A 23-year-old was spared a football ban after his role in a confrontation with 20 opposition supporters.
Corin Roberts appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday charged with drunk and disorderly behaviour in a public place.
This offence was alleged to have been committed on February 11 following a match between King’s Lynn Town and Chester FC, who Roberts supports. He pleaded guilty.
Crown prosecutor Jessica Pratt-Vivian said that following the game, which saw Chester emerge 1-0 winners, Roberts was passing through The Walks park with two other males when the trio were confronted by 20 Lynn supporters.
A police constable filed a report which said that Roberts had been shouting and swearing at the other fans while drunk before trying to push him.
The two males who Roberts attended the game with were offered conditional cautions for their roles in the incident, which they accepted. Roberts was not offered this due to having one previous offence on his record, according to his solicitor Alison Muir.
Ms Pratt-Vivian also told magistrates that they should consider the possibility of a football ban for Roberts, who lives at Poise Brook Road in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
However, Ms Muir argued that his offence had taken place away from the football ground itself and that it would be unfair to hand him a ban when his co-defendants had not received that punishment.
“His involvement and love of football, if that was taken away, it would have a dramatic impact on his mental health,” the solicitor added.
Magistrates opted not to hand Roberts a football ban, but did fine him £122.
They also told him to pay £105 in court costs.
On not ordering a football ban, the lead magistrate on the day said: “The Walks is where the football ground is, but it is a public place.”
