Melbourne Cricket Club says when the cricketer’s supporters refused to put away the ‘offensive’ signs on Wednesday night security teams acted

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The Melbourne Cricket Club has denied reports it ejected fans for holding a sign in support of cricketer Chris Gayle, but said it did confiscate the “offensive” signs if people refused to put them away.

The signs saying #StandByGayle were spotted by patrons at the Big Bash League match between the Melbourne Stars and Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Wednesday night. There were initial reports that one spectator was kicked out for holding a sign, but the MCG said that was not correct.

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Gayle was fined $10,000 after he asked a female sports reporter out and said “Don’t blush, baby” while she was interviewing him at Monday night’s Big Bash League (BBL) match in Sydney. He reportedly may not be asked back to play in the BBL matches after allegations he exposed himself to a woman working around the West Indies cricket team last year.

The hashtag #StandByGayle has been gathering support since Monday in response to criticism of Gayle. Video footage from Wednesday night’s match, sent to Guardian Australia, shows dozens of mainly male patrons chanting “Stand by Gayle” with the sign-holders when they were approached by security.

A member of the crowd who wishes to remain anonymous took a video of the incident and passed it onto Guardian Australia.

Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) Video of security staff at the MCG telling a group with #standbygayle signs to take them down. pic.twitter.com/UobCSVK0t3

Calla Wahlquist (@callapilla) And here's the crowd chanting their support for #standbygayle pic.twitter.com/knD1JnuShh

In a statement, the MCG said it had asked people to remove the signs but did not eject them.

“At last night’s BBL match a small number of patrons were identified as displaying signs which related to the contentious Chris Gayle incident which took place earlier in the week,” the statement said.

“In accordance with Cricket Australia’s venue conditions of entry which prohibit the display of offensive signage, MCG security requested that the signs be removed from display. In instances where the patron did not comply with this request, the security representatives confiscated the signage.

“Patrons were not evicted for bringing in signage of this nature and overall the crowd on the night was well behaved.”

Mark Walker (@markwa1ker) The "Don't Blush/Baby/#standbygayle" signs just scored an eviction... #BBL05

Jack Stephens (@jackstephens1) The eviction of a fan holding a #StandByGayle sign at last night's #BBL05 game is an absolute joke and embarrassment to Australia.

Dylan Humphries (@dylanph22) Gayle is the boss, Mel should be bowing down to the legend. #haveadrink #standbygayle

Gayle was reprimanded this week for an awkward on-camera exchange with Channel 10 sports reporter Mel McLaughlin, in which he told her that she had beautiful eyes, asked her out for a drink and then said: “Don’t blush, baby.”

Luke Costin (@LukeCostin) If you think fans should #StandByGayle, you are a flog. There's a wide gap between jokes and his sleazy, creepy behaviour. #Gayle

Cricket Australia and Channel Ten have since supported McLaughlin, and her former colleague at Fox Sports, Neroli Meadows, described Gayle as a “repeat offender” who “does it purely to humiliate that person in that public arena”.

Gayle said his comments were a “simple joke” that had been “blown out of proportion.”