The banner appeared just before kick off in the home fans end of Allianz Stadium after Sydney supporters allegedly switched it for another that had been pre-approved.

Large banner displays have to be signed off by the club and stadium prior to matchday to ensure they meet FFA standards.

But today Sydney FC claimed they were shown a different banner which was then altered to include the slur, and warned that any repeat would lead to bans for fans involved.

“Sydney FC would like to wholeheartedly apologise to disability groups and those people offended by the banner and warn our fans that anyone displaying banners of such nature in the future will be banned from attending matches at Allianz Stadium,” said Sydney FC CEO Tony Pignata.

“Sydney FC does not condone the actions of the fans in The Cove responsible for displaying an inappropriate banner during the match on Saturday night.

“There is a process in place whereby our fans have to submit their plans for the banners, including copies of illustrations and exact wording, and the words on the banner were different to the submitted plan.

“We have spoken to the fan group, voiced our strenuous disapproval and made it known in no uncertain manner that any future breaches will be met with bans from attending matches.”

The Cove have been contacted for a response, but comments on their forum acknowledged that the term was an in-joke insult for Melbourne Victory fans which may not be appreciated by the wider community.