NEWCASTLE, England: A man who racially abused Brentford striker Ivan Toney on social media has been banned from every soccer stadium in Britain for three years in what police described Tuesday as a “landmark ruling.”
Antonio Neill sent a racist message to Toney on his Instagram account after the striker scored two goals against Brighton in a Premier League match on Oct. 14.
Police started an investigation after Toney shared a picture of the abuse and the message was traced to the 24-year-old Neill, who lives in Blyth, a town in northern England.
Neill appeared in a magistrates’ court in Newcastle on Jan. 25 and pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message.
On Monday, he was handed a four-month sentence suspended for two years as well as a three-year soccer banning order, the first to be issued under a government act which became law in 2022. That widened the scope for banning orders to be issued for online hate crimes relating to a person with a connection to a soccer organization.
“If you are going to choose to be vile and abusive to others, doing it from behind a computer screen or on your phone doesn’t mean you’ll get away with it. Far from it,” Northumbria police and crime commissioner Kim McGuinness said in a statement released Tuesday.
The order forbids Neill from attending any regulated soccer match in Britain and also prevents him from traveling abroad to watch international friendlies, qualification matches and tournaments.
Brentford said the club hopes sentences for online abuse increase and called on social media companies to remove all hateful content to make their platforms safe for everyone.
Man gets 3-year banning order for racially abusing Toney
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Man gets 3-year banning order for racially abusing Toney
- Antonio Neill sent a racist message to Toney on his Instagram account after the striker scored two goals against Brightonv
- The banning order is the first to be issued under a government act which became law in 2022
Bayern beat Cologne 3-1 to set Bundesliga record at halfway mark
- Bayern came from a goal down to earn their sixth league win in the last seven matches
- The Bavarians have clear water between themselves and Borussia Dortmund in 2nd place on 36 points
COLOGNE, Germany: Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich battled past hosts Cologne 3-1 on Wednesday to record the best first half of a season in the league’s history and maintain their 11-point lead at the top of the standings.
Bayern came from a goal down to earn their sixth league win in the last seven matches, and moved up to 47 points with a goal difference of +53. The previous best mark after 17 matches belonged to Pep Guardiola’s Bayern from the 2013/14 season, also with 47 points but a goal difference of +35.
The Bavarians, who host Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League next week, have clear water between themselves and Borussia Dortmund in second place on 36 points.
Cologne did not look at all intimidated by Bayern’s 8-1 demolition of VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday, and took a fully deserved 41st-minute lead with Linton Maina’s spectacular 60-meter solo run and superb finish to beat keeper Manuel Neuer.
The visitors managed to level before the break when Serge Gnabry flicked the ball into the net off the crossbar from the tightest of angles in first-half stoppage time.
Jakub Kaminski had the hosts’ best chance to score again with a low 58th-minute drive, but Neuer did well to push the ball wide in a crowded box.
The hosts managed to keep Bayern away from their box for much of the second half but could do nothing when Hiroki Ito headed on a deep cross and Kim Min-jae nodded in for a 2-1 lead.
Teenager Lennart Karl made sure of the three points in the 84th minute when he slotted in from a Luis Diaz assist.
