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A football fan has been convicted of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand at a Premier League match. Jamie Arnold hurled racist remarks and hand gestures at the former England defender, who was working as a pundit for BT Sport during the match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United on May 23 2021. The 33-year-old had denied a racially aggravated public order offence but was unanimously convicted on Wednesday following a two-day trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court and will be sentenced on December 8, West Midlands Police said. Arnold is old enough to know such appalling behaviour is inexcusable and certainly won't be tolerated Pc Stuart Ward, West Midlands Police Pc Stuart Ward, the UK’s first dedicated hate crime officer within a football unit for West Midlands Police, said: “Abusing anyone for the colour of their skin is disgusting and can never, ever be condoned. “Arnold is old enough to know such appalling behaviour is inexcusable and certainly won’t be tolerated. “I know from personal experience how being a victim of racism hurts while offenders risk their own aspirations through getting a criminal record. “I would like to thank Rio for his assistance in this investigation. “Through his support, we’ve ensured a man has this conviction to his name.” Arnold, of Stone, Staffordshire, was arrested at the scene following the offence, which occurred during the first game played at Molineux with fans present since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Crown Prosecution Service said he was caught making racist gestures on CCTV and was seen by several witnesses in the stands. Mr Ferdinand told a previous trial that he did not see the gestures made by Arnold, but had noted one fan’s “more aggressive body language”. Arnold was previously banned from games for three years after being found guilty of homophobic abuse and making gestures which mimicked disability during the same game. He was also ordered to pay almost £900 in fines and court costs, West Midlands Police said. A spokesman for campaign organisation Kick It Out said: “Kick It Out welcomes the guilty verdict handed to Arnold today. “It is imperative that perpetrators of discriminatory abuse are held to account for their actions and we hope this result sends a strong statement that racism has no place in our society. “We commend the CPS and West Midlands Police for their work securing justice in this case and would urge authorities across the country to take similar incidents of discriminatory abuse just as seriously. “We continue to work with partners across football to tackle discriminatory abuse as it happens and to ensure that victims receive the support they need. “We would encourage anyone who witnesses discrimination of any sort in future to report it directly to us at Kick It Out.” Read More Welsh rugby still has deep-rooted issues that need to be sorted – Alun Wyn Jones A bit far-fetched – Eoin Morgan dismisses link with England white-ball coach job England star Alex Greenwood well enough to return home after head injury Tiger Woods-designed course gives ‘a lot of options’ ahead of PGA Tour debut Golf, fish tanks, slippy socks and stray balls – freak injuries to cricket stars Nottingham Panthers invite all fans to gathering in honour of Adam Johnson

The Football Association will not take any action against Alejandro Garnacho over the Manchester United winger’s use of gorilla emojis in a post about Andre Onana. Two weeks ago the goalkeeper produced a stoppage-time penalty save to secure a key 1-0 victory against Copenhagen in the Champions League group stage. Garnacho later uploaded a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, of the United players celebrating with Onana, along with a caption featuring two gorilla emojis. The post was quickly deleted and the Cameroon international defended his team-mate, whom he said was trying to express “power and strength” and added: “This matter should go no further.” The FA has punished players in the past for making racial references on social networking sites but will not be taking any action against Garnacho. An FA spokesperson said: “We have concluded an investigation in relation to a recent post on Alejandro Garnacho’s social media. “We sought the player’s observations as part of our investigation, and he explained that the use of two gorilla emojis was intended to highlight the strength and power of his team-mates – specifically Andre Onana and Harry Maguire – following the pivotal roles that they played in Manchester United’s win over FC Copenhagen. “We are satisfied with Alejandro Garnacho’s explanation and the context that it provides, so we will not be issuing disciplinary proceedings on this occasion. (Garnacho) explained that the use of two gorilla emojis was intended to highlight the strength and power of his team-mates FA spokesperson “However, we have reminded the player of his responsibilities around social media posts and the use of emojis in particular which can be interpreted in different ways. “We also intend to liaise with Kick It Out and the PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) to discuss other potential issues around the use of emojis and similar forms of messaging, and education that can be provided about them.” Garnacho has been included in the 23-man squad for the reverse fixture against Copenhagen at Parken on Wednesday evening. Read More Luton threaten to ban fans involved in ‘tragedy chanting’ during Liverpool match Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Spurs went down with flag held high but loss hurts a lot From Aguero winner to Keegan dismay, Spurs-Chelsea joins Premier League classics

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