and his manager, but we will support him and everyone fully until the process has run its course."

That support was paired with caution. Grant said: "We'd be appalled if that was the case. For me to be clear, I wasn't there, I didn't hear it. But that's not to say that it isn't factual."

What happened in Essex

The basic sequence is clear enough. The game stopped in the second half after Lo-Tutala said he had heard something that should not have been said, and both clubs said they would work with Essex Police and West Midlands Police to establish what was allegedly said and take any necessary action.

Colchester's keeper is on loan from Hull City and is 23 years old. He has made five loan moves during his time at Hull City, to Stevenage, Doncaster Rovers twice, Crawley Town and Colchester.

The football context is limited, but the immediate numbers show a player who was in the game throughout. Lo-Tutala's latest appearance lasted 96 minutes, and his most recent rating was 6.6. Walsall's recent form is stronger than Colchester's, with three wins in five, while Colchester have lost five straight.

What matters most, though, is that the clubs and officials moved the match into the proper channel rather than trying to settle anything on the spot. The reported comment is still under investigation, and the only firm conclusion here is that Walsall will keep backing Lo-Tutala while that process continues.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →