Three-year football banning order for Manchester United fan
A lifelong Manchester United fan has been given a three-year football banning order today after admitting using a homophobic chant at a regulated football match.
Carl Drury, 38, from Barnsley, was heading towards Old Trafford football stadium when officers, positioned outside the east stand, heard Drury make a homophobic comment towards Chelsea fans who were also entering the stadium.
The football match was due to kick off at 8pm on 25 May 2023 but Drury was arrested prior to the start of the game.
Drury claimed in interview he was responding to something said by a Chelsea fan and was unaware it would be an offence to use the chant as he had heard it before.
This was despite Manchester United reminding all supporters over the loudspeaker at 15-minute intervals that any form of discriminatory, offensive or tragedy chanting would result in ejection from the stadium and may be subject to police action.
Following his guilty plea, Drury was fined £586 on 11 September 2023. The fine had been uplifted due to the hate element.
Drury contested the application for a football banning order but following the hearing on 17 June 2024 a three-year football banning order was imposed.
Rebecca Seymour, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work with the police in cases involving homophobic or discriminatory chanting, and people who behave in this way will be brought to justice.”
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy our national sport without having to witness criminal behaviour.”
Douglas Mackay, Crown Prosecution Service National Lead Prosecutor for Sport, added: “We work closely with the football authorities including the Premier League and the Football Association, police, clubs, and charities to stamp out incidents of discriminatory chanting.
“We are sending a clear message that there is no place for this vile behaviour and so-called fans who engage in it face the risk of being excluded from the game they claim to love.”
Notes to editors
- On 25 May 2023 Manchester United played Chelsea at Old Trafford football stadium
- Carl Drury was born on 27/08/1985 and is from Barnsley
- Drury was convicted of engaging in racial chanting at a designated football match and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress under s5 of the Public Order Act.