Football Banning Orders issued to two more supporters in relation to tragedy chanting

These cases relate to fixtures between Manchester United and Liverpool from the 2023/24 and 2024/25 season from supporters who intended on being in the home end at Old Trafford.

Tommy Jobling (19/01/2002) of Whitby, North Yorkshire pleaded guilty after distributing offensive messages and videos through WhatsApp when the teams played in March 2024 direct to a Liverpool fan that he knew from online gaming referring to the Hillsborough disaster in an offensive manner and later charged with malicious communications.

He appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Friday 20 September 2024 and was subsequently issued with a 12-month community order, 20 rehabilitation days and 80 hours of unpaid work. He also received a fine, costs and victim surcharge totalling £319.

Whilst Harry Thorley (05/01/2005) of Crewe, Cheshire was found guilty of tragedy chanting outside the away turnstiles 45-minutes before kick-off in September 2024 in another league fixture between the teams. He was spotted by two of our Operational Football Officers deployed to the game as they headed towards the Munich Tunnel doing a physical gesture before chanting, with the context of his comments being in reference to the Heysel Stadium disaster. He was arrested at the ground and admitted to the offence in custody.

He also appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Monday 23 September 2024 where he pleaded guilty to using threatening abusive, insulting words or behaviour and was subsequently given a fine, costs and victim surcharge totalling £343 in addition to a three-year Football Banning Order and was the second football-related conviction he had received in as many months.

PC Matthew Ford, our Force Football Banning Officer said; “Like previous seasons, now with the football schedule in full flow we want to make it clear to any supporters still intent on causing distress through any form of tragedy chanting, we will be taking robust action to highlight that we, along with the clubs and vast majority of fans, it will not be tolerated.

“We would also like to remind people that they can continue to report offences direct to us in person, by speaking to officers deployed at games so we can act there and then. We will also continue to liaise with both clubs ahead of fixtures to ensure supporter groups are engaged in our proactive approach to identifying offences around tragedy chanting as we understand the concern, distress, and upset this causes whenever fans unfortunately experience it. It has no place in the game.”