More fans banned over Wolves v Blues trouble at Molineux
A group of Wolves supporters and a Birmingham City fan that were caught throwing plastic bottles, lighters, a broken seat and coins during a Birmingham City derby have been banned from attending matches for up to four years.
Four of the men were each given a football banning order following the February 24 championship league fixture, which was labelled as one of the ‘worst occasions’ of crowd behaviour.
The disorder broke out when former Wolves player David Davis, who now plays for Blues, went and celebrated the 2-1 win in front of fans, Walsall Magistrates' Court heard.
The men, who had attended the match separately, then began to lob items towards the pitch and fans from the Sir Jack Hayward and Steve Bull stands at Molineux.
More than 80 seats were broken and dozens of coins thrown during the game.
Brad Gutteridge, 19, from Gorge Road, Sedgley, Jon Hill, 23, from Padarn Close, Sedgley, Dominic O’Connor, 29, Bredon Drive, Hereford and Owen Hyde, 18, from Hylstone Crescent, Wednesfield all pleaded guilty to throwing a missile at the spectators' area.
Blues fan Jordan Sharpe, 19, from Pike Drive, Solihull, also pleaded guilty to throwing a broken seat into the air upon the team scoring a goal.
Hill and O’Connor both threw a bottle, Gutteridge lobbed two coins and Hyde threw a lighter – missing Blues striker David Davis by only a metre, the court heard.
Mrs Rachael Smith, prosecuting, said: “The game was a high risk fixture and was one of the worst for crowd behaviour.
“In a statement from the safety manager, Steve Sutton, from Wolves, he said that the actions from these people had the potential to harm others and could damage the reputation of not just the club but the city as a whole.
“Exclusions of troublemakers give a safer match environment for families, he added.”
Regarding Sharpe, Mrs Smith added: “He was sitting with the away supporters in the Steve Bull stand. He then celebrated one of the goals and bent down and picked up a broken seat and threw it in the air.”
Gutteridge, Hyde, Hill and Sharpe were all given the banning orders ranging from three to four years.
As well as the banning order, all men had to pay fines of up to £320, £100 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
O’Connor was only given a financial penalty.
David Dorrance, defending Gutteridge, O’Connor and Sharpe, said: “They are all young men who are hardworking and accept that their actions were inappropriate.”
Speaking on behalf of themselves, Hyde and Hill both accepted that they ‘took the blame’ for their actions by coming forward to police following an appeal.
All of the men had no previous convictions.
