A football fan has pled guilty to wearing a shirt mocking victims of the Hillsborough tragedy.
James White, 33, from Warwickshire, was pictured smirking as he arrived at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Monday June 19, where he admitted to displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
The thug was seen wearing a shirt at the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City on Saturday June 3, which appeared to contain a slur aimed at people who sadly died at Hillsborough in April 1989, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Images circulated online of a man wearing a Manchester United shirt with words ‘Not Enough’ printed on the back along with the number 97 - allegedly in reference to the number of Liverpool supporters who lost their lives due to events at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough ground.
After White was arrested at Wembley Stadium, the court heard how he told police: “You haven’t even asked me what the T-shirt means. My grandad died aged 97 and didn’t have enough kids.”
The prosecution said White had “many” previous convictions, dating most recently to 2021, but none were football-related. The court heard how members of the public described being “absolutely devastated” and “disgusted” by the jersey.
The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance has labelled the actions as a “despicable act”, while the Football Association (FA) welcomed the man's arrest with a strongly-worded statement that said there would be zero tolerance for such incidents.
The FA statement read: "The FA strongly condemns the actions of the individual who wore a shirt referencing the Hillsborough disaster ahead of the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley.
"We saw a photograph of the offensive shirt on social media and immediately started working to identify the perpetrator. Our security teams were able to quickly locate the individual based on the image, and we welcome the swift action which was then taken by the police.
"We will not tolerate abuse relating to the Hillsborough of any football tragedy at Wembley Stadium and we will continue to work with the authorities to ensure strong action is taken against the perpetrators."
The thug was slapped with a ban from all regulated football games in the UK for four years and a fine of £1,000. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £400 and £85 in costs.
District judge Mark Jabbitt said: “It is hard to imagine a more … offensive reference to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.”
The judge added the shirt White wore bore a “hateful expression” – calling it an “abhorrent message” – and the impact of his actions were “profound and distressing”.
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