Bristol City fan banned from matches for racially abusing player

Police said the case highlights the importance of supporters reporting racism to the authorities

A Bristol City fan who racially abused a Huddersfield Town player has been banned from matches for three years.

Gareth Ralph, from Southville, yelled racial slurs during the match on 18 December 2021 and was reported by other spectators standing nearby.

The 68-year-old later admitted a racially aggravated public order offence at Bristol Magistrates Court.

He was handed a three-year football banning order and ordered to pay £601 in fines, court costs and compensation.

The court heard he used the racist language during a clash between the two clubs at Ashton Gate.

PC Tom Williams, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "This kind of behaviour has no place within football or wider society."

He added: "The abuse was fortunately not heard by the player himself, but this case highlights the importance of supporters reporting such incidents to the authorities if they do encounter any form of hate abuse.

"We are hugely grateful to those who reported this incident to us so we could get justice in this case."

Instances of racism can be reported to grounds stewards or officers policing matches, PC Williams said, or via the anonymous phone lines advertised by clubs.

It is preferable for the matter to be reported at the time.

"This allows us to act on the incident immediately and increases the likelihood of us being able to identify those responsible," PC Williams said.

As a condition of his football banning order, Ralph will have to surrender his passport to police for the duration of senior international football tournaments.