Hartlepool man banned from football matches after making 'disgusting' comments online following crucial Pools defeat

Ryan Hurst was issued with a football banning order at Teesside Magistrates’ Court following online remarks made after Hartlepool United lost 2-0 to Crawley Town in April 2023.

The defeat all but sealed Hartlepool’s relegation to the National League.

Whilst no formal complaint was made, police worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to bring the case to court.

Hurst, 26, of Dunbar Road, was also ordered to pay a £584 fine and £234 victim surcharge after he pleaded guilty to racially-aggravated malicious communications on April 22 last year..

Sergeant Dave Lester, of Cleveland Police’s Football Operations Unit, said afterwards: “The Football Operations Unit is determined to bring those people to justice who think it’s acceptable to make comments of a nature which is distressing to others, on social media or otherwise, at sporting events.

“Those people will be put before the courts and will face banning orders and criminal convictions.

“We take all incidents of this nature extremely seriously and will endeavour to take action wherever possible.”

Rebecca Slade, senior crown prosecutor with CPS North East, added: “The comments made by Hurst in the wake of this match were deeply offensive and disgusting.

“Abuse of this type will not be tolerated and wherever offensive content is reported, and our legal tests are met, we will work closely with police partners to bring offenders to justice.

"In cases where such abuse is found to be a hate crime, the Crown Prosecution Service will also seek an uplift in the sentence.”