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John Westwood handed THIRD BAN this season with gesture spotted on iFollow

Diehard Portsmouth supporter John Westwood has handed a third ban this season with a gesture he made to a friend spotted on iFollow.

Another punishment was imposed after he was caught out with his handbell during the home game against Barnsley earlier this month.

Footage of it done the rounds online, however the tweet has since been deleted. He’s now taken to speak out, feeling he’s been unfairly treated. His antics have caused the League One club’s fans to question whether what he’s doing is worthy of getting banned from games.

 

The 59 year old spoke to The News Portsmouth about being given a one-match punishment, saying: ‘Me and my mates were cheering the team off the pitch and there weren’t many people left in the Fratton End at all.

‘Either one of my mates, or someone else, swore at me, so as a laugh, I got my handbell and waved it between my legs. I wasn’t even facing the pitch.

‘When the iFollow camera zoomed in on us, I had my back to the game and was having a giggle with my mates. I wasn’t directing it at anyone.

‘Unfortunately, it’s been caught on iFollow and some eagle-eyed person spotted me. Yes I’ve done that, it was having a laugh with my mates. It wasn’t intentionally meant to upset anyone.’

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Westwood had previously spoken out about how he felt, saying that his punishment was unfair because other fans were making hand gestures such as the ‘V-signs and ‘hand gestures’ we see at matches. Much of this is directed at the pitch during matches.

He added: ‘The club could get footage of any game and identify people around the ground doing that. I know it’s because it’s me. Some of the things said in Fratton End by others I couldn’t get away with.

‘People don’t seem to moan about other people doing anything, they just seem to accept it. It is what it is. It’s doing my head in.

‘It’s a football match for God’s sake, it’s not a church choir. You see worse than that on TV, but because I stand out, I get punished. I’m no saint.

‘I am a target by people on the internet, without a doubt,’ he added. ‘However mindful you are, there will be moments at football, because of the passion, where every person will do something in a ground they wouldn’t do outside of it.

‘I’m not gonna change what I wear or my passion for the club, I’d rather slit my throat. Pompey is my life, and you can’t suddenly say it’s not and act in another way, but obviously, I’ll be mindful of my behaviour.’

Action was also taken against him a few months back for publicly relieving himself against a wall before a fixture against Forest Green Rovers.

He told The News Portsmouth how he was refused entry into The New Lawn stadium and failed to get past the stewards in different clothing, so instead decided to watch the league encounter on a hill overlooking the ground.

He received a two-match ban after indecent behaviour reports were made to the club with the fan taking to send an email to CEO Andrew Cullen.

‘By the time we got to the ground, there was a big queue round the corner, and it was taking ages to get in, and you know when you got to go, you got to go,’ John told The News.

‘If I hadn’t, I would have wet myself.

‘It was only when I saw other lads having a pee I thought, “oh god if I don’t, I’m going to wet myself”. especially with the hold-ups getting into the ground.

‘I’m a bit embarrassed about it. You try and do it discreetly, but it is what it is. I hold my hands up. I’m disappointed with myself.

‘At the end of the day, I can’t deny what I did. I know football fans have changed. I’m a bit old school. I’m adapting, but there’s a lot of people who have got it out for me at the moment. That doesn’t excuse what I did though. I’m more angry with myself with this ban than the last one.’

After being denied entry, he tried to gain entry back into the stadium wearing his friends’ jeans, hoodie and face mask.

‘I got back to the van, sat there, and thought “why didn’t they let me in but let others in,” he said. ‘I thought “sod it I’ll give it a go”.

‘I accepted that I was thrown out, but part of me thought I was a bit victimised. I wasn’t drunk at all, I’d had a few, but not in a million years.’

He denied being drunk and stated that he cooperated with police to determine which pub his group would visit in Nailsworth prior to the game.

John caused controversy by blaming “cancel culture” for his previous ban of three matches. He also posted a video in which he was seen shaming Coventry City fans during a friendly in July.

‘I’m under the microscope at the moment,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a feeling my days at football are numbered somehow, there are a lot of people who don’t like me. I’m definitely walking on eggshells.’

He showed off his tattoos and rubbed his trouser covered bum with his fingers in front of the away supporters.

“I did those things at the game after extreme provocation,” Mr Westwood told the newspaper. “With my profile, I’m having hundreds of them swearing at me and calling me a paedophile.

“I’m taking all this abuse, so I do some light-hearted banter back by doing a moon. It was done in humour, and my friends who have seen the video thought it was funny.

“It was a kangaroo court,” he went on, “It’s cancel culture. I feel sorry for the club because they’re under pressure to do something because of keyboard warriors and this political correctness-driven world.

“You won’t be able to fart in a ground soon without offend someone.”

This is what social media users said with John Westwood handed THIRD BAN this season with a gesture spotted on iFollow…

@SteveWh22886646: Seems like John is being singled out, where I sit we have to put up with youngsters continually giving hand gestures the whole game whilst the parents are sat with them! C’mon give John a break. PUP 💙

@FrogmoresFrog: Cullen trying to turn us into MK Dons. Soft and corporate. Sick of it. Everyone does gestures every game.

@Brooke_Smedley: As much as he can be a pain at times, banning the bloke for doing this is just stupid #Pompey

@GavinJones_14: The most embarrassing thing is everyone crying about him every two minutes, it’s starting to feel more like a witch hunt people just waiting for him to do the slightest thing they don’t agree with so they can have a squinny about it, there really is much worse happening out there

@Robtuds: He’s a bit of a dosser

@pompeanut1898: Agreed. He can be a pest but worse happens in stadiums although not caught on tv

@SarahPowers3: Will anyone using a hand gesture get a ban I wonder?

@Lin_Pompey: Yes of course. He is a total embarrassment to this club.

@GavH_: 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ ban him for life, he’s an embarrassment to this club

@AndyBro68420490: Absolutely agree! How old is this fella? Absolute embarrassment!!

@PFCperspectives: Are people still crying about his behaviour? I’m no fan of it but I see far worse every match day from elsewhere.

@SxPFC_: Should just ban him permanently from home and away games 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

@Merl1n79: Problem is John is a lot more recognisable than the average Joe & literally carries the name of Portsmouth F.C & with that notoriety, including the perks and negativity that comes with it so in my opinion should take more responsibility for his behaviour on match days.

@CupChange: No. He’s a bit of a nob, we all know that, but need to stop these mob lynching attacks on him. Getting a bit silly now. Some if you would ban him if he was farting throughout a match. Fratton Park will end up like a library with all these killjoys wanting to ban him.

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