A football fan who racially abused Ebbsfleet United keeper Nathan Ashmore has been banned from his own club and fined by magistrates.

Eastleigh Football Club fan Martin Lombardi shouted foul language towards keeper Ashmore during a match in April and was reported to police over the matter by incensed fans who witnessed the incident.

Officers arrested Lombardi, 59, and charged the Spitfires fan with using threatening words, behaviour or language to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He appeared before magistrates in Southampton and pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court heard Mr Ashmore, a former Gosport Borough Football Club player, came during Eastleigh FC’s loss to Ebbsfleet in a National League match last season.

Ebbfleeet won the game 1-0 at the Silverlake Stadium and now Lombardi had also been banned from attending Eastleigh FC fixtures.

Magistrates fined Lombardi, of Wakefield Road, Southampton, £650 and ordered he pay £600 compensation to the keeper.

Following his conviction, the club said in a statement: “Eastleigh FC are an inclusive football club and have a zero tolerance to racial abuse."

Lombardi was fined £650 and ordered to pay £600 compensation and £300 costs.

He was also told to pay £300 costs and £65 victim surcharge.

Last year football fan was released without charge following an alleged racist incident involving Ashmore.

A 20-year-old man was alleged to have racially abused the keeper during the final minutes of Ebbsfleet versus Bromley on Boxing Day.

Ashmore confronted fans who were standing behind his goal before being given a yellow card by the referee for time wasting and the man from Biggin Hill was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.