The Peterborough United supporter who spat towards Wes Burns following the Blues’ first goal at London Road in April has been banned from attending football matches for the next three years.
Leroy Miller (left of photo), 45, of Black Prince Avenue, Market Deeping, was arrested before the end of the first half of the match, which Town won 3-0, following the 17th-minute incident which was caught on iFollow’s cameras.
Burns had celebrated in front of the home support, who earlier had berated him while he was on the ground having taken a knock.
Earlier this month at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, Miller was fined £200 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80 and costs totalling £105.
And today the same court imposed a three-year Football Banning Order (FBO), stating that whenever a football match which is regulated is played in the UK, he is banned from entering any premises for the purpose of attending a football match.
Outside the UK, he must report to a police station according to instructions given to him by the Football Banning Orders Authority. In addition, he must surrender any travel authorisation document; passport, identity card or any other form of travel authorisation.
PC Mike Price, Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s dedicated football officer for Peterborough, said: "This was totally unacceptable behaviour towards the Ipswich players. Not only that, but Miller was also sat in an area of the ground surrounded by families who would have witnessed this. There is no place for this type of conduct inside a football ground.”
Sye Roberts, head of safety, risk and compliance at Posh added: "Whilst working in partnership with Cambridgeshire Constabulary, the club identified and ejected Miller within a short period of time.
"Incidents of this nature are unacceptable, regardless of who spectators support or what’s happening on the pitch. Not only is this incident an offence, but it is also damaging to the Peterborough United brand.
"We received thousands of comments on social media and many media articles were published about the incident.”
Peterborough condemned the incident in a statement released during the match: "The football club can confirm that a gentleman was arrested by police following an incident after the first goal scored by Ipswich Town this afternoon.
"There is no place in the game for incidents like that. The club would like to thank the police for swiftly dealing with it.”
Town praised Posh and the police for dealing with the issue quickly: "Peterborough couldn’t have dealt with the matter any better, they dealt with it swiftly, promptly and that’s the end of the matter in terms of the club.
"Obviously we don’t think it’s acceptable that supporters want to spit or get involved with players but we can’t thank Peterborough and the authorities more for how well they dealt with it, and that should be the end of the matter.”