An Arsenal fan has been handed a three-year football ban for racially abusing midfielder Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey.
Charles Ogunmilade, admitted to posting a message on X criticizing the Gunners player for missing a goal during the team’s 3-3 draw with Southampton on April 21, 2023.
Following Partey’s missed opportunity, Ogunmilade, a man of Nigerian descent, took to X and referred to the Ghanaian midfielder with a racial slur, tweeting:
“Nah, when Partey skied that shot I actually screamed, ‘you dirty black c**t.’”
When charged in court, Ogunmilade insisted the message was not intended to be racist or a targeted attack on Partey but rather a joke meant for his friends.
“I wasn’t trying to attack Thomas Partey. I accept it was a public forum and that, outside my friendship group, it could be offensive,” he explained.
However, Prosecutor Suleman Hussain argued for a three-year Football Banning Order against Ogunmilade, citing prior incidents of abuse, including the 2020 racism targeting Black England players and the 2024 riots fueled by misinformation about the Southport stabbings.
Magistrate Shaoni Myer sentenced Ogunmilade to a £125 fine, a £50 victim surcharge, and £85 in court costs and noted that Ogunmilade might have received a conditional discharge rather than a fine if the message had been abusive without involving racist language.
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