Source:REUTERS/Phil Noble
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, a Manchester United fan has been banned by the club for three years for making homophobic comments about Chelsea. The report states the fan used the derogatory term “rent boys” targeting Chelsea fans, which has been recognized as a hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service. This offensive term has been in use for decades. The fan also joked that during a recent match, stadium staff attempted to eject him after he called Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot a “gay xx”. In screenshots of the club’s warning letter shared by the fan, Manchester United stated: “We recently became aware that you may have breached official terms and conditions. Specifically, we confirmed you used homophobic language in written or online form targeting Chelsea and its fans.” The letter added: “This behavior violates stadium regulations and triggers the club’s official penalty protocol. First-time offenders will face a three-year ban covering both home and away matches.” Before September’s match against Chelsea at Old Trafford, Manchester United had specifically issued a statement warning fans to stop using the “rent boys” chant. The club emphasized: “We must make it clear that this chant is offensive, inappropriate, and has no place in our stadium or football.” They added that both the Crown Prosecution Service and The Football Association have confirmed the chant constitutes discrimination and is classified as a hate crime.