Rio Ferdinand unaware of monkey gesture by Wolves fan, court hears

The former footballer Rio Ferdinand was unaware of being targeted by racist abuse, including a monkey gesture, by a “fixated” football fan during a Premier League match, a court has heard.

Jamie Arnold is accused of causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress to Ferdinand by using “threatening, abusive or insulting” words or behaviour at the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United match at Molineux on 23 May last year.

During the prosecution’s opening of the 32-year-old’s trial at Wolverhampton crown court, footage was played to jurors, allegedly showing him making a racist gesture.

Ferdinand had been at the game – the first time fans had returned to grounds since the start of the coronavirus pandemic – working as a television pundit for BT Sport, the court heard.

The former Manchester United and England defender gave evidence from the witness box on Monday, saying that although he noted the man and his “more aggressive body language”, he did not see a monkey gesture or hear any racial abuse.

Ferdinand said the atmosphere at the ground was “jovial”, and that he was recognised on the outside broadcast gantry by nearby Wolves fans, who engaged “in a little bit of banter”.

He agreed the banter was “normally” in good humour.

Ferdinand said he became aware of about four or five Wolves supporters who were “just a little bit more kind of serious about it”, adding one in particular was “more aggressive … a bit more directed at me, firmly. Fixated.”

Asked if he engaged with that man, Ferdinand said: “I gave him a little bit back, jovial like, I gave that person a knowing nod, when it was 2-1 [to Manchester United].”

Ferdinand was asked under cross-examination by the defence barrister Andrew Baker if he had seen