'Cowardly' Sunderland teenager fined just £200 for racially abusing Luton striker

A Sunderland teenager has been fined just £200 and possibly banned from attending any further games involving his hometown club after being found guilty of sending a racist slur to Luton Town striker Elijah Adebayo.

Connor Butler, 19, from Pallion, messaged the Hatters forward with the comment on Instagram last October after Adebayo had equalised against Sunderland during a Championship contest at Kenilworth Road that went on to finish 2-1 to the visitors. A story on the Sunderland Global Media Facebook page, reported: “Butler hadn’t attended the match but sent the abuse from home. Adebayo spotted the message the next day and alerted his club, who passed it on to police. South Tyneside magistrates called it a “cowardly act” and fined Butler £200.

"Northumbria Police is now seeking a Football Banning Order, which could see him barred from attending Sunderland games. Butler pleaded guilty to sending an offensive communication. His solicitor said it was a one-off message sent “in the heat of the moment” when he was just 18. Magistrates said: “You wouldn’t dare say it to his face - it’s a cowardly tweet behind a screen.”

At the time it happened, Luton themselves sent out a strong statement condemning the abuse on their official website, which read: "Is it ever going to stop? Twelve months ago Elijah Adebayo was subjected to racist abuse on social media. A wave of vile and disgusting messages pouring into his account from faceless racists. Fast forward a year later and it has happened again. At 8.28pm on Wednesday evening, an account in the UK on Instagram messaged Elijah with a racist comment.

"After Elijah notified us following last night's game with Sunderland, in which he scored his first goal of the season, we reported the incident to the Police and to Meta. It is now being investigated. Just like we said a year ago, and just like we will do whenever a player or staff member is subjected to abuse, we will stand by and support Elijah unequivocally. To the individual who cowardly dropped into Elijah's DMs: We know who you are and you know who you are.

"You're not a faceless account, one which we have sadly become accustomed to reporting in recent years. But as if you have the balls to come to Kenilworth Road and say it to his face. We dare you. If you do, you'll be faced with everyone at Luton Town Football Club, standing side-by-side with Elijah. Abuse of any kind is unacceptable.”