Chelsea's first black player Paul Canoville apologises for sparking Conor Gallagher pile-on after he...

Paul Canoville, who was Chelsea's inaugural black player, has expressed remorse for instigating a situation on social media that snowballed after Conor Gallagher seemed to disregard a black mascot.

After a brief video emerged on social media showing the Chelsea captain inadvertently overlooking the young player in the Stamford Bridge tunnel, Gallagher's Instagram profile was bombarded with remarks branding him as a racist.

On Wednesday, Chelsea issued a statement denouncing the abusive behavior towards Gallagher, calling it 'entirely unacceptable.' They also clarified that the video in question had been taken out of context.

Canoville was a player for Chelsea from 1981 to 1986, and he faced unjustified racist mistreatment from some of the fans during his time there. However, despite the negativity, he continued to play for the team during those years. Currently, he serves as an ambassador for the Chelsea FC Foundation.

Canoville, who is 62 years old, posted the Gallagher video on X platform, but the post has since been removed. This action led to allegations that Canoville was purposely provoking harassment towards the English midfielder.

Conor Gallagher, a talented player for Chelsea and the England national team, faced accusations of racism when he inadvertently snubbed a black mascot's handshake prior to Saturday's game against Burnley.

Paul Canoville, who played for Chelsea in the 1980s as their first black player, has expressed regret for sharing the Gallagher mascot video, which contributed to the social media backlash.

Canoville confessed that he had been hasty in publishing his social media post, which he has since taken down.

On Wednesday, he expressed regret and took responsibility for his actions. His message: "I would like to apologize to Conor and any other fans of the blue team. I acted impulsively and posted something I shouldn't have. I am committed to promoting equality and treating everyone fairly. Thank you for your understanding and love."

As Gallagher got ready to guide the squad onto the field for their Premier League game against Burnley at home on Saturday, the juvenile mascot elevated his hand in anticipation of receiving a handshake.

Gallagher seemed to not pay attention to him and chose to place his arm around a different mascot who was standing next to him in the tunnel, who happened to be white.

Despite a subsequent image depicting Gallagher embracing both mascots shortly after the initial recording, numerous allegations of being 'racist' have inundated his online platforms.

In a recent post on Instagram, Gallagher was seen playing for England last week. The comments in response to the post included phrases such as "the ruler of discrimination", "resist racism", and "support black lives matter."

Last Wednesday, the London-based club expressed their frustration through a written statement regarding the mistreatment of Gallagher. In their statement, they explained that they became aware of a video circulating on social media from the Burnley match that took place on Saturday, but they clarified that the contents of the video were distorted from their original context.

The amount of mistreatment and insulting remarks aimed at Conor Gallagher after the incident is wholly intolerable.

We take great pride in being a club that welcomes everyone, regardless of their cultural background, community or personal identity. Our inclusive approach ensures that people from all walks of life feel at home with us.

Chelsea expressed their strong condemnation towards the mistreatment of Gallagher and deemed it as completely unacceptable.

During the Premier League's 2-2 game at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Gallagher was the captain of Chelsea.

On Wednesday, Mauricio Pochettino also came to Gallagher's defense.

Prior to Thursday's game against Manchester United, Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Chelsea, expressed his support for Gallagher by stating, "I am deeply disturbed by this situation. No one would wish to carry out such an act with malicious intentions."

During a football match, it is common for players to be fully focused and ready to start playing. Unfortunately, there are always some individuals who will try to disrupt the game or engage in abusive behavior.

Conor is an amazing young person who is constantly showing his concern for others. It infuriates me that some individuals feel entitled to mistreat others online.

It's extremely easy to mistreat individuals, incredibly simple in fact. Nobody believes that Conor's purpose was to simply overlook a mascot. Let's be realistic.

Canoville, a former Chelsea player, who assisted the team in gaining promotion to the First Division in 1984 by playing 103 matches, was met with criticism after sharing the video.

A person on X site said, "Shouldn't Canners be a representative of the club? Why didn't he discuss this issue with the team in a private manner if he had doubts? Instead of making a video to spark dislike for Conor, who obviously didn't mean to ignore the child."

Paul, is there something more than what meets the eye in your message? I have come across more clips that exhibit Conor showing affection towards the boy by putting his arm around him. Are you only criticizing Conor for not shaking hands?

There is no significant event happening currently! Sterling also engaged in the same behavior. This opinion lacks substance and only leads to more criticism towards a player who is constantly targeted. It is disheartening to witness this! ????????‍♀️

Is it not Canners' role to represent the club positively? Would it not have been better for him to raise any concerns he had within the club, rather than making a video that could provoke negative feelings towards Conor, who clearly did not mean to avoid high-fiving the child? ????‍♂️

During his stint as a player for the Chelsea team in the 80s, Canoville experienced terrible instances of racism. Unfortunately, the abuse was not limited to opposition fans, as even supporters of the club he played for directed offensive comments towards him.

During the years 1981 to 1986, the player in the position of 'winger' participated in 103 games for the football team known as Chelsea. Their efforts on the field were instrumental in securing the team's promotion into the First Division in the year 1984.

Someone else spoke up and stated, "Paul, do you have a hidden meaning behind your message? I have viewed additional recordings that exhibit Conor putting his arm around the boy. Are you only criticizing Conor for not shaking hands?"

A different response to Canoville's initial message expressed: 'There isn't anything happening!!!! Sterling did something similar by the way! This viewpoint is weak and provokes mistreatment towards a player who constantly faces attacks! It's quite disappointing!'