A Norwich City away supporter, reported by fellow Canaries fans for shouting: ‘Black c***,’ towards a player during the team’s league fixture at Crystal Palace, was fined and banned today.
Guilty: Michael Squires
Technician Michael Squires, 57, attended Selhurst Park on December 28, last year for the Premier League game, which his team lost 3-0.
Croydon Magistrates Court heard he also loudly booed the players’ anti-racism message when kneeling before the kick-off.
Squires, of Castle Hill, Beccles, Norfolk was convicted after a trial of racially aggravated threatening behaviour and was fined £450, with £620 costs and ordered to pay a £45 victim surcharge.
He also received an immediate 12-month football banning order, prohibiting him attending any organised matches.
Norwich City fan Lucy Wallis, 49, an away fans’ member attended with her husband and two of her children, aged 14 and 12 years-old.
“We were four or five rows from the front in the away stand,” she told the trial.
“There was quite a lot of shouting, jostling of men. It wasn’t a particularly nice atmosphere, I was worried about my children. It didn’t seem like a family-friendly game.
“He bumped into my shoulder when he came in. He said something to me, I didn’t reply.
“I thought at the time he probably had a couple of drinks prior to the game. He was swaying a little bit and said: ‘Alright?’ to me and his voice sounded a little bit slurred.
“He booed when the players took the knee at the beginning of the match. I didn’t like that behaviour.
“I felt disappointed and it was a shame because I thought it would be nice to have a chat because Norwich were not doing well at the time, but I thought this was not someone on my wavelength because I thought it was an important stand.
"Disappointed": Lucy Wallis
“I think Crystal Palace scored a penalty and the atmosphere in the away crowd got worse.
“There was a lot of swearing and the behaviour of the Norwich fans was very poor, far worse than the Crystal Palace fan.
‘Once Crystal Palace scored things started going downhill.
“I think the play on the pitch had moved to the left and came back towards us and one of the players, I don’t know if they were Crystal Palace or Norwich, but they were black and taking a throw-in and that’s when the man shouted a very abusive term at him.
“He shouted: ‘You black c***.’ I am 100% certain.
“I felt disgusted, so disappointed about what life is like at the moment. I just thought it was a horrible thing to say and a great shame.
“It was very aggressive. I shout, a loud aggressive shout.
“Immediately after that he got into an altercation with two people on the aisle and they had a row.
“A second man said something like: ‘Enough of that mate.’ It was abhorrent, totally unnecessary and offensive.
“We found it an increasingly horrible area to be in and not where you would want children to be and we left at half-time.”
The London-based Norwich City-supporting family continued being distressed by the events when they returned home.
“My children were quite upset by it and | felt it was too important to leave and I wrote to the club and filed a complaint about it.”
In her letter she said her “family tradition” of supporting Norwich had been negatively effected and her children no longer wanted to attend away games.
When cross-examined Mrs Wallis denied she “took a dislike” to Squires because he booed the kneeling, but conceded she was not directly looking at him when she heard the abusive words.
“I can’t say for sure I saw him say those words, but I am still absolutely certain.”
A second Norwich City fan, Anna Bond, told the trial: “The ball came towards us and a black player came to get the ball and as he did that the gentleman next to me said: ‘Black c***.’
“I am very sure that is what I heard. It was audible and aggressive.
“I was shocked, horrified, disgusted to be honest. It took a second to process and I told my husband what he said.
“My husband was equally horrified, offended and shocked and did speak to the man. He was angry with him and wanted to make it really clear to the man we were not happy with the language and wouldn’t tolerate it.
“I saw said. Really just horrified, in disbelief really that it happened. The whole thing has been really shocking and not pleasant.”
When cross-examined Mrs Bond conceded: “I was looking ahead at the game. I did not see the words. I was not looking at him, I heard him say the words from directly next to me.
“I am convinced that the words came out of that person.”
Stewards escorted Squires out of the stadium just before half-time and he told police: “I’m not racist. I didn’t say anything.”
He gave a “no comment” interview at the police station, but told the trial: “I’ve got an away season membership for quite a few years.”
Squires travelled to the game with a friend who sat elsewhere in the away end. “It was a long journey there, with trains cancelled and before we went into the ground we had a couple of pints.
“I was just watching the game and it wasn’t until a steward came and got me that I knew anything was going on,” he told the court.
“I never said those words. The only thing I was saying was some Norwich songs and that.
“That’s all I was doing. They weren’t playing that well, the mood wasn’t great, but I’ve been watching them a long time and am use’d to that.”
When cross-examined Squires denied booing the players kneeling before kick-off, insisting he did not utter the abuse or hear anybody else shout it.
Magistrate Alison Coussins announced: “Both Mrs Wallis and Mrs Bond were clear and credible witnesses. Mrs Wallis was sitting next to Mr Squires and Mrs Bond was the next nearest.
“Both heard the words ‘black c***’ loudly and clearly and their evidence was clearly corroborative and credible and both were alarmed and distressed by the language they heard.
“The defendant says he did not say ‘black c***’ and did not hear anyone else saying it. We don’t find Mr Squires to be a credible witness.”
Prosecutor Sudara Weerasena told the court Squires has multiple convictions for assault by battery; plus convictions for drink-driving; criminal damage and a public order offence.
“You must apply an uplift for the offence because it is racially-aggravated,” she told the magistrates. “Distress was caused to multiple people in the vicinity and children were present.
“It was a busy place, he is not of good character and distress was caused.”
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