Spurs to ban fans for racially abusing Asian supporter after video shared on social media, ‘superfan’ apologises on Facebook
- Video is shared on social media leading to fans calling on club to ban abusers
- So-called ‘superfan’ behind video apologises on Facebook but club confirm ban and ejection from Saturday’s loss to Wolves
English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur have banned supporters after a video of him racially abusing an Asian fan was circulated on social media.
The Daily Mail reported that the club ejected them ahead of the 3-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley on Saturday and they will be banned.
“Those involved have been identified, ejected from today’s game and will face a ban. We are grateful to supporters for bringing this to our attention,” said a club spokesperson.
Twitter users had campaigned for the club to ban the fan after the video was posted by an Arsenal fan called “The Masked Gooner”, with Tottenham fans leading the calls.
In the video in question, two men dressed in Spurs shirts secretly film an unknown Asian fan behind them with one of the video’s creators, in face paint with “Spurs” painted on his forehead, leading the abuse.
It begins with multiple references to Chinese cuisine before comparing the Asian fan to Tottenham and South Korea forward Son Heung-min.
The face-painted fan in the video is known as Vincente Spurs, the self proclaimed “number one Tottenham man” with two fan pages on Facebook and something of a cult following.
In the aftermath he deleted his Twitter account but he has since issued an apology on his Facebook account.
His YouTube and Instagram accounts remain live but neither has a response to the offensive video.
Aside from calling on the club to ban him via Twitter, there is a petition on change.org for him to be banned by Spurs.
Several other fans defended Vincente Spurs on social media.
While the footage only emerged over the Christmas period, it appears to be from earlier in the season, possibly before the Liverpool game in September.
The ban comes just weeks after another Spurs fan was punished for throwing a banana at Arsenal’s Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang.
Averof Panteli, a 57-year-old van driver, was banned from football for four years and fined £500 (US$635) by a London court. Spurs had already banned him from watching the team.
That incident is just one of a number recently that have put the issue of racism in English football back at the top of the agenda.
