Tamworth FC supporter issued with three-year football banning order
Main article content
A man has been banned from attending all regulated football matches for the next three years after shouting abuse at police officers following a fixture.
Mitchell Smith, 23, from Tamworth, was in a group of Tamworth Football Club supporters being held back by police outside the club’s ground on Saturday 5 August, last year, when he was arrested.
He was given a three-year football banning order at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 7 February after pleading guilty to using threatening/abusive words/behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
He was also fined £409 and ordered to pay a £117 victim surcharge and £135 court costs.
The order means that Smith must not attend any regulated football match in England and Wales.
He will also have to surrender his passport when England play away fixtures and is banned from attending any of the national team’s home fixtures.
PC Rich Lymer, Dedicated Football Officer for Tamworth Football Club, welcomed the result.
He said: “This defendant represents a very small minority of football fans who attend Tamworth Football Club fixtures. Working in partnership with the club safety and stewarding team, and the courts, we will look to robustly deal with anyone whose behaviour falls below the standards that are expected of them.”