Stoke City supporter issued with three-year football banning order

A man has been banned from attending all regulated football matches for the next three years after threatening a steward at a Stoke City home fixture.

Mark Brough, 38, from Stoke-on-Trent, is banned from attending Stoke City and International fixtures for the next three years after he was verbally aggressive towards a club steward during the team’s clash with Watford on 19 August last year.

The incident unfolded when stewards were directed by the club safety team to an area where Brough was standing on the stairwell of the stand. They asked him to move back to his seat and were met with verbal abuse and aggression.

Brough pleaded guilty to using threatening / abusive / insulting words / behaviour with intent to cause fear of / provoke unlawful violence.

He has been conditionally discharged and has been ordered to pay court costs of £135 and a surcharge of £26.  

The order prevents Brough from attending all regulated football fixtures with a geographical exclusion zone around Stoke City FC also in place. This stops him from associating with other football supporters on match days.

PC Benjamin Greensides, dedicated football officer for Stoke City, said: “This outcome is the result of positive work being done by Stoke City Football Club, Staffordshire Police and the courts to combat unacceptable behaviour. We will continue to take positive action against those who use football stadiums as a venue to commit crimes."