Man given banning order for racially abusive tweet sent to Bristol Rovers owner

A man has been given a 16-week football banning order for sending a racially abusive message to Bristol Rovers owner Wael Al-Qadi.

The Bristol man in his 30s, who sent the offensive message via Twitter following Rovers’ 1-1 Sky Bet League Two draw against Barrow on August 28, has received a conditional caution and will also be required to attend a hate crime awareness course.

A Rovers statement said a police investigation was launched to track down the offender, who was using an anonymous account in an attempt to hide his identity.

The tweet was subsequently deleted but, following enquiries by the club, the UK Football Policing Unit and the English Football League, a man was identified and admitted sending the racially abusive message.

Club chief executive Tom Gorringe said: “Rovers is a family club and abuse of any kind will not be tolerated.

“Whether it is players, staff, fellow supporters or any other member of our community, it is vitally important that everyone feels that they can support the club freely.

“The vast majority of our supporters are positive and supportive, but anyone found to be acting in a discriminatory manner will face the appropriate sanctions and will not be welcome here at The Memorial Stadium.

“The rise in social media abuse is a national problem, and not one confined just to our club or sport; however, positive action – as has been the case here – will hopefully help tackle the issue and raise awareness of the effects of what is said online.”

Dedicated football officer PC Mark Neal said: “This was a hate crime. Nobody should be forced to endure such abuse.

“We’d urge anyone who experiences any hate abuse to make sure they report it to police.

“All such reports will be taken seriously and we hope this case shows that offenders will be pursued and dealt with.

“We are grateful for the support of Bristol Rovers and Mr Al-Qadi while we investigated this matter.”