THREE Burnley soccer louts have been given banning orders after trouble at the Clarets v Blackpool match and another five fans were bound over to keep the peace.

Burnley Magistrates Court had heard most of the eight - half of them middle-aged - were on state handouts, with two receiving incapacity benefits.

And a district judge hit out at the fact they could travel to away matches and get drunk at the taxpayers’ expense.

District Judge Peter Ward gave Simon Massey, 44, who police say was the ringleader, a four year ban and imposed three year orders on Paul Christopher Higginson, 34 and Jonathan Champkin, 26.

Massey, of Fern Road, Champkin, of Leyland Road, both Burnley, and Higginson, of Shakespeare Street, Padiham, had all admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour surrounding the match on March 3 at Blackpool.

The trio, who all have criminal records, were each fined £200, with £50 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The hearing was told Massey, a former catering worker, had travelled around the country being involved in football violence.

He was banned from Turf Moor for life in 1990.

Gary Chippendale, 50, of Hollingreave Road, Anthony Harrison, 53, of Townley Street, Briercliffe, Eric Bernard Kelly, 31, of Parliament Street, Benjamin William Pate, 24, of Garswood Close, all Burnley, and Philip Holmes, 48, of Avondale Road, Nelson, were all bound over in the sum of £200 for 12 months, after admitting breaching the peace.

They escaped banning orders but Holmes has recently been made the subject of a three-year ban, after police civil proceedings.

District Judge Ward told Massey, Champkin and Higginson: “I think you ought to realise that football violence causes enormous trouble to a lot of people.

“It disfigures the game. It’s amazing that people like you find any kind of pleasure in this kind of thing.”