Pleasure striker Barbra Banda (22) competes for the ball with Gotham FC’s Jaelin Howell (7) on March 23, 2025.
Gotham FC has revoked a fan’s season tickets and banned them from future staff occasions and matches after an investigation discovered the individual violated the NWSL Fan Code of Conduct once they , the membership introduced Wednesday.
Commercial
Gotham once more condemned the unidentified fan’s actions on the staff’s March 23 dwelling opener in opposition to the Pleasure and reiterated the membership’s purpose of making a “protected” surroundings for everybody.
“Threatening, abusive or discriminatory conduct or language of any variety has no place at Gotham FC occasions,” Gotham FC mentioned in an announcement. “Our membership and the NWSL are dedicated to making a welcoming, protected and satisfying matchday expertise for all gamers, employees and followers.”
Pleasure striker Barbra Banda (22) competes for the ball with Gotham FC’s Jaelin Howell (7) on March 23, 2025. NWSL through Getty Photos
Gotham grew to become conscious of inappropriate taunts being directed at Banda when one other fan reported the incident to Sports activities Illustrated Stadium safety through the recreation.
Commercial
Safety responded to the incident and spoke to not less than one fan, however didn’t take away them. Further safety was additionally despatched to the part to observe the scenario for the rest of the sport. No additional incident developed, Gotham mentioned on the time.
Per league coverage, Gotham filed an incident report back to the NWSL that night time alerting them to the allegations.
A fan who recognized as a Gotham season ticket holder in part 102 who witnessed the alleged incident posted on Reddit the morning after the match, saying they have been “shocked and disgusted” by individuals who “expressed bigotry in the direction of Barbra Banda that stemmed from the racist, transphobic conspiracies that have been unfold about her after she earned BBC Girls’s Footballer of the 12 months award final yr.”
The Reddit publish continued, partly, “One fan acquired pulled apart by safety after he cheered for Banda falling down and yelled, ‘She shouldn’t be on the sector anyway!’ I used to be gratified to see safety converse to him, however all he acquired was a warning.”
Commercial
Shortly after the Reddit publish began to realize traction, Gotham, the Pleasure and the NWSL launched joint statements condemning the alleged participant abuse.
“We’re united in our message: This conduct is unacceptable and has no place in our league or in our stadiums,” the statements mentioned.
Pleasure striker Barba Banda (22) takes a selfie with a fan after signing a Zambia jersey following a recreation in opposition to Gotham FC in Harrison, N.J. on March 23, 2025. Getty Photos
Banda, 25, confronted anti-trans assaults in November, notably from creator J.Ok. Rowling, after she scored the successful purpose within the 2024 NWSL Championship and was named BBC World Footballer of the 12 months.
These on-line assaults have been largely based mostly on a 2022 controversy by which Banda was — a World Cup qualifying occasion — reportedly due to her testosterone ranges.
Commercial
Banda performed within the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics for Zambia.
Gotham mentioned the membership spent greater than per week interviewing witnesses, together with followers and stadium personnel, in addition to reviewing safety footage of the incident earlier than banning the fan.
The staff additionally mentioned followers attending video games can report inappropriate conduct by an encrypted textual content message service, referred to as Raven Eye, by texting complaints to 973-566-5001.
