Sophie Jones quits football after racial abuse ban and Sheffield United exit

Sophie Jones is giving up football after the Sheffield United Women’s player was on Wednesday given a five-match ban for racially abusing an opponent during a Championship game against Tottenham in January.

Jones’s announcement came after United confirmed her contract had been terminated by “mutual agreement” after she was found guilty of making monkey noises at the Spurs centre-back Renée Hector in January.

Jones, who was also fined £200 and ordered to attend an FA inclusion and diversity workshop, insisted she was “not guilty” and had instead been the victim of a “kangaroo court” set up by the FA.

Related: Tottenham Ladies player says opponent made monkey noises at her

“It is with a heavy heart that I am unable to continue within football and play under an organisation that I do not have any confidence in,” she said. “I am struggling to come to terms with this decision. The FA ‘independent’ panel received more than 10 other witness statements from players in the vicinity including Tottenham players. Also all the match officials confirmed they did not hear any racial abuse and or comments made.”

The 27-year-old also accused the FA of ignoring video evidence and claimed two witness statements from Tottenham players had “continuously contradicted each other”. She said she did not condone racism in any form.

The FA said Jones’s case had been heard by an Independent Regulatory Commission comprised of two independent lawyers along with a former player and manager. They found she had broken the FA’s Rule E1 – using abusive and/or insulting words – and her behaviour constituted an “aggravated breach” of FA Rule E3 [2] as it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race.

“The written reasons in the case will be published in due course, which will provide a detailed account of the evidence given and the findings of the commission,” the FA added in a statement. “The FA continues to treat all allegations of discrimination seriously and encourages any player who believes they have been the subject of, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report this through the appropriate panels.”

The FA confirmed Jones’s ban will remain in place if she joins a new club, whether in the UK or abroad.

After the verdict on Wednesday, Hector said she was happy with the decision. “There is no place for racism in our game,” she said in a statement. “A zero tolerance policy is imperative in stamping this out, therefore I welcome this verdict. No one should be subjected to racist abuse on or off the pitch and I felt a responsibility to call it out for what it was.

“I want to now concentrate on the last five games of the FAWC and trying to secure promotion with Spurs. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this process.”