Man charged over '97' football shirt at FA Cup final

[pellinore]

A man has been charged over a football shirt which appeared to refer to the 97 fans who died as a result of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

The 33-year-old man from Warwickshire was charged with displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He was bailed to appear at Willesden Magistrates' Court in London on Monday.

The Metropolitan Police said 22 other people were arrested at the Wembley FA Cup final on Saturday.

Man charged over '97' football shirt at FA Cup final - BBC News

[+ouija ouija]

I hope he goes to jail. He intentionally caused distress to many, many people and for what reason? Because they supported a different football club to him! If his moral compass is so badly out that he thinks it was a good idea to do what he did then he should be locked away from the rest of society indefinitely. 

[+joc]

10 minutes ago, ouija ouija said:

I hope he goes to jail. He intentionally caused distress to many, many people and for what reason? Because they supported a different football club to him! If his moral compass is so badly out that he thinks it was a good idea to do what he did then he should be locked away from the rest of society indefinitely. 

I'm glad I'm in the land of somewhat Free Speech.  If they don't like his shirt, tell him he is going to take it off or he will have to leave.  Then escort him out.  But arrest him ...charge him with crimes...throw him in jail???

Part of the reason we went to war with the British to begin with.  Trying to tell us what's what a million miles away.  

I love you Ouija...but we on the other side of the ocean have very definite thoughts about that whole free speech thing.

[Eldorado]

6 minutes ago, joc said:

I'm glad I'm in the land of somewhat Free Speech.  If they don't like his shirt, tell him he is going to take it off or he will have to leave.  Then escort him out.  But arrest him ...charge him with crimes...throw him in jail???

Part of the reason we went to war with the British to begin with.  Trying to tell us what's what a million miles away.  

I love you Ouija...but we on the other side of the ocean have very definite thoughts about that whole free speech thing.

It's Britain!  If we want to pretend we have freedom of expression (or that we live in a proper democracy), we can and we will!

Rule Britannia!

[pellinore]

25 minutes ago, ouija ouija said:

I hope he goes to jail. He intentionally caused distress to many, many people and for what reason? Because they supported a different football club to him! If his moral compass is so badly out that he thinks it was a good idea to do what he did then he should be locked away from the rest of society indefinitely. 

The T-shirt actually said: '97 not enough'. Pictures here:Man who 'wore vile shirt mocking Hillsborough disaster at FA Cup final' charged | Daily Mail Online

[Alchopwn]

It will be interesting to see how this case holds up in a court.

Edited June 4 by Alchopwn

[+and-then]

3 hours ago, Alchopwn said:

It will be interesting to see how this case holds up in a court.

It will indeed.  My guess is that it will hold just fine.  A government that will set such a law will uphold that law in most cases.

[+ouija ouija]

This joker wasn't even born when the Hillsborough disaster occurred. I am from Liverpool and support Liverpool F.C.. I was not at Hillsborough that day. I am not going to recount the whole sorry saga here because it went on for decades . . . look it up yourselves if you're interested. From unfounded accusations against the fans that were there, to repeated lies by the police, it's just been pain heaped upon pain for three decades for those who lost family members or friends that day.

Maybe it's a case of where you draw the line. Free speech needs limits.

[godnodog]

IMO yes, the shirt was in poor taste, but enough to go to prison or even fined? hell no, being a total piece of xait is not a legal offense

[+OverSword]

On 6/4/2023 at 6:56 AM, ouija ouija said:

I hope he goes to jail. He intentionally caused distress to many, many people and for what reason? Because they supported a different football club to him! If his moral compass is so badly out that he thinks it was a good idea to do what he did then he should be locked away from the rest of society indefinitely. 

For being crass and insensitive?????   Harsh out man.  What should happen to comedians that make 9-11 jokes?

Edited June 5 by OverSword

[+OverSword]

3 hours ago, ouija ouija said:

Free speech needs limits.

I can agree with that.  To say that limit is reached when someone's feelings are hurt or when that speech is offensive is too much.

[+ouija ouija]

1 hour ago, OverSword said:

For being crass and insensitive?????   Harsh out man.  What should happen to comedians that make 9-11 jokes?

I can't really comment on comedians who make jokes about 9 - 11, but if they say stuff on a par with the comment on the shirt then maybe they too need to be given a lesson in what is acceptable. If you choose to be 'crass and insensitive' then the sooner you learn there will be consequences, the better. There must be something else they can use as material. Can we not focus on being kind to each other?

1 hour ago, OverSword said:

I can agree with that.  To say that limit is reached when someone's feelings are hurt or when that speech is offensive is too much.

I'm wondering if there aren't enough examples in daily life that point to what is acceptable and what is not. Plus, there aren't enough consequences for those who do overstep the mark. We're not talking about a comment like "that dress doesn't do anything for you", said in passing. This idiot is 33yrs old and should know that this is a step too far, but has been so determined to cause distress to hundreds(thousands?) of people that he paid approximately £100 for the offensive shirt. He really does need to be made an example of, to all the other idiots out there who are unsure of what is acceptable and what is not. 

Perhaps you have a thicker skin than most. 

[+OverSword]

1 hour ago, ouija ouija said:

I'm wondering if there aren't enough examples in daily life that point to what is acceptable and what is not. Plus, there aren't enough consequences for those who do overstep the mark. We're not talking about a comment like "that dress doesn't do anything for you", said in passing. This idiot is 33yrs old and should know that this is a step too far, but has been so determined to cause distress to hundreds(thousands?) of people that he paid approximately £100 for the offensive shirt. He really does need to be made an example of, to all the other idiots out there who are unsure of what is acceptable and what is not. 

Perhaps you have a thicker skin than most. 

I don't have thicker skin than most.  I just don't agree that this guy should be locked up indefinitely (or at all) as you do.  To me that's ridiculous.  As has been said earlier in the thread he should have been asked to remove the jersey or escorted out of the match.  I guess as an American I have a broader idea about peoples right to express themselves and speak freely than some people where you live.  What he did was extremely offensive to most but that should not be a crime. 

[Golden Duck]

 

 

[Still Waters]

A man has admitted causing offence by wearing a football shirt which referred to the 97 fans who died as a result of the Hillsborough disaster.

James White, 33, from Warwickshire, pleaded guilty to displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He appeared at Willesden Magistrates' Court in London.

The court heard he had worn a shirt with 97 and the words "Not Enough" on the back at the FA Cup Final on 3 June.

White was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay a surcharge of £400 and £85 in costs.

He has also been banned from all regulated football games in the UK for four years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-65951045