A Manchester City fan has been banned from football for five years by a judge and given a life ban by the club for the racist abuse of Raheem Sterling.
Ian Baldry, 58, and from Bradford, pleaded guilty to the charge that he had abused the forward when Sterling scored in the second half of a 3-1 win at Bournemouth in December 2018.
Baldry told Manchester magistrates court he regretted using the language involved and attributed it to overexcitement.
Baldry’s 57-year-old friend James McConell, from Manchester, pleaded guilty to racially abusing Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings and stewards. He will serve 200 hours of community service and has also been banned for life by City.
Both instances of abuse were heard by a fan who reported them to the police. The supporter’s witness statement said: “It was disgusting in this day and age that this was going on. I was shocked and offended and felt sick to my stomach when I heard it.”
Judge John Temperley told Baldry: “The kind of language used by you and [your] co-accused risks wider public disorder in matches and could encourage others to behave in the same way.”
City said in a statement: “In line with Manchester City’s zero tolerance approach to discrimination, lifetime bans have been issued by the club.
“The club would like to thank Manchester City supporters for reporting both incidents and their co-operation throughout the investigations.”
