Liverpool supporter handed three-year ban following Barcelona fountain push
Anthony Mullen, 57, has been issued with a three-year ban from games after being accused by police of 'targeting and humiliating' a Spanish man ahead of Liverpool's UEFA Champions League semi-final clash with Barcelona in May.
Liverpool fan Mullen was handed the ban at South Sefton Magistrates Court on Wednesday after he was captured in several videos posted to social media pushing the man into a fountain at Placa Reial square, before apparently making comments with regard to his ethnicity. Another man was also targeted in the abuse.
Mullen was also found to have pulled a steward's trousers down near Anfield in the week that followed.
on tour with yer da pushing the locals in fountains & racially abusing them.“Liver” 🤢 pic.twitter.com/xOzy44PVwn
— Gerry (@glioriginali_) April 30, 2019
The ban dictates that Mullen cannot attend any football matches for a period of three years, as well as banning him from being within two miles of Anfield on match days. He is also forbidden from traveling to cities in which Liverpool are playing away matches.
Once again a minority of fans dragging the club through the mud who can't take their aleThese fans don't represent Liverpool football club,they don't represent the whole fan baseDecent Liverpool supporters don't condone this behaviour pic.twitter.com/m30XT2Aguh
— Catherwood jft 96 6 times 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 (@Catherw96287611) May 1, 2019
Superintendent Paul White of Merseyside Police condemning Mullen's "shocking" actions, saying that "two innocent men" had been "targeted and humiliated" by the Liverpool fan. Following the incident, Liverpool released a statement to say that the fan's behavior was "unacceptable".
"Such behavior is clearly totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," the club announced in the wake of the incident.
