Supporter receives three-year ban for racist abuse of Arsenal player

A supporter of Arsenal Football Club has received a three-year ban from attending matches after racially abusing midfielder Thomas Partey via social media platforms. Charles Ogunmilade, aged 28, confessed to sharing a “grossly offensive” message on X, targeting the Arsenal player for failing to score during the club’s 3-3 draw against Southampton on April 21 of the previous year. The City of London Magistrates’ Court was informed that the comment was meant as satire. Magistrates stated that they had “no choice” but to impose the three-year football banning order, adding that a conditional discharge “would not be appropriate.” The court was informed that Ogunmilade posted on social media after Partey’s shot went over the crossbar, and the post was subsequently reported to the police. Suleman Hussain, acting as prosecutor, stated that Ogunmilade informed officers the post was meant as a sarcastic quote shared among a group of friends. “He said the group would mimic what a white racist would say,” Hussain added. During mitigation, Ogunmilade, who is of Nigerian descent and represented himself, informed the court that he and his friends had experienced the impact of racism aimed at England’s black players following the team’s defeat in the Euro 2020 final. “Our coping mechanism was to make fun of it, to limit the power these people have over you,” he stated. He also asserted, “I am not a racist person.” Ogunmilade expressed apprehension regarding the ban’s potential effects on his career and his capacity to visit his family in Nigeria, noting that it would also necessitate surrendering his passport to the police whenever England played an away game. Magistrate Shaoni Myer confirmed that the panel considered Ogunmilade’s early guilty plea, his prior good character, his personal situation, his experiences with racism, and his stated intent for the post to be satirical. Ogunmilade received an order to pay a fine of £125, a surcharge of £50, and an £85 contribution towards the prosecution’s expenses.