Abusive fan excluded from every stadium

A FOOTBALL fan who racially abused a Premier League player has been banned from every ground in the country in a legal first for online hate crimes.

Antonio Neill, 24, sent the abusive message to Ivan Toney, a Brentford striker, in October. Police began an investigation after he shared it on social media.

The message, which officers treated as a hate crime, was traced to a suspect who was then living in the North Shields area.

Neill, of Blyth, Northumberland, admitted sending an offensive message when he appeared at Newcastle magistrates’ court in January. Northumbria Police said Neill appeared before the same court on Monday and was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, as well as a three-year football banning order.

The force said the banning order is the first of its kind to be issued under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

The legislation widened the scope for issuing banning orders for online hate crimes linked to football.

Supt Scott Cowie, hate crime lead for Northumbria Police, said: “Discrimination has absolutely no place in any society, whether out in our communities or online.

“I am delighted that the seriousness of Neill’s offence has been reflected with this banning order, the first of its kind to be issued in the UK.