Man Utd fan laughs at ban after wearing vile shirt mocking Hillsborough victims
A Manchester United fan who wore a football shirt to the FA Cup final which made an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster chuckled after a judge this morning banned him from attending any regulated football match for four years.
James White, 33, of Warwickshire, pleaded guilty - at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Monday - to displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. As well as the four-year ban, he was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £400 and £85 in costs. He smiled when informed of the sentence.
White was arrested at Wembley Stadium on June 3 after a picture of him wearing the shirt on the concourse was posted on social media. The Manchester United away strip had the number 97 with the words "not enough" written above, leading to widespread condemnation. He has also been banned 'indefinitely' by Manchester United.
A United statement read: "Mockery of Hillsborough and other football tragedies is completely unacceptable and the club will continue to support firm action to eradicate it from the game."
Ninety-seven football fans died as a result of a crush at a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on April 15 1989.
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James White, a Manchester United supporter appeared, in court on Monday (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
When White was arrested, the court heard he told police: “You haven’t even asked me what the T-shirt means. My grandad died aged 97 and didn’t have enough kids.”
The defence told the court that White “deeply regrets” his actions and accepts he “hurt people very deeply”. The prosecution said White had “many” previous convictions, dating most recently to 2021, but none were related to football.
District judge Mark Jabbitt said: “It is hard to imagine a more … offensive reference to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.” The judge added that the shirt White wore carried a “hateful expression” and an “abhorrent message” and added that the impact of his actions are “profound and distressing”.
Kevin Christie, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) London North, said: “White was wearing an offensive shirt which mocked many people and communities that were affected by the Hillsborough tragedy.
“White showed no sympathy towards those people, nor did he care about the impact of his actions. The CPS will continue to work with the police in cases involving tragedy chanting, and people who behave in this way will be brought to justice and will be banned from matches.”
Douglas Mackay of the CPS added: “The CPS continues to work closely with the football authorities including the Premier League and the Football Association, police, clubs, and charities to look to stamp out all of the appalling and horrendous incidents of tragedy chanting and gesturing.
“We are sending a clear message that we call on so-called fans to stop this vile behaviour of a minority which has a terrible impact on the bereaved and communities. If they do not then they face the risk of being excluded from the game they claim to love.”
He was arrested at Wembley Stadium on June 3 (UkNewsinPictures)
The Man Utd fan was arrested at the FA Cup final this month (Twitter)The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance said: "HSA was alerted to this despicable act on twitter and we at Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance would like to thank The FA, Metropolitan police and security staff at Wembley for their swift action and arrest.
"We would also like to thank the messages of support that we have received from all genuine Manchester United fans, and fans from other clubs for their support."
The FA also condemned the fan in a statement: "The FA strongly condemns the actions of the individual who wore a shirt referencing the Hillsborough disaster ahead of the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
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“We saw a photograph of the offensive shirt on social media and immediately started working to identify the perpetrator.
“Our security team were able to quickly locate the individual based on the image, and we welcome the swift action which was then taken by the police.
“We will not tolerate abuse relating to Hillsborough or any football tragedy at Wembley Stadium and we will continue to work with the authorities to ensure strong action is taken against perpetrators.”
A further 22 people were arrested during the course of the policing operation around Wembley before, during and after the game - which Manchester City won 2-1 on their way to becoming only the second English club to win the Treble - for offences including assault, affray, possession of drugs and drunk and disorderly behaviour.
Police said inquiries continue in respect of an item thrown onto the pitch shortly after the Manchester United goal, and there has been no arrest at this stage in relation to that matter.
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