Boris Johnson announces football ban for people who racially abuse players online

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just announced that anyone found guilty of sending racist abuse to footballers online will be handed a ban from future football matches.

This comes after footballers Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho were inundated with vile racist slurs and monkey emojis after missing their penalties in the shootout in the Euros 2020 final, which saw England be defeated by Italy 3-2.

The Marcus Rashford mural in Withington was also defaced with abusive graffiti, though it has since been painted over and covered with messages of love and support.

Following the shocking abuse there was an immediate uproar across the whole country, and calls for the government to take stricter action on racist trolls intensified. 

Under the current law, the maximum football banning order is just ten years – and this can only be issued for a maximum of five unless the offence it relates to carries an immediate custodial sentence.

Clubs themselves can choose to issue lifetime bans by adding fans to box office blacklists and denying them access to grounds – however, this isn’t currently enforced by the courts or police.

Andrew Parsons / Flickr

But now, the prime minister has said the government is ‘taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning order regime is changed.’

He told the Commons today, as per Sky News: “So that if you are guilty of racist abuse online of footballers then you will not be going to the match. No ifs, no buts. No exemptions and no excuses.”

There are yet to be any updates on the decision.