Footballer sentenced for punching opponent

John Ward was playing for the Travellers Inn, Bramley, Leeds on January 16 when he reacted after Thomas Marston, playing for Ackroyd Street, Morley, beat him to the ball about half an hour into the game, said Judge Penelope Belcher. At that he elbowed Mr Marston in the face and when he went down began punching him.

Witnesses said he was struck up to five times and Mr Marston remembered being hit to the cheek, ear, chin and chest before other players stepped in.

“Quite rightly you were sent off,” she told Ward, yesterday at Leeds Crown Court.

She said it was an aggravating feature the violence was in the context of a football match when sportsmanship and good behaviour were required within the rules.

Ward, 32, of Congress Mount, Armley, Leeds admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm on January 16 this year and was given a 12 months jail sentence suspended for two years with 100 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to Mr Marston.

Carmel Pearson, prosecuting, said the fractures were found after Mr Marston was persuaded to go to hospital because the other players could see he was bleeding from one ear and his face was swollen.

Richard Reed for Ward said he wanted to express his regret and remorse for what he had done. He had reacted not to anything on the pitch but because of stresses in his private life.

He had already been barred from playing football for the next five years.