English club Brighton have decided to ban an Arsenal fan from their stadium for life after he was convicted of singing homophobic chants during a match in October 2021. Gunners fan Luke Reece, aged 21, had tried to leave the stadium quietly after realizing he had been spotted by stewards, but was arrested by the police.
In its statement, the club “welcomes the conviction and the three-year ban from any football stadium against a supporter who had shouted homophobic insults” pronounced Tuesday by a court. But a spokesperson, quoted in the text, adds that the young man will “also be subject to an indefinite ban from coming to Amex Stadium. »
“We have worked closely with Sussex Police to identify and prosecute the individual concerned and we welcome the verdict handed down by the courts. We have a zero tolerance approach to all forms of anti-social behavior, and that includes any form of abuse. »
Judicial measures of exclusion from stadiums are taken by courts and prohibit the person concerned from attending matches, whether at home or away. They only last between two and ten years depending on the seriousness of the charges. But the clubs have the possibility of prohibiting the entry of their enclosure without restriction of time, in the event of condemnation.
A mostly symbolic initiative (unless the Gunners fan intended to go to the Amex Stadium more than once a year…) but which could make some Italian clubs think, plagued by homophobic or racist insults in their stands. A phenomenon on the rise since the return of the public to the stadiums after the pandemic…
