Soccer: British fan fined and banned for racist abuse

LONDON - A British football fan was fined 1,000 pounds ($2653.92) on Wednesday and banned from soccer matches for five years after pleading guilty to racially abusing Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke.

Police said Jason Perryman, 22, admitted in court to charges of racially aggravated offences against Yorke, an international player for Trinidad and Tobago and a former Manchester United star.

A second man, David Ashcroft, 21, denied the same charges at Blackburn Magistrates Court and has been released on bail pending a pre-trial preview on December 22.

Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce said after Sunday's Premier League match at Ewood Park against Blackburn Rovers that Yorke had suffered monkey chants similar to those faced by England's black players during last week's 1-0 friendly defeat in Spain.

Yorke was subjected to the abuse as he was warming up near the touchline.

Perryman and Ashcroft voluntarily went to a police station on Tuesday after learning that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

- REUTERS