NJ/NY Gotham FC fan banned, season ticket revoked for verbally abusing Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda

NJ/NY Gotham FC has withdrawn the season card from a fan and forbade them from all future events after a study into that person’s behavior, revealed that they pointed hateful language on the Barbra Banda of the Orlando Pride.

“Gotham FC has conducted a thorough investigation in collaboration with the NWSL, the staff and stadium security. We have interviewed countless witnesses, including fans and stadium, team and competition staff, and rated stadium security images and security log,” Gotham said in a statement on Wednesday. “The club discovered that a fan has violated the code of conduct of NWSL fan.”

The incident took place in Sports Illustrated Stadium during Gotham’s 2-0 loss for the Pride on March 23, after which an investigation was opened. Gotham said at the time that “Stadium protection responded quickly to the incident as soon as it had been reported and immediately tackled the person, so that the situation was followed for the rest of the game.” Moreover, Gotham, The Pride and the NWSL also issued statements that their “non -reversing support” statements for Banda, the NWSL championship MVP 2024.

This is not the first time that Banda has been on the receiving side of hateful language, in particular attacked by the author of the Harry Potter Series, JK Rowling, in November after the player was declared the BBC’s Woman Footballer of the Year. Rowling Misgendered Banda during posting on X and wrote: “Probably the BBC decided that this was more time efficient than going from door to door to spit directly into the faces of women.”

The Pride, the NWSL Players Association and the executive director of the PA, Meghann Burke, defended Banda Snel, where Burke offered a sharp reprimand of Rowling’s comments.

“The lowest form of discourse is personally insulted with racism and lies, on X no less,” wrote Burke on X. “Barbra Banda is a proud member of NWSLPA. She is the best of us. Only we are clear, JK Rowling: You come for her, you come for all of us. Let.