Online racist abusers face ban on going to see games
FOOTBALL yobs who post racist slurs on social media will be banned from going to matches, Boris Johnson announced.
The prime minister told MPs that orders which block spectators from all games in the UK – currently used to deal with hooliganism at stadiums – would be extended to cover online hatred.
The planned law-change follows racist abuse directed at England’s Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after they missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy on Sunday.
Mr Johnson said: ‘I utterly condemn and abhor the racist outpourings that we saw on Sunday night.
‘And so what we’re doing today is taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning order regime is changed so that, if you are guilty of racist abuse online of footballers, then you will not be going to the match – no ifs, no buts, no exemptions and no excuses.’
The orders handed out by magistrates can require ‘fans’ to surrender passports before overseas matches and can last for up to ten years.
Since Sunday, more than 1million people have signed a petition calling for the government to go even further by banning anyone guilty of racism – either online and offline – from going to games for life.
The change.org petition was set up by campaigner Shaista Aziz and friends Huda
Jawad and Amna Abdullatif, under the name the Three Hijabis. Mother-of-two Ms Jawad said that, until recently, she was too ‘intimidated’ to watch a football match in public, despite living a ‘stone’s throw’ from Wembley stadium in north London. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer backs banning racists but accused ministers of giving them the ‘green light’ rather than the red card. It came after England defender Tyrone Mings slammed home secretary Priti Patel for refusing to condemn booing of players taking the knee. Greater Manchester Police has arrested a 37-year-old man, thought to be estate agent Andrew Bone, over an online slur against England stars. West Mercia police said a 50-yearold – reported to be children’s football coach Nick Scott – was arrested over racism. In Kent, a 49-year-old man was held.