Leeann Dempster praises Hearts’ handling of Marvin Bartley racism

Leeann Dempster, the Hibernian chief executive, has commended Marvin Bartley for his response to the racist barracking he was subjected to at Tynecastle and has praised the swift response of Hearts officials and supporters in identifying the alleged perpetrator.

Hibernian's Marvin Bartley, right, with Hearts' Uche Ikpeazu. Picture: SNS

Footage of Bartley being subjected to vile abuse emerged on social media in the aftermath of Hibs’ 2-1 win on Saturday. The 32-year-old midfielder was called a “n*****” amid a flurry of expletives.

A number of Hearts fans utilised the club’s unacceptable conduct text line to inform the authorities of the incident.

“When I saw the incident on Monday, I was very shocked by it,” Dempster said. “Every
incident of that nature is shocking, but that was particularly graphic and in terms of the audio. To see that on film was really awful. It was great credit to the people at Hearts – and the supporters of Hearts – who ensured the individual concerned was dealt with.”

Bartley showed remarkable poise in reacting to the abuse.

Dempster said: “It was incredibly difficult for 
Marvin to see and hear, and I felt he dealt with it really well, as did the people at Hearts.”

An arrest was made in connection with an alleged racist incident at the match.