Arsenal praised for response after fans ejected for homophobic abuse

Arsenal’s strong response to homophobic abuse has been praised by the club’s official LGBT+ supporters’ group, whose co-chair warned it will take “several years of effort” to end such issues in football grounds.

Two supporters were ejected from the Emirates Stadium during Saturday’s Premier League game against Brighton, with Arsenal promising to take the “strongest action possible”.

The fans were taken out of the ground after abuse was reported to stewards, with investigations under way to identify any further culprits.

The action of the club has been greeted with a positive response from Gay Gooners co-chair Carl Fearn, who has been working closely with Arsenal on LGBT+ awareness.

“The speed and direct nature of the statement is very pleasing,” Fearn told the PA news agency.

“Whilst we worked with the club yesterday on the statement, we wanted to make sure it came from the club and that we’re not seen as the ‘gay police’ as it were, because that just opens us up for all sorts of abuse.

We're all football fans together at the end of the day. Once that final whistle is blown - yes, we lost - but be a fellow football fan, we shouldn't hate each other.- Carl Fearn, Gay Gooners

“We work efficiently and quietly with the club to get these things out there and the club were very good.

“We’re all football fans together at the end of the day. Once that final whistle is blown – yes, we lost – but be a fellow football fan, we shouldn’t hate each other.”

Fearn was in attendance on Saturday, watching on from one of three executive boxes provided by the club with a view to encouraging people to attend games, especially trans and non-binary members of Gay Gooners.

When asked how he felt hearing homophobic abuse, he said: “For me and a