Chelsea
have permanently banned one individual from Stamford Bridge for the use of
racially abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour during
match against Manchester City on December 8, 2018.
The Premier League club have also temporarily banned five other supporters
for periods of between one and two years for the use of abusive language and
threatening and aggressive behaviour at the fixture last year.
The Crown Prosecution Service recently announced it had elected not to
initiate any criminal prosecutions after an investigation over a claim
Raheem Sterling was racially abused by a member of the crowd.
Chelsea said they had delayed reaching a decision in the cases in order to
ensure they did not prejudice the related police investigation.
According to the club, all individuals sanctioned as a result of their
investigation were offered the right to appeal and, where applicable, those
appeals have been heard.
Referring to the supporter handed a lifetime ban from the ground, a club
statement read: "While the club respects the decision of the CPS (not to
charge the individual with a criminal offence), the question that it had to
determine was not whether a criminal offence had been committed, but rather
whether the individual acted in breach of the ticketing terms and
conditions.
"In this regard, the club operates to the civil standard of proof, which is
entirely different to the criminal standard.
"In reaching its decision, the club took into account the denial made by the
individual as well as a range of other evidence, including video evidence
and evidence from two lip-reading experts - both of whom advised that the
individual had used words that are racially abusive."
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