August 14 – Last season’s Premier League runners up Arsenal have banned 24 supporters for abusive and discriminatory behaviour, 21 of them for abuse in stadium and the other three for abuse online.
The fans in question have all been banned for at least one year, with 14 handed three-year bans, meaning they cannot attend matches home or away in that period.
The in-stadium offences include 10 for assault, five for tragedy chanting, two for racism, two for offensive gestures, one for homophobia and one for sexual assault.
Richard Garlick, managing director at Arsenal, said: “Abuse and discrimination will not be tolerated. We will continue to take strong action alongside our partners … against this abhorrent behaviour.
“We know it’s a small minority, but that won’t stop us from taking action against abusers who are identified as Arsenal season-ticket holders or members, and escalating to the police where appropriate.”
Arsenal say they will continue to work with social media companies and law enforcement authorities to ensure the appropriate action is taken.
“Our aim is to create an environment at Arsenal where everybody feels welcome,” Garlick added. “We hope continued action serves as a deterrent for those using abusive, threatening, and discriminatory language.”
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