The man that racially abused Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been handed a three-year stadium ban. Antonio Neill, who sent the racist remark to Toney over social media on October 14, last year, was also sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for two years. Toney documented the abuse he got on his Instagram account, prompting a police investigation that led to the arrest of the culprit in Blyth. In Newcastle Magistrates’ Court in January, Neill pleaded guilty to transmitting an insulting message before being sentenced on Monday. Middlesex and Northumberland Police are labeling this as a “landmark judgment” since it is “the first of its sort to be made under the Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act 2022”.
The stadium ban applies to all Premier League, Championship, Leagues One and Two, and National League clubs, as well as England home internationals, qualifiers, and tournament fixtures, and is the first penalty imposed under the statute. Toney published racist insults made to him on Instagram by an account operated by Neill in October, the morning after his goals helped Brentford beat Brighton 2-0.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank believes the penalty handed down to the guy convicted of racially assaulting Toney was insufficient. Frank was pleased that authorities had sent a clear message about their willingness to tolerate racism in football, particularly in light of allegations that Southampton defender Kyle Walker-Peters was racially abused during Sunday’s game at Old Trafford, but he questioned whether the sentence was proportionate to the gravity of the offense.
“It’s a powerful message. Personally, I’m relieved that racial abuse is being addressed in court. I believe the sentence might be made more difficult. It’s a conditional sentence. But I believe it is a good move in the right direction, demonstrating to the world that racial abuse has no place,” Brentford boss Thomas Frank said about Ivan Toney. “Hopefully, it serves as a reminder to social media businesses that they can do more. Also, Walker-Peters’ circumstance, and what he went through, is heartbreaking. It is a constantly evolving area for civilization. We must be very conscious of this.”
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