Arsenal fan banned for Bale banana assault

LONDON (AFP) –

Tottenham’s Welsh defender Gareth Bale thanks the fans after his side beat Arsenal 2-1 in an English Premier League match at White Hart Lane in north London on March 3, 2013. An Arsenal football fan has been banned from attending matches for three years after admitting throwing a banana at Bale during the game.

An Arsenal football fan has been banned from attending matches for three years after admitting throwing a banana at Tottenham’s Gareth Bale.

Thomas Flint, 23, from north London, admitted throwing a missile onto the playing area during last month’s north London derby at White Hart Lane.

He also admitted using threatening, abusive or disorderly behaviour towards Spurs fans.

As well as receiving the football banning order, he was fined £250 ($375) and ordered to pay £85 in costs and a £25 victim surcharge.

District Judge Rebecca Crane at Highbury Magistrates’ Court told the carpenter, a regular at Arsenal matches: “You have let yourself down.”

She added: “You have good references but you allowed your passion for football and the game to boil over into hostility for a single player and the opposing team.

“This was more than foolish – it was disgraceful behaviour.

“What you threw from such a distance could have hurt someone and it was offensive as well… it could have boiled over into violence.”

The hearing was briefly interrupted and adjourned for five minutes while a waiting defendant was removed because he kept laughing and shouting out comments.

Bale is sometimes targeted by opposing fans for his simian-like features.