A drunk Mansfield Town fan climbed a four foot fence and charged onto the pitch during their end of season fixture ‘because it was live on Sky TV’. Lewis Brown, 20, had been one of several hundred fans who descended on Salford City’s grounds in May this year.
As the final whistle blew, a GMP football officer saw Brown, of Mansfield, climb over the four foot safety barrier before running towards the middle of the pitch in the direction of the opposing fans. He was chased by a few stewards before being tackled to the ground and escorted away, Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard.
He was arrested and admitted to running onto the pitch, telling officers it was ‘because the game was live on Sky TV’. He was said to be ‘slurring his words’, his eyes were glazed and smelt of alcohol.
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Pleading guilty to going onto a playing area at a football match and being drunk in a sports ground, Brown was handed a fine and a three year football banning order.
Prosecuting, Rafi Khan said Mansfield Town were playing against Salford City on May 2 this year in the League Two fixture at the Peninsula Stadium on Moor Lane. Kick off was at 12.30pm, it was the last game for both sides of the 21/22 season and so was being broadcast on Sky.
“3,765 people attended, several hundred of which were Mansfield Town supporters,” Mr Khan said.
“During the fixture two supporters were ejected, a number of bottles had been thrown as well as a flare. Towards the end of the match, stewards had put themselves around the pitch to deter encroachment.”
At 2.20pm, the end of the game with the four minutes of added on time, the final whistle blew, and Brown was spotted by officers scaling the fence. Officers saw him run towards the middle of the pitch towards the opposing fans stand before he was brought to the floor and detained.
Following his arrest, he made the admission saying he ‘went onto the pitch because the game was live on Sky TV’, the prosecutor said.
“It is clear he was heavily intoxicated as officers could smell alcohol [on him], his eyes were glazed, his voice was loud and slurred’,” Mr Khan added.
The prosecutor added that there was a potential risk to players and that it was a deliberate opportunity. It was not said if Brown has any previous convictions.
Asked by the Magistrates’ if he had anything to say about the offence, Brown, who appeared unrepresented, said: “I’ve got nothing to say. I’ve lost my job because of it.”
Brown, of Mount Street, was handed a £240 fine, £85 prosecution costs and £34 victim surcharge. He was also made the subject of a football banning order for three years.
“If you do, you will be committing a criminal offence and will be back here again,” JP Ravji Patel said.
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