Former heavyweight boxer Sion Yaxley, 29, received a three-year football ban after admitting to chanting homophobic abuse outside Wrexham's FA Cup clash with Chelsea at the STōK Racecourse. Yaxley, a former IBO Intercontinental Super Welterweight champion crowned in 2023, was arrested after police warned him to stop hurling slurs at a group of Chelsea supporters on Regent Street, Wrexham.

Yaxley pleaded guilty to a public order offence on 7 March. His solicitor claimed he didn't fully understand the chants because he's a Welsh speaker, but Judge Paul Conlon dismissed that explanation. The court heard Yaxley was heavily intoxicated, had since lost his security job, and watched his reputation in the community crumble after years of mentoring young boxers.

Joshua Jones, 33, faced the same charge separately and received the identical three-year banning order. A building site manager and father of two, Jones was fined £500 compared to Yaxley's £250. Both men now face travel restrictions whenever Wrexham or Wales play, forcing them to stay away from cities hosting their teams' matches.