Birmingham City report racist banner about owner Xuandong Ren to police
A racial slur was used which appeared to reference chief executive Xuandong Ren; Birmingham said in a club statement after their loss to Blackburn that "a number of banners were placed around the town" before the match and that one of them was racist; Lancashire Police are investigating
Monday 10 May 2021 11:42, UK
Birmingham City have notified the police about an "undoubtedly racist" banner targeting the club's owner that was put up in Blackburn ahead of Saturday's defeat on the final day of the Championship season.
A racial slur was used on the banner which appeared to reference chief executive Xuandong Ren, who is from Hong Kong.
Birmingham, who were beaten 5-2 at Blackburn on Saturday to finish the season in 18th, said in a club statement "a number of banners were placed around the town" and that one of them was "undoubtedly racist".
The Championship club branded the behaviour as "unacceptable" and said "there is no place for racism at Birmingham City".
"Whilst the club will defend and respect supporters' right to protest and be heard, racism in any form, directed towards anyone, will not be tolerated," the club statement read.
"In recent weeks the club has taken a particularly strong stance supporting the anti-racism movement in football.
"Only last month, the club staged a seven-day social media blackout to fight against abuse in the game.
"We then joined the rest of the Premier League and fellow EFL clubs in a second boycott of social media platforms to reiterate our stance.
"To be clear, there is no place for racism at Birmingham City Football Club.
"We believe that the overwhelming majority of our supporters will share our disgust at the messaging of the banner, and those responsible for it do not represent our fan base.
"The police have been notified of the incident and the club will be offering our assistance to the authorities."
Lancashire Police have confirmed to Sky Sports News that they are aware of the complaint and are investigating.
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