Burnley fan banned from football matches for 'racist' post about Chelsea star

Turf Moor, Burnley
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


A Burnley FC fan who posted a racist comment about a Premier League footballer online has been given a three-year football banning order.

John Southwell, 64, posted the offensive comment on Facebook at 12.18pm on December 11 last year under a news article about the Chelsea FC striker Nicolas Jackson. The article related to a controversial incident the striker had been involved in during Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Everton the previous day.

After being identified, Southwell, was charged with sending by a public communication network an offensive/indecent/obscene/ menacing message/matter. Southwell, of Dale Street, Earby, admitted the offence when he appeared at Blackburn Magistrates Court on Tuesday (October 8).

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He was fined £385, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £138 victim surcharge.

PC Byron Worrall, from our East Division, said: "This case is unusual in that a football banning order has been issued for an offence committed away from an actual fixture and on social media. I welcome the sentence and hope it sends out a strong message that racist behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated by Lancashire Police, whether it be in public or while hiding behind a keyboard."

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