Summary A Sunderland supporter has been handed a 3-year football banning order for making a racist gesture.
SUNDERLAND (AP) - A Sunderland supporter has been handed a three-year football banning order for making a racist gesture towards Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, one of the Premier league s top scorers last season.
Court officials said Liam Jones was given an 18-month conditional discharge after he admitted causing racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress by making a monkey gesture towards Lukaku, who is black, while watching his team lose 4-2 to West Brom last November.
Jones, who first pleaded not guilty to the charge, had been photographed in the stands making the gesture after Lukaku scored.
A trial had been due to take place next month but at a hearing last week Jones entered a guilty plea.
Lukaku, who is back at Chelsea, scored 17 goals on loan at West Brom last season.
