Should a Manchester United supporter wear a shirt to a match mocking the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, which left 97 Liverpool fans dead in 1989? As a United fan, I’d say (along with most of my fellow reds) no, of course not; that would make him an idiot and an arsehole.

But suppose an idiotic United fan (surprisingly, there are a few) does wear such a shirt to, say, the FA Cup final. Should he really be not only condemned but also arrested, taken to court, fined more than a grand and banned from all football matches for four years? As an ardent supporter of free speech, even for idiots and arseholes, I’d have to say no, of course not.

James White (33, so old enough to know better) became a social-media hate figure on 3 June, when a picture of him wearing an offensive replica United shirt at the FA Cup final at Wembley went viral.