Man Utd fan jailed for unprovoked racist attack on Raheem Sterling
The court was shown CCTV of Anderson driving his white van alongside Sterling’s car as the player waited to enter City’s CFA training ground on Clayton Lane on Saturday morning, in preparation for the Premier League game against Tottenham that evening.
Both men then got out of their vehicles and Anderson walked towards Sterling, who joined City from Liverpool for an initial £44 million in July 2015.
Carl Miles, prosecuting, said Anderson, who had been in the vehicle with his partner, began shouting racial abuse at Sterling and called him “you black Scouse c---.”
He said Anderson also told the footballer, who has a young son and daughter: “I hope your mother and child wake up dead in the morning you n-----.”
Mr Miles added: “He approaches Mr Sterling and can be seen to be bouncing on the balls of his feet. He sets out kicking Mr Sterling to the legs on four occasions.”
The court was told that Sterling was left with a sore left hamstring after the attack but he did not suffer serious injuries. The player went on to score twice in City’s 4-1 win over Spurs.
convicted football hooligan has been
jailed for a racist attack on Raheem Sterling that left the Manchester City and England forward in a state of “complete shock”.
Karl Anderson, 29,
pleaded guilty on Wednesday to racially aggravated common assault after an unprovoked attack on Sterling outside City’s training ground on Saturday morning that was first revealed by
Telegraph Sport.
Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court heard how Anderson, a Manchester United fan who already had 25 convictions for 37 offences, including football related violence, told Sterling: “I hope your mother and child wake up dead in the morning you n-----” before kicking the player in the legs four times and leaving him with a sore left hamstring.
Anderson, of Woodward Street in Ancoats, Manchester, had been issued with a five-year banning order in January for his part in clashes with Sheffield United fans in the Shamrock pub in Bengal Street, Ancoats, following a FA Cup third round tie between the Yorkshire club and Manchester United at Old Trafford 12 months earlier.
The ban prevents Anderson from entering Manchester city centre or Old Trafford on matchdays.
Anderson, wearing a black T-shirt and supported in the gallery by two male family members, smiled as he was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison on Wednesday. He was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and £100 in compensation.
Mr Miles said: “He is a professional footballer. His legs are important for his job.”
In a victim personal statement, which was read to the court, Sterling, 23, said he had been "completely shocked" by the incident.
“I didn’t think this type of behaviour still happened in this country in this day and age,” he said.
Sentencing Anderson, chairman of the bench, Diana Webb-Hobson, said: “This was an entirely unprovoked attack. You stopped your car and you got out. The personal statement was very moving, we find injury was sustained.
“Your previous record was appalling, you don't seem to learn anything, do you?”
The court heard that Anderson had 25 previous convictions for 37 offences, including throwing a flare at a police officer during a football match.
Mr Miles said he was subject to a football-related violence banning order which prevented him from attending certain matches.
“He is now finding alternative ways to express violence and aggression, all relating to football,” he said.
John Black, defending, said Anderson had lost his temper with Sterling after his girlfriend asked him to ask the footballer for an autograph. “He apologises through me to Mr Sterling for his actions,” he said.
Mr Black said the defendant could not explain his actions and “bitterly” regretted them.
Swasea sacked Paul Clement today as if he was the problem. tony pulis is expected to hired soon. 
