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.