West Brom windfall on the cards for Sam Field as Rangers and Leeds United speculation emerges

West Brom could be in line to receive a windfall if midfielder Sam Field completes a move away from Queens Park Rangers, according to BirminghamLive.

The news outlet reported on 2 August that the Baggies would receive 20 per cent of any sale if the Albion academy product, who is attracting admirers, is sold this summer.

The 25-year-old left left the Hawthorns for QPR in 2021 and has since gone on to impress in his 96 appearances for the West London club.

Funds welcome

Any funds the Baggies receive at this moment in time is more than welcome due to the ongoing financial constraints that the club are working under.

It’s been made clear that Carlos Corberan is operating under a tight budget after the departure of several senior players so far this summer, with a one-in-one-out policy looking to be in place.

It would be a boost for the club to see Field make a move from QPR this summer to receive some extra cash, as Leeds United, Burnley and Champions League side Rangers have reportedly expressed an interest in signing him.

The midfielder’s form at Loftus Road last season caught the eye after he clinched the players’ player, the supporters’ player and the Junior Hoops player of the year accolades.

He is probably the kind of player Corberan would now love to have in his squad, but given that’s extremely unlikely, he’ll be happy to settle for Field making a move elsewhere to provide his transfer budget with a healthy boost.

 

Footballer Amrit Bansal-McNulty, 23, sues QPR claiming bosses didn’t renew his contract after he said he was racially abused while on loan at Crawley Town – and was told ‘things are old school down there’

• Crawley Town manager John Yems was found guilty of 11 charges of racist abuse
• Amrit Bansal-McNulty, 23, claims QPR were ‘in the knowledge’ of his behaviour
• He said his complaint over abuse was a factor in his contract not being renewed

A young footballer is suing Queens Park Rangers after he claimed the club did not renew his contract when he blew the whistle on being racially abused while on loan at Crawley Town.

Amrit Bansal-McNulty, 23, claims the decision to loan him to League Two Crawley ‘in the knowledge’ manager John Yems used ‘racist banter’ was direct race discrimination.

The attacking midfielder also alleges that when he complained about the ‘really bad’ treatment it was a factor in his contract not being renewed by the Championship club.

Bansal-McNulty says he confided in QPR’s technical director – and former England youth coach – Chris Ramsey, about the treatment, who told him ‘things are old school down there’.

Yems has since been suspended from football until June 2026 after he was found guilty of 11 charges of racist abuse.

Bansal-McNulty says he confided in QPR’s technical director – and former England youth coach – Chris Ramsey, about the treatment, who told him ‘things are old school down there’.

Yems has since been suspended from football until June 2026 after he was found guilty of 11 charges of racist abuse.

It was heard Bansal-McNulty told the QPR under-23 coach about what was happening, who encouraged him to speak to Chris Ramsey.

QPR deny Bansal-McNulty had spoken to their under-23 coach.

In April 2022 Bansal-McNulty says he called Ramsey to tell him the ‘racist banter’ at Crawley was ‘really bad’.

He told the preliminary hearing he didn’t mention Yems by name to Ramsey because he knew the pair were friends – and claims he was told by Ramsey, ‘it is old school down there’.

Bansal-McNulty said he was left feeling ‘brushed off, surprised and upset’, as he ‘expected Ramsey to be sympathetic because he is black’.

When other players made allegations of race discrimination against Yems, the Crawley boss was suspended pending an investigation by the FA.

As a result, Ramsey called Bansal-McNulty twice, who said the coach ‘assumed’ he had made the allegations against the Crawley boss.

It was heard Bansal-McNulty denied being one of the players who complained, and he claims an ‘upset’ Ramsey told him: ‘You need to remember that your contract ends at the end of the season.’

The tribunal heard QPR ‘specifically deny’ any threat was made not to renew Bansal-McNulty’s contract if he continued his involvement in the FA investigation.

The club said Ramsey had instead simply called the youngster to ‘ascertain his level of involvement’.

In the resultant FA investigation, Yems faced 16 charges including 15 instances of speaking in a racist way – two of which were against Bansal-McNulty

Although the Disciplinary Commission upheld most of the charges, it did not consider that Yems had been ‘consciously or deliberately racist’.

Yems was initially banned until June 2024 but this was extended until June 2026 when The FA appealed on the basis the sanction was insufficient.

It was heard that in October 2022, Bansal-McNulty contacted the former QPR psychologist who found him to be ‘extremely vulnerable and experiencing depression’ and had ‘clearly been traumatised by his experiences and felt powerless’.

Later that month in a meeting with his GP, he referred to ‘stressful whistleblowing events’.

Employment Judge Holly Stout dismissed his unfair dismissal claim as out of time, but said: ‘In the circumstances, I am satisfied that most of [Bansal-McNulty]’s victimisation claims are strong claims, with prospects of success substantially above the threshold for a deposit order.

‘The victimisation claim in relation to the non-renewal of the contract itself is weaker, but even that in my judgment stands more than little prospect of success when his case is taken at its highest.’

‘Finally, I draw all those threads together to consider the overall balance of prejudice.

‘In this case I consider that the prejudice to Bansal-McNulty of not being permitted to proceed with this claim (which is important to him given his career aspirations, and potentially of significant financial value to him and which he has struggled to pluck up the courage to bring) significantly outweighs the prejudice to each of the respondents that has resulted from his delay in bringing the claim.’

The judge said due to the ‘hurdles’ of mental health, ignorance as to his rights and ‘fear of speaking out’ that he overcame to bring his other claims, they should be heard.

Bansal-McNulty is claiming he was the victim of direct race discrimination from Crawley Town and their manager Yems.

These claims will be heard in full at a later date.