Collingwood have stripped a long-time fan of his membership of the AFL club for racially vilifying Gold Coast player Joel Wilkinson during Sunday’s match at the MCG.

Magpies star Dale Thomas informed club officials of the incident, with his claim backed up by a large number of emails and telephone calls from Collingwood supporters.

The club was able to identify the supporter and strip him of his membership indefinitely.

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert apologised to Wilkinson on behalf of the club.

“It is important that Joel knows that the behaviour of one Collingwood supporter is not a reflection of the views of the broader Collingwood community,” Pert said in a statement.

“I hope Joel is heartened by the strong leadership position that Dale Thomas took, which was supported by the crowd that witnessed the incident and then, ultimately, the football club itself.”

Wilkinson, who was born in Nigeria, was also racially abused by Western Bulldogs forward Justin Sherman in a separate incident last year.

Sherman was subsequently suspended for four matches.