Football banning order for man after racial abuse at Swindon Town match
John Phipps, 45, of Slad Road, Stroud, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to racially aggravated harassment behaviour
A man from Gloucestershire has been given a three-year football banning order after he racially abused football players during a match at Swindon Town.
John Phipps, 45, from Slad Road, Stroud, was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates Court on 25th March after pleading guilty to racially aggravated harassment behaviour.
The incident took place on 19th October 2024 at the County Ground in Swindon where Phipps was overheard shouting abuse following a game.
In addition to the banning order, Phipps received a fine of £400 along with £245 in court costs.
Police Efforts Against Discrimination
PC Dan Hatt, Dedicated Football Officer, emphasised the role of law enforcement in tackling discrimination within football.
He said: "We take our role in combating discrimination in football very seriously. Part of this is to seek to prosecute those responsible for this behaviour and where appropriate we will seek a Football Banning Order to remove individuals responsible for this behaviour from attending matches.
"We are constantly working with Swindon Town Football Club to help maintain a positive and family-friendly atmosphere for the majority of football supporters that attend the County Ground with the sole intention of watching the game and supporting their team.
"Officers from Wiltshire police are present at most Swindon Town games and the behaviour of the fans is monitored so that we may identify those who choose to commit offences or act in an anti-social manner."
Wiltshire police officers are present at most Swindon Town games to observe fan conduct and identify any offences or anti-social behaviour.
Currently, there are 20 football banning orders in place for residents of Swindon and Wiltshire.
These figures exclude supporters of Wiltshire teams residing outside the county.