Fan faces ban for racist abuse on Paul Ifill

WELLINGTON - Reuters

The spectator who reportedly racially abused Wellington Phoenix player Paul Ifill during their A-League match against Adelaide United will be banned from attending matches if found guilty, Football Federation of Australia (FFA) said yesterday.

Ifill, an English-born Barbados international, said he was racially abused by a spectator on Dec. 16 at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium.

Football officials are working with police and the club to identify the culprit and FFA chief David Gallop promised tough action against such fans.

“Fans must know they’ll get banned if they engage in that type of thing,” Gallop said yesterday. “We’ve seen overseas there can be criminal sanctions in relation to that. At this stage it’s dealt with as a ban and those bans must be taken seriously.

“You can expect a knock on your door from police if you engage in that type of behavior.”