Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has handed a three-year football banning order and a £1,205 fine to a 44-year-old man after he was found guilty of tragedy chanting during Manchester United’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool in March.
Michael Bernard Avery had been charged with Section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986 and was bailed.
Avery pleaded guilty to the offence at Salford Magistrates Court on April 22 and received a three-year football banning order (FBO) alongside costs of £85, a victim surcharge of £320, and a fine of £800, reduced due to an early guilty plea.
The charge came after video footage was shared of a man in the home section of the Old Trafford crowd.
“Following the understandable concern raised online following the video being shared of Avery’s actions, we undertook an investigation into this to ensure justice was brought,” GMP Chief Inspector Jamie Collins said.
“We are continuing to take proactive action against those engaged in this type of behaviour, that is intent on causing distress to victims and supporters impacted by terrible football tragedies of the past.
“Any kind of gesture or comments in relation to tragedy chanting will not be tolerated and is totally unacceptable.”
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GMP arrested eight men and charged one individual following the FA Cup quarter-final in March.
Liverpool and Manchester United announced later that month that the club’s foundations had launched a joint programme to tackle tragedy chanting in football.
Tragedy-related abuse is an ongoing issue within the game — particularly in respect of Liverpool and United — with supporters referencing Hillsborough, the Heysel disaster, and the Munich air disaster in an attempt to taunt opposition fans.
The FA raised concerns in November 2023 about the frequency of offensive chanting about the Hillsborough disaster. There have been several instances of supporters being punished for tragedy-related abuse since the CPS updated its prosecuting guidance:
A Tottenham Hotspur fan was given a three-year football banning order and fined in June 2023 for making gestures mocking the Hillsborough tragedy during their 4-3 defeat at Anfield two months previously and in August 2023, a fan was arrested for engaging in tragedy chanting during the 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
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(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
