Famous Pompey fan banned after walking into women's toilets and claiming to be transgender
One fan well-known in the Portsmouth FC stands has been banned after walking into a women's toilet.
This incident makes it the fourth time this season alone that John Westwood, 59, has faced a ban from the grounds.
The event took place over the weekend (11 March), with Westwood claiming he entered the ladies loo after identifying as a woman.
Mr Westwood faced the punishment after complaints were made to the club during Portsmouth FC's 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
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According to stewards on shift at the time, Mr Westwood went into the facilities and said he identified as a woman.
The season ticket holder was made to leave at half-time and later told the Portsmouth News: "I walked into the passageway before the toilets and didn’t go any further."
Mr Westwood continued: "This woman came out of the toilets and told me to get out, so I left.
"I was just having a laugh and a giggle. Given it was women’s day, I thought I would identify as a woman to show solidarity with them."
Mr Westwood went on to tell the news outlet: "There was no malice intended."
One woman present at the time, 57-year-old Mary Williams, claimed that she confronted Mr Westwood who was reportedly 'ranting and raving' in the stadium's toilets.
She went on to say to the news outlet that the Pompey fan's behaviour was 'massively offensive to anyone who is transgender.'
"It’s ridiculous in the extreme that anyone would believe that is a stance he takes," Williams said.
"I’m 100 per cent in favour of someone who genuinely identifies as transgender to use any loo they want, but this is not that."
Williams then added: "He was there to provoke, intimidate and harass women."
The incident makes this the fourth time Mr Westwood has been banned from the premises this season, with other offences including making crude gestures towards Coventry City fans during a friendly match, having a wee outside Forest Green Rovers’ stadium and making a rude 'handbell action' to a friend, Portsmouth News reports.
Williams explained that Westwood has 'been allowed to throw his weight around for far too long' and highlighted that 'decent supporters have had enough.'
She added: "None of the women in that toilet were enjoying it, or found it remotely funny."
While the banned football fan denied being drunk at the time of the incident, he has since admitted that he hasn't thought about his actions being offensive.
"If I sing it’s a geezers club, I get told off, and if I identify as a woman, I also get told off," he said.
"You’re not allowed to make light of anything anymore."
Directly responding to Mr Westwood's claims that he was 'showing solidarity' with women, Williams concluded: "No one who has heard his misogynistic and sexist chanting would take that seriously.
"The likelihood of that is on par with Pompey finishing as champions this season."
A spokesperson from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary confirmed: "A man was escorted from the stadium by a police officer after he had entered the female toilets' at 4pm."
LADbible has reached out to a spokesperson from Portsmouth FC for comment.
Rhiannon Ingle