Millwall ban 13-year-old after 'slave' racial abuse

Millwall have imposed an indefinite ban on a 13-year-old boy who admitted racially abusing the Bolton player Marvin Sordell during a Championship match at the Den last month.

The boy has also been asked to attend an education programme run by the club and has written a letter to Sordell apologising for his actions. Sordell has accepted the apology. The England Under-21 striker said that he and a number of his team-mates were racially abused during the game, including being called a "slave".

In a statement, Millwall said: "The individual has been banned from Millwall matches for the foreseeable future, but as a club we also felt, given the boy's age and background, we had a duty to play our part in attempting to educate and rehabilitate him. Accordingly, we have offered to put him through one of our education programmes in the hope that we can change his outlook on equality, racism and life in general."

Millwall's course of action has been welcomed by the Football Association, both in banning the offender and offering him a means of rehabilitation. Earlier this week, Chelsea banned a fan from Stamford Bridge after he was arrested over claims he had made a racist gesture at Manchester United's Danny Welbeck during a Capital One Cup match last week.