Match of the Day pundit Troy Deeney incredibly DEFENDS Man United fans' vile chants about Phil Foden's mum – and FA chiefs WON'T take action

Deeney Dismisses Abuse Aimed at Foden in Manchester Derby as “Part of Football”

Former Premier League player and television pundit Troy Deeney has sparked controversy by appearing to minimize the abusive chants directed at Phil Foden during Sunday’s Manchester derby. The Manchester United versus Manchester City game saw a section of home supporters target the City midfielder with offensive songs.

Offensive Chants and Foden’s Reaction

During the goalless stalemate at Old Trafford, a number of Manchester United fans subjected Man City‘s Foden to disrespectful chants concerning his mother, Claire Rowlands. The incident occurred before Foden was substituted in the 58th minute.

Rowlands, 44, was targeted with derogatory language by a significant portion of the home crowd, which prompted the England international to respond with sarcastic gestures during the match.

Video footage circulating on TikTok captured Foden sarcastically applauding the supporters and giving a thumbs up while in Manchester United’s penalty area. He then defiantly gestured for them to continue their abuse.

Following the game, Foden posted a brief message on Instagram – “we keep going” – indicating his refusal to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the shocking abuse.

Guardiola’s Outrage and Club Condemnation

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his dismay, stating United fans should be “ashamed” of their actions towards Foden. Sources within Manchester City indicated that the club was shocked and disgusted by the scale of involvement from Red Devils supporters in the abusive chants.

Deeney’s Controversial Stance

However, Troy Deeney, a regular analyst on BBC’s Match of the Day, offered a divergent perspective. On talkSPORT, Deeney appeared to defend the Manchester United fans involved in the abuse, suggesting it was regrettably “part of football.”

Downplaying the severity of the incident, the former Watford striker asserted, “[It is] part of the game, unfortunately.”

“It is what it is,” Deeney stated, “I’ve heard people say things about my kids, wife… you name it.”

Acknowledging Guardiola’s viewpoint, Deeney conceded, “Look, I take Pep’s point – it is a reflection on society…. everyone’s relatively glass houses they like to look out and point and say, ‘you’re rubbish, this and that’.”

Nevertheless, he added, “But I also think as well, it’s a derby, people are emotional… you talk about someone’s mum so you never want it to be that.”

“It’s just part of football. This, in my opinion, is a bigger story than it needs to be,” Deeney reiterated.

“Watching the game, I didn’t hear it. [On] Match of the day we didn’t do anything on it, unfortunately, it’s the ugly side of this football game,” he explained.

Deeney referenced a quote from Gianfranco Zola, “‘We’re paid to have no feelings’,” as a justification for his viewpoint.

Guardiola’s Defense of Foden

In stark contrast to Deeney‘s comments, Guardiola vehemently defended his player following the unpleasant scenes at Old Trafford.

“It’s a lack of class,” the City manager stated after Sunday’s match. “But it’s not United, it’s the people, you know? We are so exposed, people who are on the screen in world football: managers, owners, and football players especially.”

“Honestly, I don’t understand the mind of the people involving the mum of Phil. It’s a lack of integrity, class, and they should be ashamed,” Guardiola added.

Despite the abuse, Guardiola dismissed any suggestion that Foden‘s confidence was faltering, expressing his belief that the player would rediscover his peak form.

“When the team is not playing at the level that we had, it looks like everyone is not what they were,” Guardiola commented. “I see the passion and smile on his face every day in training and that is what I want.”

“You see the numbers of players who have been four, five, six years. This year we drop and it’s all of them – that’s why we are struggling to win but the quality is there.”

He concluded, “He won the Premier League in the last games (last year), in the game against West Ham with two goals. His impact was incredible and he will be back.”

FA’s Decision Not to Take Action

Despite Guardiola‘s anger, reports indicate that the Football Association (FA) will not be taking disciplinary action regarding the abusive chants directed at Foden’s mother during the derby.

While acknowledging and condemning the behavior of United supporters during the goalless draw, sources suggest to Mail Sport that the chants do not contravene FA regulations.

The FA has recently intensified its efforts to combat tragedy chanting and discriminatory conduct, including homophobic or racist abuse. Rule E20.1 mandates clubs to ensure their staff and representatives refrain from “improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative” behavior.

However, it is understood that this rule is not considered applicable to the specific chants targeting Foden and his family by United fans.

Manchester United sources have stated their condemnation of abusive chants directed towards any player.

Deeney’s History with Abuse

Notably, Deeney himself has been subjected to significant abuse throughout his career, particularly during his time with Watford in the Premier League.

The English forward, who played over 400 games for Watford, later joined Birmingham City in 2021 and Forest Green Rovers in 2023.

In January of last year, during his brief managerial stint at Forest Green Rovers, Deeney spoke out about the racist abuse he received after criticizing his squad. He shared an abusive message on Instagram containing racist slurs.

Past Abuse Incidents Against Deeney

The 36-year-old, who later apologized for his initial comments and admitted to reacting emotionally, shared a racist message he received on Instagram.

In a past Instagram story, Deeney responded to the message with “Here we go again.”

Deeney has also faced derogatory comments regarding his appearance. In 2020, he publicly addressed abusive messages aimed at his infant son during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Watford captain, Deeney disclosed receiving disturbing messages wishing his baby son would contract coronavirus as Premier League clubs resumed training during lockdown.

“I saw some comments in regards to my son, people saying: ‘I hope your son gets corona,'” Deeney told CNN Sport in 2020. “That’s the hard part for me. If you respond to that, people then go: ‘Ah, we’ve got him’ and they keep doing it.”

“In a time where it’s all about mental health and everyone says ‘speak up, speak out, please speak’, Danny Rose spoke out and I spoke out and we just get absolutely hammered and battered for it.”

“So people see that and go ‘woah’ and it’s not just us that gets it, the missus gets direct messages and you’ll be walking down the street and people will be like: ‘Oh, I’m at work, you go back to work.'”

Phil Foden’s Mother’s Public Scrutiny

Foden‘s mother, Claire Rowlands, has also been subject to public attention on several occasions recently.

Nightclub Incident

In January 2024, video footage emerged of her being removed from a nightclub in Wales in handcuffs after an altercation involving another patron’s hat. The incident occurred in September 2023.

Rowlands was cleared of assault but fined for disorderly conduct. She admitted to police her excessive alcohol consumption contributed to her behavior, describing herself as “like an animal” when drunk.

She described the hat incident as “just a bit of fun, a bit of banter” that was misinterpreted, claiming it’s her “party trick.”

Fireworks Display

Late last year, Rowlands faced further scrutiny after hosting a disruptive two-hour fireworks display at her Cheshire home. Neighbors in Prestbury complained about the unannounced event, which disturbed pets and young children on a weeknight.

One neighbor described the display as “Disneyland-style” and costly, expressing concern for the pets in the neighborhood.

Arena Attack

In 2022, Rowlands was assaulted backstage at Amir Khan’s boxing match against Kell Brook, which she attended with Foden. Footage showed an individual punching Rowlands after Foden was verbally abused in the arena.

This incident followed homophobic slurs directed at Foden, escalating to the physical assault on his mother as their group attempted to defend him.

Foden’s Gratitude to Family

Foden has publicly acknowledged his parents’ crucial role in his successful football career.

In 2017, Foden expressed his gratitude to both his mother Claire and his Manchester United-supporting father, Phil Foden Sr., for their unwavering support.

In a social media post, Foden wrote, “Family, Thank you to my mum and Dad who have made all this possible.”