Five men handed football banning orders after incidents at Wrexham matches

Nation.Cymru staff

Five men have been given three-year Football Banning Orders following disorder and abusive behaviour linked to two Wrexham A.F.C. home matches earlier this year.

The orders were imposed after cases heard at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court relating to incidents surrounding Wrexham’s FA Cup tie against Chelsea F.C. in March and a fixture against Millwall F.C. in February.

Sion Yaxley, 29, from Pwllglas near Ruthin, admitted chanting homophobic abuse towards a group of Chelsea supporters before the FA Cup fifth round match on March 7.

He was fined £250 and ordered to pay a £100 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Joshua Alan Jones, 33, from Weston Rhyn near Oswestry, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour intended to provoke violence.

Jones was fined £500 and ordered to pay a £200 surcharge and £85 costs.

Arun Eric Thomas, 37, of Pandy, admitted using threatening or abusive behaviour and assault by beating before the Millwall match in February.

He was fined £333 for the public order offence and handed a 12-month community order, including a requirement for mental health treatment and 120 days of alcohol abstinence monitoring.

Thomas was also ordered to pay a £113 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

Two other men, Jake Lee Jones, 31, from Weston Rhyn, and Jamie Gruffydd Jones, 38, from Wrexham, both admitted using threatening or abusive behaviour before the Millwall fixture.

Both were fined £80 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £32 victim surcharge.

Under the Football Banning Orders, all five men are prohibited from attending football matches anywhere in the UK for three years.

They are also banned from being within 2,500 metres of regulated football stadiums on matchdays and prohibited from entering towns or cities where Wrexham or the Wales national football team are playing.

Deterrent

Superintendent Simon Barrasford said the orders were intended to protect supporters and act as a deterrent.

He said: “Football Banning Orders impose strict and far-reaching restrictions on those convicted of football related offences.

“These orders are designed to act as a powerful deterrent to anyone who considers disrupting the safety and enjoyment of the game.”

He added that while incidents of disorder remained a small minority of matchday behaviour, police would continue to take robust action against offenders.