A 33-year-old man has been charged after wearing a t-shirt appearing to mock the victims of the Hillsborough disaster during Saturday's FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City.
The Red Devils lost 2-1 to their bitter rivals at Wembley thanks to a pair of Ilkay Gundogan strikes, but the day was marred by a Man United wearing a shirt emblazoned with "not enough" and "97" on the back.
On April 15, 1989, 97 fans lost their lives at Hillsborough during a fatal stadium crush in Liverpool's FA Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday, and an image of the supporter's shirt quickly began circulating on social media.
The individual's actions were widely condemned online, and he was soon arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of a public order offence.
Now, the Metropolitan Police have announced that the supporter in question has been charged and will appear before magistrates on June 19 after being bailed.
"A man has been charged after being arrested during the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium," a statement read. "James White, 33 (22.01.90), of Warwickshire was charged on Sunday, 4 June with displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
"He was bailed to appear at Willesden Magistrates' Court on Monday, 19 June. He was arrested after being seen wearing a shirt which appeared to refer in offensive terms to those who died in the Hillsborough tragedy."
#ARREST | We are aware of this and have worked proactively with officials at @wembleystadium to identify the individual.
— Metropolitan Police Events (@MetPoliceEvents) June 3, 2023
He has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and taken into custody. https://t.co/PNVzEhKzgZ
The FA also 'strongly condemned' the man's actions, having taken immediate action to identify the supporter after the photo was first posted online.
"The FA strongly condemns the actions of the individual who wore a shirt referencing the Hillsborough disaster ahead of the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley," the statement read.
"We saw a photograph of the offensive shirt on social media and immediately started working to identify the perpetrator. Our security teams were able to quickly locate the individual based on the image, and we welcome the swift action which was then taken by the police."
"We will not tolerate abuse relating to the Hillsborough or any football tragedy at Wembley Stadium and we will continue to work with the authorities to ensure strong action is taken against the perpetrators.
In addition, the Metropolitan Police announced that a further 22 fans had been arrested during the final for a variety of alleged offences, including "assault, affray, possession of drugs and drunk and disorderly behaviour".
The force also confirmed that they are looking into an incident which saw Man United centre-back Victor Lindelof struck in the face by a projectile while celebrating Bruno Fernandes's equaliser, but no arrests have been made in connection with that matter.
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