A smirking Manchester United fan has pleaded guilty to wearing a shirt mocking Hillsborough victims at the FA Cup final.
James White, 33, of Warwickshire, admitted to displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Monday. White was pictured wearing a shirt which appeared to refer in offensive terms to those who died in the Hillsborough tragedy during the final between Manchester United and Manchester City on Saturday, June 3.
Photographs circulated of a man wearing a Manchester United shirt with words ‘Not Enough’ printed on the back above the number 97. It’s alleged the shirt was a direct reference to the number of Liverpool supporters who lost their lives due to events at the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough in April 1989.
Manchester City won the FA Cup at Wembley, beating local rivals Manchester United 2-1.
The Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance has labelled the actions as a “despicable act”, with the Football Association having welcomed his arrest in strongly-worded statement that said there would be zero tolerance for such incidents.
An 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."
James White has been banned from all regulated football games in the UK for four years after wearing a football shirt at Wembley Stadium which made an offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster.
The 33-year-old, from Warwickshire, was also fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £400 and £85 in costs.
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