Bristol Rovers fined £7,500 for fans' homophobic chants against Brighton
Rovers said in August: "Homophobic chants are an offence, and incidents like these will be treated as such by the club."
Thursday 19 December 2019 13:58, UK
Bristol Rovers have been fined £7,500 and ordered to implement an action plan after some of their supporters directed homophobic chants at Brighton fans during a Carabao Cup game in August.
Rovers admitted a charge of failing to ensure that its spectators conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using abusive and/or insulting words, which included a reference, whether express or implied, to sexual orientation.
The incident occurred during Rovers' 2-1 home defeat to Premier League side Brighton in the second round of the Carabao Cup on August 27.
Rovers issued a statement in August condemning the homophobic chanting, which read: "As a club, we are strongly against these actions and are taking appropriate steps to tackle this issue so it does not happen again.
"Homophobic chants are an offence, and incidents like these will be treated as such by the club.
"Security staff and stewards will look to identify supporters or groups of supporters acting inappropriately whilst within the stadium and once identified will be ejected and appropriate details will be obtained with the help of the police and appropriate bans will be imposed instantly.
"Bristol Rovers is a family club, we take pride in our community and ability to offer a space where everyone, from every walk of life, can feel accepted.
"We'd like to thank the vast majority of supporters who have, and continue to, represent the club in the manner we'd all expect."
