Racist thugs are banned from football matches after racist chants at Dagenham & Redbridge
Teenage thugs have been banned from attending football matches for three years after taking part in racist chants during a clampdown against racial prejudice in the sport.
The 16-year-old from Dagenham and 17-year-old from Hornchurch were also given four-month youth offending referral orders and ordered to pay �75 costs each following the offences at the “Daggers against Racism” event at Victoria Road, Dagenham.
During the Dagenham and Redbridge v Bradford match on March 3, around 25 to 30 youths were seen and heard to be chanting racist slogans that were directed at schoolboys, some of whom were as young as eight.
The two boys, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated public order offences and were sentenced at Barkingside Youth Court on July 27.
Dagenham and Redbridge managing director Steve Thompson said: “Dagenham & Redbridge FC is a fully inclusive club and abhors any form of prejudice.
“Together with the Metropolitan Police we have shown that we will not tolerate behaviour of this kind within our ground.
“We are pleased to see that the appropriate action has been taken against these individuals.”
Most Read
- 1 Ilford man has van crushed, given curfew for Barking and Dagenham fly-tips
- 2 Dagenham man jailed for 12 years for punching to death Marius Lakavicius
- 3 Dagenham man fined within hours of fly-tipping at bus stop
- 4 Company fined in court over builder's skips in Dagenham and Chadwell Heath
- 5 Barking BikeFest comes to town
- 6 West Ham's Kurt Zouma admits to kicking and slapping his cat
- 7 5 of the best things to do with kids in east London
- 8 VOTE: Which east London fish and chip shop is your favourite?
- 9 Elizabeth Line opens: Londoners enjoy first day of service
- 10 'Beautiful skin and incredible smile': What happened when the Queen visited a Dagenham school
The Met said a decision was made not to make arrests during the match due to risk to public safety should a public order situation erupt.
Instead, those causing the disturbance were quietly ejected from the stadium by police officers and club security.
Chief InspRichard Goodwin said after the hearing: “Families, groups and individuals have the right to support football and attend matches without fear of harassment of any kind.
“Police will apply to the court for a football banning order on anyone who thinks it is OK to cause alarm and distress to others to spoil their enjoyment at football events.”
