Two Portsmouth Fans Banned After Posing As Stewards To Watch Southampton Derby

Two shot fans who wore high-vis jackets and posed arsenic stewards successful a “ridiculous” bid to watch a southbound seashore derby lucifer betwixt Southampton and Portsmouth person been banned from attending matches for 3 years.

Brothers Kane and Dale Green besides carried power instrumentality arsenic portion of their disguise to get into nan lucifer astatine St Mary’s Stadium successful Southampton successful September. The Portsmouth fans some pleaded blameworthy astatine Southampton magistrates’ tribunal to fraud by mendacious practice and going connected to nan playing area of a shot lucifer and were some fined astir £700 each arsenic good arsenic made taxable to nan shot banning order, according to Hampshire Constabulary.

A unit spokesperson said: “Brothers Kane and Dale Green headed to St Mary’s Stadium successful September without tickets, carrying high-vis vests and power equipment. At nan crushed they put connected nan items to look for illustration stewards and managed to get into a restricted area, conscionable metres from nan pitch, little than an hr earlier kick-off of this highly anticipated game.”

Assistant main constable Tony Rowlinson, golden commandant for nan policing cognition astir nan game, said: “This was a ridiculous crippled to effort and spot nan game, contempt knowing tickets were sold retired and those without tickets would not beryllium getting in. They intelligibly came pinch nan volition to get into nan stadium illegally, bringing high-vis vests pinch ‘steward’ connected nan back, pinch 1 moreover carrying a power and earpiece.

“However, what they didn’t slope connected was nan professionalism and vigilance of nan club’s information squad and our officers, who quickly spotted they weren’t wearing immoderate legalization and worked together to eject them. Their actions person seen them look very superior consequences successful tribunal coming and for 2 group who were truthful hopeless to spot this 1 game, they will now not beryllium capable to spell to immoderate for 3 years.

“I would for illustration to convey nan stewards who spotted thing was incorrect and took contiguous action, arsenic good arsenic our officers who swiftly intervened and helped guarantee they had their time successful court. I dream this reassures nan existent shot fans that we activity intimately pinch shot clubs and will return action against those who frighten to disrupt games.”

The unit spokesperson said: “The tribunal heard really Kane Green, 29, of Magdalen Road, Portsmouth, told officers that he went to nan crippled pinch nan dream to bargain tickets outside, but had nan high-vis vest, power and earpiece pinch him conscionable successful lawsuit he couldn’t get one. He denied being adjacent nan transportation and said he only wanted to get successful to watch nan crippled and didn’t intend to do thing else. Dale Green, 31, of Devonshire Avenue, Portsmouth, made nary remark during his interview.”