Football fans jailed for affray over fight at Leeds station

Violence erupted at Leeds Railway Station

The Boro fans were returning from watching a match in Barnsley and were changing trains when they happened to walk by the Leeds group.

Christopher Dunn, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court John Greenwood and his two sons Jason and Anthony Youngman had watched the Leeds game against Wolves on a screen in a pub.

Mr Greenwood slipped on some steps and that caused children with some Middlesbrough fans to laugh.

“The Leeds fans took offence and when they got to the bottom of the steps a stand-off took place,” he said.

At least one Middlesbrough fan, Peter Simpson, lifted his shirt to show his Boro tattoo before Philip Hardy ran across the gap with a bottle in his hand and struck Mr Greenwood on the head before kicking him on the ground.

His sons, Anthony and Jason, reacted with Jason Youngman headbutting Hardy and Anthony throwing a glass, before squaring up to him “in a boxing style stance” trading punches.

Meanwhile Simpson, angered by the throwing of the glass near his family began punching people and kicked one man on the ground. Mr Dunn said Mr Greenwood was kicked at least twice by Shaun Cassidy.

Another member of the Middlesbrough group, Scott Ford, was also seen throwing punches which did not land.

All six defendants admitted affray. Anthony Youngman, 22, of Manderville Crescent, Buttershaw, Bradford, was jailed for nine months, Jason Youngman, 24, of the same address, was jailed for 30 weeks.

Hardy, 22 of Kirkham Road, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, was jailed for eight months, Simpson, 48, of Appleton Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, and Cassidy, 25, of Boynton Road, Longlands, Middlesbrough, were each given six-month jail sentences suspended for 12 months with 150 hours unpaid work and £500 costs and Scott Ford, 22, of Lune Road, Norton, Stockton, was given a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work with £500 costs.

Nicola Peers, for the Youngman brothers, said they accepted they behaved disgracefully but had “lost it” after seeing their father hit.