Clampdown on celery-throwers leads to bans

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea have banned three of their fans after they were caught throwing celery during the team's FA Cup win at Tottenham Hotspur, the Premier League champions said Tuesday.

Two of them were arrested for throwing celery during the quarter-final replay on March 19, while a third was spotted throwing the vegetable and later identified to the club.

A fourth supporter was banned for a pitch incursion.

"All four people have been banned by the club and three will face court bans depending on the outcome of any criminal proceedings," the club said on its Web site www.chelseafc.com.

Chelsea had warned their fans three days before the replay against throwing celery during matches, saying it was a criminal offence and that anyone caught could be banned.

The unlikely warning had followed referee reports which mentioned celery-throwing at two previous Chelsea matches and which were being investigated by the Football Association.

Though celery has recently been landing on the pitch, Chelsea fans have been throwing it among themselves, and singing an unprintable song about the vegetable, for more than two decades.