A Wolverhampton court has found a Wolves fan, Jamie Arnold, guilty of racially abusing former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand while Ferdinand was working as a pundit in 2021.
Jamie Arnold, a Wolves fan from Norton Bridge in Staffordshire, was convicted by a Wolverhampton jury of racially aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress. The incident occurred during a match between Wolves and Manchester United at Molineux in May 2021 when Arnold directed racial insults and gestures at Ferdinand.
Arnold had previously received a three-year ban from attending games after being found guilty of using homophobic abuse towards referee Mike Dean and mimicking disability.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand did not witness or hear the abuse at the time but expressed his reaction to the court, stating, "I felt sick if I'm honest. The first time I've gone back into a stadium in a long time, and it's not what you expect. I've experienced this growing up, but I don't expect it in football."
Five witnesses testified to witnessing Arnold's offensive gesture, and CCTV footage supported the prosecution's case, showing him repeating the gesture while allegedly informing his father of his actions.
After the conviction, Ferdinand released a statement saying, "Racism will only be eradicated when we all work together as a society! The prosecution wouldn't have been possible without all the help and support from the witnesses, Wolves fans, and staff that came forward to testify in court. Special thank you to Police Constable Stuart Ward (Football Hate Crime Officer), my family, and my team at New Era!"
A spokesperson for the anti-racism organization Kick It Out expressed their approval of the verdict, stating, "Kick It Out welcomes the guilty verdict handed to Arnold today. Perpetrators of discriminatory abuse must be held to account for their actions, and we hope this result sends a strong statement that racism has no place in our society."
Arnold is scheduled to be sentenced next month and could face a maximum prison term of two years.
