Football fans handed banning order after city centre violence

A 24-year-old man has been jailed, and two others issued with football banning orders, following disturbances after a match in Newport.

Samuel Grant, 24, Joseph Friel, 22 and Wayne Thomas, 18, all previously admitted to violent disorder and appeared for sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday 25 April.

They were each issued with Football Banning Orders for five years, barring them from Newport County matches both home and away, regulated fixtures in Newport, and the Wales national team.

The court heard that trouble flared between a group of men in the city centre following Newport County’s 1-1 draw with Eastleigh in January last year.

Clash

After the FA Cup third-round tie had finished, County fans clashed with supporters from Eastleigh outside a pub on Cambrian Road.

The trouble continued with further fighting on the same city centre street as the Eastleigh supporters headed towards the train station.

Grant, from Newport, received a sentence of two years and four months.

Friel and Thomas, both from Pontypool, received suspended sentences.

A 16-year-old boy, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder, received a six-month referral order to the Newport Youth Offender panel when he appeared at Cwmbran Youth Court on Tuesday 21 January.

Sergeant Paul Turner, from Gwent Police’s neighbourhood team at Newport Central, said: “Our priority is to ensure those attending football matches at Rodney Parade and visiting our city can enjoy the game and do so in safety.

“During a thorough investigation, we pieced together the events of the day, starting with clear surveillance footage from inside the stadium to the disorder in the city centre, to bring these three men to justice.

“These additional Football Banning Orders, together with the sentencings, highlight a strong stance that the disgraceful behaviour and conduct seen that day in the city centre will not be tolerated.”

Risk

He continued: “People run the risk of not attending football matches for a significant period of time should they pose a risk before, during or after matches and will be dealt with accordingly.”

Under the terms of the football banning order, Grant, Friel and Thomas:

• Must not enter any premises for the purpose of attending any football matches in UK which are regulated for the purposes of the Football Spectators Act 1989.
• Must not be within 1,000 metres of any regulated football match in the UK during the period of five hours before kick-off until five hours after the final whistle on any day on which a regulated football match is being played.
• Must not enter any town or city in the UK where Newport County FC or the Wales team are playing a regulated match at any away ground for the duration of the day/evening upon which the match is being played.
• The defendants may also be required to surrender their passports and travel documents and report to a police station when regulated football matches are being played outside the UK.

If they breach the conditions of this order, the defendants face being sent to prison for six months.

Success

Sergeant Turner added: “The success of this investigation is an example of what can be achieved when partners work together with a common purpose.

“While working alongside Newport County, we have reinforced our continued commitment in protecting our communities and keeping them safe from harm.”

A Newport County spokesperson said: “We welcome today’s decision by the court. There is no place for this abhorrent behaviour and we will continue to work closely with Gwent Police to help identify any incidents of this nature.

“The club will maintain its zero-tolerance approach to such incidents, whether that’s at Rodney Parade, the city centre or for away fixtures, and the imposition of banning orders, as a minimum, for anyone found guilty of such behaviour.

“Newport County has worked tirelessly to create a reputation as a family-friendly football club and it is an image we will do everything in our powers to maintain.”