Burnley's Gray banned 4 matches for homophobic tweets from 2012
Warning: Article contains offensive language
Burnley striker Andre Gray received a four-match ban Friday for tweets sent out in 2012 that contained homophobic and sexist sentiments.
The FA found Gray guilty of breaking FA Rule E3(1) for comments deemed "abusive and/or insulting and/or improper and/or bringing the game into disrepute."
The 25-year-old was also fined £25,000 and ordered to attend a one-to-one FA education course.
He apologised once the issue came to light in August, stressing that he was a "different person" at the time.
Related: Burnley's Andre Gray apologises for homophobic tweets
The tweets in question - which have since been deleted - appeared to show Gray condoned the killing of gay people. He was not a player for Burnley at the time, instead toiling in non-league football with Hinckley United.
"Is it me or are there gays everywhere? #Burn #Die #Makesmesick," read the first one, which spread quickly online.
"Would love to see women do preseason yano, see if they moan about their period then," read another, as reported by The Telegraph's Sean Gibson.
Both Gray and Burnley accepted the ban, meaning he will miss Monday's match against Watford, as well as contests against Arsenal, Everton, and Southampton.
The Clarets also said they will invest nearly £2 million in community work over the next year.
The ruling is bound to set a precedent in world football as the perils of social media come into focus.
"We believe this charge, regarding historical social media posts, should now serve as a warning to all professional footballers, and participants in the wider sporting field," read Burnley's statement.
Gray has made five Premier League starts thus far, most notably scoring the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Liverpool.