Crawley to ban fan for antisemitic abuse of owners

Crawley Town are 22nd in League One, six points from safety

Crawley Town intend to hand out a lifetime stadium ban to a fan for antisemitic abuse the club believes was directed at one of its Jewish owners.

The League One club hosted a fans' forum on Thursday, where members of the board, including owner Preston Johnson, fielded questions from supporters.

Crawley said "witnesses and victims" had noticed one attendee making "derogatory, antisemitic comments and gestures on several occasions during the event".

"The club has subsequently confirmed those reports after reviewing video footage", Crawley said in a statement.

"These actions are an unacceptable violation of our community's values. They have no place in our club or our sport, and we take them extremely seriously.

"The club will pursue the toughest possible punishments - including a lifetime ban from the stadium. We have also referred the matter to local law enforcement for further review and any appropriate legal action.

"While we believe these actions were directed at one of our Jewish owners, we sincerely apologise to any Crawley Town Football Club supporter who was impacted or offended by this incident.

"We remain committed to building a club culture where people from all walks of life and religions feel safe and welcome."

Johnson is part of the group WAGMI United - along with co-owner Eben Smith - who purchased the club in 2022. Johnson stepped back from his position as co-chairman in May but returned to the role just a month later.

Crawley are 22nd in League One, six points from safety, after achieving promotion via the League Two play-offs last season.