Brighton and Hove Albion FC has banned fan Roger Wade for five years – for wearing a Palestine shirt.

Brighton FC: come on – seriously?

Initially the club gave Wade a five-game ban in August for “failing to comply with stewards’ requests,” with no detail given beyond his “behaviour outside the stadium.” But Wade says that:

The truth is, [the issue began] when I removed my jacket [and] revealed a Palestine shirt.

When I challenged the ban, they extended it to 5 years, claiming I must “protect the good name of the Club.”

The hypocrisy is clear: • Players wear yellow & blue kits for Ukraine • They take the knee against racism • They hold minutes of silence for others

But I cannot wear a Palestine shirt in solidarity with the victims of genocide.

This is not justice. This is silencing. I will be appealing to the Independent Football Ombudsman and the Premier League.

This is a sad day for the club I love.

At the time of his initial ban Wade, who founded the ‘Boxpark‘ food and drink complexes in Shoreditch and Croydon, said:

The Premier League encourages us to stand up against racism, but what about standing against the killing of 50,000 civilians in Gaza, mostly women and children?

This is blatant discrimination. Football should be about inclusion, diversity and solidarity, not silencing fans for peacefully showing who they stand with.

Featured image via the Canary

By Skwawkbox

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