Manchester United fan given three-year banning order after using 'homophobic chant' outside Old Trafford

A Manchester United fan has been slapped with a three-year football banning order after using a 'homophobic chant' outside Old Trafford stadium.

Carl Drury, 38, was heading towards the ground on May 25 last year when officers outside the East Stand heard him make a homophobic comment towards Chelsea fans.

The football match was due to kick off at 8pm, but Drury was arrested after using the slur before the start of the game.

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Drury claimed in interview he was responding to something said by a Chelsea fan and was 'unaware' it would be an offence to use the chant, as he had heard it before.

However, the CPS said Manchester United reminded all supporters over the loudspeaker at 15-minute intervals that anyone using any form of discriminatory, offensive or tragedy chanting would result in ejection from the stadium and may be subject to police action.

Drury was convicted of engaging in racial chanting at a designated football match and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. Following his guilty plea, Drury was fined £586 at Manchester and Salford magistrates court on 11 September 2023. The fine was uplifted due to the hate element.

Drury, of Ringway, Bolton-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, contested a subsequent application for a football banning order but following the hearing, on June 17, a three-year football banning order was imposed at Manchester magistrates.

Rebecca Seymour, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: “The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work with the police in cases involving homophobic or discriminatory chanting, and people who behave in this way will be brought to