LONDON – Two professional soccer players have been fined for making anti-gay comments on Twitter.
Pinknews.co.uk reported that Nile Ranger, a forward for Premier League team Newcastle United and Manny Smith a defender for League One Walsall have been handed fines by the The Football Association (FA), the governing body of English soccer, for their conduct. Ranger was fined $9,500 and Smith $1,900.
The pair were accused of acting in a way which was “improper and/or brought the game into disrepute”, including “a reference to a person’s or persons’ sexual orientation.”
Smith, who offered a full apology said, “The comments were borne out of frustration and were Tweeted in the heat of the moment. I deeply regret them. I realize that, as a professional sports person, I am a role model and my conduct, both in person and via social networking sites, should reflect this.”
The content of the Tweets is not known.
