England legend Paul Gascoigne has pleaded guilty to charges relating to a racist comment he made at a show in November.
The 49-year-old, who had spells at Tottenham, Lazio and Newcastle, had been alleged to have used "threatening or abusive words" towards a security guard at an 'An Evening With Gazza' show in Wolverhampton.
Gascoigne asked security guard Errol Rowe: "Can you smile please, because I can't see you?", in reference to the colour of his skin.
The comment saw the ex-England star fined £1,000 at Dudley Magistrates' Court. He was also ordered to pay an additional £1,000 in compensation.
District Judge Graham Wilkinson told Gascoigne, as quoted by the "?BBC, "?"Mr Rowe was clearly humiliated on stage, as part of an act.
"As a society it is important that we challenge racially-aggravated behaviour in all its forms.
"It is the creeping 'low-level' racism that society still needs to challenge.
"A message needs to be sent that in the 21st century society that we live in, such action, such words will not be tolerated.
"It is not acceptable to laugh words like this off as some form of joke."
Wilkinson praised the Crown Prosecution Service for bringing the charges to court, claiming that the incident was an insidious example of racism which needs to be challenged.
The judge also told the former Spurs midfielder that his comments were a major 'stain on his character', before warning against his future conduct.
His shameful charges didn't deter a number of supporters from asking for autographs before the court appearance, with one supporter even asking for an autograph on his chest.