Football fans failto have match ban orders withdrawn

TWO Leeds United supporters have failed in their bid to have football banning orders lifted preventing them attending the club's home and away matches.

The three-year banning orders were imposed in July on Mark Punter and Sean Etherington after an application by the West Yorkshire police solicitor following their presence at a pub in Millwall before the game in October last year and at a pub in Chorlton-cum-Hardy before the Manchester United game in January.

Both claimed they were genuine fans who had been hoping to get tickets for the game at the pubs.

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Dismissing their appeal at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, Recorder Rodney Jameson sitting with two magistrates said: “We simply cannot accept that it is a reasonable possibility for either appellant being in both public houses innocently.

“We reach this decision unhappily because we recognise both have genuine association to the football club and have for many years.”

They concluded in the words of the statute that there were “reasonable grounds to believe a banning order would prevent violence or disorder at regulated football matches”.

Both Punter, 42, of Wellington Drive, Campsall, Doncaster, and Etherington, 37 of Vinery Mount, East End Park, Leeds, were ordered to pay 500 each towards the cost of the hearing, estimated to cost almost 10,000.

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The court heard a “Leeds risk group” of fans were identified at the Surrey Quays pub in Millwall in the morning, hours before the game and some were involved when missiles and bottles were thrown between the rival groups. Other Leeds fans including Punter and Etherington were inside the pub.

Police saw a similar gathering of Leeds fans at the Sedge Lynn pub at Chorlton-cum-Hardy in January.

Deborah Smithies, for both Punter and Etherington, said they were genuine followers of Leeds United and were not at the pubs with a view to being involved in trouble.