In September 2019, Peter Beardsley was suspended from football for all football-related activity for 32 weeks after being found guilty by the FA of racially abusing players. Later that month, in a match between Hartlepool United and Dover Athletic, both teams' managers said they considered taking their players off the pitch following racist abuse from Hartlepool fans aimed at Dover player Inih Effiong. Dover said they wanted action taken. Hartlepool were charged by the FA in October 2019.
