Football ‘fan’ banned from fixtures for three years for racist Instagram post

A football fan has been banned from attending matches for three years after racially abusing a Tamworth FC player.

Harry Dunbar, 20, from Fareham, admitted to sending Christopher Wreh a racist direct message via an anonymous Instagram account after the fixture on Sunday 12 January 2025.

Despite sending the message anonymously, Dunbar was discovered to be behind the account by digital investigators, who collected evidence from across the country.

He claimed that he sent the message in a moment of anger after losing a bet on the game between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Tamworth FC.

Gavin Sumpter, a Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said, “Harry Dunbar lost a simple bet, and in a moment of anger, chose to break the law.

“Dunbar’s actions in personally targeting Mr Wreh with such vile and hateful language whilst hiding behind an anonymous account were inexcusable and had a significant impact on the victim. 

“Banning orders can have a huge impact on an offender’s ability to enjoy the game, their life and work – from stopping you from getting a job to going to the pub around match times and being in the vicinity of games to travelling abroad.

“We hope that this case make it clear to like-minded individuals that such behaviour will not be tolerated. Individuals who act in this way can expect to be investigated and where there is sufficient evidence prosecuted and banned from attending games

“There’s no place for hate in the beautiful game and the perpetrators of such crimes can expect to be prosecuted.

“The CPS will continue to work alongside our footballing and police partners to stamp out racist behaviour and keep football safe and inclusive. We will not hesitate to prosecute supporters who commit hate crimes and cause distress to victims, innocent spectators and the players.”

A Football Banning Order was made against Dunbar. This means that he will now be banned from every football ground in the country and unable to travel abroad when international games are happening for a period of 3 years. 

Dunbar was given a 12-month Community Order and ordered to 200 hours unpaid work for the abuse aimed at the footballer, increased from 150 hours due to the racial element. He had pleaded guilty to this offence at an earlier hearing. He was also ordered to attend 10 rehabilitation days and pay costs of £85.