A Fulham FC fan living in California is suing a state agency after he was banned from having the letters COYW on a personalised car number plate, as they feared the slogan “Come on you whites” had racist connotations. University professor Jonathan Kotler said he was “shocked” at the decision.

Launching his legal case, he claimed the decision by the California Department of Motor Vehicles violated his right to freedom of speech. “It’s just a shirt colour,” he said. “The people at the DMV are either extra thick or very PC.” Prof Kotler applied for a plate that would read COY-W – an abbreviation of the slogan commonly used by Fulham football fans – and a hashtag seen every weekend on many Twitter posts about the club.(BBC)…[+]