One of New Zealand’s most high-profile football coaches has been red-carded – and is now facing a ban - after making what officials deemed a “homophobic” sideline slur.

Kane Wintersgill – Eastern Suburbs head coach and a previous analyst with the All Whites – was ordered from the sideline by match officials during his club’s tense 3-2 Chatham Cup quarter-final win over Wellington Olympic last weekend.

The opposition claimed the comment – which the Herald has heard but is not repeating - was “homophobic”. New Zealand Football has also said “homophobic language was used”.

The red card shown to the coach by referee Matthew Conger – who officiated at both the 2018 and 2022 Fifa World Cups - came after verbal volleys between opposition team officials and supporters.

The insults aired during the match included a clearly audible comment directed at Wintersgill. The coach and club believe that comment came from someone who was in Wellington Olympic’s technical area; the zone around the team’s bench.

But it could also have come from a crowd member watching on from behind the Wellington Olympic camp.

Late in the match, Wintersgill walked towards the Wellington Olympic technical area and loudly asked its members if they still considered him to be the derogatory term someone had earlier referred to him as being; a comment which was heard by supporters at the ground and those who have seen footage of the match.

Wintersgill’s question fired up members of the Wellington Olympic bench, who alleged to match officials he had made a “homophobic” comment and could be heard saying he deserved a 10-week ban.

Wintersgill – whose team is also currently second in the Northern League – did not respond to a message from the Herald about the incident.

But Eastern Suburbs chairman Simon Hilton said the club understood their head coach had been given a one-match ban, which they were trying to overturn.

“We are questioning the red card because we believe it was given incorrectly,” Hilton said.

“We have provided a statement that Kane asked a question about a comment that he believed was directed at him. At the moment, it is a one-match ban which is inappropriate.”

Hilton said Eastern Suburbs AFC management had provided New Zealand Football with a written statement and also sideline audio from the match.

He said the incident was “not black-and-white”.

Hilton said his club’s first-team coach “doesn’t dispute” he made the comment that got him the red card.

“He was asking a question of the Olympic bench, and the referee and the fourth official believe that what was said was inappropriate and he needed to be red-carded,” he said.

“I think it could have been handled better.”

Hilton added the game had been a tense contest played in front of a Wellington Olympic crowd that had displayed a lot of “passion”.

“The reality is there is a whole lot [of verbals] going backwards and forwards,” he said.

In a statement, New Zealand Football said it had a “zero-tolerance approach to homophobic language in the game”.

It said officials were now considering an incident report from the referee “and will be following due process”.

“At Saturday’s Chatham Cup quarter-final between Eastern Suburbs and Wellington Olympic, Eastern Suburbs’ head coach was shown a red card for using offensive, insulting or abusive language,” New Zealand Football said.

“Homophobic language was used in the incident. However, the offender used the term only after claiming to hear it directed at them during the game and repeating it back. The language was also not directed at an opponent.”

Eastern Suburbs this weekend play Auckland City in Northern League action. It is a crunch game, with Auckland City holding the top spot in the league by goal difference.

The club was obviously keen to have Wintersgill – who described himself on his Linkedin bio as “a hard-working, diligent coach who has honed his football knowledge and coaching ability through working alongside coaches who are now working in the professional game at the highest level and having been mentored by current [sic] All Whites head coach Danny Hay” – involved.

Hay was replaced as the All Whites’ coach after his team failed to reach the 2022 World Cup.

“For us leading into this week, it is quite a big distraction,” Hilton said.

Wellington Olympic coach Rupert Kemeys would not comment. He referred any comment to a senior club official, who did not respond.

Earlier this week, New Zealand age-grade player Finn Conchie signed a three-year fully professional contract with the Wellington Phoenix while serving a 10-week ban for making an on-field homophobic slur.

The 19-year-old player – a member of New Zealand’s team at this year’s Under-20 World Cup – made the comment during a Central League match between the Wellington Phoenix Reserves and Petone FC.

Conchie, speaking after signing the deal this week, said he regretted the incident.

“It’s definitely a learning experience for me,” he said.

“It was a horrible moment for me and for everything that I put everyone through. So, [I’m] just trying to learn from it and make sure that nothing like this happens again.”