Fan given 3-year stadium ban for racially abusing Brentford striker

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - A fan who racially abused Brentford’s forward Ivan Toney on Instagram is the first person to be banned from every English stadium under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

Northumbria Police said Monday that Antonio Neill, 24, was given a four-month jail sentence, suspended for two years and a three-year football ban.

Neill sent a racist message to Toney in October. Toney then publicly shared the message, prompting a police investigation. Neil pleaded guilty Jan. 25.

“Discrimination has absolutely no place in any society, whether out in our communities or online. I am therefore delighted that the seriousness of Neill’s offence has been reflected with this banning order, the first of its kind to be issued in the UK,” said Superintendent Scott Cowie, hate crime lead for Northumbria Police.

The order forbids Neill from attending regulated football matches in the UK, which includes the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two and National League fixtures as well as England home internationals.

The order also prevents him from traveling abroad to watch international friendlies, qualification matches and tournaments.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, said: “Online racism has been traced back to our region and officers have made it more than clear our region won’t tolerate it. If you are going to choose to be vile and abusive to others, doing it from behind a computer screen or on your phone doesn’t mean you’ll get away with it, far from it.”

Following the hearing, a Brentford Football Club statement added: "Brentford FC is pleased to see the Antonio Neill case resolved and that Northumbria Police pursued this to a conclusion. Court appearances set a strong precedent for anyone else who commits hate crimes and it is our hope that sentences increase in severity until this sort of crime is eradicated. Ivan Toney has been subject to sickening racist abuse on a regular basis, and we want to see tough action taken against anyone found guilty of such abuse.”