West Brom have issued a lifetime ban to a 50-year-old man convicted by West Midlands Police of racially abusing Romaine Sawyers on WhatsApp.
Simon Silwood posted on a sarcastic WhatsApp group titled 'Romaine Sawyers - Ballon d'Or' about the 29-year-old midfielder, saying he should win the 'baboon d'Or' following a 5-0 loss to Manchester City on January 26.
Silwood claims he meant to write 'buffoon d'Or', but misspelt to 'bafoon' before his device autocorrected.
But Silwood, from the town of Kingswinford, has been found guilty of an offence under the Malicious Communications Act, following the conclusion of a trial at Walsall Magistrates' Court.
Prosecutor Simon Brownsey said the message 'was intentionally posted and was blatant racism towards black professional footballer Mr Romaine Sawyers'.
In a statement provided to the court Sawyers, currently on loan at Stoke City, said: 'As I read it, I felt numb and did not know what to say. Having seen [the word] I assumed it was referring to the colour of my skin.'
'The word has left me feeling harassed, alarmed and distressed and I find the message to be racist. The whole incident has left me extremely upset.'
West Brom have issued a lifetime ban to Simon Silwood (R), who was found guilty of racially abusing Romaine Sawyers in January (L)
