The incident happened at Dwight Yorke's former team's ground

Blackburn men, Shaun Baxter, 35, of Belper Street, Andrew Roberts, 19, and Brian Hargreaves, 20, both of Arron Avenue, appeared in court on Thursday.

At court they admitted racially aggravated public order offences.

Four men have now been convicted for racially abusing the Birmingham City striker during a match last month.

Monkey gestures

On Thursday magistrates heard the footballer had been warming up on the sidelines at Blackburn Rover's Ewood Park ground when people in the crowd began monkey chants and gesticulating towards him.

Prosecutor Francis McEntee said the former Blackburn player Yorke had expected some jeering from fans angry that he left the club earlier this year.

"What he didn't expect was the racist abuse that was meted out to him," he said.

The court was played a DVD of the defendants hurling racist taunts at the player.

Roberts admitted making monkey gestures and all three accepted shouting racial abuse at Yorke but claimed they had only been following the lead of a fourth man, Jason Perryman.

Banned until 2009

Last month Perryman, 22, of Chorley, Lancashire, was ordered to pay �1,075 in fines and costs after admitting a similar charge.

He was also banned from football matches for five years.

Richard Prew, defending, said all the men were ashamed of their actions and Baxter had already written a letter of apology to Yorke and both teams.

Baxter and Roberts were each fined �500 plus �80 costs, while Hargreaves was fined �200 and �80 costs.

The three men will not be allowed to attend a match in England or Wales until 2009.

A fifth man, David Ashcroft, 21, of Brantwood Drive, Leyland, Lancashire, denied a similar charge at an earlier hearing and will return to court in the New Year.