A Brentford fan has been found guilty of a racially aggravated Section 5 Public Order offence at Uxbridge Magistrates Court this week. The incident took place at the Brentford v Liverpool match on 25 October last year with a club steward being the victim of racist abuse.

The male offender was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

With the judicial trial complete, the individual will now be subject to the Club’s sanction process. Under the Club’s sanctions and banning policy, behaviour in and around the stadium which leads to an arrest and subsequent charge may result in an indefinite stadium ban.

A Club spokesperson said: “This intolerable incident has led to an individual now having a criminal record and facing the possibility of a severe Club sanction.

“We will not accept racist abuse and anyone found to have engaged in conduct of this manner will be subject to a lengthy stadium ban in line with Premier League guidance and our own policy.

“We also take it very seriously if any of our staff are subject to verbal or physical abuse. Our people play an important role in making the Brentford Community Stadium safe and welcoming with a great atmosphere. We expect them to provide excellent service to our fans but in return it is only fair that are treated with respect.

“We talk a lot about inclusion at Brentford FC and our Bee Together campaign is all about bringing our fans, our players and our staff together as one. Those who do not want to be part of that are simply not welcome.”

Last month, we published a summary of the action taken this season against a number of individuals who have breached ground regulations, committed football-related offences or damaged our reputation. 28 bans have been issued to date as we continue to tackle incidents of alleged unacceptable conduct firmly and fairly.