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Tranmere Rovers midfielder Sam Finley has been suspended for 13 matches and fined £2,000 following the use of a homophobic slur during a League Two match against Walsall in January, the Football Association (FA) confirmed on Friday.
The incident occurred during Walsall’s 5-1 victory over Tranmere, when Finley directed the offensive term at Walsall striker Jamille Matt. After the match, referee Jeremy Simpson questioned Finley about the exchange—prompted by Matt’s report—and the 32-year-old admitted to using the slur.
The FA charged Finley with an aggravated breach of Rule E3, citing abusive and discriminatory language related to sexual orientation. Although the governing body pushed for a six-month ban, an independent regulatory panel instead handed down a 13-match suspension, taking into account several mitigating factors.
The panel noted that the slur was used only once, was not premeditated, and that Finley expressed remorse. He has also voluntarily taken anger management courses with Sporting Chance, which the panel said contributed to a noticeable improvement in his on-field behavior.
This marks Finley’s third offense under aggravated breach rules. He previously served bans in 2016 and 2020 for similar incidents, including using the same slur toward a referee and directing a racial term at another player.
As part of the ruling, Finley must also attend a face-to-face educational course. He retains the right to appeal the decision.
In a statement, Tranmere Rovers condemned all forms of discrimination and said the matter would be addressed internally.
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