Man given three-year banning order for racist abuse of Tamworth’s Chris Wreh
20 June 2025, 18:00 | Updated: 20 June 2025, 18:08
A man who sent racist abuse online to a Tamworth player after the club’s FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham in January has been given a three-year football banning order.
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Harry Dunbar, 20, was sentenced at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday for posting abuse to Tamworth’s Chris Wreh after he had lost a bet.
Wreh, 28, reported the abuse after the game on January 12, and shared a screenshot of Dunbar’s post on his own Instagram feed.
Wreh felt unable to play for Tamworth in their next match on January 14, saying he felt disappointed by the failure of the club to issue any public support for him.
Gavin Sumpter, a senior crown prosecutor with CPS Wessex, said: “Harry Dunbar lost a simple bet and, in a moment of anger, chose to break the law.
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“Dunbar’s actions in personally targeting Mr Wreh with such vile and hateful language whilst hiding behind an anonymous account were inexcusable and had a significant impact on the victim.
“Banning orders can have a huge impact on an offender’s ability to enjoy the game, their life and work – from stopping you from getting a job to going to the pub around match times and being in the vicinity of games to travelling abroad.
“We hope that this case makes it clear to like-minded individuals that such behaviour will not be tolerated. Individuals who act in this way can expect to be investigated and, where there is sufficient evidence, prosecuted and banned from attending games.”
A Football Association spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision of Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court to impose a three-year football banning order on Harry Dunbar.
“We hope that this ruling sends a clear message that incidents of discrimination – whether in person or online – will not be tolerated, and that strong action will be taken against perpetrators of this unacceptable behaviour.”
Dunbar must also complete a community order of 200 hours’ unpaid work.
