Brighton FC bans fan for wearing Palestine shirt

Brighton and Hove Albion FC have banned a season ticket holder for wearing a Palestine shirt.

Roger Wade, founder of @Boxfresh, has been banned from Brighton & Hove Albion for 5 games for wearing a Palestine football kit.

A ST holder for 10 years, he was pulled out mid-game with no explanation. Instead of dialogue, the club sent him a ban letter. @OfficialBHAFC pic.twitter.com/onqe2r4L51

— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) August 25, 2025

At half-time during the Brighton FC v Fulham game on August 16, stewards asked Roger Wade to leave the hospitality section of the stadium, with no explanation.

Social media users initially speculated that stewards removed Wade due to wearing a football shirt in the hospitality section of the stadium, which most clubs ban.

However, he made it clear that he covered the shirt with his jacket, whilst in hospitality. Additionally, when the club responded to his complaint and issued a five-match ban, they did not mention this.

Here is Mr Wade’s formal complaint to Brighton regarding the incident, along with the club’s response — which makes no reference to the required dress code in Hospitality, nor cites it as the reason this fan was removed. pic.twitter.com/B4fyE8TenM

— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) August 25, 2025

Brighton FC: double standards?

Previously, people had reported Tomer Hemed, a former footballer and academy mentor, for inciting violence against Palestinians online. He posted photos with Israeli soldiers during a genocide.

Back in October, many of us reported to Brighton, @FA, and @kickitout that former footballer & academy mentor Tomer Hemed was inciting violence against Palestinians online, even posting photos with soldiers in the midst of the genocide.

No action was taken. https://t.co/wf0Dvr7pvv

— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) August 25, 2025

Journalists like @richimedhurst were arrested in the UK for reporting the truth on the genocide in Gaza.

Now we have an ACADEMY MENTOR at a football club openly calling for the killing of children, men, women, elderly in Gaza.

What are you going to do about this? @Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/Ful0mbK2yd

— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) October 14, 2024

Are the footballing community more triggered by a football shirt than war crimes?

Absolutely baffles me that this guy gets a 5 game ban for wearing a shirt, but the club turns a blind eye to hemed calling Palestinians human animals and that they should die a death of suffering https://t.co/J2FDUMMNXw

— yasin ayari 🇸🇪🐐 (@AyariGoat) August 25, 2025

Blood on his hands

The majority owner of Brighton FC is Tony Bloom – an ‘English sports better, poker player, and entrepreneur’ who has his hands in many Zionist pies.

News that @OfficialBHAFC – owned by Tony Bloom (a @JamTarts‘ minority shareholder) – has banned a fan for wearing a Palestine top should anger many, but surprise no one. 🧵👇 https://t.co/bcLgojEeMa pic.twitter.com/rCaPD4ncvs

— Scottish Sport for Palestine (@ScotSport4Pal) August 25, 2025

Bloom has injected £2.4 million into Israel.

Since 2019 – through his foundation alone, he has injected £2.4 million into Israel.

This does not include his support of other Zionist organisations, including @CST_UK, the ‘authority’ on antisemitism in the UK which serves to police pro-Palestinian activists. pic.twitter.com/RJgJ28aLqx

— Scottish Sport for Palestine (@ScotSport4Pal) August 25, 2025

The aims of his foundation, The Bloom Foundation, include:

Creating a more cohesive society in Israel, fostering shared purpose and advocacy that unite diverse segments of society.

In its 2024 annual report, the word ‘Israel’ or ‘Israeli’ is mentioned 19 times. While claiming to promote ‘community cohesion’ for all members of ‘Israeli society’. Yet, there is not one single mention of Palestine or Palestinians.

His foundation clearly prioritises Israeli lives.

The Bloom Foundation makes it clear it prioritises Israeli lives through its mysterious On Guard Initiative – an apparent attempt to eliminate community tensions within Israel – with no mention of how Israel is trying to eliminate generations of Palestinians off their land. pic.twitter.com/jaiOCGw8dC

— Scottish Sport for Palestine (@ScotSport4Pal) August 25, 2025

But it’s not just Brighton FC that are refusing entry to fans wearing Palestine shirts. A few weeks ago, a similar thing happened to an Everton fan.

A mother was stopped at the entrance to Bramley-Moore stadium and told she had to cover her Palestine football kit if she wanted to take her kids in.

This is what football is teaching our kids these days: solidarity with genocide victims is not okay.
Care to comment, @Everton? pic.twitter.com/VQUfNw4y56

— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) August 10, 2025

The Palestine national football team is represented by the Palestinian Football Association and is a member of FIFA.

What muppets Brighton are. It’s the shirt of a FIFA member nation, that was recently playing in AFC World Cup qualifiers. Would he get banned for wearing an Italy shirt, or a Brazil shirt, or any other FIFA member shirt?

— Neville Bartos (@NevilleBartos19) August 25, 2025

Both Brighton FC and FIFA are complicit in Israel’s genocide.

So FA fifa and Brighton fc are complicit with terrorist Israel ( genocide)
Shame on you pic.twitter.com/eRVffwBjW4

— AK ah (@AKah05598248374) August 25, 2025

Unless FIFA and Premier League clubs are about to ban all international shirts, then this is a clear case of discrimination.

Back in 2021, Brighton FC released a kit in solidarity with Ukraine after Russia launched their attacks. But now, the very same club has issued a 5 match ban to a lifelong supporter for simply wearing a Palestine shirt.

Feature image via YouTube/ Millhouse Speaks