'It's still in our game' - Ex-Doncaster Rovers striker opens up on racist abuse

Benjamin Burchell, 28, who has learning difficulties, was given 40 hours of community service and was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation to Newport County striker Bogle.

Bogle, 30, played for Doncaster Rovers between January 2021 and January 2022. He then had a brief spell at Hartlepool before joining current club Newport County in the summer of 2022.

Burchell admitted a charge of racially aggravated breach of public order at Medway Magistrates court. It relates to an offence that took place in October 2023, when Bogle scored twice in a 2-0 Newport win away at Gillingham. As Bogle celebrated one of his goals, Burchell ran over and made a monkey gesture directly in front of him.

According to Sky Sports News, District Judge William Nelson said Burchell's learning disabilities 'played a part in reducing his sentence'.

The judge said: "Once again it is very sad that I have to deal with a case such as this where football itself has made such forward inroads into racism, but this demonstrates that there is still much to do to make sure that behaviour and language is eradicated."

Speaking to Sky in the wake of the incident, Bogle said: "I remember even on the coach back, it was a long journey back and at one point I almost shed a tear. When it was all sinking in, I was thinking: 'What actually just happened?'

"There's a part of me that's glad it was so blatant, and it was so obvious. Because now it's something that people can't deny.

"It's still in our game. It's still prevalent in life. There are some things that I know and feel are racially-motivated in football. For me to explain it, people would look at me as if I've got two heads.

"How do we get people to not think that way? The hate that you have in your heart to someone because they look different to you. How do we remove that?"

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