Man City fan hit with £500 fine and three-year football banning order

A 42-year-old City fan has been fined £500 and issued with a three-year football banning order for making racist gestures towards Manchester United players Jesse Lingard and Fred in the Etihad derby last season.

City supporter Anthony Burke, a father from Painswick Road, Wythenshawe, was in attendance at the Manchester Derby in December 2019, which was broadcast to millions around the world.

Football was left shocked after footage and images were shown of Burke, 42, with his mouth open and hands raised to his waist making a monkey gesture towards United's black players.

Frank Coulson, a steward at the game, gave evidence in court in which he heard Burke shout 'oo oo oo oo', adding that he was '100 per cent sure it was a monkey sound'.

'I have never come across it before,' Coulson told the court via Manchester Evening News. 'I would say it was racism.

'I saw a gentleman, a large gentleman with a beard going "oo, oo, oo, oo". One hundred per cent that's what he was doing.'

Burke pleaded not guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence, but a trial at Tameside magistrates court on Wednesday found him guilty and has been hit with a fine of £500 and a three-year banning order from football.

The ban means he is unable to attend any future games within that time frame.

The incident occurred in the 67th minute of the game with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side leading 2-0 over their arch rivals.

United stars Lingard and Fred, as well as Anthony Martial, were in the vicinity of the stand containing Burke for a United corner. Burke, sat in the front row after borrowing a ticket from a friend, 'morphed into a movement' of a monkey gesture, the court was told.

'It would replicate that of a monkey shouting,' prosecutor Nick Smart told the court.

'It was caught on a television broadcast and the matter was set down to be investigated.

'Enquiries were conducted and the footage was watched.'