- Three Arsenal fans were arrested during the FA Cup third round in January
- The trio, all aged 18, pleaded guilty to a public order offense (section 5).
- Gareth Southgate deserves greater respect amid Man United links… who are these fools doubting him? Listen to the Everything starts podcast
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Three Arsenal fans who were part of Ashburton’s Army were each given a three-year football banning order for singing about tragedy linked to the Hillsborough disaster during the club’s FA third round defeat Cup against Liverpool in January, Mail Sport can reveal.
Liverpool won the tense match at the Emirates Stadium 2-0 after a Jakub Kiwior own goal and a Luis Diaz goal in the 95th minute.
The Met Police made a number of arrests during the match. This resulted in 18-year-old Ashburton Army members Ellis Chandler, George Oxley and Joshua Ricca being given restraining orders preventing the trio from attending football matches.
They all pleaded guilty to an article five public order offense (tragic singing). The bans on Chandler and Oxley mean they are not allowed within 1.5 miles of the Emirates.
The Ashburton Army, a renowned supporters’ organization known for its support of Arsenal at the Emirates, has already been embroiled in controversy.
Three fans were arrested during Arsenal’s FA Cup clash with Liverpool in January
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Mail Sport understands that Arsenal will review the allocation of tickets to the group.
A club statement said: “We strongly condemn this abhorrent behavior. We have worked closely with the police to ensure swift action is taken and we welcome the football banning orders issued.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to tragedy singing and will always ensure strong action is taken against those found guilty of such behavior.”
In May, Arsenal made contact with police over anti-Semitic messages sent in the group’s WhatsApp group.
The messages focused largely on the Holocaust, but also included Israeli-Palestinian conspiracy theories and Tottenham’s reputation as a Jewish club.
The group, named after the site where the Emirates was built, has around 200 members. Prospective applicants must prove they are willing to go the extra mile for the north London club, producing banners, writing songs, attending meetings and even helping food banks.
They have worked closely with the Gunners in recent years, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to build a stronger relationship between the team and fans.
The club supported the funding of two of Ashburton’s army banners and assisted with storage between matches. Despite closer ties to the club, the group remains its own independent organization.
Superintendent Gerry Parker of the football policing unit told Mail Sport: “We are clear there is absolutely zero tolerance for tragic chanting and we will deal with anyone who does it.
Arsenal face questions over relationship with controversial Ashburton Army
“Many police officers working at football matches are supporters themselves, we have a passion for being a supporter, but it is very clear when it becomes a criminal offence.”
On Monday, two Manchester United fans were arrested for singing tragic songs during Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Last June, Premier League teams met to agree new measures to combat the rise of tragedy chants at matches.
