Football steward who was sacked for sending colleague rude Nicola Sturgeon meme wins £8k compensation

Scottish Sun

2 days ago

The tribunal heard that Mr Romano accidentally forwarded the images to his colleague, rather than a friend with the same first name
A FOOTBALL steward who was sacked for sending a rude meme of Nicola Sturgeon and Russell Brand has won over £8,000 in compensation.
Gennaro Romano worked for Norwich City when he sent two mocked-up images to a work colleague on WhatsApp, an employment tribunal was told.
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Gennaro Romano was a senior steward and worked at Carrow Road stadium on match days
Credit: Getty
He claimed that he accidentally forwarded the images to the Championship club's academy boss, Neil Hunter, instead of a close friend called Neil Brooksby.
However, he was fired from his role for gross misconduct after bosses at the club said the images could be seen as sexist, transphobic and racist, according to The Times.
Mr Romano, who was 48 at the time, was sacked after 12 years of unblemished service and told he was "not fit" to work for the club.
He has now successfully sued Norwich City for wrongful dismissal and won £8,299 in damages after an employment judge found the dismissal to be "not reasonable'.
The tribunal heard that Mr Romano was a senior steward at the club and began working at Carrow Road stadium on match days in 2011, whilst also working with Royal Mail.
Mr Romano, an Italian, was paid £24 for an afternoon of stewarding when he started and then worked his way up to section head, only missing two matches in 12 years.
In September 2023, he was asked to attend an investigation meeting over two images he sent to Mr Hunter, the club's head of academy operations.
One mocked-up image was of Ms Sturgeon and Brand, while the other was with Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. Both of which included rude messages.
At the time, Mr Hunter said he received the images from Mr Romano out of the blue.
Mr Romano was then asked if he remembered sending the WhatsApp messages to Mr Hunter at the investigation meeting.
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The tribunal heard: "[Romano] didn't remember sending any such message. He was then shown a screenshot of two images received by [Hunter].
'[Romano] explained that he had received the messages on his phone from a friend. He hadn't meant to send the messages to Hunter or even realised that he had done so.
'[Romano] had [Hunter's] number in his phone because he had spoken to him about helping with the drivers, but had never messaged or called him before mistakenly sending the messages in question.'
Mr Romano was asked why he would send the images to a friend, and he said it was "banter".
At the time, he told Norwich bosses: "Because it was funny. It is just what you do now, sharing messages. I am confused… This was a mistake. I meant to send it to my mate.'
While they accepted that sending the images was a mistake, they dismissed his defence that it was "banter" and suggested that he should not send them even in his personal life, the tribunal found.
Mr Romano said: "The images are what they are. I have been here a long time, and I have been judged on two pictures.
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Mr Romano successfully sued Norwich City for wrongful dismissal
Credit: Getty
"I understand that they are wrong, no question, but that doesn't define me, those two pictures.
"I will say it again, I am sorry. What I did was wrong. You can't say I'm sorry enough or I didn't understand the pictures enough.'
Mr Romano was sacked for gross misconduct, however, Employment Judge Sarah Moore said the manner in which the decision to dismiss was reached was "riddled with unfairness".
According to the Times, she said: 'In this case, we find that the sanction of dismissal was not within the range of reasonable responses open to [Norwich City FC].
"The decision-making process by which the decision to dismiss was reached was riddled with unfairness and it was not one which any reasonable employer would have taken.'
Judge Moore added: 'It is accepted that [Romano] sent the messages to the member of the [club] by way of genuine mistake.
"Further, there is no evidence that [Hunter] considered himself to have been harassed by having received the messages or was even offended by the messages.'
Mr Romano's further claim of race discrimination was dismissed, and his application to get his job back failed.
Norwich City FC have been contacted for comment by The Scottish Sun.