A Burnley season ticket holder was given a football banning order today at Blackburn Magistrates' Court for three years after admitting posting a racist comment on a social media post.

John Southwell, 64, told officers in his police interview that he couldn’t remember if he had posted the offensive comment on a post featuring a Chelsea football player.

He went on to plead guilty at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on 5 August 2024.

On 8 October 2024, Southwell was given a £345 fine, uplifted due to the hate element and a three year football banning order was imposed.

A boy from Oldham has been sentenced following his involvement in violent disorder in Manchester.

The court heard that the 12-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been involved in two instances of disorder – one on 31 July outside a Manchester hotel that was believed to be housing asylum seekers, and the second on 3 August around Manchester Piccadilly Gardens.