A Brighton fan has alleged that the club have issued him a stadium ban after he was seen wearing a Palestinian shirt during the 1-1 draw against Fulham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Roger Wade, who is also the chairman of capital firm Boxfund, has been a season ticket holder at the Amex Stadium for a decade, but will now not be welcomed back to the stadium until December after being told he was prohibited from supporting the team for the next five matches.
Wade has now shared his account on social media and has called for the club to take action and rescind his ban, while also shining a spotlight on the bigger issue of discrimination in football.
Taking to LinkedIn, Wade shared his experience, including how he was removed from the stadium mid-match and later received a letter informing him of his ban rather than receiving any correspondence from the Seagulls.
"I’ve been BANNED from Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club for wearing a Palestine football shirt! I’ve been a season ticket holder at Brighton for nearly 10 years. Last week, I was banned for 5 matches simply for wearing an official Palestine football shirt at the Fulham game.
"I took off my jacket on the way to my seat. Underneath was a Palestine football shirt, no slogans, no politics, just the word Palestine. At half time, Stewards ask me to leave the hospitality area, with no explanation. I refused and went back to my seat. I filed a formal complaint. Instead of a response, I was issued with a ban letter. I was banned for not following stewards request."
In the comments section of his post, Wade would share a video of the moment the Steward attempted to remove him from his hospitality seat, to which the businessman refused.
Wade questioned why it was acceptable for UEFA to unveil a pro-Palestine banner ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham, while also pointing out that Celtic fans had shown their support for Palestine despite the club's wishes during a Champions League game against Atletico Madrid.
He also noted that Premier League rules ban flags from conflict zones, but do not prohibit international football shirts without political slogans — which is what he was wearing at the time he was removed.
As a result of the five-game ban, Wade will not be allowed to use his season tickets until the Seagulls take on Aston Villa on December 3rd. It is unknown whether the five-match ban includes any home cup ties, which could bring his return date forward, with the Seagulls set to travel to Oxford United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
Brighton's Next Five Home Fixtures
Brighton vs Manchester City
Brighton vs Tottenham
Brighton vs Newcastle
Brighton vs Leeds
Brighton vs Brentford
GIVEMESPORT has reached out to Brighton on the matter, but the club has opted not to comment.