An inquiry into the conduct of Leeds United was demanded last night after the footballer, Jonathan Woodgate (21), was found guilty of affray prior to an attack on an Asian student. Woodgate was cleared of grievous bodily harm and his Leeds United teammate, Lee Bowyer (24), was also acquitted on charges of grievous bodily harm and affray in connection with the attack on Mr Sarfraz Najeib (21) in Leeds in January last year.
Mr Najeib's family said the verdicts were a "tremendous disappointment" and demanded an investigation into why both players continued playing for Leeds United in the two years since the attack, which left the student with a broken leg, fractured cheek and nose. The family also insisted the attack was partially motivated by racism, an allegation the jury was directed had no foundation.
The Football Association will discuss over the next few days whether Woodgate can be selected for the England team. Both players denied all charges but were withdrawn from consideration for the England squad following their arrest.
"It has been a difficult case for all concerned and of course our strongest sympathies are with the victim and his family," a statement from the FA said.
"When the players were charged, the FA (in consultation with all parties) decided in everyone's interests that they should not be considered for representative honours with England until the legal process was completed.
"We felt the players should be allowed to concentrate on such serious issues away from the additional pressures that surround international football." Woodgate has one full England cap, Bowyer is a former Under-21 international.
Tense scenes greeted the verdicts at Hull Crown Court, which came after the jury of seven women and five men spent nearly 22 hours in deliberation at the end of an eight-week trial.
Bowyer leaned forward and Woodgate, sitting with his arms folded across his chest, shrugged his shoulders slightly as he was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. A friend of the two footballers, Paul Clifford (22), who bit Mr Najeib's cheek during the attack, mouthed an obscenity, as he was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and affray.
He was sentenced to six years. Another friend, Neale Caveney (22), was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service after he was found guilty of affray but cleared of grievous bodily harm.
The judge, Mr Justice Henriques, told Woodgate and Caveney that Mr Najeib and his friends experienced "sheer terror" when they had chased them through the streets of Leeds city centre after leaving the Majesty knightclub on January 12th last year. Clifford had then followed the group into a side street where the attack took place. Mr Justice Henriques said Woodgate had avoided a possible three-year prison sentence because his suffering during two trials - the first collapsed in April due to the publication of a newspaper article - was "etched upon your face." Woodgate also faces huge legal costs as a result of the case, estimated at up to £1 million.
Woodgate and Caveney must complete their community service orders over the next year.
Woodgate left Hull Crown Court without speaking to reporters, but his solicitor, Mr Nicholas Freeman, read out a statement on his behalf. The entire episode, he said, had started "with a fist" and what happened afterwards would remain a subject of speculation for many years.
The Leeds United chairman, Mr Peter Ridsdale, denied there were racists at the football club and confirmed that both players would be made available for selection for the first team.
"It's not Leeds United that has been on trial and if you take any other business in the country, if there employees are in court, you don't then start questioning the company."
Mr Ridsdale rejected suggestions from the victim's family that Leeds had acted in an uncaring manner following the attack. "Everyone recognises that until the result today, Leeds United were in a very difficult position," he said.
Woodgate will also face internal disciplinary procedures but Mr Ridsdale said the result of the court case "vindicated" the club's decision to continue playing the footballers throughout the two trials.
He also expressed his sympathy for Mr Najeib, denying claims by his family that the club had ignored the victim. "For the past 22 months there have been both investigations and two trials which have clearly affected everyone at the football club. Leeds United have not been on trial," Mr Ridsdale said.
But the Najeib family again repeated their belief that the attack on Mr Najeib, his brother and their friends, was racially motivated. At a press conference after the verdicts were delivered, Mr Najeib's father, Mr Muhammed Najeib, expressed his anger at Leeds United saying the players should not have been selected during the trials.
Outside the court Bowyer thanked Leeds club officials and fans for supporting him during his two-year ordeal.
"I would like to thank everybody who stuck by me - I won't forget that," he told reporters.