A man has been banned from attending football games for three years for abusive homophobic behaviour at an Albion match.
Jefferey Terry, 58, attended the Amex in the away section during a fixture between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace on 3 February last year.
Palace fan Terry, of Windemere Road, Croydon, made abusive gestures to home supporters.
He was charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
After initially pleading not guilty, he changed his plea to guilty at Brighton Magsitrates Court on 6 January – but argued against being issued with a banning order.
However at a further hearing at the same court on Monday, he was given a three-year banning order.
Dedicated Football Officer PC Gregg Marshall said: “The impact of the use of this abusive behaviour means that other football supporters often do not feel safe to attend matches.
“By challenging unacceptable behaviour we hope to show that abuse has no place in our stadiums or in the game of football itself.”
Men like Terry are always secretly in Narnia. His actions and words say more about him than they do any seagulls supporter. Let’s hope that after 58 long years he finally finds the courage to come out of the closet and be himself.