A Leeds United fan has been banned from football for five years for making homophobic comments and gestures during a match.
Adam Slater, from Bramley, was arrested on March 11 for directing hateful abuse towards Brighton & Hove Albion fans during Leeds United’s home match at Elland Road.
West Yorkshire Police said the 23-year-old was filmed making homophobic comments and gestures thanks to “evidence gathered” from forces present in the South Stand on the day of the match match.
Judges passed a five-year ban on Slater on Wednesday (September 20).
This comes after he was charged with a public order offense following his appearance at Leeds Magistrates’ Court in May, where he pleaded guilty and was fined.
In addition to the court ruling, Slater was also banned from Elland Road by United in a separate decision.
Chief Inspector Pete Hall, who led the police operation at the match, said in a statement:
“The words and actions used by Slater are likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to anyone within earshot, and anyone who behaves in this way must be prepared to responsibility for the consequences.
“Homophobic abuse and any other form of prejudice has absolutely no place in football and we know that all honest fans of the sport, regardless of affiliation, club association, all support this point of view.
“We will continue to work closely with Leeds United and visiting clubs to investigate any breaches and take strong action wherever possible, including seeking football bans and We hope that this latest action will serve as a clear reminder to others.
Slater’s ban comes amid growing pressure from the FA on clubs to stamp out abuse and homophobic chants among their fans.
Last January, the Football Association announced that clubs would face fines if they did not stop fans from using the homophobic slogan “Chelsea Rent Boy” during matches, one post said.
singing was identified by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as a hate crime.
At the time, the CPS’s director of public prosecutions, Max Hill, described singing as a “disease” that had “no place in society, let alone sport”.
The FA’s previous statement said: “We strongly oppose all forms of discrimination and strive to ensure our game is a safe environment for all, truly inclusive of diversity and challenge hateful behavior on and off the field.
The focus on eliminating intolerance in football has seen many supporters of various clubs arrested, charged and banned for making homophobic comments and gestures during matches.
recent month.
In July, Wolverhampton Wanderers were fined £100,000, the first for failing to prevent fans from singing during a match against Chelsea in April.
The clash between Wolves and the Blues saw three Wolves fans arrested for their actions, one receiving a three-year stadium ban.
However, actions against clubs for the behavior of their supporters can only be taken if they take place after the FA’s January decision.
For example, investigations into gay chants by supporters of Manchester United, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest could not proceed because the incidents occurred before the FA updated its guidance on 11 January .
MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish or debate issues more generally.
Please familiarize yourself with our community guidelines to ensure our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.
You must be a MyPinkNews member to comment.