A football fan who assaulted a player during a match has been banned from attending his team’s games for three years.
Ross Mitchell, 39, shoved Tayo Edun in the back after the player scored a goal for Lincoln City and celebrated by running into the home stand at Gillingham’s Priestfield Stadium.
The attack came after some Gillingham supporters booed the away team when they took the knee at the start of the match, Mr Edun’s then teammate Cohen Bramall said.
It left 23-year-old Mr Edun, who has since moved to Championship side Blackburn Rovers, wary of interacting with fans, which “kills the game” for him, he said.
Mitchell appeared in the dock at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, dressed in a white shirt, black jacket, dark trousers and tie, and admitted one count of assault by beating.
More than 4,000 spectators were at the game when Mr Edun scored within the first four minutes of the game on August 7, the court heard.
Footage from the match was played to the court showing him sprinting with Mr Bramall past the line between the pitch and the stand.
Prosecutor Terry Knox said: “Whilst Mr Edun and Mr Bramall are just beyond that threshold, whilst they are facing away from the defendant, the defendant pushes Mr Edun twice to the back. During the incident Mr Edun’s forehead clips Mr Bramall.”
Mr Knox said the crowd became “increasingly vocal and hostile” after the referee was forced to pause the game as a result of the altercation.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw and was the first home game for Gillingham after large-scale sporting events resumed following Covid restrictions.
The incident has had a large effect on me as I’m having to avoid interaction with the fans which just kills the game for me
Mr Edun said in a written statement: “I spoke to the opposition and colleagues about what had happened. I then had to continue playing after the incident which was difficult.
“The incident has had a large effect on me as I’m having to avoid interaction with the fans which just kills the game for me.”
Also in a written statement, Mr Bramall said: “I would like to add at the time this happened I was really angry. The incident really upset and disappointed me.
“I knew there would be an incident such as this today as the home fans were booing when we took the knee at the start of the game.”
Stewards who removed the defendant from the stadium after the incident said he appeared drunk, Mr Knox said.
The prosecutor added that Mitchell had a number of previous football-related convictions, including for being drunk at a sporting event in 2010 and a public order offence in 2008.
Avtar Dohil, defending, said the players running into the home stand had seemed like a “goading” gesture to “gauge a reaction” from fans.
“These are professional football players. It is a rule that no player should go past the boundary line,” she said.
Ms Dohil added that Mitchell had told her he had only had “about three beers” before the game and “certainly was not drunk”.
But chair of the bench Tina Richards handed him a football ban to prevent violence and disorder at future matches.
The ban prohibits Mitchell, of Arden Street, Gillingham, from attending all Gillingham home and away matches and all England national games in the UK for three years.
He was also fined £623 and ordered to pay £620 in costs.
Ms Richards said: “We are satisfied that a football banning order is required because you have been convicted of a football-related offence. The incident took place at a designated football match and the order will prevent you causing violence and disorder at future football matches.”
