• Racism controversy

Millwall ban fan for life after racist abuse

ESPN staff
February 27, 2013
El hadji-Diouf complains to referee Mark Halsey during the match at The Den in November © Getty Images
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A Millwall fan charged with a racially-aggravated public-order offence has pleaded guilty and been given a five-year ban from attending all football matches as well as a life ban by the London club.

Gerrard Scanlon, from Enfield, north London, was filmed, among others, by Sky Sports cameras during a match against Leeds at the Den in November, hurling racial abuse towards striker El Hadji Diouf.

The 53-year-old pleaded guilty at Bromley Magistrates court to the offence and was fined £400 plus £125 in costs. Scanlon has also been banned from attending Millwall football matches for five years and is banned from entering the boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark on match days. He can also not enter any city in which Millwall are playing an away match on that day.

Following the verdict, Millwall announced that they were also banning Scanlon from their matches for life. A club statement read: "We are pleased that the behaviour of this individual came to notice, and that the police and the courts have now taken action against him.

"Millwall Football Club will continue to operate a zero tolerance policy to target and ban any fan guilty of displaying racist behaviour, and we look forward to developing even closer links with other agencies, including those in the media who share our determination to eradicate racism from our game."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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