A BURNLEY fan has been made subject to a football banning order after becoming embroiled in crowd trouble that was started by Everton supporters.

Blackburn magistrates heard the visiting fans had been able to buy tickets for a family stand at Turf Moor and caused a significant disturbance on December 16. 

Elderly supporters, women and children were leaving the stand as a result and the court was told a lot of them were clearly distressed.

Simon Baldwin, 51, of Todmorden Road, Littleborough, pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour.

He was fined £400 with £85 costs and a £160 victim surcharge. He was made subject to a football banning order for three years.

Uzma Kausar, prosecuting, said there was a disturbance in the family stand which it was accepted had been started by Everton fans.

“Females and children were leaving their seats and leaving the stand,” said Miss Kausar.

“The defendant wasn’t part of the initial disturbance but CCTV footage showed him pushing one opposition fan who was stumbling into him and then push another down the stairs. He then started pointing at a steward.”

David Lawson, defending, said his client had been a season ticket holder for 25 years and for the last 20 years had attended with his wife and two children.

Mr Lawson said for some reason tickets in the stand had been sold by the club to people who didn’t live in the relevant post code area.

“A number of Everton fans were in the stand and they were behaving particularly badly,” said Mr Lawson. “On the CCTV footage a female fan can be seen gesticulating at stewards to get into the stand and address the situation.”

Mr Lawson said people around his client were becoming increasingly upset and children were being carried out of the stand.

“My client’s role in this matter was very brief,” said Mr Lawson. “An Everton fan who was leaving continued to shout and swear and gesticulate and my client pushed him in the chest when he came close to him.

After that he gesticulated at a steward, asking why it had been allowed to happen. The fear of violence was caused by the Everton supporters, who shouldn’t have been in the stand.”

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Mr Lawson said his client was a hard working man who had no previous convictions.

District Judge Alexandra Preston said she had no doubt the trouble had been caused by Everton fans.

“It is a sad indictment of the game that if rival supporters are placed in the home stands there is the risk of disorder,” said District Judge Preston.

“On the CCTV footage I have seen you were seen to push two of these supporters at a time the incident was being dealt with by the stewards. Your actions risked ramping up an already volatile situation.”