A fan who made Nazi salutes during a game between AFC Wimbledon and Milton Keynes Dons has been banned from attending soccer matches for three years.
Alan Strank, 42, of Guildford, England pleaded guilty on November 3 at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court to a count of a racially aggravated offence under the Public Order Act, the UK Jewish News reported.
Strank was also ordered to pay a fine of $200 and complete 50 hours of community volunteer work.
The court was told that during the April 9 game, Strank made a Nazi salute directed at the visiting team’s supporters.
“Racism has no place within football, or indeed in society, and those who engage in such behaviour should be under no illusion that they are committing a crime. The consequences of that crime were clearly demonstrated today,” Police Constable James Crawley said, according to the news outlet.
“Genuine football fans and players are fed up with this kind of toxic discourse surrounding the game and we will use all the policing powers available to us to stop it from happening,” he added.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)