MPS officer dismissed for football hooliganism

A misconduct hearing was held last week for Arsenal supporter Detective Constable Gordon Irikefe, attached to Central South Command Unit, following his behaviour at a Bayern Munich v Arsenal match.

The officer also attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (February 24), in relation to his actions at Arsenal matches between October 2022 and April 2024.

Detective Superintendent Emma Bond, in charge of policing for the Central South area, said: “Det Con Irikefe has shown an unacceptable pattern of behaviour at football matches, for anyone, let alone a police officer who should uphold the highest of standards whether on or off duty.

“His actions have not only seen him now subject to a football banning order, but have also cost him his job.

“I am grateful to professional standards and football unit colleagues for pulling together the evidence in this case to ensure we have been able to take decisive action.”

The misconduct hearing followed allegations Det Con Irikefe lit and threw a pyrotechnic into the crowd at a football match in Munich while off duty on Wednesday, April 17, last year.

Det Con Irikefe was also arrested that day by German police for wearing a full balaclava and sunglasses inside the stadium. He was fined 100 euros for the ‘masking’ offence.

The hearing found he had breached the standards of professional behaviour for discreditable conduct at the level of gross misconduct.

Det Con Irikefe resigned from the force on Wednesday February 12 but his notice period meant he was still a serving officer when his misconduct hearing was held, therefore he was dismissed without notice, the MPS said.

He appeared at court on Monday after investigating officers from the MPS’s Central Football Unit made an application for a football banning order to prevent violence and disorder.

The court heard that since October 2022, Det Con Irikefe had come to police notice on numerous occasions for disorderly and anti-social behaviour at football matches, including the matters in Germany for which he had also been disciplined, receiving management action.

In February 2023 he was heard ‘tragedy chanting’ at a Leicester City march, shouting ‘helicopter’ – a reference to the deaths of five people, including Leicester City’s owner, in a helicopter crash at the club’s King Power Stadium. Other allegations included making lewd gestures and shouting abuse at a substitute player, ‘masking up’ to conceal his identify and intimating other fans including using pyrotechnics.

The order was granted and will be in place for the next three years. DC Irikefe is banned from attending any regulated football matches in the UK and must surrender his passport in relation to football matches played outside the UK.

He cannot go within one mile of the Emirates stadium if Arsenal are playing four hours before and after the match, nor visit any town, city or London borough four hours before and after an away match.

He must not go without two miles of any stadium where the England national team are playing four hours before and after the match.

Following his dismissal, Det Con Irikefe will also be placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing.