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Two Bolton Wanderers fans have appeared in court — after punching and kicking a Blackburn Rovers supporter who attacked their mini-bus.
The Rovers supporter ran at the mini-bus — carrying Wanderers supporters home after a match at Ewood Park — and put his fist through a window, Blackburn Magistrates Court heard.
One of the Bolton fans, who suffered a cut nose as a result of flying glass, got off the bus to detain the attacker.
After having a punch thrown at him, the Whites fan then knocked the Blackburn supporter to the ground with a single blow.
A second passenger who followed him off the bus then kicked the Blackburn man as he was on the ground.
Ben Nicholson, aged 25, of Thornham Drive, Sharples, and Gareth Longworth, aged 28, of Pemberton Street, Astley Bridge, both pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.
Nicholson was ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work and Longworth made subject to a curfew for eight weeks between 8 pm and 6 am.
District Judge James Clarke made a football banning order for three years against Longworth who was the second man off the coach — but did not ban Nicholson.
He said Longworth had a previous caution for being drunk at a football match and had admitted having drunk 10 or 11 pints of cider on the night of the incident.
He said: "You kicked someone on the floor who was offering no threat to you or anyone else.
"I question your ability to react correctly in a similar situation."
He told Nicholson: "You have no previous convictions and I am not satisfied a banning order is necessary in your case to prevent further problems."
Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the man who had punched the window, David Metcalf, is due to be sentenced for a similar offence and a banning order would be sought against him as well.
Estelle Parkhouse, defending, said if it had not been for the actions of David Metcalf there would not have been any problems.
She said: "My clients had been to the match, there had been no trouble and they were on their way home under police escort."
She said Nicholson was angry after being cut by flying glass and when he got off the bus Metcalf threw the first punch.
She added: "When my client hit him it was not because of the football match or the rivalry but because he had been cut and then attacked."
She said Longworth had followed his friend off the coach out of "misguided loyalty".
Arguing against the banning orders Miss Parkhouse said it was not the football match which lead to the "unpleasant behaviour" but the actions of Metcalf.
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The Rovers supporter ran at the mini-bus — carrying Wanderers supporters home after a match at Ewood Park — and put his fist through a window, Blackburn Magistrates Court heard.
One of the Bolton fans, who suffered a cut nose as a result of flying glass, got off the bus to detain the attacker.
After having a punch thrown at him, the Whites fan then knocked the Blackburn supporter to the ground with a single blow.
A second passenger who followed him off the bus then kicked the Blackburn man as he was on the ground.
Ben Nicholson, aged 25, of Thornham Drive, Sharples, and Gareth Longworth, aged 28, of Pemberton Street, Astley Bridge, both pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.
Nicholson was ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work and Longworth made subject to a curfew for eight weeks between 8 pm and 6 am.
District Judge James Clarke made a football banning order for three years against Longworth who was the second man off the coach — but did not ban Nicholson.
He said Longworth had a previous caution for being drunk at a football match and had admitted having drunk 10 or 11 pints of cider on the night of the incident.
He said: "You kicked someone on the floor who was offering no threat to you or anyone else.
"I question your ability to react correctly in a similar situation."
He told Nicholson: "You have no previous convictions and I am not satisfied a banning order is necessary in your case to prevent further problems."
Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the man who had punched the window, David Metcalf, is due to be sentenced for a similar offence and a banning order would be sought against him as well.
Estelle Parkhouse, defending, said if it had not been for the actions of David Metcalf there would not have been any problems.
She said: "My clients had been to the match, there had been no trouble and they were on their way home under police escort."
She said Nicholson was angry after being cut by flying glass and when he got off the bus Metcalf threw the first punch.
She added: "When my client hit him it was not because of the football match or the rivalry but because he had been cut and then attacked."
She said Longworth had followed his friend off the coach out of "misguided loyalty".
Arguing against the banning orders Miss Parkhouse said it was not the football match which lead to the "unpleasant behaviour" but the actions of Metcalf.
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