Jamie Arnold, a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, has been found guilty of racially abusing Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United defender, by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Arnold, aged 32, from Norton Bridge in Staffordshire, was charged with racially aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress.
Ferdinand worked as a pundit for BT Sport, covering Manchester United’s game with Wolves at Molineux on 21 May 2021. It was the first game with fans back in the stadium after coronavirus restrictions had been lifted.
Ferdinand was happy when United scored, but then Arnold made a racist gesture at him and used a racist word.
Ferdinand didn’t witness or hear the abuse directly, but when he was informed about it, he felt sick and distressed.
Five witnesses testified that they saw Mr. Arnold make the gesture. CCTV footage also captured him repeating the gesture later, which the prosecution argued was him telling his father about what he had just done.
The police officer’s body camera recorded Arnold admitting to his actions, saying “I knew right away that I had done something foolish.”
Sentencing has been postponed until next month. Arnold has been released on bail and will appear again for sentencing on December 8.
Arnold could be sentenced to a maximum of two years in prison.
In a statement, Ferdinand said: “Racism will only be eradicated when we all work together as a society!
“The prosecution wouldn’t have been possible without all the help and support from the witnesses, Wolves fans and staff that came forward to testify in court.
“Special thank you to Police Constable Stuart Ward (Football Hate Crime Officer), my family and my team at New Era!”
Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, Alistair Redford, said: “Arnold made despicable racist gestures towards a victim who was just trying to do his job.
“I would like to thank the stewards whose quick-thinking actions ensured they could identify and remove Arnold from the stadium that day, and for Mr Ferdinand and witnesses who came forward to help us build as strong a case as possible.”
Douglas Mackay, CPS sports lead, added: “It is hugely disappointing to see a so-called football fan’s behaviour devolve into a derogatory hate crime and spoil what should have been a triumphant return of football following the pandemic.
“There’s no place for hate in the beautiful game and the perpetrators of such crimes can expect to be prosecuted.”
Meanwhile, a Kick It Out spokesperson 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, or in 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.”
And PC Stuart Ward of the West Midlands Police – who was appointed the UK’s first dedicated hate crime officer within a football unit – 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.”
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