Football fan who racially abused Rio Ferdinand jailed for six months

A football fan who hurled racist abuse and made monkey gestures at Rio Ferdinand during a Premier League match has been jailed for six months.

Jamie Arnold, of Stone, Staffordshire targeted the former England defender at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ stadium on 23 May 2021 during the side’s clash with Manchester United.

The former footballer was working as a pundit for BT Sport, which was the first game football fans were able to watch in person that season after Covid restrictions were lifted.

As Judge Rhona Campbell sentenced Arnold at Wolverhampton Crown Court she branded him a “parasite to proper Wolverhampton fans” on a day that should have been “joyful”.

Arnold, 33, was also banned from attending any match at Wolverhampton’s Molineux Stadium or any other football ground for seven years.

In a statement read out in court, Ferdinand said he had been left “extremely distressed, distraught and devastated” by what happened.

He also told how he had “learned to deal with racist comments” during his time as a footballer but had never experienced racist gestures or comments while working as a pundit.

He added: “Still to this day I do not know why I was abused… this abuse was unprovoked and completely unacceptable.

“I accept as an ex-professional football player there will be supporters who will voice opinions about me or whilst I am working on TV, what I don’t accept is that the opinions or gestures made about me or towards me should be abusive and racist where comments are made regarding the colour of my skin and my background.”

“Behaviour like this is completely unacceptable. The male needs to understand how they made me feel and most importantly take responsibility for their actions.

“I have worked extremely hard in my life to get to where I am in my career and never thought an incident like this would have such an impact on my life and on my career.

“I am pursuing this case to court because I strongly believe something needs to happen to eradicate racism, not only from football but from all forms of society.”

Lynette McClement, defending Arnold, said her client did not target Mr Ferdinand because he was black, but because he was a former Manchester United player and a supporter.

She said: “An attack on Mr Ferdinand because he was black was not the reason for the offence. He is an uneducated man, a product of his background.

“It is clear matches were seen as a place where drinking, violence and abuse were common.

“He has described attending football matches as a vent for frustration and anxiety. You could go and stand in a crowd, shout, scream, celebrate and abuse.

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“I don’t think this is unusual, I don’t think it is isolated, it is inherent in the culture.

Ms McClement said Arnold, a bricklayer’s labourer, had suffered “significant” harassment in the street and on social media since the incident.

Sentencing, Judge Campbell said: “You have brought shame on your city and shame to your team.

“Wolverhampton Wanderers do not want a racist on their terraces, they do not want you as a fan and this city does not tolerate racist behaviour in its midst.

“Your behaviour was more than puerile and offensive, it was deliberately targeted and deeply offensive, not just to Mr Ferdinand but to those around you.”

The judge also told the court how Arnold booed when players took the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and shouted homophobic abuse at the referee.

She said he also “taunted” those on the pitch with actions meant to mock those with disabilities and “doggedly tried to get the attention of, and antagonise” Mr Ferdinand with chants and racist gestures.

The judge sentenced Arnold to five months for intentionally causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

She also activated part of a suspended sentence he had been subject to at the time of the offence, making the total six months.

He must serve half of that term in custody before being released on licence and then subject to supervision for 12 months.

Additonal reporting by Press Association.