Everton fan banned by court after hurling anti-Semitic abuse at Tottenham supporters

Neil McManniman was today (Monday, 6 March) banned from attending football matches for five years and given a suspended prison sentence, after hurling anti-Semitic insults at rivals.

The 46-year-old Everton fan spewed anti-Semitic insults at Tottenham Hotspur supporters - and even made hissing sounds referring to the gas ovens in the Nazi concentration camps. Prosecutor, Kate Morley, described his actions as “a sustained torrent of foul abuse.”

Mr McManniman denied being the culprit but a jury took just half an hour to convict him of religiously aggravated harassment.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that his seven previous offences include a similar conviction, involving the “n” word, also at Goodison Park, which landed him a three year football banning order. Three of the other offences also involved being drunk at sporting events and running onto the pitch.

Judge Brian Cummings, KC, described his behaviour at the Everton ground on Sunday, November 7, 2021 as “outrageous” and said, “You have not learnt your lesson from your previous court experiences.”

He said that McManniman, of Quarry Green, Kirkby, had denied the offence “and tried to lie your way out of it.”

The judge pointed out that the Last Post had been played before kick off as a mark of respect for the forthcoming Remembrance Day but it did not have a positive effect on the defendant.

He continuted: “You were seen on a number of occasions standing and gesticulating at the away supporters while shouting anti-Semitic abuse and making loud hissing sounds which I am sure were intended to reference the gas chambers in the Holocaust.”

An appalled Evertonian, Robert Gaul, sitting next to him, complained to a steward, who also heard him shouting such remarks as ‘f…ing Jews”, before he was ejected from the stadium.

The judge praised them for their public spirited behaviour and said McManniman’s actions could have sparked further trouble.

Miss Morley had told the jury how Mr Gaul was sitting in the Upper Bullens Road stand close to the away fans, and he heard McManniman, sitting by him, repeatedly shouting anti-Semitic abuse.

Drunken McManniman also made “a hissing sound towards the Tottenham fans, believed to be referring to the gas chambers of the Holocaust.”

Mr Gaul told the jury that Tottenham fans have a Jewish heritage and McManniman “would stand up to gesture. He turned as if to face them and threw his hand in the air and shouted ‘dirty Jews, dirty Y..s’.

He said that he also used the word ‘K…’ which he did not understand but later looked it up and found, “it was another derogatory term for a Jewish person.”

Charles Lander, defending, said that McManniman has voluntarily been engaging with agencies to help with mental health problems and his mother had written a setting out his shame and remorse.

He said that the defendant had lost the sight in an eye after being attacked 15 years ago and has not been able to work.

He added: “Alcohol was the reason why he behaved as he did. He has a previous history of drinking too much and behaving anti-socially. He admits he needs assistance of agencies.”

Judge Cummings pointed out that McManniman had maintained in his trial that he had not been drunk.

He said that after hearing about his mental health issues, he had decided to impose a nine month sentence but suspended it for two years.

He also ordered McManniman to carry out fifteen days of rehabilitation activities and imposed a six month alcohol treatment requirement, as well as a five year football match ban.